Arlington Firefighters on 9/11: 'We Knew What We Had to Do'

Today is the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.

Visiting the Pentagon Memorial, volunteering for a National Day of Service project or flying an American flag are just some of the things you can do to commemorate 9/11. For the 11th anniversary of the attacks that shook both the world and the rooftops in Arlington County, Patch is again presenting the "Deafening Quietness" video above that features interviews with Arlington County firefighters who responded to the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001. Below, you'll find links to extended 2011 interviews by Patch Editor Lauren Sausser with each firefighter. Click the following links to watch extended videos from each of the interviews. And thank you to our emergency responders.

•  1 Comment
• Videos (1)

Susan Larson

9:47 am on Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Excellent job on the video, Lauren. This moves me every time I watch. I agree with the one firefighter who said visiting the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial is helpful ... and especially beautiful at sunset. #neverforget   more ›

Remembering 9/11 in Arlington County

Remembering 9/11 at the Pentagon and in greater Arlington County.

Pentagon Memorial The Pentagon Memorial is free and open 24 hours a day. It is located at 1 Rotary Road on the Pentagon reservation in Arlington. No formal services are planned, but the community is welcome to visit the memorial.    Volunteer Arlington President Barack Obama designated Sept. 11 as a National Day of Service in 2009. On Tuesday, Volunteer Arlington is hosting a 9/11 Day of Service Preparedness Project. Volunteers will visit canvass four senior independent living locations and equip residents with a starter "go kit" and provide emergency preparedness information that they can use during an incident. The Arlington Food Assistance Center also needs volunteers to help at food drives at Safeway Stores in the county. Flags Across …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (1)

Jason Spencer

6:18 pm on Monday, September 10, 2012

Thanks, Jan!   more ›

Hotel Bomb Scare Expected to Cause Rush-Hour Delays

Police: No evidence that threat was legitimate.

A bomb scare at a hotel near Arlington National Cemetery and the Pentagon is expected to cause traffic delays into the afternoon rush hour. At about 1:40 p.m., a bomb threat was called into the Sheraton National Hotel, 900 S. Orme St. An individual told the hotel that a bomb would detonate on the street level by 3 p.m. That hasn't happened. Arlington County police sent bomb dogs out to check the legitimacy of the threat, spokesman Dustin Sternbeck said. The immediate area was cleared and the hotel was evacuated as a precautionary measure, he said. "They haven't found anything indicating this was a legitimate threat," Sternbeck said. Virginia State Police and Pentagon officials are on the scene assisting police, Sternbeck said. South Orme …

• Photos (1)

Clarendon Cycles

Arlington Deserves Better Connections to the Mount Vernon Trail

The northern and southern reaches into Arlington are well-connected to the Mount Vernon Trail, but that isn’t enough.

One of the most popular multi-use trails in the Washington area is in Arlington’s front yard – the Mount Vernon Trail. Popular with tourists and locals, it’s a haven for runners, cyclists and those out for a simple stroll. Unfortunately, getting to the  Mount Vernon Trail from Arlington can be a rather dangerous affair. To get to the trail’s northern terminus without driving, you must navigate the problematic Lynn Street-Lee Highway-Custis Trail intersection. Unfortunately, this is the only connection from northern Arlington.  The next connection to the trail occurs near Memorial Bridge. Because Fort Myer and Arlington National Cemetery sit between this connection and the rest of the county, it’s not a very practical connection for most …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (6)

New East Coast Boeing HQ Lands in Crystal City, Near Pentagon

Arlington County Board OKs deal after hours of deliberation.

The Arlington County Board approved a plan early Wednesday morning that would put Boeing's East Coast headquarters across the road from the Pentagon. The hours of discussion preceding approval focused on the illumination of Boeing's signs -- a hotel and the world's largest office building will be the most affected by the new structure's western sign -- lights along the edge of the property and shared parking for a new park facility. The U.S. National Park Service, which has jurisdiction over the nearby George Washington Parkway, had concerns about the brightness of Boeing's northern sign. Boeing's proximity to the Pentagon only occasionally came up. It will generally be on the other side of Interstate 395. Specifically, the site is between…

• Photos (1)

Arlington: Past & Present

Stories from Queen City

The loss of a neighborhood, the cost of progress

In Queen City, a man sometimes didn't know he was poor until he was 27 years old, say some of those who lived there. The tight-knit African-American neighborhood no longer exists, but the community's spirit still survives in scattered memories. Queen City was situated, based on different oral and written historical accounts, on a patch of land immediately west-southwest of where the Pentagon now stands and was the size of somewhere between two blocks to 16 blocks. In its place now is a sprawling intersection. The community was devastated and neighbors were dispersed in the name of progress. "Queen City was not razed for the Pentagon building, but the overall Pentagon project. In order to accommodate the large number of individuals who …

• Photos (3)

Viewfinder: Arlington Remembers 9/11

Commemoration held at the U.S. Air Force Memorial overlooking the Pentagon.

Saturday night, Arlington remembered those lost on 9/11 and reflected on the building of the memorial to the 184 who died at the Pentagon 10 years ago. A candle was lit for each of the 184. Several hundred people attended the ceremony, which was at the U.S. Air Force Memorial overlooking the Pentagon.

• Photos (53)

Sunday Road Closures: Expect 'Significant' Delays Near Pentagon

Multiple roads closed due to events commemorating 10-year anniversary of 9/11 attack.

Arlington County is closing multiple roads near the Pentagon Sunday at the request of the U.S. Secret Service for events commemorating the 10-year anniversary of 9/11. "Motorists are encouraged to make alternate travel arrangements to avoid the area around the Pentagon. As conditions change it is possible these road closures will be broadened. Those traveling through this area should expect significant delays for the majority of the day and are strongly encouraged to avoid the area," according to a statement released by the county. Closures from 8:15 to 10:45 a.m. and 2:30 to 5 p.m.: From 5 a.m. to 5 p.m.:

• Photos (1)