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From the outside, the nerve center of the U.S. military looks as complete and impenetrable today as it did on September 10, 2001—the day before terrorist attacks wreaked devastation and claimed the lives of 125 Pentagon workers along with 59 passengers and crew members of Flight 77.
The massive pentagonal building's transformation is more than skin-deep.
Badly damaged offices in a 400,000-square-foot (37,000-square-meter) area of the C, D, and E outer rings were reconstructed in improbably rapid time thanks to heroic efforts by the construction crews, who met a self-imposed deadline for completing the project by the first anniversary of the attacks.
The construction effort was dubbed the Phoenix Project, inspired by the mythical bird that represents rebirth and immortality.
What rose from the ashes of the attack was not only a refurbished building but a remarkable spirit of teamwork, dedication, and duty that enabled the crews to achieve their goal.
The workers not only met their deadline, but exceeded it. The project was completed by August 15 and some 3,000 Pentagon employees began moving back into the reconstructed offices.
"We have the entire E-wing operational," said Phoenix Project spokesman Brett Eaton.
"Let's Roll"
Displayed proudly on a prominent sign at the work site was the phrase that the workers involved in the Phoenix Project adopted as their motto, "Let's Roll." The slogan echoes the last recorded words of Todd Beamer, a passenger on Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania as those aboard battled the terrorist hijackers high above the ground.
Many people had deemed the plan to complete the Pentagon reconstruction within a year as too ambitious. Yet Walker Lee Evey, program manager of the Pentagon renovation, said the deadline came from the construction workers themselves.
Last fall, a team approached Evey and suggested that they undertake the challenge of completing the project by the first anniversary of the September 11 tragedy, despite the arduous schedule it would entail.
After careful deliberation, Evey accepted the challenge.
Once the reconstruction was underway, everyone at the site was dedicated to making sure they met the self-imposed deadline. The workers even protested when management proposed to shut down the construction work on Christmas day.
Now, all of those involved in the Phoenix Project are proud of having surpassed expectations. "We thought at the time the goal was set that it might be 10 or 20 people in there looking out the windows at the anniversary ceremony," said Eaton.
Symbol of Rebirth
The ceremonies planned for the anniversary of the September 11 attacks include an event to recognize the workers who participated in the Pentagon reconstruction. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and other military leaders are expected to express their gratitude to those whose efforts have made the newly reconstructed Pentagon stronger than ever before.
At a ceremony June 11 marking the nine-month anniversary of the attack, the final piece of limestone was placed into the building's outer wall. It was a damaged, scorched block from the building's original facade.
"I was kind of shocked when I first saw that piece of limestone," Evey said in June. "I'd already forgotten just how dark, how damaged the building was September 11." For many Americans, the construction projects in New York and at the Pentagon have symbolized a wounded nation's determination to move forward. An outpouring of public support buoyed the Phoenix Project team throughout the exhausting reconstruction efforts.
In the early stages of rebuilding, a steady stream of visitors gathered on a nearby hillside to watch the construction and cheer on the workers. Especially poignant were visits by the families of Pentagon victims, who spoke to the workers, and schoolchildren who had saved their pocket money to treat the workers to lunch.
All the remaining repairs to the damaged areas of the Pentagon are expected to be finished by January 2003.
General renovations at the Pentagon that had been underway before September 11 also will continue. The first major renovation of the World War II-era fortress since it was built, the project will outfit the Pentagon with blast-resistant windows, additional support columns, new emergency exit corridors, and other structural and safety improvements. The work is scheduled for completion by 2010.
On Wednesday, September 11th, from 8 to 9 p.m., the National Geographic Channel presents a special encore of "Inside the Pentagon," a close-up look at America's military nerve center.
Also on September 11th, National Geographic Today presents "9.11.02–A Year in Focus," a one-hour special on some of the positive experiences of people and communities across America in the year since the terrorist attacks. |
