The promise to ‘Never Forget’ the 9/11 attacks now hinges on education for over 100 million Americans who have no memory of that day. To address this challenge, the Pentagon will break ground on a Visitor Education Center at one of the three 9/11 attack sites that currently lacks a museum or education center.
The new center aims to bridge the generational gap by educating those who did not experience the attacks firsthand. It seeks to explain the significance of September 11, 2001, and why the day remains impactful. Joseph Kornhoff, Executive Director of the Pentagon Memorial Fund, highlighted that nearly one-third of Americans were not alive or have no recollection of the day, lacking a ‘personal connection’ with the events.
“That’s what we’re trying to provide with the visitor education center experience,” Kornhoff shared. “We want visitors to understand the gravity of that day.”
Meanwhile, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York also confronts a similar generational divide. Beth Hillman, President and CEO, emphasized the growing importance of the vow to ‘Never Forget’ as fewer Americans remember the attacks firsthand.
Noah Rauch, Senior Vice President for Education and Public Programs at the museum, has observed the shift between memory and history. He noted the evolving challenge of introducing the event to those who lacked direct experience, amidst rampant online conspiracy theories.
“That’s the need for the education center,” Kornhoff elaborated. “We need to educate young people with factual information, avoiding conspiracy theories.”
The Pentagon center will feature ten exhibits that tell the human stories of the attack, including the 184 individuals who died at the Pentagon and aboard Flight 77. It will highlight the experiences of first responders and the military personnel who assisted the injured.
On Capitol Hill, bipartisan legislation has been introduced by Reps. Elise Stefanik and Josh Gottheimer to assess how 9/11 is taught in schools and identify gaps in instruction. Kornhoff commended the effort to educate those without a firsthand connection to the attacks.
The Visitor Education Center, expected to open by the end of 2029, received $12 million in federal funding, $1 million from Virginia, and additional private donations. It will feature interactive exhibits, historical artifacts, and survivor accounts, providing context about the attack and its aftermath.
Alec Schemmel, Politics Reporter for Fox News Digital, reports from the Washington D.C.-Baltimore Metro Area.
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