Pentagon Memorial
Using a unique and inspiring design, the lives of all who perished on September 11th, 2001 in the Pentagon and on Flight 77 are now forever embraced in this moving tribute. The placement of each bench, each tree, the height of the walls are all of it connected to represent each individual commemorated and the horrific event that claimed the lives of 184 people.
At first, your tour group may notice the unique benches scattered throughout the memorial that seem to resemble dolphins leaping from the water. Each bench is dedicated to a particular person and is inscribed with their name. If you are reading the nameplate, and you are facing the Pentagon, that means that that individual was inside the Pentagon during the attack. Each bench has a small pool of moving water beneath it and is placed in order of the birth year along the age lines, stainless steel lines running through the memorial to the wall behind them. The height of the wall behind the memorial represents the year of that individual's birth, the youngest born in 1998 and the oldest is 1930.
While the Pentagon Memorial is accessible at any time, it is best to experience this at night while the benches are fully illuminated and glowing. A highly recommended site for any Washington, D.C. tour, this memorial is a place of remembrance and reverence for all group tours.
