Remembering 41: George H.W. Bush

[jimnyc]

I spent a lot of time this week watching the memorials and funeral of George HW Bush. It was all very touching and sad & also a part of our history now. Here's a recap for anyone interested, or for anyone wanting to watch the great eulogies given. GWB's was fantastic, and Alan Simpson was funny as hell, but also touching.

GHWB lied in state at the nation's capitol, then off to Washington National Cathedral, then off to Andrews Air Force base, onto Air Force One, flown to Texas for a smaller memorial. Then taken via Union Pacific train to Texas A&M University where is library is at. His train car was open glass view for the casket on both sides. The engine was "4141" and took a 70 mile slow ride.and laid to rest alongside Barbara and young daughter, Robin.

I learned a lot about GHWB this week, more than I knew about him personally all these years. I never even knew that Jim Baker was his friend of 60 years. I never knew his friend Alan Simpson, former senator. Never heard the majority of the stories about what a loving and caring man he was away from the office, in addition to in office. I knew his story of WWII but learned more. His entire story of 73 years of marriage to Barbara Bush. Losing a daughter, Robin, back in 1953.

I've long admired Bush 41 but have much much more after this week. He'll me missed by a nation.

Bob Dole struggles to stand to SALUTE GHWB 41

Bob Dole was also a war hero and ran for president but lost. He lead our senate for 11 years, was in office since 1960. But was great friends with GHWB. This man was also in WWII and was awarded the purple heart and bronze star. I believe he is 95 now?

His ailments: In 2001, Dole, at age 77, was treated successfully for an abdominal aortic aneurysm by vascular surgeon Kenneth Ouriel. Hip replacement. Dole was bleeding inside his head. Dole spent 40 days at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and upon release, his stronger arm, the left, was of limited use. Dole told a reporter that he needed help to handle the simplest of tasks, since both of his arms are injured. He undergoes occupational therapy for his left shoulder once a week, but doctors have told him that he might not regain total use of his left arm. In 2009, Dole was hospitalized for an elevated heart rate and sore legs for which he underwent a successful skin-graft procedure. In February 2010, Dole was hospitalized for pneumonia after undergoing knee surgery. He spent ten months at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, recovering from the surgery, and experienced three bouts with pneumonia. He was released from the hospital in November 2010. In January 2011, however, Dole was readmitted to Walter Reed Army Medical Center and spent about six days there, being treated for a fever as well as a minor infection.

And athletes want to kneel over our anthem - this man and all of his ailments, struggles with help so he can STAND and salute GHWB one last time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riYoNMpTpWY

Donald Trump Salutes GHWB in rotunda

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7_TfE2dyxE

Some famous attendees - Britain’s Prince Charles, the King and Queen of Jordan, Polish President Andrzej Duda, Angela Merkel, Peter Cosgrove, Governor General of Australia and his wife, Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Prince of Bahrain, Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Former Emir of Qatar, Lech Walesa, former President of Poland, Sir John Major, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Yasuo Fukuda, former Prime Minister of Japan, Carlos Salinas, former President of Mexico, ---- and then a long list of sports, music, politicians & folks who he touched from around the world.

In the first aisle at the Cathedral sat former President Carter and his wife, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Barack and Michelle Obama and then sat down last was Donald Trump. Trump and Melania shook hands with the Obama's and that was it. The Clinton's and Carter's stared straight ahead, not wanting to interact all with one another. But they were all there, and that's what was important for this moment.

Historian, Jon Meacham eulogy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-g5sVyfQ4k

Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney eulogy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aw913EF9nbw

Alan Simpson eulogy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ye2TrTCUjJ8

George W. Bush eulogy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrRzED2vOHA

21 gun salute outside Capitol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-BKhgq1-Ng

21 gun salute Texas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3SK43H_13g

James Baker eulogy Texas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgwrDaQepNo

Bush 4141 open window one soldier train ride to texas A&M.

https://i.imgur.com/j439DCV.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/aznwG81.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/RZ5Tf74.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/LVRUpds.jpg

This is the engine, which was made for Bush years back, and now used for his one last ride:

https://i.imgur.com/ESRrvFt.jpg

21 F-18 Flyover, and just when you thought it was done, at the 1:00 mark in comes the missing man formation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuM1IDiczsQ

Just missing man

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuNpRsnp-c4

Whole flyover again, missing man at around 1:20

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKJ9NYhxt40

The left front side of McLaughlin's two-seater jet reads "President George H.W. Bush" and "41." The words "Barbara First Lady" -- after Bush's late wife Barbara Bush -- are just outside the second seat where the weapons officer would sit.

