~NEWS Pentagon 9/11 memorial honors~

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Pentagon 9/11 memorial honors victims in symbols, concrete

*The Pentagon memorial honors the 184 people killed in the building and on American Airlines Flight 77.*

The grooved, gray concrete wall rising from a few inches to a few feet seems to be solely for blocking the noise from the nearby highway, but like many parts of the new Pentagon memorial, there is more to the wall than meets the eye. Seven years after the September 11 attack on the Pentagon, the wall is designed to remind visitors of the youngest and oldest victims, wrapping the memorial in symbolic imagery.

It stands 3 inches tall at its beginning, representing the youngest person killed there -- 3-year-old Dana Falkenberg -- and continues to a height of 71 inches, corresponding to the oldest victim, retired U.S. Navy Capt. John D. Yamnicky Sr.

Both were aboard American Airlines Flight 77 when terrorists hijacked the plane and smashed it into the Pentagon that day. Falkenberg died with her mother and father, Charles Falkenberg and Leslie Whittington, and her 8-year-old sister, Zoe.

President Bush attended a solemn ceremony on the grounds Thursday, along with dignitaries and family members of those killed in the attack. A flag was raised at half staff and the national anthem was played. The words on a big screen seemed to capture the moment: "We will never forget."

"The Pentagon memorial will stand as an everlasting tribute to 184 innocent souls who perished on these grounds," Bush said. "A memorial can never replace what those of you mourning a loved one have lost. We pray that you will find some comfort amid the peace of these grounds. We pray that you'll find strength in knowing that our nation will always grieve with you." Donald Rumsfeld, who was defense secretary when the Pentagon was attacked, said, "We will never forget the way this huge building shook. We will not forget our colleagues and friends who were taken from us and their families. And we will not forget what that deadly attack has meant for our nation."

The symbolism inside begins for visitors as they first step into the memorial. Pentagon 9/11 memorial honors victims in symbols, concrete - CNN.com
As they enter the cenotaph, they pass over etched stone that reads, "September 11, 2001 -- 9:37 a.m.," the exact moment of the attack on the Pentagon.

The stone in which that infamous date is carved was recovered from the smoldering ruins of the Pentagon, still stained with the burn marks from the explosion and fire from Flight 77 slamming into the building.

Across the memorial grounds, 184 bench-like structures, each one dedicated to a victim, are clustered in what seems like an uneven and unsettling array throughout the main grounds of the memorial.
Pentagon 9/11 memorial honors victims in symbols, concrete - CNN.com