Rebuilding the Pentagon
Six Months After Attack, Crews Still Racing to Finish Job

 Listen to Emily Harris' report.

Construction at the Pentagon's west wall, six months after the terrorist attack. Photo: Emily Harris, NPR News  View the photo gallery.

March 8, 2002 -- Almost six months after Sept. 11, there is no longer a charred gash in the Pentagon's west wall. Reconstruction of the section of building destroyed when American Airlines flight 77 rammed into it has gone more quickly than originally expected.

In fact, construction crews are racing to re-open some offices in time for the one-year anniversary of the attack -- an incredible pace, given the scope of the job. The construction site has also become a stop for visitors to pay their respects to those injured and killed six months ago, and to see the progress of the rebuilding effort. NPR's Emily Harris visited the site and found a high level of cooperation and morale among the construction crew.

"I just remember it was a gorgeous day," said Dan Fraunfelter about the Sept. 11 attack. "And it seemed a shame it would happen on such a nice day."

Moment of impact, Sept. 11, 2001. Copyright 2002 Reuters Limited

Fraunfelter, 24, is an assistant superintendent for the Pentagon's renovation general contractor. He was on the third floor of the west side of the building at 9:43 in the morning last Sept. 11 -- about 100 feet away from where the plane exploded in a fireball. Fraunfelter tells how he used his flashlight to help guide survivors out of the building, carried water to rescue workers and gave firefighters details about the building's structure.

The chaos of that day has given way to a busy construction site, where cement trucks jockey for position amid piles of construction materials. More than 500 workers build at the site, covering two 10-hour shifts six days a week. Keeping pace is a huge digital clock right in front of the visitor's viewing platform, with a sign above saying "Let's Roll." The clock counts down the days, hours, minutes and seconds until the first anniversary of the attack.

Some working here say the clock helps them build at a faster pace, and there is much more support from the engineers and architects. Outside the site, on a low grassy hill facing the ruined west wall, a small tree is the focal point of an impromptu shrine for the victims of the tragedy.

Browse more NPR stories on the attack on the Pentagon.

Other Resources

• Follow the progress of the rebuilding effort online at the Pentagon Renovation Project Web site.

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