A historic day in the life of President Bush (9/10/06): photographic remembrance of 9/11/06

WhiteHouse.gov ^ | 9/10/06

[Wolfstar]

PRESIDENTIAL NEWS OF THE DAY: President and Mrs. Bush, and the American people, begin observances of the 5th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorists attacks. Excerpt from the AP story by JENNIFER LOVEN, as published on Yahoo News a short time ago.

Bush, wife lay wreaths at ground zero

NEW YORK -- President Bush and his wife Laura stood in somber silence on Sunday after laying wreaths at the ground zero site where the twin towers of the World Trade Center once stood. They honored the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks on a tour that will take them to all three sites of devastation on the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.

The Bushes set floral wreaths adrift in ponds of water that mark the former location of the north and south towers. They uttered no words, and walked hand-in-hand on the floor of the cavernous pit, after a slow procession down the long, flag-lined ramp from the street level four to five stories above.

The Bushes then attended a service of prayer and remembrance at nearby St. Paul's Chapel.

The 240-year-old Episcopal church, across the street from the site, escaped damage and became a center of refuge for weary rescue workers.

They were the first stops of nearly 24 hours of observances at the three sites where terrorists wrought death and destruction and transformed his presidency. Nearly 3,000 Americans were killed in the attacks.

On Monday, the anniversary, he was to visit with firefighters and other emergency workers at a firehouse in lower Manhattan; attend a ceremony at the field in Shanksville, Pa., where one of the hijacked planes hurtled to the ground; and participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Pentagon.

He also was to speak to Americans during a prime-time address Monday night from the Oval Office.

Accompanying the president and first lady at ground zero were New York Gov. George Pataki, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Rudy Giuliani, who was New York mayor at the time of the attacks.

September 11, 2001, presidential pre-attack timeline, and a little known incident that may have been a foiled assassination attempt...

The President flew to Sarasota, Florida, on September 10th. He stayed at the Colony Beach Resort located on a coral island in the Gulf of Mexico off Sarasota. After a private dinner with his brother, Florida governor Jeb Bush, other Republican politicians and activists, the President went to bed around 10:00pm.

Surface-to-air missiles were placed on the roof of the resort (Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 9/10/02), and an Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) plane circled high overhead (Fighting Back: The War on Terrorism—From Inside the Bush White House, by Bill Sammon, 10/02, p. 25). The Secret Service does not make public its detailed security practices, so the public record does not clarify if this type of protection was standard for presidents at the time, or whether security was increased because of possible threats on the life of President Bush in particular. However, an incident the following morning suggests it was due to threats.

On the morning of September 11, President Bush awoke a little before 6:00am. About a half-hour later, he took a four-mile job around a nearby golf course accompanied by a reporter friend and his Secret Service detail.

At about the same time GWB was getting ready for his jog, a van carrying several Middle Eastern men pulled up to the Colony’s guard station. The men said they were a television news crew with a scheduled “poolside” interview with the President. They asked for a certain Secret Service agent by name. The message was relayed to a Secret Service agent inside the resort, who hadn’t heard of the agent mentioned or of plans for an interview. He told the men to contact the President’s public relations office in Washington, DC, and had the van turned away. (Longboat Observer, 9/26/01)

The Secret Service may have foiled an assassination attempt. Two days earlier, Ahmed Shah Massoud, leader of Afghanistan’s Northern Alliance, had been murdered by a similar ruse. Massoud's assassination is widely believed to have been timed to remove the Taliban’s most popular and respected opponent in anticipation of the backlash that would occur after the 9/11 attacks. (BBC, 9/10/01, BBC, 9/10/01 (B), Time, 8/4/02, St. Petersburg Times, 9/9/02)

After his jog, GWB showered, then sat down for his daily intelligence briefing around 8 a.m. While the President was being briefed, the planes that would be hijacked began taking off. American Airlines Flight 11 was first, leaving Boston’s Logan Airport at 7:59 a.m. The others soon followed, except for United Flight 93, scheduled to leave at 8:01, but which was delayed on the runway for about 40 minutes. Around the same time the Flight 11 hijackers were stabbing passenger Daniel Lewin (about 8:20) the President’s briefing ended and he prepared to leave the Colony. Accounts of when his motorcade left for Emma Booker Elementary School vary from 8:30 to 8:39. He arrived at about 9:00am.

