Bush marks Sept. 11 with moment of silence

President Bush and Vice President Cheney marked the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks with a moment of silence on the South Lawn of the White House Thursday morning.

{mosads}At about 8:46 a.m., the time the first hijacked commercial airliner hit the World Trade Center, the president and vice president, joined by their wives and a crowd of hundreds, joined together in a moment of silence.

A solemn crowd, which consisted of members of Congress, military officials, Cabinet members and White House staff, gathered underneath a cloudy sky. The Marine Band played three chimes to commence the moment of silence, which was followed by the Navy Chorus singing "God Bless America."

The president went from the White House to the Pentagon for the dedication of the Sept. 11 memorial. The memorial consists of 184 benches, one for each person killed when American Airlines Flight 77 purposefully crashed into the building, according to the White House.

At the Pentagon, the president was to be joined by former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, among others, and families of the victims.