Lead plane

https://i.imgur.com/2iupLWr.png

[aboutime]

We watched all of those F-18's return home to Oceana. The SOUND OF FREEDOM is above us every day here at the Beach. Here's my contribution, again. 1990, Thanksgiving. Aboard the USS NASSAU LHA-3. During the start of Operation Desert Shield...then, Desert Storm.

http://icansayit.com/img/NassauBush.jpg

[High_Plains_Drifter]

We watched all of those F-18's return home to Oceana. The SOUND OF FREEDOM is above us every day here at the Beach. Here's my contribution, again. 1990, Thanksgiving. Aboard the USS NASSAU LHA-3. During the start of Operation Desert Shield...then, Desert Storm.

http://icansayit.com/img/NassauBush.jpg
My ears ring like a sons a bitch from 6 1/2 years on the flight line listening to that "sound of freedom"... :laugh: ... :salute:

Regardless... I'd do it all over again in a heart beat.

[Elessar]

Pin this jimnyc, until the 30 day half-staffing is concluded.

[Gunny]

As I said before, I liked President Bush. It was his fortune AND misfortune to have been President Reagan's VP. Reagan was the dominant personality. Bush was a lot more quiet and did not have the presence Reagan did. I think that worked against him when he ran against Clinton because if nothing else, Clinton had a personality while Bush was way more reserved.

The tax thing is what cost him the election. listened to all kinds of Republicans/conservatives turn against him for that and vote either for Perot or not vote at all. In that, the right is two for two. Heard the same thing When McCain ran against Obama. Out of it we got 8 years of Clinton and 8 years of Obama. Will we learn? I doubt it.

Naturally I respect the Hell out of his PROVEN, military record (unlike one Dem candidate's self-written military legacy). We take for granted now that our Navy is virtually unassailable but that was not the case at all in WWII. They were on the front lines as much as anyone else, especially the carriers, and one thing good about being a ground-pounding grunt -- I can run a lot further than I can fly or swim.

He acted in a manner in which I believe a CinC should act during the First Gulf War. Can't ask for more than that.

[High_Plains_Drifter]

As I said before, I liked President Bush. It was his fortune AND misfortune to have been President Reagan's VP. Reagan was the dominant personality. Bush was a lot more quiet and did not have the presence Reagan did. I think that worked against him when he ran against Clinton because if nothing else, Clinton had a personality while Bush was way more reserved.

The tax thing is what cost him the election. listened to all kinds of Republicans/conservatives turn against him for that and vote either for Perot or not vote at all. In that, the right is two for two. Heard the same thing When McCain ran against Obama. Out of it we got 8 years of Clinton and 8 years of Obama. Will we learn? I doubt it.

Naturally I respect the Hell out of his PROVEN, military record (unlike one Dem candidate's self-written military legacy). We take for granted now that our Navy is virtually unassailable but that was not the case at all in WWII. They were on the front lines as much as anyone else, especially the carriers, and one thing good about being a ground-pounding grunt -- I can run a lot further than I can fly or swim.

He acted in a manner in which I believe a CinC should act during the First Gulf War. Can't ask for more than that.
I'm guilty... I voted for Perot.

[Gunny]

My ears ring like a sons a bitch from 6 1/2 years on the flight line listening to that "sound of freedom"... :laugh: ... :salute:

Regardless... I'd do it all over again in a heart beat.oh it gets better than THAT. Just aft of the superstructure is where they landed the Harriers. VTOL. Only "V" standing for not enough runway on a LHA to land horizontally.

Sit one deck below THAT ...

[CSM]

oh it gets better than THAT. Just aft of the superstructure is where they landed the Harriers. VTOL. Only "V" standing for not enough runway on a LHA to land horizontally.

Sit one deck below THAT ...

Well, I have never been on ship but I have been on the gun line for a day or two. Strangely, the big guns shooting don't bother me at all; I barely notice them when fire missions are underway. I went to Nellis AFB a few times and the jets taking off drove me nuts. I guess it depends on what you are used to hearing.