The first media reports of Flight 11’s crash into the World Trade Center began around 8:48, two minutes after the attack happened. The President was informed either during the motorcade trip to the school or as he stepped out of the limousine (reports and recollections vary). The President later recalled what he was thinking at the time: “I was concentrating on the program at this point, thinking about what I was going to say [about the plane crash]. Obviously, I felt it was an accident. I was concerned about it, but there were no alarm bells.” At 9:03, at the same time the program at the elementary school started, Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center.

Chief of Staff Andrew Card was in a nearby room when he heard the news of the second attack. He waited until there was a pause in the reading drill to walk in and tell the President. The children were getting their books from under their seats to read a story together when Mr. Card came in (Daily Mail, 9/8/02) and whispered to the President: “A second plane hit the second tower. America is under attack.” Accounts vary between 9:05 and 9:07am as to when this historic moment occurred.

WOLFSTAR'S NOTE RE TIMELINE: Accounts of the specific timing of events always vary somewhat during and after emergencies. People use different instruments to note the time -- different watches or clocks, many of which run somewhat fast or somewhat slow.

In addition, as any criminal lawyer knows, human memory is notoriously unreliable for retaining details, particularly of shocking events. This is why eye witnesses to crimes are rarely believed without corroborating physical and circumstantial evidence.

Leftist enemies of President Bush have tried viciously to use the slight discrepancies in different accounts of the timeline that morning to paint a portrait of President Bush as clueless, inattentive, negligent, even cowardly during those first minutes and hours of and after the attacks. So I have deliberately started the above timeline with the little-known probable assassination attempt earlier that morning to make it as clear as possible why the President could not simply dash, willy nilly, from the school to wherever. The Secret Service first had to have a plan of action as to where to take the President to ensure not only his safety, but continuity of government given that the nation's capitol city was also under attack, over 3000 planes were still in the air at the time, and no one knew how many more were being hijacked.

For those who are interested in a straightforward, contemporaneous, totally non-political timeline, here's a good one from CNN's archives. It was posted at 12:27 PM EDT (1627 GMT), September 12, 2001.

HISTORICALLY IMPORTANT TRANSCRIPTS: Unless otherwise noted, all transcript links are to the official WhiteHouse.gov web pages, most of which also contain video and audio links to the events.

Sept. 11, 9:30am EDT, Remarks by the President After Two Planes Crash Into World Trade Center, Emma Booker Elementary School, Sarasota, Florida. (In addition to the transcript, this page only contains an audio link.)

Sept. 11 (time not recorded on WH web page), Remarks by the President Upon Arrival at Barksdale Air Force Base

Sept. 11, 1:47pm EDT, Press Briefing to the Pool By Ari Fleischer aboard Air Force One en route to Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska

Sept. 11 (time not recorded on WH web page), Press Briefing by Karen Hughes, Counselor to the President, at National FBI Headquarters

Sept. 11, 5:30pm EDT, Press Briefing to the Pool By Ari Fleischer aboard Air Force One en route to Andrews Air Force Base

Sept. 11, 7:15pm EDT, Press Briefing by Attorney General, Secretary of HHS, Secretary of Transportation, and FEMA Director

Sept. 11, 8:30pm EDT, Statement by the President in His Address to the Nation

VIDEOS: Caution...these are not for the faint of heart and probably are not suitable for very young children.

This is an excellent but heart-wrenching video set with tragic irony to Ray Charles' tune "What a Wonderful World."

A compilation of news clips.

Other videos can be found here.

[Wolfstar]

Thank GOD for President Bush!!!

Indeed.

[kayak]

You have obviously spent a great deal of time and effort in creating this magnificent thread. Thank you!

[Wolfstar]

You have obviously spent a great deal of time and effort in creating this magnificent thread. Thank you!

You're most welcome, kayak. :)

[ilovew]

You did an amazing job on this. It's good to remind ourselves why we're fighting.

[Majie Purple]

Wow, that
H
E
R
O
E
S
poem!

[Wolfstar]

It's good to remind ourselves why we're fighting.

Thanks, ilovew. Indeed. Although some of us need no reminding, far too many of us do, unfortunately.

[Wolfstar]

Maj, isn't that a wonderful poem from those kids. Amazing. I'm glad the WH website archived it.

