September 11th 2001 is a day most American's who were alive then, will long remember. Most of us know the story of the attack on the World Trade Center in New York City, but often overlook, or have forgotten that the Pentagon was also attacked by the terrorists on that day.
There were four passenger flights hyjacked that morning, the first two crashing into the twin towers at the World Trade Center in New York, but the other two were targeting Washington DC.
One of the hyjacked flights, United Airlines flight 93, that because of the heroic actions of the civilian passengers on board, the plane , crashed in Shanksville Pennsylvania resulting in the death of all passengers and the four terrorists. The bravery of the passengers on that flight prevented the terrorists from hitting their suspected target, the United States Capitol.
The 4th flight, American Aiirlines 77 had targeted the Pentagon, home base for the Defense Department. At 9:33 , the plane, traveling at close to 350 miles per hour, struck the western facade of the Pentagon at the first floor level.
Sixty four passengers and crew, along with 125 Pentagon staff were killed that morning.
Interestingly, the death total at the Pentagon might have been much greater had it not been because ony one side of the Pentagon had recently been reinforced, the Western Facade, the side that the hyjacked airline crashed into that morning
While visiting, see if you can figure out how and why the memorial is organized.