[Gunny]

Well, I have never been on ship but I have been on the gun line for a day or two. Strangely, the big guns shooting don't bother me at all; I barely notice them when fire missions are underway. I went to Nellis AFB a few times and the jets taking off drove me nuts. I guess it depends on what you are used to hearing.I was born on an Air Force base and spent a lot of time living on USAF bases and NASs. I can usually tell WHAT is taking off or landing. I still live next to an AF base where they routinely take off and land. I can sleep through it.

Now drop a penny on the floor downstairs or make any other noise out of the ordinary. Eyeballs: "CLICK".

[CSM]

I was born on an Air Force base and spent a lot of time living on USAF bases and NASs. I can usually tell WHAT is taking off or landing. I still live next to an AF base where they routinely take off and land. I can sleep through it.

Now drop a penny on the floor downstairs or make any other noise out of the ordinary. Eyeballs: "CLICK".

lol...yeah I can relate. I can tell what type of gun is firing (from mortars, 105s to 155s ... even 8 inch though they aren't in the inventory now). I can also tell what small arms are being fired by the sound too. I can sleep through thunderstorms no problem. Let something sound out of the ordinary in my house while I am asleep and I wake up instantly on full alert....

[Gunny]

lol...yeah I can relate. I can tell what type of gun is firing (from mortars, 105s to 155s ... even 8 inch though they aren't in the inventory now). I can also tell what small arms are being fired by the sound too. I can sleep through thunderstorms no problem. Let something sound out of the ordinary in my house while I am asleep and I wake up instantly on full alert....Drives my family nuts. Especially the granddaughters. Thelma and Louise can't hit the fridge in the middle of the night like they used to. Hell, they sound like a damned battalion on the march through bubble wrap :laugh:

[High_Plains_Drifter]

Well, I have never been on ship but I have been on the gun line for a day or two. Strangely, the big guns shooting don't bother me at all; I barely notice them when fire missions are underway. I went to Nellis AFB a few times and the jets taking off drove me nuts. I guess it depends on what you are used to hearing.
First place I lived off base at Nellis was in a crappy little trailer park on N. Nellis Blvd right at EOR. The jets took off and landed right overhead. I could sleep right through it. I worked a lot of second shift at Nellis so I'd have been FOOKED if I couldn't have. The F-111's were some of the loudest. But it's the intake noise at idle on the F-16 that will make your ears bleed if you're close enough without ear protection. It's a screeching from hell. The old F-4's idled so nice and quiet. Saw one of those catch on fire during a cart start.

[Elessar]

Our school in Tuscon was right in the flight path to Davis-Monthan AFB, and we could see into
the wheel wells of B-52's, B-47's, and B-58's (and more).

[Elessar]

https://www.clarionledger.com/story/opinion/columnists/2018/04/19/barbara-bush-cartoon-marshall-ramsey-clarion-ledger/532240002/

Look at the cartoon midway down. (I could not copy and post it). Barbara and Robin meeting after Barbara's death.

[Gunny]

Something I forgot. AT's pic jogged my memory and made me start thinking and I definitely :bang3: for a couple of days. Naturally, about the time i had given up on it, it popped into my head. I purposefully tend to NOT remember the Gulf War.

Anyway, I couldn't remember what it was I (we -- Marines) liked about GHWB so much. Besides the aforementioned. It was the First Lady, Barbara Bush.

When President Bush visited the Gulf when I guess AT got his photo op, they came out to a few of the camps. I didn't see them. But the story went around that when chow came, Barbara Bush dropped her bucket on a stack of sand bags and ate with the Marines. Got her some MAJOR pointage with the boys :)

[High_Plains_Drifter]

Something I forgot. AT's pic jogged my memory and made me start thinking and I definitely :bang3: for a couple of days. Naturally, about the time i had given up on it, it popped into my head. I purposefully tend to NOT remember the Gulf War.

Anyway, I couldn't remember what it was I (we -- Marines) liked about GHWB so much. Besides the aforementioned. It was the First Lady, Barbara Bush.

When President Bush visited the Gulf when I guess AT got his photo op, they came out to a few of the camps. I didn't see them. But the story went around that when chow came, Barbara Bush dropped her bucket on a stack of sand bags and ate with the Marines. Got her some MAJOR pointage with the boys :)
I heard her referred to as "America's grandma" more than once.