[iluvgeorgie]

Those who are foolish enough to forget history invite a repetition of that awful day. Forgetting is not an option. Fortunately, most of us cannot forget no matter how hard we try. I am thankful we have a president who shares our memories and isn't afraid to cry for those who are no longer able to cry. Any president can relate to the people in times of prosperity and celebration. This president is there for us in times of mourning.

America will never fully appreciate how powerful an ally she has in one good man. Maybe the history books will tell some of the story, but the legacy he leaves behind and how many people owe him their lives is too big for anyone to know. Nothing on this side of eternity can give him his due.

[dmd25]

First of all, thank you, Wolfstar for this excellent thread. It brings back so many memories. It is so worthwhile for us to remember this horrible time.

I read an interesting article in USA Today the other day (free at a hotel--I didn't pay for the paper!). It was about a few of the people made 'famous' from the 9/11 photos.

One was about Mr. Beckwith. He said that he grabbed his helmet that morning and went into the city (he was retired) to see if he could help. He heard that GWB was coming, and wanted to see him. He climbed up on a fire truck that was in the rubble, thinking it would give him a good view. Karl Rove came by (he didn't realize until later who it was) and asked him if the truck was steady, so he jumped up and down on it to show him that it was. Karl said that a VIP was coming by, and asked Mr. Beckwith to stand there until he did, and then get down. When GWB arrived, Mr. Beckwith helped him up and then started to get down. GWB asked him where he was going (can't you just hear him?!) and then put his arm around him and made those famous comments. Mr. Beckwith said that he has been a GWB supporter since that time and believes he is a genuine man.

I loved that story and felt that it sounded just like so many other GWB stories we have heard.

[kayak]

This may seem like an odd choice of scripture for today but I feel that we have much to rejoice over, even as we still mourn the loss of life and pray for the survivors of the brutal attacks on our nation. We are the flock of a truly good, faithful, and everlasting God who has blessed our nation even in the midst of great tribulation. May His Name be praised!

Psalm 100

 1 Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands!
 2 Serve the LORD with gladness;
         Come before His presence with singing.
 3 Know that the LORD, He is God;
         It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
         We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
         
 4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
         And into His courts with praise.
         Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
 5 For the LORD is good;
         His mercy is everlasting,
         And His truth endures to all generations.

Please remember the following members of the military and their families/friends in prayer:

