Museum Unveils Exhibit Exploring Raid of bin Laden's Compound

A camouflage uniform shit from a Navy Seal Team 6 member involved in the raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound is displayed at the Museum. A closeup of the tan and brown shirt shows a black and white American flag.
A new exhibit at the 9/11 Memorial Museum includes this uniform shirt from a Navy SEAL Team 6 member. (Photo: Jin Lee)

The 9/11 Memorial Museum has opened a new exhibit focusing on the search for and ultimate killing of Osama bin Laden. The exhibit includes a uniform shirt that one of the Navy SEAL Team 6 members wore during the 2011 raid of bin Laden’s hideout in Pakistan, a coin donated by a CIA operative who pursued him and a brick from bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan.

“This exhibit not only captures a seminal moment in American history, it also allows millions of visitors the chance to recognize the extraordinary bravery of the men and women who sacrifice so much for this country at home and abroad,” 9/11 Memorial President Joe Daniels said.

The shirt includes an American flag patch, placed backwards as is standard on military shirts to reference the era when the flag-bearer walked in front of soldiers on the charge to battle.

Additionally, the “challenge coin” was donated by “Maya,” the alias for the CIA operative who pursued bin Laden. The coin was created to honor the operation in which bin Laden was killed, with the date of the event – May 1, 2011 – on one side, and a red “X” on the other. This is because after 9/11, President George W. Bush would use a red “X” to mark on his list that a key al-Qaeda operative was killed, exposed or arrested.

The brick from bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan has been at the 9/11 Museum since May. The exhibition contains photographs as well, including one of President Barack Obama and members of the national security team in the White House Situation Room on May 1, 2011.

By Jordan Friedman, 9/11 Memorial Research and Digital Projects Associate

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