DALLAS — For the first time, the George W. Bush Presidential Center opened its annual 9/11 remembrance ceremony to the public. Attendees did not know the former president would attend Monday.
"It's a tough day for a lot of people," Bush told the small crowd, before bowing his head in a moment of silence to "pray for those who lost a loved one and to thank those who rescued many who got trapped."
The silence endured for 20 seconds. Visitors stood inside the wing of the museum dedicated to 9/11.
"Thank you very much for being here," Bush concluded. He and former first lady Laura Bush exited quietly, leaving attendees to peruse the exhibit.
Mangled beams salvaged from one of the twin towers are suspended from the rooms ceiling. The structure is an ode to the "steel of American resolve," a line from Bush's address to the nation about 12 hours after the attack.
A rounded wall behind the metal pieces honors the 2,977 victims, including first responders who rushed into the buildings to evacuate its tenants.
"All of those people who lost their lives and their loved ones deserve a moment of respect," event attendee Susan Overman said. "Life has continued and there are babies who never knew their father or mother. There are families who are fundamentally different because of what happened. In that moment, I prayed for those people."
Jane Wallingford brought her two children to the event. She said she wanted to offer her son and daughter, born after 2001, a solemn perspective on the event they did not experience firsthand.
"Our country holds our freedoms in high regard and we are under attack because we hold those freedoms so dearly," she said. "We have to continue to protect those and defend them."
The young children said they felt "lucky and happy" to see the former president Monday.
The event was free to the public.