The Navy Annex used to sit on a hill across Route 110 from the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. It was torn down in 2012. The Air Force Memorial is adjacent to the site. Originally built as a warehouse, the Navy Annex was undistinguished. It also housed The Missile Defense Agency, where my husband, Harry, worked on September 11, 2001.
On that day, Harry was meeting in an interior conference room. Just after 8:46 a.m., his colleague ran into the room to report that a plane hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center. At 9:03 a.m., they watched on television as a second plane hit the South Tower. At 9:37 a.m., they heard the roar of a plane overhead and rushed to an outside window where they saw the plane hit the Pentagon. Harry’s colleague reported that from his window, he could see the rivets on the bottom of the plane as it flew just feet above the Navy Annex.
It was clear that the United States was at war. Harry’s first thought was to get out of the building. He left his wallet and his car keys on his desk and bolted. He ran for a while and then spotted a taxi who took him six more blocks. Fortunately, we lived only two miles from his office, and he was able to get home, find t...