The Pentagon and I
By: Stan Jordan
SECURITY
The Pentagon Force Protection Agency (PFPA) is the United States government agency composed of sworn federal police officers, the United States Pentagon Police and civilian CBRN technicians, and non-sworn civilian anti-terrorism investigative and physical security personnel, and is responsible for the protection of the Pentagon. The Department of Defense created the PFPA after the September 11, 2001 attacks. The new agency absorbed the Defense Protective Service (DPS) and assumed its role of providing basic law enforcement and security for the Pentagon and Department of Defense sites in the 280 acre (1.1 km2) “Pentagon Reservation” and greater National Capital Region (NCR). PFPA was also charged with providing force protection against the full spectrum of potential threats through robust prevention, preparedness, detection, and response measures. The United States Pentagon Police is the primary federal law enforcement arm of the Pentagon Force Protection Agency.
HALL OF HEROES
Retired U.S. Army major Ed Freeman is inducted into the Hall of Heroes in July 2001, following his receipt of the Medal of Honor for his service in the Vietnam War. The Hall of Heroes original location was in the A Ring, on the second floor.
Located on the Pentagon’s main concourse is the Hall of Heroes, a room dedicated to the more than 3,460 recipients of the Medal of Honor, the United States’ highest military decoration. There are three different versions of the Medal of Honor: the Army version, the Sea Service version (Marine Corps, Navy and Coast Guard), and the Air Force version. All three versions are displayed in the Hall of Heroes. Along the walls of the room are the names of each recipient. An asterisk next to some of the names denotes service members who received two Medals of Honor for two separate acts of bravery. Dots next to other names denote Marines who were under the command of the Army during World War I and received both the Army and Sea Service versions of the Medal of Honor for a single act of bravery. The Hall of Heroes was opened during a Medal of Honor awards ceremony on May 14, 1968. President Lyndon Johnson officiated the ceremony and awarded the Medal of Honor to four serviceman: Specialist 5Charles C. Hagemeister, U.S. Army; Sergeant Richard A. Pittman, U.S. Marine Corps; Boatswain’s Mate 1st Class James E. Williams, U.S. Navy and Captain Gerald O. Young, U.S. Air Force. It was the first time that all four services were represented in a Medal of Honor Ceremony. The medals were awarded in the Pentagon’s center courtyard. Upon the ceremony’s conclusion, President Johnson ascended a staircase to his rear and cut a red ribbon in front of a door at the top of the stairs providing entrance to the Hall of Heroes. At the time of the dedication, the Hall of Heroes was located on the Pentagon’s second floor, A Ring, overlooking the courtyard. As part of the Pentagon’s renovation, the Hall of Heroes was moved to its current location on the main concourse.
The Hall of Heroes is also used for promotions, retirements, and other types of award ceremonies.
SERVICES
The Pentagon has over 20 of its own fast food operations, including Subway, McDonald’s, Dunkin’ Donuts, Panda Express, Starbucks and Sbarro, among others. A multibranded KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell restaurant opened in 2003, when renovations to the food court were completed. Food services are managed by the Navy Exchange. The Center Courtyard Cafe reopened in the spring of 2008, replacing the “Ground Zero Cafe” snack bar that was previously there.
The Pentagon Athletic Center (PAC), a fitness center for military and civilian staff, opened in 2004 adjacent to the north side of the Pentagon, replacing the Pentagon Officers Athletic Club (POAC) which had operated for 55 years in a structure between Route 110 and the parade grounds. Each year, the Pentagon grounds are a major focus for hosting the Marine Corps Marathon and the Army Ten-Miler running events.
There is a Meditation and Prayer Room in the Pentagon, which was dedicated on December 14, 1970, by Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird. On September 11, 2002 the Pentagon Memorial Chapel was dedicated.
In conjunction with the 1976 American Bicentennial, the Pentagon began offering guided tours to the general public. Tours were suspended after theSeptember 11, 2001 attacks, but are currently available to the general public with reservations 14–90 days in advance.
