>> this is the heart of in washington, d.c. since the early years of world war ii, this building has bebeen the hoe of america's dartment of defense it's one of the largest office buildings in e world. about 23,000 people come here to work every day. a good many of them are not even members of our armed forces-- many are civilian employees from all walks of life. all of them, though, are mothers and fathers, brotothersrs and sisters, sons and d daughters. travel thehese halls every day come here for one purpose only: to help defend our nation today is a story i hope will reach every american, because it's really a story about america,

about ordinary american families, about how we face the perilsls, uncertainties, and tragedies of life, and about how we, as individua and a nation, come together to heal the wounds of tho who have made for all that we hold dear. it's a story of reflection, remembrance, and renewal. it's also a story about hope for the future. >> and i remember--you know, some days my wife would be sitting here, and just the fact that her presence-- that's all i wanted, was just her presence. we didn't have to say ything, the fact that i t that she was there and i was over here, that's all i cared about. nothing else. that i knew that she was here. >> the other two came home, and i made sure they got some good food, you know, stuffed 'em

as much as i could, with anything they'd eat, figuring that they wouldn't be eating a lot for a while. and, um... then told 'em. and i will never forget that day. especially my youngest. brady just looked dazed. but you could just see kelsey change... it was like the light in her eyes just left. and i've never hrd a child... cry...like that before. >> it was... i think it was the worst day of my life. and i'm hoping that-- that they will use... the way jan, uh... ( choking up )...

jan lived... ...as a model to bring up their children. narrator: on a plot land arlington, virginia, overlooking ounation's capital, the grassss is growing again. trees have been planted that bloom in newness of life each spring. the wall has been rebuilt. as if in silent honor, for the briefest of moments each evening, e setting sun itself p pays tribute with a golden light pouring forth on what is now hallowed ground for all of america. rosemary dillard: we wanted some way to ensure that all of the victims mdered

that day... they were never forgotten. >> in the night sky, the radiance of 184 illuminations ofof remembrance shimmer in the darkness in honor of 184 men, womeand children whose lives were extinguished in an instant on a hauntingly autiful fall morning. >> the last six, seven years have been absolutely surreal. in one minute, it seems like it was in another lifetime... when miciche was here. in another mininute, it seems likike it was just 30 seconds ago. >> seven years later, thousands of americans come tether to join hands with the wiveses, the husbands,

the ildren and the grandchildren, the parents and the grandparents, of the 184 who perished that day. for on this day, from the ashes of death and destruction, a living memorial has arisen to not only mark one of the most tragic events in all of american historyry, but to stand eternally in honor and remembrance of those who paid soso dear a pricice for our freedom, and their courageous families who cay on their legacy. this is the pentagon memorial, america's fit national memorial to those who died on sepmber 11, 2001. while it stands in remembrance of all those who lost their lives that tragic morning, it also ands in living testament to their families who, year ter year, are bravely anquietly

piecing their lives back together. this, then, is their story. and while it is a story of painful remembrbrance and unresolved suffering, it is also a story of renewal and perseverance and hopope, in the greatest tradition of the american spirit. >> ♪

>> ♪ >> narrator: there are over 160 monuments and memorials in our nation's capital, dating back to the founding of america. some honor a select few men and women who shaped our country and helped define who we are as a nation today... generals, political leaders, poets, statesmen, and scientists who changed the coursese of american history. some raised the hopes and aspiration of a nation unique

in all the world. others set forth the values and ideals on which our republic was based, and to which we would aspire for generations to come. still others honor ordinary americansho, through their courage, dedication, and commitment, made extraordinary contributions to america and the cause of freedom around the world. many left their families and the comfort and security of home tonselfishly answer r the call when their nation needed them most, and fofought and died for all that we ho dear today. virtually all span the great history of america, commemorating events anindividuals of our distant pasast. one, however, is unique among all the rest, for it represents the defining moment for this generation

