SHANKSVILLE, Pa. -- Laura Bush took her husband's arm as they walked silently into the center of the make-shift arena. There, where 40 people were killed five years ago on that bright and sunny September day, they paused before a large red, white and blue wreath they used to mark the occasion.

Alyssa Cwanger, Post-Gazette President Bush greets Joan Casey, of Wickliffe, Ohio -- whose relative, Christine Snyder, was a passenger aboard Flight 93 on Sept. 11, 2001 -- during yesterday's memorial. Click photo for larger image. Related coverage: Visitors to the Flight 93 site still caught between beauty and horror Photo Journal: Remembering Flight 93

Gripping his wife's hand, the president bowed his head. Then, taking a deep breath and releasing a heavy sigh, President George W. Bush turned to join the hundreds of family members who gathered around the impact site of United Flight 93 in prayer and remembrance.

That empty field near Shanksville, Somerset County, was the president's second stop yesterday as he marked the fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

"Holy God, for those of us gathered here in this field, there is no more sacred ground on this, your earth, than this very place. We come here with heavy hearts, yet joyful spirit," prayed the Rev. Paul M. Britton, of the Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, in Huntington Station, N.Y. "We come here to honor them, to respect them.

"Holy, God, allow what occurred here to shadow this world and bring it peace."

President Bush made no public remarks in the hour he spent at the crash site. But he took his time, speaking individually to the mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, husbands and wives, and children and grandparents, of those who were lost in the crash of United Flight 93 at 10:06 a.m.

He greeted each person warmly -- some with a hug or a kiss, others with a handshake and a laugh.

"They're really comforting to be with," said Frank Guerra, of Foxfire Village, N.C., whose granddaughter, Deora Bodley, 20, was killed in the crash. As the president made his rounds with the family, he recognized Mr. Guerra's daughter and granddaughter from attending a screening of one of the Flight 93 movies in recent months.

"They seem very warm, sincere," said Joan Raymundo, whose brother, Capt. Jason M. Dahl, was killed. "They hugged us, gave us autographs. They just took their time with all of us, and that meant a lot."

Courtney Nacke, whose uncle, Louis Nacke, died in the crash, was thrilled to meet the president. She gave him two patches that she and her brother made to commemorate Sept. 11.

"It was incredible," said Courtney, 15. "I asked how his day was, and he said, 'It's cold.' He signed my name tag -- the back of it, anyway." Following the minister's opening prayer, Army Sgt. 1st Class Caleb Green sang a solemn rendition of "Amazing Grace."

At the site, still ringed on one side by barren trees that absorbed the 757's impact, blooming goldenrod swayed with the wind.

The families sat in white folding chairs, some under umbrellas -- both black and brightly colored -- under the bright, but gray, sky.

Before the formal ceremony concluded, Reverend Britton, who is also the brother of Flight 93 passenger Marion Britton, praised the passengers and crew who thwarted an attack on Washington, D.C.

"My brothers and sisters, we gather here connected by sorrow ... but also by pride. Their actions have ennobled our lives. Their courage has demonstrated that which we are all capable."

Mr. Britton also offered the president a prayer of his own.

"You are the United States of America," he said. "You are this country. You are our conscience. You are the face of this people around the world.

"May the Lord's face smile upon you [and] give you peace."