Four days after the killing of Osama bin Laden, President Barack Obama visited Ground Zero in lower Manhattan, where he met with families of 9/11 victims and laid a wreath of flowers at the 9/11 memorial.
Thousands of New Yorkers turned out to see the President and to share in a unique event where what is often termed "the saddest part of New York" turned, if only briefly, into the happiest.
Below and on the following pages are images taken during the event by National Underwriter Life & Health Editors Bill Coffin and Michael K. Stanley, who were on hand to witness the occasion and compiled this photo essay.
Security was tight with a noticeable police presence. In addition to a small army of NYPD and Port Authority uniformed officers, numerous plainclothes officers mingled with the crowd. The Secret Service was also out in force. Sharpshooters were stationed on rooftops, but were not visible from ground level.
While the mood at Ground Zero was a mixture of relief, celebration and reverence, not all felt those emotions equally.
Handmade signs like this one were commonplace across the scene, where the mood was clearly in favor of the President.
"Obama got Osama!" this woman cheered. "God bless the Navy SEALs!"
Construction crews are working around the clock to complete the Freedom Tower by Sept. 11, 2011. While crews are working double shifts, stopping only for mandatory rest breaks, they are adding one floor each day to the building.
Despite large numbers and cramped conditions on the sidewalks, there was no jostling or raised voices. The atmosphere was one of excited anticipation mixed with reverence, relief, and remembrance.
The Cross at Ground Zero stood in the background, a somber reminder of the tragedy of the 9/11 attacks which took the lives of more than 3,000 people in the World Trade Center.
Throughout the crowd were reminders of those lost during the 9/11 attacks. Many of those who National Underwriter spoke to had either lost someone they knew on 9/11 or were were in the vicinity when the attacks occurred. "Today, the sky looks just like it did back in 2001," one observer commented.
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