Wreaths At Pentagon Memorial May Begin New Tradition
(December 17, 2009) | 
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| | WASHINGTON (ANS, Dec. 14, 2009) -- On the western side of the
Pentagon, at the memorial to those who died during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist
attack, volunteers had mounted 184 evergreen wreaths on the fence -- one for
each person who died there. |
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| Some 184 evergreen wreaths were placed at the
Pentagon Memorial, one for each victim killed there in the Sept. 11,
2001, terrorist attack. |
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The wreaths are identical to those which have been placed for years now on
graves at nearby Arlington National Cemetery. This year, for the first time,
they are being used to honor those who were killed as part of the Sept. 11
attacks.
"Why we're here and why we're including the victims of 9/11 (is) because they
are casualties of the war on terror -- no different than any other war we have
been to," said Morrill Worcester, of the Worcester Wreath Company, during a
ceremony Dec. 11 at the Pentagon Memorial. "We just don't ever want to forget
these people, that's why we are doing what we are doing."
Worcester's business, the Worcester Wreath Company, has been placing wreaths at
Arlington National Cemetery since 1992 -- most recently through the charity
Worcester started, "Wreaths Across America."
This year, for the first time, the company, along with corporate sponsor
Wal-Mart, donated some 3,000 wreaths to be placed at all three 9/11 sites: the
Pentagon; Battery Park, near the World Trade Center site in New York City; and
Shanksville, Pa., where flight 93 crashed into the ground.
"It's to acknowledge, honor and remember those losses that day," said Kathryn T.
Cross, a Gold Star Mother and volunteer for Wreaths Across America. It was Cross
who contacted Worcester and asked if she could get wreaths to honor those killed
during the 9/11 attacks. Between Worcester and sponsor Wal-Mart, Cross was able
to get the wreaths to place at the 9/11 locations.
"This is due to the efforts of a lot of people that helped to make this
possible," Cross said. "I did this from a mother's heart. But this is for all of
them, and most significantly, this is for those who you cannot see, that are not
with us today."
Jim Laychak, president of the Pentagon Memorial Fund, said he hopes the wreaths
will become a permanent tradition at the site.
"I remember Karen Van Lengen, who was at the time the dean of the School of
Architecture at the University of Virginia, talked about looking forward to
seeing what types of traditions and rituals that would develop after the
memorial was built," Laychak said. " I hope that this -- the wreaths coming here
during this very special season -- is one of those special rituals that will
continue in years to come." | |
Article and photo by C. Todd Lopez
Copyright 2009
Reprinted from
Army News Service
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