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Pentagon Memorial News

Pentagon Memorial Fund President on CFC  
Published: February 18, 2010                                 

James Laychak, president and  chairman of the Pentagon Memorial Fund,   
speaks during the National Capital Area  Combined Federal Campaign   
awards ceremony on February 18, 2010 at the Pentagon.     

Laychak's  brother was killed September, 11, 2001, in the Pentagon   
terrorist attack  Photo Credit: Alexandra Hemmerly-Brown.

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Feb. 18,  2010) -- For the sixth year in   
a row, the Army in the nation's capital has  contributed more than $3 million   
to the Combined Federal Campaign, the world's  largest annual workplace   
charity program.                                   

During the Army National Capital Area CFC victory celebration at the Pentagon    
Feb. 18, Army directorates were awarded for their employees' participation.                       

"For more than four decades, CFC has raised millions of dollars for  deserving 
charities that work to improve the quality of life for those in need  
at the local, national, and international levels," said Joyce Morrow,    
administrative assistant to the Secretary of the Army.                       

"They feed the hungry, help abused and neglected children, find cures for    
diseases, and preserve our natural resources," Morrow continued.  "They   
give hope to those in need and build a future full of promise."    

Morrow said the Army's goal was to raise $3.125 million for CFC, but that   
goal  was exceeded with help from nearly 10,000 donors.                       

The CFC makes it possible for federal employees to make contributions to   
more  than 4,000 charities like the Pentagon Memorial Fund.                      

James Laychak, the president and chairman of the Pentagon Memorial Fund,   
lost his brother when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon   
on Sept.  11, 2001. He now makes sure that the 184 people who died in   
that crash are not  forgotten.                       

"The Pentagon Memorial project is a great example of what great things can    
happen when we all work together to do something good," Laychak said.                      

He explained that while growing up, his mother used to tell him, "To whom    
much is given, much is expected."     

Laychak said that he never really understood the adage until working on the    
Pentagon Memorial Fund and that all of his life experiences have culminated   
in helping him honor those that were lost.                       

"How many times in your life do you get a chance to take everything that    
you've learned, and apply that to do something good?" Laychak asked the    
awards ceremony audience. "That was the Pentagon Memorial Experience   
for me," he said.                       

While Secretary of the Army John M. McHugh was not able to attend, he   
had a message for those who worked to raise CFC funds.                       

"Every year members of the Army Family have stepped up to the plate and    
given generously to the Combined Federal Campaign. Your selfless giving has    
literally transformed lives," Morrow said on McHugh's behalf.

Section  of Roadway Near Pentagon Expected to Be Renamed  
By Scott McCaffrey, SunGazette l  Published: Tuesday, February 16, 2010     

The section of Virginia Route 27 adjacent to the Pentagon could soon be   
known as  the “9/11 Heroes Memorial Highway,”  if the state Senate goes   
along with legislation approved unanimously by the  House of Delegates. 
      
The legislation is patroned by Del. Bob Brink (D-48th), to honor  those who   
responded to the Pentagon after the terrorist attack on Sept. 11,  2001.   
Brink said it would be a “fitting tribute,” especially with the 10th anniversary   
of the attack on the horizon.  Brink said a man from Loudoun County 
suggested the  idea. The proposal has   the support of county government 
officials, Brink said.       

The bill cleared the House of Delegates on a 97-0 vote, then passed the   
Senate Transportation Committee without opposition. It awaits final  
Senate action  before being sent to Gov. McDonnell.       

While Arlington  firefighters took the lead in securing the Pentagon after   
the attack, the  response to the attack was truly regional in scope.      

In addition to police, firefighters and emergency medical personnel from   
other  jurisdictions who worked at site of the attack, Arlington’s fire   
stations were staffed by personnel from other jurisdictions while  Arlington’s 
firefighters were otherwise occupied at the Pentagon.       

Under state law, the cost of changing signage along the roadway will be   
borne by county taxpayers. The estimated cost is about $400 per sign.    

To  read the bill for renaming the highway, click here: 
http://www.richmondsunlight.com/bill/2010/hb1109/fulltext/.

To vote in a poll on whether you agree with the renaming of the highway,   
click here: http://www.richmondsunlight.com/bill/2010/hb1109/.

The Pentagon Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery, one of America’s most sacred sites, is the 
final restingplace of 285,000 people. Among them are 64 of the 184 
people killed when American Airlines Flight 77 struck the Pentagon. Most 
of them (50) lie together, near the simple granite marker bearing all 184 
names. (The others  are in various locations throughout the cemetery.) 
The Pentagon itself can be discerned through nearby trees. Inside the 
Pentagon chapel shine new stained glass windows made by survivors of 
the attack. “The heroes that sleep in these  hills” will always be 
remembered.

The Pentagon Memorial will consist of 184 cantilevered metal “Memorial 
Units."Each one is simultaneously a bench, a place for  mementos, a 
permanent inscription of each name, and an individual reflecting  pool. 
The pools will be lit each night, as glowing symbols of remembrance.

After a lengthy search for a suitably long-lasting, strong and attractive 
metal, a Super Duplex stainless steel alloy with high pit resistance 
equivalent (PRE) was chosen. Fittingly, this is the same metal used in 
the restoration of the Statue of Liberty. The Pentagon Memorial 
committee continues to work to finish the Pentagon Memorial – 
a “place designed for a lifetime.”

The Pentagon Memorial was dedicated on September 11, 2008. The 
design features 184 stainless steel benches, with a name of each of 
the victims. The benches are oriented outward or inward to the 
Pentagon, depending on whether the victim was on the plane or inside 
the building. Each bench will feature a lighted pool beneath it, and a 
grove of trees will cover the site -permitting contemplation at any of 
the benches.

The dedication plaque reads: We claim this ground in remembrance of 
September 11, 2001. To honor the 184 people whose lives were lost, 
their families, and all who sacrifice that we may live in freedom.  We will 
never forget!

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

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