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Arlington Observes Sept. 11 Anniversary |
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Businesses and residents participate in “Flags Across Arlington”
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On Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008, Arlington County officials, businesses and residents participated in the Pentagon Memorial dedication ceremony. The dedication, on the grounds of the Pentagon, commemorated the 184 men, women and children who died in Arlington on Sept. 11, 2001 when terrorists slammed American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon. Fifty-nine passengers and crew on board the plane lost their lives that day, along with 125 military and civilian personnel at the Pentagon. They were among the nearly 3,000 people killed in attacks on the Pentagon, the World Trade Center and on a plane that crashed in Shanksville, Pa.
The memorial was opened to the public at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 11 – and will remain open to the public 24 hours a day thereafter. This year, Arlington County did not hold its annual Sept. 11 commemoration ceremony and bell-ringing so that Arlington officials could support the Pentagon Memorial.
Arlington first responders managed the incident command and response to the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon. The U.S. Department of Justice hailed the County’s management of the response, and the 9/11 Commission called Arlington’s performance a model for the nation.
“The response to the 9/11 terrorist attack on the Pentagon was mainly a success for three reasons,” the 9/11 Commission concluded in its final report: “First, the strong professional relationships and trust established among emergency responders; second, the adoption of the Incident Command System; and third, the pursuit of a regional approach to response.”
Navy Secretary Presents Pentagon steel to Arlington officials
Also on Thursday, Sept. 11, Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter presented steel from the Pentagon 9/11 crash site to Arlington County officials, who plan to donate the steel to the USS Arlington, scheduled to be commissioned in 2011. The steel and stone, along with memorabilia from Arlington County, will be placed in a glass case on the floor of the ship’s quarterdeck so that every person stepping onto the ship is reminded of the events, sacrifice and heroism of 9/11.
In naming the ship then Secretary of the Navy Gordon England said, "USS Arlington will help America project power to the far reaches of the earth and will support the cause of freedom as we engage in the current war on terrorism. The courage and heroism of the people aboard the flight, and in the Pentagon, will never be forgotten by the American people." This is the third U.S. Navy ship named Arlington.
For further information on the Pentagon Memorial, visit the Memorial Web site.
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