The Common Man
By: Stan Jordan
The other day a friend asked me about William Jennings Bryan called “The Common Man.”
Well, after reading about his life, there is a couple of reasons why he would be called “the common man.” He was born in Salem (in Marion County), Illinois in March of 1880 and died in July of 1925 in Dayton (Rhea County), Tennessee. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Virginia.
US Congressman. His career is associated with the “common man”, including currency reform and traditional American religion. An 1883 graduate of Chicago’s Union College of Law, he would represent Nebraska in the House of Representatives from 1891 to 1895. He ran for President in 1896 on a platform calling for free coinage of silver. This position would be best elucidated at that year’s Democratic National Convention, where Bryan would deliver a well-received speech including the admonition: “You will not crucify mankind on a Cross of Gold!” This speech, among others, established Bryan as and outstanding orator. Though he would win the Democratic nomination in 1896, 1900, and 1908, he lost the general elections to Republicans William McKinley and William Howard Taft. When war broke out with Spain in 1898, he raised the Third Regiment of the Nebraska Volunteer Infantry and, while he saw no overseas duty, he was commissioned a Colonel. He was appointed Secretary of State by President Woodrow Wilson in 1913, but resigned in 1915 because of Wilson’s increasing antagonism against Germany during World War I. He continued his career as an activist in the Democratic party and the Presbyterian Church. In 1925, Bryan served as associate prosecutor in what came to be known as the “Scopes Monkey Trial” in Dayton, Tennessee. In this case, Bryan argued that John Scopes had violated state law by teaching evolution. Though the prosecution prevailed, defense attorney Clarence Darrow would score a public relations victory for the evolutionist side by calling Bryan as a witness for his biblical knowledge, then pointing out various physical impossibilities associated with what the Bible held to be fact. Bryan would die five days after the trial’s conclusion, never being able to deliver the closing statement he had prepared for the case.
You see he was very active in church and everyday life and had great faith in common people. He also founded a weekly magazine called, “The Commoner” and he also worked for a newspaper in Omaha.
See ya!
Recognition
By: Stan Jordan
The other day, over on channel 21, I saw where a local law firm would give a 10% discount to any United States veteran or some of the local first responders if they need some legal help.
I think that is a fine idea and it was long in coming. I have long since used this column to give thanks and praise to our first responders.
Here in the Tri-state area we have a number of small communities and they all have very good first responders and I’d like to see these people receive the recognition due to them, like maybe a big day once a year so we could meet out heroes. I must admit that I don’t know all of them, and I should.
Maybe something like at 12:00 noon on the Chamber’s “A Day at the Park” have all available first responders there and introduce them one at a time. No awards or anything like that, just recognition and praise! What do you think?
See ya!
Time moves on
By: Stan Jordan
This is January 12th and it is not a nice day outside…you know rain, snow and sleet and the school is closed.
I am sitting here at my desk at the West Bend News and looking over the whole area. I have been blessed by having a good memory and a wild imagination. It is my memory about the corner that comes to mind today. Back in the 1970’s there was a Sohio station. My son, Gale, was the manager, in between Mr. Tressler and Mike Altic.
At that time, regular gas was about sixty five cents a gallon. Gale had about six or eight high school boys that worked at the station and sold gas. They were good boys and they are parents and grandparents now.
Mark Larimore was one of the boys and he has twenty eight years in at B.F. Goodrich. Jeff Donat was another of them boys and he went on and got a couple of degrees and has a couple of boys up in Wisconsin. John Taylor is a grandfather and lives here in Antwerp and keeps me posted on the wildlife. Chris Walters was another good boy and is still around Antwerp and is very up to date on our wildlife.
Another one of the boys, Kevin Taylor, moved on to be with Champion Seeds in Woodburn, IN and is still there. Stan Underwood was around the station quite a bit, but he is gone now.
Time does not stand still.
See ya!
