About 20 percent of the building was damaged, but a hit in any other location could have damaged half the building. 11, 2001, when American Airlines flight 77 smashed into the western side of the building killing 189 people, including 125 Pentagon employees.ĭuring the tour, the honor guard said as bad as the attack was, it could have been much worse. The Pentagon is a city’s within itself with support services – everything from restaurants to jewelry stores – for its 23,000 military and civilian employees.īuilt in the early years of World War II, the massive structure was open for business in January 1943 after only 16 months of construction at a cost of $83 million.Ī $4.3 billion renovation program was begun in 1998 and is expected to be completed this year. We stood in one hallway that was as long as three football fields. There are thousands of clerical and financial personnel working in the seemingly endless offices. He also stressed that no commanders are assigned to the Pentagon because it’s not where military field decisions are made. It’s also where intelligence is gathered through agencies like the Defense Intelligence Agency. It’s where billions of dollars appropriated by Congress are dispersed. McGhee stressed that point during the tour – the Pentagon is where the business of the various branches of the armed services is done. The group will return to Walter Reed Sunday, June 19.Ī special honor guard – walking backwards the entire time – escorts small groups through parts of one of the world’s largest office buildings that serves as the headquarters of the Department of Defense. The general has been so impressed with the group’s work to raise money and provide an annual barbecue outing for wounded warriors at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, he wanted to give something back to the volunteers. Phillip McGhee, the director of the Army budget. Members of the Delaware Community Appreciation Group were invited May 17 for a tour with Army Maj. Security is extremely tight.Įven so, taking a tour of the massive building is special. Tours have to be prearranged so background checks can be done on all visitors. Without special permission, the only location you can take photos is in the visitor’s waiting area. So is the case when you visit the Pentagon in Arlington, Va. For someone who lives to take photographs, being told not to take any is akin to being told not to breathe.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |