2003 Media Releases

Commemoration of the Events of September 11

The United States will commemorate the second anniversary of the events of September 11, 2001 this year with the lowering of the American flag to half-staff on Thursday, September 11.

President Bush has also issued a proclamation asking U.S. citizens and those sympathetic to the loss of innocent lives from over 50 countries to observe a moment of silence at 846 A.M. on Thursday.

The September 11 observance this year will be somber and a time for private reflection, with the focus on the victims and their families. The relatives of the victims have expressed the desire that it be observed as a day of service to others.

President Bush in his proclamation said "On September 11, and in its aftermath, we saw the greatness of America in the bravery of victims; in the heroism of first responders who laid down their lives to save others; in the compassion of people who stepped forward to help those they had never met; and in the generosity of millions of Americans who enriched our country with acts of service and kindness."