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CNN Live Today

Pentagon Facade Completion Marked with Ceremony

Aired June 11, 2002 - 11:22   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: If you look on the calendar, June 11, you know that we have reached the nine-month milestone since September 11. It is a day chosen for a special dedication at the Pentagon.

And we go now to our senior military affairs correspondent, Jamie McIntyre, who is covering the event live -- Jamie, hello.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR MILITARY AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, it's a scorcher here in Washington today. We've moved back into the cool confines of the Pentagon briefing room, but outside, quite an impressive sight. The outer facade of the Pentagon, where that plane hit September 11, 2001, has been rebuilt.

Four thousand or so pieces of limestone have been put in place. Mined from the same quarry in Indiana where the original limestone came from in order to match the facade. It should weather in and match pretty much.

But one particular piece of limestone is from the original facade. It is put in an area where they are actually putting a dedication capsule inside the wall. And this capsule, a small bronze cube, is filled with memorabilia from September 11, including cards from young children, a copy of the president's speech, some medals, the patches from some of the police and firefighters.

And it is a dedication capsule, not a time capsule; it is not meant to be removed. It was covered with a piece, as I said, of the original limestone that was still black from the explosion on September 11, just etched simply with the date. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz made remarks at the dedication, and he saluted the efforts of the construction workers who, for months, have had to work around the clock.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL WOLFOWITZ, DEPUTY DEFENSE SECRETARY: You are builders, adopted that battle cry that Todd Beamer led the passengers on that flight over Pennsylvania. "Let's roll," is what he said, and "let's roll" is what you said. And that's exactly what you have done. You've healed this wall, and in doing so you are helping to heal our nation.

(END VIDEO CLIP) MCINTYRE: With the completion of the facade, work now moves inside to that outer E ring of the Pentagon. The plan is for that to be reoccupied by Pentagon workers by September 11 of this year, the one-year anniversary. And then, within six months, the two other rings that were damaged, they are known at the Pentagon as the D ring and the C ring, they will also be reoccupied by the spring of next year. They say so they will have the whole repair job done in about 18 months, at a cost of just around $700 million -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Jamie, it's nice to see the dedication to the people who are putting the Pentagon back together and also the people who lost their lives. Is there a feeling around Washington and around the Pentagon that these folks get forgotten and overlooked with all the attention that goes to the people who lost their lives in New York City?

MCINTYRE: You know, I don't think so. They have been included in every memorial service, every mention. Certainly here in Washington we felt the loss here perhaps even more so, but along with the heroes on the flight that crashed in Pennsylvania -- and, of course, the motto, the words of Todd Beamer, "let's roll," had become the motto of the construction workers here.

You saw that big countdown clock. That clock counts the days, hours and minutes to September 11, 2002 at 9:38 AM. That would be exactly one year after the tragic events, and that was the goal they set originally to get people back into that outer ring of the Pentagon.

KAGAN: Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon, thank you so much.

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