of americans. >> years from now, i hope they understand that whwhat happened on that terrible day, that an enemy came with airplanes full of innocent people to k kill americans in order for us to abandon our great desire to help others realize the blessings of liberty. >> i hosted a breakfast, i believe, at seven or eight, seven-thirty or eight, for members of congress, republican and democrat, and i can remember saying to them at this breakfast, probably just about the time the first plane hit the world trade center tower, that something was going to happen in america, in six months, twelve months, eighteen months, nobody knows when,

that will l register in a way that they will want to have supported sufficient defense investment in our country. >> the morning of september 11, the darkest day in amecan history, camame ine like a lab and went out like a lion. it was a warm, sunny morning in washington, d.c., just as it was in new york city and all along the eastern seaboard, typical of that time of year when the dog days of august give way to a hint thatomes to rest on the city every fall. most who were there memberer, abovove all, ththe cleaear, blue sky. almost prophetically, the deep, cloudless blue had an undefinable radiance that many years later remains a hauntingly vivid memory to those who lived through september 11. it was, quite e simp,

a regular tuesday mornrning just l like any other, filled with morning rituals like every other tueuesday-- getting kids off to scschool, driving to work in the often-grueling traffic of washiton,.c., to beat t the morning g rush.ig for me, the morning wawas filled wh expectancy as they drove to the airport toto embark on a long-awaited v vacation. young asia cottom, rodn dickens and d bernard brown were brimming with excitement as they had been selected from a group of 6th-graders to fly all theay to california with their teachers for a nationaleographic conferenence. >> the day was just a normal day, and bill went off to work, i got the kids to school, and... >> she banished me from driving because she claimed that my driving, i was reckless. so she drove that morning... >> ...a hug, and he went on, we said we were gonna meet at the mall for dinner... >> marjorie salamone

worked late the e night before and was tired as she kissed her husband beben good-bye and left for work that tuesday morning. >> i noticed that here dress was open in the back. and so i looked at that and i just thought, "i wonder if she knows that her dress is open in the back." so i said something to her about it and she said, "oh, yeah, i know a about it," and i said, h, okay." and i think th might have been the last thing we said, i just don't remember. >> nobody knew what lay ahead. >> man: they turned off the transponder and dove the airplanene down to guide it below radar... >> woman: ...on the screen... ( sirens wailing ) >> ...we seehe first plane hit the first tower. >> man: ...the second tower... >> womanand then thehey said, "the pentagon's been hit." >> w woman: she said, it's flight t 77, " and then

i grabbed her, and then i said, "eddie w was on flight 77." >> rumsfsfeld: ...anyone in the building felelt the impact, it was so powerful. >> woman: i look in the sky... and remember that smoke. >> man: ....the pentagon, quite clearly yoyou could see black smoke rising up, it was just awful. >> bernard salamonone: and i sa, "my wife works there," and i hadn't...( choking up )... ...i hadn't heard from her. >> woman: i got out the office roster and started calling people: "have you ard from anybody?" >> and then next i checked the voicemail, and there was about 30 messages on the voicemail, and i started going down, and di was hoping that jan had called, and th when i got down to three, my hope started dwindling.

>> bush: as long a as the united stes of americica is determined and rong, this w will not be an age of tyranny. this will be an age of liberty, here and across the world. >> americans awoke on september 12, 2001, with the realization that our nation was changed foforever. we were living in a new world, with history broken into the pre-9/11 era and the post-9/11 era. >> gen. richard myers: there probably wasn't any other event that made us understand as a nation that we're all linked in so many different ways... that we all play a role in our security, in our well-bel-g, in the well-being of the republic. >> well, 9/11 drove home the point that we are part of the world and can't separate ourselves from it by our oceans,

that we have to bebe engaged in the world, hopopefully smartly, not just militarily, although must be strong. but also we muste wise, we must engage with others. >> sen. joseph lieberman: on 9/11/01 america changed, obviously. we lost about 3,000 of r fellow americans, but we also, in some sense, losost our innocence. >> i think what changed on september 11 for so many americans was the fact that it was brought home, and we realized the vulnerability that we face. but the purpose of terror,r, of cour, is not to necessarily kill people, although that's part of it; it's to terrorize. the purpose of terrorism is to alter people's's behavior, and therefore the most vulnerable people in the world are free people. >> bush: we recognized with absolute clarity that there is

an enemy, that has a set of beliefs, that would lilike to do us harm to achieve ththeir objectivives. i think the nation became more compassionate on t that day, the nation became more united on that day, and the nati became more determimined on that day.

