The American Forces Press Service reports on the dedication of a 9/11 memorial in Virginia:

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.

“9/11 was a day that changed everything,” Sean T. Connaughton, chairman of the county’s board of supervisors, said at the dedication ceremony. “We started the day at peace & and within the span of one hour that morning, every American’s life was touched in some way.”

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 memorial incorporates symbols to represent all the people killed on Sept. 11, so all the victims will be remembered, Connaughton said.

“We do this because we are a community; we do this because we recognize that the honored memory of these fine people is a source of strength,” he said.

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.

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