On Sunday, the two stood quietly in front of the bronze parapets that surround the giant reflecting pools, which stand in the exact footprints of the former twin towers.
First Lady Michele Obama stood by the president's side, and Laura Bush stood next to the former president.
On May 5, when he visited the site, Obama noted, "It didn't matter who was in charge, we were going to make sure that the perpetrators of that horrible act -- that they received justice."

At the time, the former president wished to remain out of the spotlight, CNN reported a Bush spokesman saying. But today's ceremony unified the two families, and was marked by the memorable gesture when Michele Obama comforted Laura Bush as she broke down in tears.