The day before the 9/11 tenth anniversary I walked over the Potomac River on the 14th Street Bridge to the Pentagon.

I was surprised to find the bridge lined with American flags, each labeled with the name of one of the 184 victims at the Pentagon.

While preparations for the Anniversary were well underway, the Memorial was still open to the public.

Just beyond the Memorial’s entrance is a line marking the direct flight path that American flight 77 took into the building.

In the Memorial park, each victim is remembered by an engraved granite and steel bench that hovers over a pool of water.

Benches facing the Pentagon indicate that the victim was one of the 59 passengers on American flight 77, while the remaining 125 benches facing away from the building indicate victims killed inside the Pentagon.

 

Each row of benches coordinates to the victims’ year of birth as does the bench position in the park.

Many benches were decorated with flowers, notes and personal items.

An unexpected feature of the park was a free audio tour available by calling a local number (202-741-1004 if you’re interested in listening) that explained the park layout and events of day, interspersed with interviews of survivors.

On the morning of 9/11/2001, I was a junior in high school in Sacramento, California. While the gravity of that day was apparent, being on the opposite coast provided a certain amount of detachment.

In DC yesterday, it seemed that everyone in the city was reliving their first-hand experiences from that morning. Recalling evacuations, panic, relief efforts, school closures and effected friends and family.