Beautiful Woodbridge 9/11 Memorial

I live in Northern Virginia, and as such, the terrorist attacks of 9/11 have deeply impacted my life, as well as that of most Northern Virginians. While we didnt lose as many people as New York City, most Northern Virginians work for, or has family that works for, the Federal Government and those people toil away trying to keep the nation safe and prevent the next attack.

Most people who work inside the beltway have to commute from outlying areas. Prince William County lost good people in the Pentagon on that day, and they raised money to build a beautiful memorial to the victims of 9/11 with emphasis on PWC residents that gave their lives in the War on Terror.

From DefenseLink here:

Memorial Honors Virginia Victims of Sept. 11 Attacks
By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service

WOODBRIDGE, Virginia, May 10, 2006 The people of Prince William County gathered here yesterday to dedicate a memorial that honors the 22 county residents who died in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

It took four years and many donors to fund and build the Liberty Memorial, which sits near the McCoart Administration Building here as a stark reminder of the tragedy of that day. The county is about 20 miles south of the Pentagon and is home to many servicemembers and civilians who work in defense facilities in the area.

The Liberty Memorial consists of a reflecting pool in the shape of the Pentagon with two fountains in the middle to represent the World Trade Center towers in New York City. An adjacent plaza is encircled by Pennsylvania flagstone as a tribute to the people lost on United Flight 93 near Shanksville, Pa., and the names of the Prince William County victims are inscribed on the west wall of the fountain’s pool. A block of stone from the Pentagon fire is incorporated into the design.

The Liberty Memorial is a beautiful tribute to the lives of those killed on Sept. 11, but it also serves as a reminder to their families that the community and the nation are always behind them, Virginia Sen. George Allen said.

“This community will never abandon you, nor will this grand, compassionate nation,” Allen said, addressing the family members at the ceremony. “We should never forget, and we will never forget what happened to you and your loved ones.”

The names inscribed on the memorial are:

Retired Sgt. 1st Class John J. Chada, USA;
SK3 Jamie L. Fallon, USN;
Amelia V. Fields;
Retired Lt. Col. Robert J. Hymel, USAF;
Sgt. Maj. Lacey B. Ivory, USA;
Judith L. Jones;
David W. Laychak;
James T. Lynch Jr.;
Gene E. Maloy;
Robert J. Maxwell;
Molly L. McKenzie;
Craig J. Miller;
Diana B. Padro;
Rhonda S. Rasmussen;
Edward V. Rowenhorst;
Judy Rowlett;
Donald D. Simmons;
Jeff L. Simpson;
Cheryle D. Sincock;
ITC Gregg H. Smallwood, USN;
Sgt. Maj. Larry L. Strickland, USA; and
Sandra L. White.

Thanks to Michelle Malkin for the pointer to this article.