In the days and months after 9/11, many of us shared conversations and thoughts on how we could be of assistance to the families of the victims of the Pentagon attack, and many have actively engaged in activities to do so. I know that many of us still share that desire to help.

Private Donations are being accepted for the purpose of constructing a Pentagon Memorial to commemorate the lives of the 184 people lost at the Pentagon in the attack of September 11, 2001. The memorial is designed with a 14-foot long bench for each of the 184 people who died there on 9/11 will be placed near the flight path. Each bench will have a maple tree and a plaque with the name of a victim.

For those of us who enjoy celebrating our nation's Independence Day on the grassy knoll of the Arlington Annex, the memorial will serve as a somber reminder below our perch of the sacrifices of many for the freedom we celebrate as we watch the brilliant fireworks illuminate the night's sky above.

Unlike most memorials, this one is being built with no federal dollars. Family members of the Pentagon mission have made it a personal mission to raise the millions needed to bring the design to life. The family members have created a tax-exempt, non-profit organization called the Pentagon Memorial Fund, Inc. to raise funds for the memorial.

Ultimately, the project will need to raise at least 12 million dollars to complete the project. Private donations directly support the technical design and construction of the Pentagon Memorial and reduces the burden placed on family members of victims to raise money to properly honor their lost loved ones.

Donations, which are tax deductible, can be sent to the Pentagon Memorial Fund through the Director, Budget and Finance, WHS, Attn: Pentagon Memorial, Room 3B269, 1155 Defense Pentagon Washington, D.C. 20301-1155. To learn more about this project or to view the design, please visit http://memorial.pentagon.mil/

Carole Lieber
Arlington Heights

This page was last revised on: December 27, 2003.