The Pentagon 3,460 recipients of the Medal of Honor, the United States' highest military decoration. The Hall is also used for promotions, retirements, and other ceremonies. Notes Bibliography The Pentagon The Pentagon, in Arlington County, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense. As a symbol of the U.S. military, the phrase "The Pentagon" is often used as a metonym for the Department of Defense and its leadership. The building was designed by American architect George Bergstrom and built by contractor John McShain. Ground was broken on September 11, 1941, and the
Rappahannock County, Virginia Rappahannock County, Virginia Rappahannock County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, US. As of the 2010 census, the population was 7,373. Its county seat is Washington. The name "Rappahannock" comes from the Algonquian word "lappihanne" (also noted as "toppehannock"), meaning "river of quick, rising water" or "where the tide ebbs and flows." Rappahannock County is included in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. Rappahannock County was founded by an act of the Virginia General Assembly in 1833, based on the growing population's need to have better access to a county seat. The county's land was carved from