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
Construction of the Virginia approaches to Arlington Memorial Bridge Myer, Colonel Jonathan M. Wainwright, said on July 30, 1936, that he would not opposed such legislation. This legislation was introduced in the 75th United States Congress in January 1937. In November 1935, work began on a bridge from Columbia Island to the Virginia mainland. This bridge was financed with $25,000 from Arlington County, $25,000 from the state of Virginia, and $350,000 from the Public Works Administration. The bridge was the second connection to the Virginia mainland (after the Boundary Channel Bridge leading to Memorial Drive). But it was designed only to carry the George Washington Memorial Parkway (formerly the