Marine Corps Museum Preserves Artifacts from the September 11 Pentagon Attack

A permanent exhibit at the National Museum of the Marine Corps gives visitors an intimate look at the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the Pentagon.

The display contains several objects recovered from the damaged section of the building, including a wall clock that stopped around the time American Airlines Flight 77 struck the Pentagon. Other artifacts include a telephone and an electronic card reader once used by employees to enter their offices.

According to Museum Director Keil Gentry, the items were collected shortly after the attack by museum curator Jennifer Castro, who was working at the Pentagon at the time.

Photographs included in the exhibit document the destruction left behind. In one image, a small patch of red can be seen amid the wreckage. Gentry said it is part of a Marine Corps flag found inside an office.

Despite the surrounding damage, the flag survived in remarkably good condition and required very little restoration before being placed on display.

The exhibit also offers visitors a rare physical connection to the historic site. A surviving piece of the Pentagon is positioned where members of the public can reach out and touch it.

Together, the artifacts preserve the memory of the attack and provide a powerful reminder of the lives, workplaces and everyday objects forever affected by September 11.