Former president George Herbert Walker Bush passed away at the age of 94 and is now as of this writing lying in state in the Capitol Rotunda. Since his passing, we have been regaled with stories of how nice a man he was and how his manners and penchant for writing hand written notes were legendary. He leaves behind a legacy of service and sacrifice that few, if any others can claim. He entered the Navy during WWII and became the youngest fighter pilot ever in the navy. He was shot down in 1944, rescued by USS Finback submarine, flew 58 combat missions, received the Distinguished Flying Cross, 3 Air Medals, Presidential Citation, he was elected to the United States Congress, elected to the US Senate, served as the US Ambassador to the UN, Republican National Committee Chairman, US Envoy to China, CIA Director, Vice President and ultimately, President of the United States. That kind of military resume and public service record demands respect. By all accounts though, he was the type of person that commanded respect, without demanding it. You kind of just had to.
From my perspective, there are two things about the man that stand out. First, for good or ill, Bush I made a significant impact on the country during his term in office. Whether you agreed with his politics or not will determine your perspective on said impact. Second, the love and respect he had for this country cannot be challenged. Again, whether or not you agreed with him politically, he was a member of the greatest generation and men of that era had a reverence for this country that has been less and less evident in each subsequent generation.
Despite the fact that I was serving in the military during his term, I was not as engaged in the political process to the extent that I am now. I was vaguely aware of a lot of the things that were going on, but didn’t fully appreciate or understand them. As a man in my late teens to early twenties, I didn’t really care all that much either. History has and will continue to judge this man favorably because he conducted the business of running the country with honor and dignity. When he left office, he continued to conduct himself in the same manner. I suspect that we will not see a politician like him ever again.
RIP President Bush. Thank you for your service.
You stand relieved…We have the watch.