~ WomanofStandard ….. a dear friend's sons, Troy (Air Force) in Italy and Tyler (Army) at Ft. Bragg, NC
~ leenie312 ….. son Nicholas is in the Marines
~ rintense .…. friend's brother, Brian Z.
…..… friend, Matt (who is a Freeper), deployed to the Mid-East
~ AF_Blue ….. active-duty AF
~ fc2tomschermuly (Navy) … he is a FReeper, as is his sister (mjaneangels@aolcom) and their father is a lurker
~ EuroFrog ….. husband, SSG Mike, deployed to Kuwait
….. SSG Kris, friend of SSG Mike in Kuwait
~ annyokie ….. son, Ian (Navy)
~ azGOPgal’s friend’s friend, Jeremy who is in the 10th Mountain Division
~ FresnoArmyBrat ….. a cousin
~ Jim Robinson ….. two nephews
~ tinacart ….. best friend's son, Cody - 4th Infantry
~ bigghurtt ….. 5 years in the Army, soon-to-be Special Forces
~ JulieRNR21 ..... friend Betty's grandson, Matt, in US Army
~ ladyinred ….. Josh, newly deployed to Iraq
….. Also, Josh's sister Pamela
….. their mother now has 2 children over there and one who has just returned home
~ ntnychik ….. the members of the 10th Mountain Division (which will be in Iraq for the long haul) and their families
~ Pan_Yan & Pan_Yans Wife ….. friend, Mike, stateside now but expects to go back to Iraq in late winter
~ hoosier_RW_conspirator ….. son Jake
~ Jaguar Girl ….. nephew Jimmy is serving in the Air Force
~ Kewlhand Tek, a FReeper, is currently serving in Iraq
~ St.Mark ….. nephew, somewhere between Syria and Fallujha (Marines); and son, in Twentynine Palms CA in training (Marines)
~ savagesusie ….. son Cory is in Afghanistan
~ Militiaman7 ..... son, Jonathan, who is a FReeper, is in Afghanistan with the Virginia Army National Guard.
~ jonsie ….. son Ryan has been in Iraq as a medic with 1st Cav since Sept. 2003, he is now guarding the green zone
~ elder5 ….. brother-in-law W0-2 Brian F., Army Reserve Chopper pilot, on his 2nd tour in Iraq
~ Kate of Spice Island ….. son has been sworn in as a Marine Reserve in the delayed entry program as he finishes up high school
~ Don'tMessWithTexas ….. 2 brothers-in-law in the service
….. … a Lt.Cmdr in US Navy deployed in Guam
….. … a Major in US Army deployed in the Sunni Triangle outside Baghdad.
~ Texas Princess ….. nephew Roland, (Air Force), currently stationed in Korea
~ an anonymous FReeper ….. son, Stephen (Army), in Baghdad
~ Kentucky ….. has a request for prayer from a Marine Mom whose son, Ramsey, is in Iraq
~ snowtigger ….. Peter, 1/24 INF (he drives a Stryker armored vehicle) ….. just shipped out to Mosul
~ homemom ….. Kelsey, a young lady now serving in Iraq
~ mamaduck ….. cousin, Carl, is a Sargeant Major stationed in FL right now and will deployed to Iraq after the new year
…..niece, Melissa, is in the AirForce, currently stationed in GA
~ Blue Scourge ….. a Freeper (Air Force), leaving for basic training
~ Collier ….. friend, Jim, father of 3 girls....Iowa National Guard, currently in Afghanistan
~ Severa ….. husband, Jason (FR screen name Hostel), USN P-3 Aircraft Mechanic
….. ….. brother Wes, USAF First Lieutenant
….. ….. Jason's cousin David, 101st Airborne
~ MontanaCowgirlCop ….. brother Ted, who is an 18-year-old Marine medic overseas right now
~ FReeper MikeinIraq
~ nelibeli ….. nephew Tres (Army), is serving his 2nd deployment to Iraq (he volunteered to go back!)
~ pGfwabf ….. son Mark (Marines) has been assigned state-side duty after graduating from boot camp.
~ It's_me_K.E.T. ….. son, Brian (U.S. Army), deployed March 6 to Iraq for 13 months.
~ FreedomHasACost ….. brother Ted (Marines) is in the Middle East
~ hoosier_RW_conspirator ….. son, Jake (Army) deployed to Afghanistan
~ hoosier_RW_conspirator ….. friend's son, Danny (Army) awaiting deployment for 2nd tour in Iraq
~ jch10 ….. son, Maury, US Army, who is in Qatar, soon to be in South Korea before returning home
~ GVgirl ….. son Nathan, active duty, California National Guard
~ herewego ….. brother-in-law Robert has just left for Iraq
~ FReeper stompk has re-enlisted, this time in the Army Reserves after serving active duty in the past in the Navy, and hopes to be serving in the War on Terror soon as a medic
~ jtill ….. Vic, Youth Minister at her church, will be leaving for Iraq for one year
~ BUSHdude2000 ….. brother currently stationed at Fort Drum, NY, will be going to Iraq in August
~ TruthNtegrity ….. Friend from church has returned from the mid-East. Retired Navy pilot hubby trying to get his wife to retire but she is committed to helping the military in her field of expertise and wants 2 more years to support the WoT.
~ Prophet in the wilderness ….. nephew (Marines) has returned home from Iraq but has shipped out elsewhere.
~ ntnychik ….. friend's son, Erik, an Army Ranger, on second tour in Iraq
~ from hoosiermama …
….. … George, in Iraq
….. … Bill was home but is heading back to Iraq
….. … Dan, our teacher, is still working stateside and his son has been accepted to one of the Military academies (West Point I think).
….. … Brad is doing his second tour in Iraq
….. … Tre, from work, has reinlisted and is currently working stateside.
~ PhiKapMom’s daughter, Jennifer, U. S. Navy; Jennifer’s husband, Tyler, U.S. Navy – both currently deployed
~ Happy2BMe ….. son Aaron has returned safely from Iraq (having been awarded a Bronze Star), though quite a few from his Arkansas National Guard unit made the ultimate sacrifice. Prayers for their families.
~ CyberAnt ….. nephew Jody (USMC) … awaiting deployment orders
~ Sea2ShiningSea … Chad, her “adopted” soldier
~ Marysecretary ….. Jerry, a dear friend's only son, is going to Iraq
~ RoseofTexas ….. Richard from Texas left for Iraq this past Feb.
~ Reagan79 ….. brother, Chris, a Marine Reservist from MS, is in Iraq
