Remembering the impact of 9/11 on the 21st Commemoration.
September 9, 2022
For Immediate Release
Jim Laychak
Executive Director
Pentagon Memorial Fund, Inc.
(703) 627-8071
jlaychak@pentagonmemorial.org
As we approach the 21st Commemoration of the attacks on 9/11 this weekend, we must remember the significance of that day and the 184 lives that were taken from us at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. Just over 16 years ago, on June 16th, 2006, the groundbreaking ceremony was held for the Pentagon Memorial. A little over two years later, on September 11, 2008, the dedication ceremony was held for the Pentagon Memorial, making it the first of the three National 9/11 Memorials to be dedicated in the United States.
During the dedication ceremony, our Executive Director, Jim Laychak, gave an inspiring speech and declared the ultimate goal of the Pentagon Memorial Fund:
“We want people to remember. We want people to remember what happened here. We want people to remember our loved ones. We want people to remember the feeling that swept through our country after 9/11, that feeling of taking care of all those who were in such pain.”
From the hand-crafted benches to the 85 beautiful crape myrtles that are planted throughout the grounds, the Pentagon Memorial truly pays tribute to all 184 men, women and children that became linked for eternity. Each victim’s age and location at the time of the attack have been permanently inscribed into the Memorial by the unique placement and direction of each of the 184 Memorial Units.
Still, the Pentagon Memorial Fund is determined to continue our mission to educate future generations through the Visitor Education Center. The VEC will help us accomplish the Fund’s goal by educating the more than 80 million Americans who have no first-hand knowledge of the attacks and the impact it had on our country. We must ensure that our children and future generations of this country have a full understanding of our nation’s history so the memory of the 184 lives on.
Chairman of the Pentagon Memorial Fund Board of Directors, Sean Connaughton once said, “[The younger generation] really don’t understand what happened that day, what happened in response that day and then looking long-term, how their lives to this moment are being impacted.”
The events of 9/11 created an impact that will affect the family members and friends of the victims for the rest of their lives, a scar that will always remain. We must Never Forget what happened on September 11, 2001. The future of our nation depends on it. If history is not taught, it is doomed to repeat itself. That is why our children and all the generations that follow must learn what actually happened on 9/11, understand the impact it had on our nation, how we responded and how we continue to respond today.
Never Forget, Always Remember.
Donations to the Pentagon Memorial Fund, Inc. to support the visitor education center project can be made through this link.