Pentagon Burning post 9/11, September 2001, By Paul J. Giovanetti Jr.
From MemoryArchive
Who: Paul J. Giovanetti Jr. What: The Pentagon burning weeks after the 9/11 attacks When: September 2001 Where: Washington, DC
Every generation has that one event which defines the era. For my grandparents it was the bombing of Pearl Harbor, for my parents it was the JFK assassination and for the Gen X crowd it was the space shuttle Challenger disaster. My generation had already been exposed to several major events, like the Persian Gulf War, the O.J. Simpson trial and Monica, but none of these events had had the same impact on America like the ones mentioned above. As morning broke on September 11, 2001, no one, myself included, could have imagined that the world as we knew it was about to be shaken to its core.
The images that came along with the horrific acts of 9/11 will probably remain etched in the memories of every American for years to come. I clearly remember sitting in my homeroom (it was my senior year of high school) completely fixated to the television, watching the World Trade Center in New York City, one of our country’s greatest achievements and landmarks, crumble to the ground like a tower of cards.
The things I saw that day were horrifying and I hope I never have to see anything like it again, but they were only part of the story. Several days after the attacks I was selected to attend the National Youth Leadership Forum on Defense, Intelligence and Diplomacy in Washington, DC. When I arrived in Washington, more than two full weeks after 9/11, it became immediately clear to me that things had dramatically changed. As I stepped off the plane I was promptly greeted by two soldiers completely decked out in body armor and toting some very real M-16 assault rifles. And that was just the beginning. Our nation’s capital looked like it was preparing for an invasion. Large helicopters hovered only a few dozen feet over the tops of the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, tanks roamed the streets, heavily armed boats patrolled the Potomac and anti-aircraft guns lined the National Mall. It was hard for me to grasp the concept of how our capital, a symbol of democracy and freedom could be turned into a near police state, even despite the clear memories of the burning twin towers and broken bodies littering downtown New York. That was until our tour guide turned the bus onto Route 395 just south of the city and the Pentagon came into view. For anyone who has never seen the Pentagon in person, the scope and sheer magnitude of the building cannot be accurately described in print. The building is enormous and looks impenetrable from the outside; it almost looks as if it belongs in 12th century Europe than Washington, DC. Yet, despite its size and imposing appearance, it was not impenetrable, this became more and more evident the closer we got.
A small plume of black smoke could be seen rising from what must have been at least a 100 or so foot wide hole in the side of the building. It was as if someone had taken a giant serving knife and had cut a huge wedge from the side of the building like it was a cake. The edges of the hole were charred and mangled like nothing I had ever seen before. An enormous pile of rock, twisted metal girders, shredding airplane pieces and burnt office furniture sat in the middle of the hole. Five or six fire trucks were parked in front of the building in a small semicircle, the fire fighters frantically pouring water over various hotspots. It was completely surreal state of affairs. Here I was, more than fourteen days after the attacks had taken place, and I was watching the Pentagon, one of the ultimate symbols of America’s military might, burning and crumbling like an abandoned warehouse. It was a truly humbling experience, one that will remain with me forever.
