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 Arlington County began budgeting for the construction of Lee Boulevard in November 1933. With no approach route actually having been chosen by both the state of Virginia and county of Arlington, study of all proposed routes continued. A joint CFA/NCPC study of the proposed approaches occurred on November 16, 1933. Three weeks later, the CFA recommended that bridges be built on both the north and south ends of Columbia Island, linking it with the mainland. The north bridge should link to Lee Boulevard, the commission said, and the south bridge should link to an approach from the south. By August