Pentagon Memorial

Pentagon Memorial. The Pentagon Memorial is a memorial dedicated to the victims of the September 11 attacks at the The Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia. The memorial was designed by Julie Beckman and Keith Kaseman, and it honors the 184 people who died in the American Airlines Flight 77 crash, including the passengers, crew members, and people working at the The Pentagon. The memorial is located near the National Mall and the United States Air Force Memorial, and it is a popular destination for visitors to the Washington, D.C. area, including those visiting the National Museum of American History and the Smithsonian Institution.

● History

The history of the Pentagon Memorial began shortly after the September 11 attacks, when the United States Department of Defense and the Federal Bureau of Investigation launched an investigation into the crash of American Airlines Flight 77. The American Society of Landscape Architects and the National Park Service were involved in the planning and design of the memorial, which was influenced by the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York City and the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The memorial was also inspired by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Korean War Veterans Memorial, both located in Washington, D.C.. The design of the memorial was selected from a competition that included entries from Michael Arad, Peter Walker, and Rafael Viñoly, among others.

● Design

The design of the Pentagon Memorial features 184 benches, each one dedicated to a person who died in the September 11 attacks. The benches are arranged in a pattern that reflects the ages of the victims, from the youngest, Christine Hanson, to the oldest, John D. Yamnicky Sr.. The memorial also includes a pool and a wall that are designed to evoke the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. The design of the memorial was influenced by the work of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Frank Lloyd Wright, and it incorporates elements of Bauhaus and De Stijl architecture. The memorial is also similar to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the National World War II Memorial, both located in Washington, D.C..

● Construction

The construction of the Pentagon Memorial began in 2006 and was completed in 2008. The memorial was built by a team of contractors that included Clark Construction Group and Balfour Beatty Construction, and it was designed to be a sustainable and environmentally friendly structure. The memorial features a rain garden and a green roof, and it is designed to reduce stormwater runoff and minimize its impact on the surrounding environment. The construction of the memorial was overseen by the General Services Administration and the United States Department of Defense, and it was funded by a combination of public and private sources, including the National Capital Planning Commission and the Trust for the National Mall.

● Dedication

The Pentagon Memorial was dedicated on September 11, 2008, in a ceremony that was attended by President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, and other dignitaries, including Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Michael Mullen. The ceremony included a wreath-laying ceremony and a moment of silence, and it was also attended by families of the victims of the September 11 attacks, including Todd Beamer's family and Mark Bingham's family. The memorial has since become a popular destination for visitors to the Washington, D.C. area, including those visiting the National Archives and the Library of Congress.

● Features

The Pentagon Memorial features a number of unique elements, including a pool and a wall that are designed to evoke the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. The memorial also includes a bench for each of the 184 people who died in the September 11 attacks, and a path that is designed to reflect the trajectory of American Airlines Flight 77. The memorial is surrounded by a garden that features a variety of plants and trees, including oak trees and maple trees, and it is designed to be a peaceful and contemplative space. The memorial is also located near the Arlington National Cemetery and the United States Marine Corps War Memorial.

● Visitors

The Pentagon Memorial attracts thousands of visitors each year, including families of the victims of the September 11 attacks and people from all over the world who come to pay their respects to those who died. The memorial is open 24 hours a day, and it is free to visit. Visitors can take a self-guided tour of the memorial, and they can also attend a guided tour that is led by a National Park Service ranger. The memorial is also a popular destination for school groups and other educational groups, and it is often visited by people who are also visiting the National Museum of the Marine Corps and the National Air and Space Museum. Visitors to the memorial can also see the Pentagon and the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial Act of 2002, which authorized the construction of the memorial. Category:Monuments and memorials in the United States