On Sunday, Bush called 9/11 "a day of renewing resolve" in efforts to fight terrorism. He noted, "Laura and I approach tomorrow with a heavy heart. It's hard not to think about the people who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001. You know, you see the relatives of those who still grieve … I just wish there were some way we could make them whole. So tomorrow is going to be a day of sadness for a lot of people."
Bush went on to vow: "I'm never going to forget the lessons of that day. And we spent time [at the WTC Visitor Center] looking at some of the horrific scenes, inside this fantastic place of healing, and it just reminded me that there's still an enemy out there that would like to inflict the same kind of damage again."
In Washington, thousands of participants took part in the second annual Freedom Walk. They walked from the National Mall to an area at the Pentagon near the crash site.
The Pentagon beamed 184 lights into the sky, one for each of the people who died American Flight 77 crashed into it. The lights will remain lit until Sept. 12.