Community Corner

Schwartz: Navy Has Gone to 'Great Lengths' to Draw Connection Between Ship, County [Video]

One leg of every Pentagon symbol aboard the USS Arlington is darkened to highlight the southwest wall that a plane crashed into on 9/11.

NORFOLK — One leg of every Pentagon symbol aboard the USS Arlington is darkened to remind its crew of the southwest wall of the structure that a plane crashed into on 9/11.

Arlington County Fire Chief James Schwartz, who served as incident commander at the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, said he was glad to see all the "touches from home" aboard the USS Arlington. The U.S. Navy commissioned the ship this weekend at Naval Station Norfolk.

The Arlington County Fire Department had about 30 firefighters and their families at the commissioning ceremony, which saw some 5,000 people attend.

Find out what's happening in Arlingtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Fire Capt. Bo Bennett, who responded to the Pentagon on 9/11, told Patch that the chief planned to present a special plaque to the Arlington's commanding officer, Cmdr. Darren Nelson. The plaque features the fire department's shield and the Arlington's seal side by side over the words, "Protecting America."

More:

Find out what's happening in Arlingtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

  • USS Arlington Commissioned in Front of Thousands
  • USS Arlington: 'Don't Mess With Us' [Video]
  • USS Arlington: 'This is Awesome' [Photos]
  • Fundraising for USS Arlington Tribute Room to Continue
  • Video: USS Arlington Arrives at Naval Station Norfolk
  • County Contributes $50K Toward USS Arlington 9/11 Tribute Room
  • Washington-Lee Junior Designs Winning Arlington County Car Decal
  • USS Arlington: Fundraising Under Way for Commissioning


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