WASHINGTON, May 9, 2011 -- A stone recovered from the Pentagon after the Sept. 11, 2001, attack was dedicated today in commemoration of actions taken by members of the U.S. Army Military District of Washington following the attack.
Maj. Gen. Karl R. Horst, the Joint Force Headquarters-National Capital Region and the U.S. Army Military District of Washington commanding general, spoke at the ceremony held at Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
Soldiers from the 911th Technical Rescue Engineer Company played an integral role in the ceremony, assisting with the unveiling of the stone and presenting the accompanying plaque.
For 10 days following the Sept. 11, 2011, attacks, the unit, then called the Military District of Washington Engineer Company, was engaged in rescue and recovery operations for which the unit and Soldiers assigned were awarded the Army Superior Unit Award.
Also recognized at the ceremony were the servicemembers and employees of Military District of Washington who were with the command on 9/11. Maj. Gen. James T. Jackson, who was the commanding general of Military District of Washington during the attack, also participated in the ceremony.
The limestone block, marked DB849 and weighing 225 pounds, was recovered from the west facade of the Pentagon, about 50 meters from the area where American Airlines flight 77 crashed into the building nearly 10 years ago.
"The stone will serve as a tribute to the 184 people who perished and to those who assisted in the rescue and recovery efforts at the Pentagon; and the lives lost in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and at the World Trade Center. It also serves as a daily reminder of just how much we have grown as a command since Sept. 11, 2001," said Horst during the dedication.
This is the fourth and final commemorative ceremony recognizing the rescue and relief efforts held over the past three months. MDW presented pieces of stone recovered from the Pentagon to the Arlington County Fire Department on March 24, 2011; the FBI Washington Field Office on April 27,2011; and the Fire Department of New York City on May 6, 2011.
This final piece of stone will be positioned in a place of honor within the JFHQ-NCR/MDW headquarters building at Fort Lesley J. McNair.
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