>> ( jet roars overhead ) >> it all happened here... the point of impmpact. on september 11,1, 2001, a diret attack on american soil sialed the birth of an entirely new world. what followed was a surge in patriotism not seen since pearl rbor, with flags on every street c corner and signs posted almost everhere that proclaimed, , "god bless america enormous benefit concerts took place on both coasts, and america was left with a new kind of 21st century y hero: the first responder. for a time, our deeply divided

country was one again. >> bush: after 9 9/11, after we resolved that we would defend ourselves, came this great wave of patriotism, whehere there's a great sense of pride about what we stood for. i'll never forget going to new york and seeing that-- on thene hand, compassion for their fellow citizens, and for the families that were suffering; on the other hand, this great sense of f resolve ad determination to stand strong in the face of this enemy. >> a sense of coming together, i guess, i think is the best way to describe it. it was a senment that extend across party lines in the congress, house and senate, democrat and republican pupulled together. millions of pele visited those sites in succeeding months,

focused on them in one way or another, focused on those events, and it was a national experience to some extent like pearl harbor, that it had that kindf unifying effect on the nation. >> the trage of 9/11 pulled america together and showed us what we really should appreate every day as we squabble politicalllly or there are oth divisions in our country, thatat we're all part of the american family, we share common values, we share common dreams for ourselves, our families, and our country. the terrorists who attacked us on 9/11 didn't distinguish between publicans or democrats, or white or black, or christian, jewish, musl; and more.ms were all of those, weill lose our strength less

we recapture our fundamental unity as americans; there's nothing more important than that. >> but 9/11 sort of brought that ouin us, that, "gee,e're all in this together." this hurt all of us. this hurt wall street, this hurt our military, this hurt us as a nation, it hurt our international friends who were here with us; it had all these different impacts of all sorts. i think our resolve was stronger right after 9/11 than probably ever before. although we were uncertain, some were afraid; some people never ride airplanes anymore, it took five or six years r some businesses to recover from the impact of 9/11, but thresolve waalways pretty clear, and i think thatas felt throughout the marity of our population. >> joyce rumsfeld: facing the reality of what happened and then feeling the strength of the country and the... how together we were; i me,

that's a powerful feeling. for those in positions of responsibility, that is a gift, to receive that from your country. >> sholy after the attacks, the pentagon renovation team set forth on an ambitious plan to rebuilthe pentagon in one year, a dramatic symbol of our national resolve and a visible reminder that america could not be defeated. but in time, our old divisio took hold again, and many of the flagwere put away. as a nation, we moved back into our own lives, lives somehow changed by 9/11, but no longer defined by the trage and our national resnse to it. but not everybody was able to move on. for some, , the tragedy of september 11 is as real today

as it was then. >> lisa dolan: moving on... i don't know why, just for me, "moving on" denotes leavaving bob behind, and moving on, going someplace without him. i prefer the term "moving forward" because it doesn't, to me, have the same feel or sound of leaving my husband behind. >> elaine donovan: for us, there is no happy ending there is noo ending. it's jus 9/11 is this...

i don't even know how to describe it; it is part of you, if you don't lrn to manage it you're not goioing to do welell. it never goes away, there will never be a day that i don't think about t it, i don't think about bill; there will never be a 9/11 that i can walk through my day and go, "w, 20 years ago today mymy husband dieied." you realize it's just a part o of your life, and that's just the way it is. >> narrator: of those who perished at thpentagon on 9/11, only 55 were members of the military. seventy others were civilians workinat or visiting the pentag, and 59 were killed while flying on erican airlines flight 77. r the families of the 18184 men, women and children lost at

the pentagon, their r lives d the lives of their children can never back to normal. >> ♪ t there are no words ♪ there is no song ♪ is ere a balm ♪ that can healhese wounds ♪ that will last ♪ a lifetime long ♪ and when the stars ♪ have burned to du ♪ hand in hand ♪ we still will stand ♪ because we must

