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 approach on February 28, 1933. In March 1933, ahead of schedule, the Arlington County Board of Commissioners voted to pursue the Lee Boulevard route for a connection to Arlington Memorial Bridge. This did not rule out the Wilson Boulevard route, although the county by now favored Lee Boulevard because it would boost economic development in the area. The county's wishes seemed to be pushed aside, however, in May 1933. Colonel Ulysses S. Grant III asked the Federal Employment Stabilization Board to fund $12 million in construction projects in Virginia that included extending Wilson Boulevard to Arlington Memorial Bridge. Grant's proposal