A look back at local, national and global events through the Deseret News archives.
On September 11, 1940, ground was broken for the Pentagon building in Arlington, Virginia. The massive defense complex was built as World War II was raging and now serves more than 30,000 employees and visitors each day.
It’s also become a metonym. It’s the Pentagon.
Sixty-one years later, on September 11, 2001, the Pentagon was involved in the deadliest terrorist attacks in history.
On September 11, nearly 3,000 people were killed when 19 al-Qaeda hijackers took over four jetliners. Two of the planes flew into the World Trade Center in New York, one into the Pentagon in Arlington, and the fourth into a field in western Pennsylvania.
And today we remember and honor those who died in New York City, on airplanes, and in the Pentagon.
The Pentagon was the first of the three attack sites to open an official memorial. It was dedicated on September 11, 2008, and is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
It stands on the exact spot where the attack took place: the limestone on the rebuilt section of the wall is easily distinguishable from the older facade.
Once visitors arrive, the park emphasizes the individual loss of each victim and the magnitude and scale of the 184 deaths.
The main feature is 184 cantilevered benches, each on a small reflecting pool, and each dedicated to one of the 184 people killed. The benches are arranged by birth year, a reminder that the attacks claimed lives both young and old, from 3-year-old Dana Falkenberg to 71-year-old retired Navy Captain John D. Yamnicky.
“Pentagon Memorial provides a place for reflection”
The Deseret News and other media outlets captured images and stories of tragedy and heroism from that experience. Many Utahns were among the victims and many lives were touched by the attacks.
Here are some articles from the Deseret News archives that focus on the Pentagon and 9/11:
“Visitors to the Pentagon still see the scars of 9/11”
“Twenty Years Later, How the Experiences of 9/11 Strengthened the Faith of These Latter-day Saints”
“A Soldier’s Story: How His Experience at the Pentagon on 9/11 Sent This Utah Man on a Downward Spiral”
“Pentagon awards Purple Hearts, civilian medals for 9/11 attacks”
“9/11 LIVE: Scenes from the 9/11 Memorial”
“2 Pentagon Heroes of 9/11 Honored”
“Was the attack on the Pentagon preventable?”
“Top defense officials honor 9/11 victims at Pentagon”
“Pentagon Releases Security Camera Footage of Plane Flying into Pentagon on 9/11”
“9/11 Remembrance: Keeping the Memory Alive”
“Documentary Gives Viewers a Peek Inside the Pentagon”
