When many people think of the most important buildings in Washington DC one of the first that comes to mind is usually the Pentagon. But you might be surprised to know that while the home of the Department of Defense does have a DC address it is actually located in Arlington. This is one of the largest office buildings in the world and in area is three times larger than New York's Empire State Building. There are 23,000 people working their daily and it is definitely worth a visit if you're in the area. All Americans, from those working in destrapping in a factory to doctors are affected by the decisions that are make here on a regular basis and it is part of our history.

Then Pentagon was conceived and first built in 1941 and 1942 during the early years of World War II. It was seventeen buildings and was the idea of Engineer officer Brigadier General Brehon B Somervell. He was the head of the construction division and enlisted the help of Engineer office Lieutenant Colonel Hugh J Casey and civilian architect George E Bergstrom to draw up the plans for the one-million-square-foot design. He gave them four days to do this. Anyone currently working in construction, from contractors to those who install industrial valves, even with the additional technology that we have today, would understand what an undertaking this was.

The building was completed in 1943 and covered twenty-nine acres with 17.5 miles of hallways. Building a structure of this magnitude would have normally taken more than four years to finish but this was done in only sixteen months. Construction happened so quickly that sometimes builders were ready to move on before plans were completed for some sections. This sped up the local economy as products from beams to lead weights were needed rapidly to compete the structure.

The September 11th attacks happened exactly sixty years after the officially groundbreaking of the site. American Airlines Flight 77 came crashing into the west side of the complex killing all those aboard and one hundred people within the building. Luckily, many of the areas that were affected were currently under construction and not occupied by their usual resident offices. This spared hundreds more lives. If you were working in a printing Toronto office or a hotel in California you likely remember exactly what you were doing when you heard of these attacks. Attending a tour at the Pentagon is a great way to commemorate those that were lost even today.

Pentagon staff recommends that you make a reservation in advance for a tour of the facilities. They take place throughout the day from 9am to 3pm Monday to Friday and would be interesting for a school trip or just a vacation from your job at a food PR agency.