The 9/11 Pentagon Memorial received official National Park recognition
On September 11, 2001, two planes flew into the Twin Towers, one crashed in a Pennsylvania field, and another struck the Pentagon. In Lower Manhattan, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum operates and maintains the site where the towers fell. While the National Park Service established and operates the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Penn., the 9/11 Pentagon Memorial has remained separate under the Pentagon Memorial Fund.
On Sept. 9, 2026, ahead of the 25th anniversary of the attacks, the National Park Service (NPS) formally recognized the 9/11 Pentagon Memorial as an Affiliated Area of the National Park System.
“This designation recognizes the enduring national significance of this place of remembrance and honors the 184 people who lost their lives at the Pentagon and aboard American Airlines Flight 77,” NPS said in a social media post.
Opened in 2008, the 9/11 Pentagon Memorial is a two-acre outdoor memorial that offers a place of reflection and remembrance. 184 Memorial Units are arranged in order by the age of the victims from the youngest, three-year-old Dana Falkenberg, to the oldest, 71-year-old Navy veteran John D. Yamnicky. Both were passengers aboard Flight 77.
The age lines extend from a granite zero line which bears the etching “SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 9:37 A.M.,” marking the date and exact time of the attack.
Each Memorial Unit is comprised of a cantilevered bench, a lighted pool of flowing water, and the victim’s name. Notably, the units are positioned to distinguish if victims were in the Pentagon or aboard Flight 77. The 125 units for victims who were in the Pentagon (70 civilians, 33 sailors and 22 soldiers) display the victim’s name and the Pentagon in the same view for visitors. For the 59 victims who were aboard Flight 77, visitors see the victim’s name and the direction of the plane’s approach in the same view.
Interestingly, the 9/11 Pentagon Memorial was the first national memorial dedicated to the events of September 11, 2001. The attack on the Pentagon also took the life of Lt. Gen. Timothy Maude, the highest-ranking service member killed on 9/11.
Authorized by Congress in 2001, the 9/11 Pentagon Memorial was built with donations raised by the families of victims. Located on federal property at the Pentagon, the memorial is owned and managed by the Department of War. While the new partnership with NPS doesn’t change this, it does help to ensure that the memorial is preserved for future generations.
“The 9/11 Pentagon Memorial is a place of remembrance, reflection and learning, and this affiliation recognizes its enduring national significance,” said Jennifer T. Nersesian, regional director of the National Capital Region of the National Park Service.
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