Sep 08 2010
Behind Door Number Two
Dale has worked at the Pentagon for two years, and this summer, the kids and I finally had our official Pentagon tour. In 1989, I was assigned to a summer job at the Pentagon and remembered it somewhat. I recalled the giant ramps you walked up between floors and that everyplace looked like everywhere else. In 1989, like most WWII era military office buildings, the Pentagon was in great need of repair.
The renovations that have taken place over the last 20 years have sure made a difference. Along with the endless offices, there are now restaurants and shops catering to the Pentagon workforce. In the event an individual has repeatedly worked really late and has not called home to inform the spouse of this fact, he can swing by the chocolate shop or the flower shop on the way out the door. He can also stop in at the mini PX. However, it is not recommended that he stop in at the electronics store, for he will just be tempted, after a long hard day, to buy something for himself.
Abby wanted to go look in at all the shops and hopes that on the next “Take your daughter to work day,” she can go shopping.
Years ago, Secretary Rumsfeld got tired of looking at all the boring white walls and budgeted for artwork and portraits to be hung upon them. There are many paintings of famous scenes from American history painted by a man who was not allowed to sign them. Because they did not allow his signature, the artist painted himself into each picture. Gabe had a fun time searching the paintings for the painter. It was a bit of revolutionary war “Where’s Waldo?”
The tour guides are members of the Old Guard (the soldiers who guard the tomb of the unknown soldier at Arlington), and they walk backwards in front of the group for the entire tour. I already knew that the members of the Old Guard had to be six foot tall, but I never realized that they must also be able to walk backwards throughout the Pentagon without bumping into anything or anyone.
The Old Guard tour guides informed us of many things: how much it costs to polish the floors of the Pentagon, the names of battle campaigns, and the explanations of various acronyms. However, they did not tell us a single item of information on where anyone works or what anyone does in the Pentagon.
Don’t ask what’s behind door number two.
Within the Pentagon, many offices, because of classified work, are sealed off behind vault like doors. For us Manrys, there was no sighting of chair or desk, no workmates to meet, no window to look out (technically in a SCIF there is no window to look out). A vault door viewing, that’s all we got.
Zeke paid no attention to the vault doors, and he did not enjoy walking through the center courtyard (aka the smoker’s chimney). The military is still full of people who smoke, and everyone who smokes at the Pentagon, must go into the center courtyard for their smoke break. With the shrubs, plants, and benches, it would seem a pleasant place to eat lunch. Hopefully, unlike Zeke, you can tolerate the smell.
Throughout most of the tour Dale was fidgety and nervous. Personally, I think he was having a difficult time coming to grips with his worlds colliding. After the official tour, Dale was allowed to escort us around in an unofficial tour, but we were not allowed to be left unattended. Who knows what Zeke might do?
For our unofficial tour, we went to the food court for an early dinner. On our way there, we walked past a restaurant that required a suit and tie. If I had known about the wardrobe requirement, I would have dressed Josiah better and sent him in to play the grand piano for tips.
Before we left, Dale realized the benefit of colliding worlds. Upon entering the Pentagon, Abby immediately spotted a chocolate shop that Dale had never noticed. When we left, we all had plenty of treats to tide us over as we slugged our way home.
Interesting but pretty boring as well. Apparently you didn’t see anything but walls, doors and a good many restaurants, shops and such. From photos of that building I imagine it to be huge, massive…?
It is massive, but unlike a skyscraper, it’s sameness is in length not height. The five sides are different in that they house individual branches of the military (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines) and the defense department, but as with most things in the military, functional use not beauty is most prized.
I am sure you visited the memorial outside. I was so impressed with it. I was even more impressed that “got” they artsiness of it. Yes it is a word.