♪ in one single hour ♪ in one single day ♪ we were changed forever ♪ something taken awaway ♪ and there is nono fire ♪ that can melt ♪ thihis heavy stone ♪ that can bring back ♪ the voices ♪ and the spirits ♪ of our own ♪ there are no words ♪ there is no song ♪ is there a balm ♪ that can heal these wounds ♪ that wiwill last ♪ a lifime long ♪ and when n the stars ♪ have burned to dust

♪ hand in hand ♪ we still will stand ♪ because we must ♪ all the brothers ♪ sisters and lovers ♪ all the friends ♪ that are gone ♪ all the chairs ♪ that will be empty ♪ in the lives ♪ that will go on ♪ can we ever forgive ♪hough we never will forget ♪ we believe in the milk ♪ of human gogoodness y yet ♪ there are no words ♪ there is no son ♪ is there a balm ♪ that can heal these wounds ♪ that will last ♪ a lifetimime long

♪ a and when thstars ♪ have burned to dust ♪ hand in hand ♪ w we stilwill stand ♪ because we must ♪ we were forged in freedom ♪ we were born in liberty ♪ we came here to stop ♪ the twisted arrows ♪ cast by tyrananny ♪ and we won't bow down ♪ we are strong of heart ♪ we ara chain together ♪ that won't be pulled apart ♪ there are no words ♪ there is no song ♪ is there a balm

♪ that can heal these wounds ♪ that will last ♪ a lifetime long ♪ and when the stars ♪ have burned to dust ♪ hand in hand ♪ we still will stand ♪ because we must

>> as americans, we tend to like our stories neatly packaged,

with a clear beginning, middle, and of course, a happy ending. the tragedy of 9/11 doesn't fit into our notions of what makes a good story-- there will never be the modern idea of closure. for some, 9/11 is and will remain very much unresolved. but with this lack of resolution, life goes on. as one pentagon family member put it, "life is for ththe living." and in the wake of 9/11, through the completion of the pentagon memorial, signs of life can be fod everywhere. at its core, the pentagon memorial is a story of how a nation takes care of its own. >> wendy ploger: i felt a need to dedicate my energies towards something positive, towards something that i think

could alleviate the pain from everyone, including myself. and i just happened d to see and in the paper; it wasn't an ad, but more of sort of this idea of a memorial, and there was a name in the article, and i e-mailed the person and asked if i could be a part of this in some small way. >> dawn schlegel: i think it was not long after his funeral, and i remembered sort of feeling like, "wow, if there is a possibility to participate in something positive, out of all the terrible things that are going on and all the bad feelings," i remember saying, "gee, this might be something to try to contribute in a ty way." >> james laychak: i want people to remember dave, i want people to know what he was about, and i want people to remember him as a person.

and i want to have a place to go to that i can think about this. a memorial here at thelding pentagon in honor of those victims, in remembrance the events of september 11, and of the significance of all that for the pentagon, for ththis department of defee headquarters, gives this 9/11 memorial a very special character. >> narrator: in thehe weeks following 9/11, the nation wrapped its arms around the families of the victims. as one family member put it, "among the most amazing things that camame out of tt terrible tragedy was americans coming tother; ; strangngers comfortig each other, risking their lives for each other." meg falk was the dirtor of the office of family policy at

the time, and was working in the pentagon when the plane hit on 9/11. in the days and weeks that followed, she played a central role in reaching out to the families in turmoil. >> this a tradition within the military, that whenever we have multiple fatalities we set up a place where families can go to get accurate information, to get support, to have childcare, so that the surviving family members can deal with the a horrible time in their lives. >> the next morning, the family assistance center was up and running at a nearby hotel. for the next 30 days, the pentagon operated the center around the clock, providing families with meals, suppoport, and most importantly, information. >> bernard salamone: it was wonderful. i mean, if we asked for something, it was made available to us.