~ JulieRNR21 ….. a friend's grandson, Wesley in the USAF, is in Iraq
~ Slip18 ….. nephew, Allen (USMC), is expecting to soon be deployed for his fourth tour of duty in the mid-East
~ TruthNtegrity ….. cousin's son, Andy, is a Firstie (senior) at the US Navy Academy, and passed Phase 1 of qualifying for pilot training.
~ BonnieJ ….. cousin Doug (Army) will be returning to Baghdad by December
~ BonnieJ ….. cousin Josh will be going to Afghanistan with the Green Berets by the end of summer
~ OldSarge ….. a FReeper, Kentucky National Guard, is deployed to the mid-East
~ SuziQ ….. Chrissy, a West Point graduate and the daughter of friends, serving in Army Intelligence in Iraq
~ Marine_Uncle…..nephew LCpl Steven (USMC) currently in Iraq, second tour
~ StarFan….. son's friend Scott (USMC) just ended basic and will be deployed to Mid-East soon
~ Warriormom…..requesting prayers for the family of the Navy Seal in Afghanistan whose death has been confirmed
~ Warriormom….. updates prayer requests for Thomas Howes, Marc Gonsalves and Keith Stansell, CIA agents whose plane crashed in Columbia two years ago and are being held captive by the FARC according to a State Dept. briefing on June 27, 2005.
~ Kate of Spice Island ….. cousin, Kenneth, US Navy in California
~ Keith Matthew Maupin, the soldier who was taken hostage and whose whereabouts are unknown. Prayers for his well-being and for his safe release and for strength and courage for his family.
~ Scott Speicher from Desert Storm
~ shezza ….. husband in Afghanistan, brother in Germany (med-evac crew bringing wounded troops to Walter Reed), sister-in-law in Afghanistan
~ N8VTXNinWV ….. brother-in-law in Afghanistan, brother in Germany (med-evac crew bringing wounded troops to Walter Reed), sister-in-law in Afghanistan.
~ notpoliticallycorewrecked ….. Kenny (Marines) is going to Iraq in August. Please remember his mother, also … she is having a very difficult time with this.
~ pGfwabf ….. nephew Sam (Marines) leaving for Iraq in September
~ jtill ….. Bob, who is the son of her friend Bess
~ hoosierkitties ….. brother Philip is currently at Groton, CT, training for submarine duty
~ Jewels1091 ….. Ross, friend of daughter, is about to deploy to Iraq for a year (his third deployment in the War on Terror and he’s only 23!)
~ marylina ….. friend’s son, Brandon (Navy), has returned from the Middle East and is now in San Diego, awaiting Navy Seals school
~ Jen's Mom ….. daughter SPC Jennifer is in Ramadi where she is a medic
~ TexKat ….. son, SS Khevin (US Army), is currently in Iraq
~ Ladysmith ….. brother's fiance's son, Shane, is in Iraq
~ JFC ….. nephew Micah who is a Marine fighting now in Iraq.
~ Kate of Spice Island ….. Sister-in-law, Deanna, USAF stationed in Alaska
~ mrs tiggywinkle ….. cousin, Jason (Army National Guard), has deployed to Iraq for a year
~ DebWisconsin ….. nephew has graduated from his specialty training and now is in South Korea for one year.
~ reaganite ….. gr nephew, Scott (Marine), just arrived in Iraq
~ LUV W ….. son David, a Captain in the Air Force, is home from Iraq and is stationed in FL
~ Jet Jaguar (U. S. Air Force) – is home on leave after a tour of duty in Korea and is awaiting his next assignment
~ mrs tiggywinkle ….. nephew Michael, Naval intelligence, being deployed to Iraq this spring
~ SuziQ ….. nephew, Alexander, an Apache Longbow pilot, has finished his tour of duty in Afghanistan – his unit is currently in Germany
~ jlyspio ….. friend, Chris (Air Force) currently stationed near London, England
* ~ patriciaruth …..
….. * At Baghdad -- Tommy, Jeffrey, Juan, Matthew, Steve, Matt, James, Chad, Brandon
….. At Kirkuk – Timothy
….. At Irbil – Dave
….. At Ramadi – Chris
….. At Bagram, Afghanistan – Sonya
….. roaming Afghanistan - Sonya’s husband
….. At al Asad - * James
….. At Mosul - * Chris
….. heading to Fallujah ... *Jacob (Marines)
~ GOP-Pat ….. friend Chip has been in Iraq since November
* ~ MozartLover ….. son Ev (Army National Guard) is back in the mid-East after being home on leave
* ~ hoosierpearl ….. friend Robert, in Afghanistan in a particularly volatile location right now
* ~ arbee4bush ….. daughter Kristen (Freeper KB4W) has completed training and is now a loadmaster on a C-17 stationed at Charleston AFB.
* ~ Himyar ..... son, Robert (Air Guard) is in Iraq
* ~ mystery-ak ….. son Jonathan has left for Ft. Dix for intensive training and then goes to Iraq
* ~ Jemian ….. son [and Freeper] JemiansTerror has left for Ft. McCoy for extensive training before being deployed to the mid-East.
* ~ cibco ….. Warrior Nurse just deployed to South Korea
* ~ repubmom ….. son Spc Brian is deploying with the 1st Cav this fall from Ft. Hood; son, Pfc Matt is in basic training at Ft. Benning.
* ~ gatorbait ….. niece Gretchen is in the mid-East
* ~ STARWISE ….. Ryan, a Marine Sgt., returning to Iraq for his 3rd tour of duty
* ~ SoldierDad …..
….. * son, Robert (Army), stationed in Baghdad
….. * brother's son, Jeremy, will soon be in Baghdad
….. * By the end of this year Joshua, my sister's son will return for his second tour in Baghdad
….. * wife's brother, Dan, who is with the FBI, stationed in the mid-East where part of his job is questioning captured terrorists
….. * dandilion's daughter, Laura "Roxy" (USAF) is somewhere in Baghdad
* ~ Gosh I love this neighborhood ….. grandson is heading back to Iraq and his Dad (National Guard) is in Kosovo.
* ~ Lauratealeaf ….. son, Riley, and brother, Bobby, both deploying to Iraq in late September but in separate units with different missions
* ~ Ladysmith ….. nephew, Elliott, will be heading to Iraq next week
* ~ GretchenM ….. Jacob, USMC, currently at Cherry Point, N.C. with orders for Iraq in February

