George W.

Three days after his country was struck by religious extremism, the president of the United States clambered on top of a buried fire truck and put his arm around a volunteer who had come to Manhattan to search for survivors.

President Bush was surrounded by fireman and rescue workers, twisted metal and broken glass, smoldering fires and piles of ash.

“I want you all to know that America today is on bended knee, in prayer for the people whose lives were lost here, for the workers who work here, for the families who mourn,” Bush said into a small megaphone.

“George, we can’t hear you!” shouted one fireman in the crowd.

The president turned and raised the bullhorn to his lips.

“I can hear you!” he shouted. “I can hear you, the rest of the world hears you, and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon!”

The 43rd president led one of the most controversial administrations of modern generations’ memories — one that ended with two wars, a mounting deficit and numerous other troubles at home and abroad.

But one undeniable fact is that Bush led the country through mourning during September 2001 and into battle to track down al-Qaida in October of that year.

The president had a calm resolve and a desire for swift vengeance. Even before the dust had settled in New York, Bush was calling for immediate action.

“Today, our nation saw evil, the very worst of human nature, and we responded with the best of America,” he said to the nation on the evening of Sept. 11, 2001. “America has stood down enemies before, and we will do so this time.”

Late in the evening, as the president went to bed in the White House, he pulled out his personal journal — a collection of thoughts from the day — much like the one his father had kept while in office.

“The Pearl Harbor of the 21st century took place today,” Bush wrote. “We think it’s Osama bin Laden. We think there are other targets in the United States, but I have urged the country to go back to normal. We cannot allow a terrorist thug to hold us hostage. My hope is that this will provide an opportunity for us to rally the world against terrorism.”

— Charles Scudder

Illustration by Chris Ware | MCT Campus