Trees offer solace for Arlington - Clippings - Brief Article

American Forests, Wntr, 2003

Arlington County, Virginia, is planting living memorials for the victims of the September 11 attack on the Pentagon. In early December, AMERICAN FORESTs joined county officials to plant a small grove of 11 maples and oaks at a condominium a few miles from the crash site.

The tree planting was one of a series of memorials planned for the Washington, DC, area. In November, Arlington County parks and recreation workers planted 368 willow oaks, tulip poplars, sycamores, Mount Vernon red maples, and other 6- to 10-foot-tall trees throughout the county. In all, two trees were planted for each of the 184 people who died when hijackers crashed American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon.

Half of those trees will grow on public sites--at elementary schools, community centers, fire stations and libraries. Arlington leaders also invited private citizens to take part in the tribute by planting one of the memorial trees in their yards. The offer prompted hundreds of requests, including the one from Carlyle House condominium near the Pentagon. Homeowners and condominium associations agreed to water and maintain the trees planted on their property.

Among those attending the Carlyle House planting was Joyce Johnson of Burke. Her husband, Army Lt. Col. Dennis Johnson, 48, was working in the office of the deputy chief of staff for personnel and died in the attack.

"To have a tree planted in my husband's memory means a lot. It's more than just fresh air, it's a way of life we shared," she said in the Washington Post. Johnson helped shovel a final layer of soil around a newly planted willow oak. Also helping was Bruce Serva, whose wife of 26 years, Marian, was a congressional liaison to the U.S. Army and also died in the attack.

Congress has authorized a memorial on the Pentagon's west facade, next to the helicopter pad and near the crash site. AMERICAN FORESTS, with support from the U.S. Forest Service and retailer Eddie Bauer, will supply any trees that are used in that memorial.