* denotes change to the list (an addition or sometimes, thankfully, someone who has come home safely)

(Please FReepmail me with changes to the list because I may miss pings.

Also, please let me know if you would like to be on or off of the ping list for this scripture and prayer post ... it is different from, and much smaller than, the Dose Ping List. Thanks.)

[DrDeb]

AWESOME, SIMPLY AWESOME!

[And I agree with the emerging consensus on this thread: Thank God for President Bush and his leadership during this very challenging time!!]

[Wolfstar]

GWB asked him where he was going (can't you just hear him?!)

Smile...I sure can. It's the man we Dosers have come to know so well over the years. Real. Down-to-earth. A man who genuinely enjoys people.

[Mrs. Shawnlaw]

Thank You, Wolfstar, for your posting for the rest of us! We would miss out on so much otherwise! We should all write a recap of that day for our children and granchildren to read in the future! Who knows what will be written in textbooks and spoken by teachers and professors. Bookmarking this 'Day In the Life' for posterity.

[ilovew]

And unfortunately, some people refuse to believe the reason we're fighting even if reminded. It's sad how many people believe in the silly conspiracy theories. Some people are just so anti-American or hate President Bush so much that they'll believe anything that makes him or the country look bad.

[Wolfstar]

Hi Deb. With a lesser man at the helm on 9/11/01, heaven only knows where we'd be as a nation today.

[dmd25]

Here is a link to the article--it was interesting. Link to USA Today article

[air pappy]

We are very lucky, indeed. I am proud of my President. I am proud of my country. I am humbled in the presence of our armed forces.

May God be with us.

[Wolfstar]

Nothing on this side of eternity can give him his due.

I'm afraid you may be right, georgie.

[Wolfstar]

We would miss out on so much otherwise! We should all write a recap of that day for our children and granchildren to read in the future!

I think this is an exceptional idea. :)

[Incorrigible]

Allow me to link Chris_in_nj's most excellent thread:

Dinner and United 93 w/ President Bush and First Lady - unexpected guests...with pictures