The Pentagon Memorial

The Pentagon Memorial
Name	Pentagon Memorial
Caption	View of the memorial site
Location	Arlington County, Virginia
Country	United States
Coordinates	38.8719°N 77.0563°W
Established	2008
Designer	Julie Beckman and Keith Kaseman
Type	Memorial
Dedicated to	Victims of September 11, 2001

The Pentagon Memorial is a commemorative site honoring the 184 victims killed when American Airlines Flight 77 struck the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. Situated adjacent to The Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia, the memorial integrates landscape architecture, sculpture, and lighting to commemorate individuals from diverse organizational and geographic backgrounds. The memorial serves as a locus for official ceremonies by institutions such as the United States Department of Defense, the Arlington National Cemetery community, and survivor networks.

Design and Layout

The design, conceived by architects Julie Beckman and Keith Kaseman of Beckman-Kaseman Architects, responds to site constraints near Interstate 395, Washington, D.C., and the Pentagon Reservation. The plan organizes 184 cantilevered benches—each bench corresponding to a victim—arranged by victim age and oriented toward either Washington Monument, United States Capitol, and the trajectory of American Airlines Flight 77. A shallow reflecting pool and individual illuminated name markers integrate with hardscape materials such as granite and stainless steel associated with memorial projects like Vietnam Veterans Memorial, National September 11 Memorial & Museum, and Lincoln Memorial. The landscape strategy references precedents in memorial design including work by Maya Lin, Daniel Libeskind, and Peter Eisenman, while aligning with regulatory constraints from the Federal Highway Administration and Arlington County Board.

History and Development

The memorial’s genesis traces to responses following the September 11 attacks and planning dialogues among families of victims, the Pentagon Renovation Program, and officials from the United States Department of Defense. A national design competition administered by a jury including representatives from the National Capital Planning Commission, the Secretary of Defense, and civic leaders produced the winning Beckman-Kaseman proposal. Fundraising and approvals involved stakeholders such as the Victims' Families Advisory Board, the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, and contractors working with firms like Clark Construction Group and HNTB. Environmental assessments referenced guidance from the National Environmental Policy Act and coordination with Federal Aviation Administration restrictions due to proximity to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The development phase navigated legal issues involving property rights, security perimeters established by Defense Intelligence Agency protocols, and logistical cooperation with Arlington County Police Department.

Dedication and Opening

The memorial was dedicated in a ceremony that included public officials from The White House, members of the United States Congress, military leaders from the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and relatives of victims affiliated with organizations such as the 9/11 Families Association. Remarks referenced national responses to the September 11 attacks and included musical performances by ensembles linked to the United States Marine Band and the Arlington Philharmonic. Dignitaries from the Department of Veterans Affairs, the American Red Cross, and homeland security entities attended. The opening included a ritual of name readings echoing practices at the National World War II Memorial and the Korean War Veterans Memorial.

Memorial Features and Symbolism

Each cantilevered bench aligns with the age of the victim and includes a name plate engraved in typefaces similar to those used at the National Memorial for Peace and Justice. The orientation of benches toward the flight path of American Airlines Flight 77 and toward Pentagon components destroyed in the impact creates an axial relationship reminiscent of sightline strategies used at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum site planning. Water elements and illumination reference cycles of mourning and resilience found in memorials such as the Oklahoma City National Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Planting palettes include species used in urban memorials adjacent to National Mall landscapes, integrating seasonal change to mark anniversaries recognized by institutions like the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.

Visitor Information and Access

The site is accessible from public entrances coordinated with Pentagon Reservation security checkpoints and transit links including the Washington Metro system and nearby roadways such as U.S. Route 1. Visitor services coordinate with agencies like the Arlington County Visitor Services Bureau and regulatory guidance from the Department of Homeland Security concerning large public gatherings during annual commemorations. Accessibility accommodations reflect standards promulgated by the Americans with Disabilities Act and include pathways similar to those at Smithsonian Institution museums. Educational programming associated with the memorial has involved partnerships with organizations such as the National Park Service and academic institutions including Georgetown University and George Mason University for research and public history initiatives.

Maintenance and Preservation

Ongoing stewardship involves entities such as the Pentagon Memorial Fund, a board of trustees, and maintenance contractors coordinated with the United States Department of Defense and local agencies like the Arlington County Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources. Conservation practices follow standards from bodies such as the American Institute for Conservation and the National Trust for Historic Preservation to address material preservation for stone, metal, and water features. Security and facility management integrate technologies and protocols from vendors used by the Department of Defense and GSA for site surveillance and disaster response planning, ensuring the memorial remains a functioning locus for remembrance ceremonies by groups including military associations, survivor networks, and civic organizations.

Category:Monuments and memorials in Virginia Category:September 11 attacks memorials