Since 2008, the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial has been a solemn, quiet escape for mourners to pay their respects to those who died at the Pentagon at 9:37 a.m., Sept. 11, 2001, when terrorists flew American Airlines Flight 77 into the west side of the building, killing 184 people onboard and employees inside the U.S. military headquarters.
The physical damage to the Pentagon was rebuilt in less than a year.
The memorial was closed Sept. 9, 2019, for renovations, and was scheduled to reopen in May 2020, but because of COVID-19 restrictions on the Pentagon Reservation and other factors, it is not yet open to the public, Sue Gough, DOD spokeswoman, said.
The renovations, now complete, remedied recurring light-system failures in the pools under the memorial benches, where water seeped into the fixtures. The entire electrical system also was replaced, including all bench lighting and the electrical conduit that feeds power to the light fixtures.
The memorial comprises hallowed grounds sheltered from the hubbub of surrounding Washington, D.C. Each of the victims is honored with a memorial unit — a cantilevered bench, a lighted pool of flowing water and a permanent tribute by name. Each memorial bench is made of stainless steel, inlaid with granite.
