Reflections on Life and Death in Wartime [Archive] - Marine Corps

thedrifter

04-30-04, 07:13 AM

This new Pentagon Memorial is a public memorial, and not be confused with nor to take the place of the existing Pentagon 9/11 Exhibit inside the building, which is more exclusive to Pentagon personnel and not considered a public memorial (see “Pentagon Memorial to 9/11 Is an Inspiring Site,” DefenseWatch, May 15, 2002).

I knew three victims of the Pentagon attack, and the existing internal Pentagon 9/11 Exhibit helped me honor their memories. However, from my perspective, the greatest tributes to all those who perished in the 9/11 attack was the fact that the Pentagon was open for business as usual on Sept. 12, 2001, and that a team of Pentagon officials and private contractors succeeded in restoring that part of the building destroyed in the attack. The Pentagon was knocked down, but never knocked out. Everything the victims were working for was interrupted, but never completely stopped. The spirit of the victims is alive and well as long as the Pentagon continues to live and breathe.

I am all for an outdoor public memorial to honor the victims of the terrorist attack on the Pentagon. I understand the historical significance and the emotional and psychological comforting effect of such a memorial. I know there will be public interest in going to the spot where terrorists attacked the Pentagon and I am sure schools will bring students to it to learn about our global war on terrorism.

Here are some thoughts about this Memorial from some folks in and around the Pentagon that have stuck with me:

* “At the risk of sounding insensitive to the victims and their families, I wonder if the Memorial’s planners are trying to do too much with a great idea.”

* “Do we really need a $30-million ($17.5 million for construction and the rest for a maintenance endowment) memorial to honor and remember the 184 innocent victims of the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon? What makes the artistic and elaborate design of the Pentagon Memorial more appropriate than a more humble tribute like a giant brass plaque or granite block monument, with embossed or engraved names of the victims, and simple yet dignified adornments (flags, Service symbols, etc.) on the side of the re-built Pentagon where the terrorists ultimately failed? Thank goodness the funding is private and not being added to everyone’s taxes.”

* “Are we getting “monument crazy” in this town, and in this country? I always thought we erected monuments – especially large, walk-through monuments – for heroes who did heroic things. Did we not properly honor our fallen soldiers at our many Civil War battlefields when we “only” erected plaques and simple granite statues?”

* “Instead of raising $30 million for this memorial, why don’t we do something smaller and less expensive and use the rest [of the money] to assist the victims’ families who must live with the bitter consequences of the attack? Seems like this memorial idea is less about the victims and their families than it is about creative, artistic interpretation and helping others feel good about paying their respect to the people who died there.”

* “This memorial is appropriate, and the price tag does not make it any less appropriate. Like Pearl Harbor, the Pentagon was sneak-attacked and many innocent men, women, and children were killed in the opening salvo of what was then an undeclared war against our homeland and way of life. Publicly honoring our war dead has always been, and should always remain, one of our greatest values.”

Death has a very powerful influence on life. How we respond to death shows a lot about the way we view life. From these three events, it is clear to me that although we, as Americans, do not always agree on our values with respect to life and death, we do value both. It is also clear to me that we do value courage, sacrifice, character, human dignity, and service to our country.

I believe William Penn, the religious reformer and founder of Pennsylvania, captured in 1693 the lesson I learned from these events when he said, “Death cannot kill what never dies.”

Lt. Col. Matthew Dodd USMC is a Senior Editor of DefenseWatch. He can be reached at mattdodd1775@hotmail.com. Please send Feedback responses to dwfeedback@yahoo.com.

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Ellie