calling cards; howow many timess did we get calling cards? they must have loaded us up with calling cards. they just didn't know what elsee to do for us. the american people were just extremely kind to us... extremely kikind to us. >> it was during the course of those daily family briefings that an idea began to circulate: to build something good on top of the evil they had experienced; to lay down the foundations for a memorial that would reach long into the future and serve as both a legacy for the living and a means of preserving the stories of 9/11 and the memory of those who died. >> at thend of every briefing there was a chance for people to ask questions, and a predominant question that first week, 'cause i started going the 15th of september, was, how are we going to remember this? they started talking about memorializing this.

and i started thinking to myself, "what if five years from now someonone's driving by the pentagon and they can't even remember what side w was hit?" >> the very process of coming together proved to be a source of healing for the families as they struggled to make sense of their new worlds in the aftermatof the horrible tragedy. as the family members began to come forward one by one to support the project, the official call was put forth for designs for the new pentagon memorial. on june 28, 2002, the group released a mission statement calling upon the country to help determine how to best remember that day, and the men, women and children lost at the pentagon. "we ask that you search your souls and envision a memorial that inspires visitors to contemplate what the attack means to them personally, to us as family members, to the community, to the country,

and to the world. visitors should comprehend that our loved ones were murdered simply becau they were living and woworking in and enjoying e benefits of a fr society. the memorial should instill the ideas that patriotism isis a a moral duty, , that fedom cos at a price, and that the victims of this attack have paid the ultimate price. we challge you," the statement concluded,d, "to cree a memorial that translates this terrible tragedy into a a place of solace, peace, and hehealin"

>> it's been said that the character of a nation is forged not in tragedy, but in its response to tragedy. as such, the story of the

pentagon memorial is a story of hope and inspiration. it is part of the healing both for the nation and for the families of the 184 men, women and children lost here that day. the memorial represents a nation that, while never forgetting, maintains a conviction to build hope where once there was only despair, peace where once there was only conflict, and a future where once we saw only an ending. >> jameses laychak: it's an individual memorial, it'ss a collective memorial, and in a very eloquent way kind of tells a story out what happened there. the family members, when we talked about this, we said we wanted a place that would make people think, but not tell them what to think. >> wendy ploger: we were looking for a deeper meaning. we liked the feeling of going to a place and experiencing it in

our own way. >> narrator: by september 2002, more than 1100 designs were submitted from around the world for the pentagon memorial. after much review, in february 20 the jury panel settled on a design by keith kaseman and july beckman, two young architects from philadelphia. in time, the design would become america's firstational 9/11 memorial, built on the very site of the crash of american airlines flight 77. support for the memorial came forth from the entire country. major american corpotions joined hands with key international partners and individual american donors, some of whom gave even a small contribution from savings to see that the attack on the pentagon was n fever forgotten. at a foundry outside st. louis, missouri, custom mol and

metal alloys were created that would form the 184 individual benches on display throughout the morial. stl fired at over 3,000 degrees would ultimately be crafted into individual tributes digned to last for generations to come. as would be expected, every detail of the pentagon memorial is deliberate and helps tell a part of the overall story. >> right off the bat we decided to try to figure out a way to invite interpretation; put enough clues, enough hints and clues into this place that would make one pause for a second, and a place to jusust contemplate. the act of contemplation at this a way to p pay respect.elf >> the memorial consists of 184 individual cantilevered benches perched above

a shimmering pool of water, each bearing aingle victim's name. >> aundred and eighty-four unue individuals lost their lives here going about their daily lives, and we wanted to really emphasize both the individual nature of each of those people, as well ashe collective nature of the event that took place here. >> the benches themselves are spread across a two-acre plot of land, and distributed, according to the age othe victims, across the exact path of american fligight 77, into e point where it struck the western wall of the pentagonag each bench is positioned to tell a story of who each person was and how they die the names of those who died inside phe pentagon can be read with the rebuilt wall itself

in the background, and those who died on the airplane face the other direction, and can be viewed with a backdrop ofhe sky. the entirere park is divided by age lines representing the birth years the victims on 9/11. on either end of the memorial, lolone benches represent the youngest, dana falkekenberg, who was only three years o oldt the time, and on the opposite side, the oldest, john yamnicky, who was 71.. >> the minute you walk over that entrance, you walk over this age to 9/11, and...ings you back and the first bench you see is dana falkenberg, and s's three years old. and you kind of think, "oh, gosh, she's a little

