Tragedy Inspires Travel: The Pentagon Memorial Opens

September 11th, 2008 marks the seventh anniversary of the 9-11 attacks on the United States. Today also honors those who fell in this terrorist tragedy with the dedication of the Pentagon Memorial. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates hosted a ceremony today with President George Bush to dedicate the Pentagon Memorial to the memory of those killed in the terrorist attack here in 2001.  

The memorial was built along the southwestern corner of the Pentagon and is the first national memorial to those killed on September 11th, to be dedicated. The memorial consists of 184 individual memorial units honoring the 59 people aboard American Airlines Flight 77 and the 125 in the Pentagon who lost their lives at 9:37 a.m. on September 11th, 2001.

For everyone who has traveled to Washington DC and have visited the Smithsonian Museums, the Vietnam Wall, the fairly new World War II memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument and all that the nation’s capitol has to offer, the Pentagon Memorial gives tourists something new to visit and pay patronage to.

Memorials and museums of types allow those who visit to remember and learn, while also providing a destination to pay respects. Monitoring coverage of the numerous memorial events today, I was impressed with the design of the Pentagon Memorial as there is a memorial unit to honor each victim.

On a personal level, the Pentagon Memorial is something I will travel back to Washington, DC to experience as I was there on 9-11. I was in the Watergate building, across the Potomac from the Pentagon, as the fiery crash and explosion occurred. The attack was so fierce that I could feel the ground shake as the explosion occurred. Some in my building witnessed the plane crashing into the building…a symbol of our strong defense and military force.

The Memorial Park is located on the western face of the Pentagon and on the flight path of American Airlines flight 77, according to the Memorial Web site. The Pentagon Memorial’s 184 memorial units are located in a collective field, which is organized as a timeline of the victims’ ages, moving from the youngest, three-year-old Dana Falkenberg to the oldest, John D. Yamnicky, 71, as revealed on the site.

The memorial site will be free and open to the public 24-hours daily. Commercial parking is available at Pentagon City Mall and the site is easily accessible from the Pentagon Metro Station.

People travel for many reasons and call today’s journeys to Ground Zero, the Shanksville site in Pennsylvania or the Pentagon a pilgrimage for many. These memorials are not built to capitalize on tourists rather to preserve our country’s heritage, patriotism, history and legacy so people do no forget.

Photo Credit: Department of Defense and the Pentagon Memorial

Photo Caption for Dedication Photo: JOINT SERVICE TROOPS STAND READY TO UNVEIL THE PENTAGON MEMORIAL. - Joint service troops stand ready to unveil the Pentagon Memorial as the U.S. Air Force Band plays “Who Are the Braveî on Sept. 11, 2008. The national memorial is the first to be dedicated to those killed at the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001. The site contains 184 inscribed memorial units honoring the 59 people aboard American Airlines Flight 77 and the 125 in the building who lost their lives that day. DoD photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Jennifer Villalovos, U.S. Navy. (Released)

Photo Caption for photo of President George Bush: PRESIDENT BUSH SPEAKS AT THE PENTAGON MEMORIAL DEDICATION. -  President George W. Bush speaks at the Pentagon Memorial dedication ceremony on Sept. 11, 2008. The national memorial is the first to be dedicated to those killed at the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001. The site contains 184 inscribed memorial units honoring the 59 people aboard American Airlines Flight 77 and the 125 in the building who lost their lives that day. DoD photo by Cherie Cullen. (Released)