“We Didn’t Have To Know Anybody”
The words of Renee Kelly of Marlboro, Md, who was asked if she knew anybody who had been a victim of the terrorist attack on the Pentagon on September 11, 2006. She had tears streaming down her face. More than 1,000 people came to the Pentagon for a public tour that included a visit to the simple memorial room and chapel.
WASHINGTON - A solemn marker outside the Pentagon conveys a simple message: "We will never forget."
True words, judging by the lines of people — from all corners of the country, even the globe — who took time on a sun-splashed weekend to honor the 184 people who perished when a hijacked jetliner slammed into this symbol of American military.
"We are here for a happy occasion. But we have to remember the sad occasions in our country's history also," said Pam Gambacorta of Buffalo, N.Y., who was in town for a wedding. She was one of the first in line for the walk-in tours, only the second available to the general public since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
More than 1,000 people took the tour that began outside the building, where American Airlines Flight 77 slammed into the side, and continued inside to a chapel and memorial. Reconstruction has made the impact point impossible to detect.
Ethan and Debbie Fleischman of Cincinnati made the memorial tour their first stop in Washington. While it lasted only about 15 minutes, they said they came away with lasting memories of the building and of the others who came to pay tribute.
"They didn't forget their country," Ethan said, nodding toward the crowd. "It really touches the heart."
Some deny, some remember. I know which group I belong to.