three-year-old girl. she died on that d." and then there's a few more benches, a few more children, and then there's this big,mpty area, and then there's young men, late twenties, early thirties, and to me, that's hugely powerful. and you walk through there, and first t you see the children, a thenen you go, "what is with that?"nd then, "what are the lines?" and it gets people thinking about, "why are they spaced this way? ohthis person is 20, this guy is 35." and then they notice the benches are facing a dreifferentnt way, and why is that? and then they can figure that out just by walking through the park. but i think the most powerful thing is... is just entering the park, stepping over that line that says, "9/11, 2001, 9:37 a.m."

the wisdom of the ages tells us that time is the great healer. perhaps this is one of the mysteries and miracles of life itself, that as the days and months and years roll out, the shock of the tragedy a and the intensity of the loss, the unrelenting despair and hopelessness, gives way to remembrance, to renewal, and to hope for the future. >> narrator: within the boundaries of the pentagon memorial, we can read the story not merely of a single terrible day in american history,ut we are minded of the great lessons we can see in each s story represented there. for as it so often does, from tragedy has arisen a point off

triumph, a a recognition of the enduring human spirit and the reflections of a nation at large. but for all the wisdom gained through the trials of september 11, there is something of a question mark at the end of the story, a question that will p perhaps never be answered with words; rather with an understanding that the pentagon memorial is above all an attempt to make the best of a tragicituation, a quiet understanding that at the heart of the memorial is loss, and that loss is not didiminished with timeme. perhaps when all is said and done, the best our nation can hope for is that through the lives taken on stember 11, and the sacrifices of those who o built the pentagon memorial, ththere is a bigger ststory anand a legacy that can impact us all, and that this single day will not be relegated to history, that both the l loss and the

tremendous spirit to push forward will inspire future generations to think of their lives and their freedom a bit more highly than they did before. it was in that spirit that seven years later, on the moing of september1, 2008, the world was again drawn overlooking our nation's ground capital; this titime to dedicae the pentagon memorial. as thousands gathered, and millions across amererica anand around the world watched in solemn remembrance, the new mememorialal wasnveiled. people frorom alwalks of life werere there: young and old, rh and poor, government leaders, military leaders, foreign dignitaries, americans from every cial and ethnic group, fromig cies and sml towns, visitors young and old from all over the world,

all united in purpose and spirit. the words spoken were those of remembrance... >>e was s a greaeabrother and a loyal friend. he was a good man.n. >> words of reflection... >> this morning we gather to dedidicate this grground w where a great t building became a battlefield, where stone became dust, steel became shrapnel... where flames, smoke and destruction stole the lives of 184 men, women and children. >> words of hope and inspiriration... >> the pentagon memorial will stanas an everlasting tribute to 18484 innocent souls who perished on these grounds. the benches here bear each of their names... and beneath each b bench is

a shimring pool filled with the water of life. a memorial can never replace wh tho of you mourning a loved one have l lost. we pray that y will find some coort id the peace of these grounds. we pray that you will find strength in knowing that our natition will always grieve with you. >> and at the very hour and minute of the tragedy seven years earlier, there were no words at all. througho the crowds s that day were theen and women of the pentagon, the civilian and military personnel who every day are on duty, dedicating themselves to the defense ofof america. theyey were e there on thahat y in septembmber 200001, thehey d through an; and they were there on this day seven years later.

so, too, in the crowds were the fafamilies of ose whose lives were sacrificed that day, the husbands and wives, the sons and daughters, the mothers and fathers, for this was reallyly theirir day, their dao reremember, to r reflect, and o gain s some sense of renewal. because e for ththe families, e memorial is s above all anan assurance that t their loved os will not be forgotten. it is a placace they can go for generations to remember anand reflect, and perhaps on some quiet evening, long ter the crowds have returned home and when the cameras have been put away, a place they can sit quietly and somehow find a measure of comrt in the presence of those they miss so much. that's what the pentagon memorial is all about.