Pentagon limestone is returning to Arlington as a gift of gratitude
For 60 years, stone #DB849 served quietly on the west façade of the Pentagon. In the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 attack on the Pentagon, it was moved to Ft. McNair and has rested there since. On March 24, 2011, it will come home to Arlington, when it is officially presented to the Arlington County Fire Department in recognition of its service following the attack.
On March 24, Maj. Gen. Karl R. Horst, commanding general of the Joint Force Headquarters National Capital Region and the U.S. Army Military District of Washington(JFHQ NCR/MDW), will present the Pentagon stone in a ceremony at Arlington County’s Fire Station No. 5.
About the stone
Though the Pentagon (built 1941-42) was famously built – quickly – as a reinforced concrete structure, the building’s façade is made of limestone from Indiana.
The stone that will be presented to Arlington is part of a large stone block that was recovered from the west façade of the Pentagon. Most likely, it sat within 50-75 yards of the part of the Pentagon damaged during the attack – this is known due to detailed blueprints available from the original construction, matched with the specific identification number of the stone.


As part of the 2001 recovery efforts, two stones were recovered from the Pentagon -- a small stone weighing 225 pounds and numbered #DB849, and a larger adjacent stone weighing 2400 pounds. The two stones were taken to Fort McNair, where they have remained undisturbed for 10 years.
JFHQ NCR/MDW has cut the large stone into three pieces – each weighing 800 pounds – and is gifting one piece each to the Arlington County Fire Department, the FBI Washington Field Office, and the New York City Fire Department. The gifts are made in recognition and commemoration of the three agencies’ rescue and recovery efforts on Sept. 11, 2001. The second, smaller stone will be retained by the JFHQ NCR/MDW, where it will be displayed in a place of honor at Fort McNair.

About the ceremony
Arlington County Fire Chief James Schwartz will host the ceremony on Thursday, March 24, 2011 at Arlington's Fire Station No. 5, at 10:00 a.m. Maj. Gen. Horst will make the presentation. Also on hand will be former U.S. Army Military District Washington commanding general, Maj. Gen. James T. Jackson, who was commander in 2001 and Arlington County Board Chairman Christopher Zimmerman. The ceremony is open to the public.
Arlington’s plan
In 2010, Arlington received a gift of World Trade Center steel from the New York City Fire Department, in tribute to its service on Sept. 11. Arlington’s goal is to create an appropriate remembrance structure, by combining the gift of Pentagon steel with the World Trade Center steel.