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American Morning

Pentagon Rises From the Ashes of September 11

Aired March 11, 2002 - 09:47   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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Now back to the issue of September 11th. If anyone ever doubted on September 11th that this was war, the attack on America's military headquarters made it quite clear. The Pentagon itself was built during wartime, as the country fought World War II. Ground was broken for the Pentagon back on September 11th, 1941.

And today the country finds itself again at war and rebuilding the Pentagon. Barbara Starr has our story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): American Airlines Flight 77 came in low over the Pentagon helipad. Slamming into the west front, killing 189 people, including the five hijackers, The building would burn for days. But Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was determined to keep things running right from the start.

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: The Pentagon's functioning. It will be in business tomorrow.

STARR: Plans began almost immediately to overcome the devastation. By mid-November 400,000 square feet had been demolished, and Project Phoenix was under way. The Pentagon was rising from the ashes. Now it is a construction site of triumph.

Rebuilding the spirit as well as the limestone and steel.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The job is basically the same. The feeling is what's different. They destroyed something, but we're going to come back, again.

STARR: Lee Evey is in charge of the $700 million project.

LEE EVEY, PENTAGON RENOVATION PROGRAM: When we went to them at Christmas and New Year's and we said we want to give you two days off each of those days, you know, the two days at Christmas, two days at New Year's. And the workers came back and said, "No, we don't want to take any time off. We want to work straight through."

STARR: A clock now marks the countdown to the one-year anniversary. The motto, "Let's roll." The workers' testament to the heroism of the hijacked passengers. (on camera): For the military personnel inside the Pentagon, the last six months have seen them deal with the challenge of the war while remembering their comrades.

(voice-over): Everyone inside the Navy Operations Center was killed. It is only in the last few weeks it is back up and fully running. Manned by friends of those who did not make it out that day.

Captain Robert Bauer replaced his friend who was director of the operations center on September 11th.

CAPT. ROBERT BAUER, U.S. NAVY: It gives me some consolation in the thought that I am his successor. Maybe an imperfect successor to the job that he was doing, but at least in my own mind I feel like my sense of purpose here is vindication.

STARR: Six months from now, on September 11th, the exterior of the Pentagon is expected to be finished. For the construction workers and the military, a huge milestone on the road from tragedy to triumph.

Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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