By Zach Hester, Reporter • zach@southerntorch.com (Photo by John Duricka)
After losing former First Lady Barbara Bush in April of this year, the Bush family is once again on America’s prayer list as former President George H.W. Bush passed away on Friday, November 30, 2018. He was 94.
George H.W. Bush served the nation as President, Vice President, Director of Central Intelligence, Ambassador to the United Nations, and as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Texas. I would argue that this long line of experience makes him the most qualified man to ever sit behind the Resolute Desk, but it was his character that really made Bush a great commander-in-chief.
His son, a fellow former president, George W. Bush, stated on Friday that his father “was a man of the highest character.” Bush’s Secretary of State and longtime friend, James Baker, said “[His legacy] will be forever etched in the history of America and the world. It is a lifelong record of selfless patriotic service to our nation.”
Bush’s service to the nation extends beyond his years in elected and appointed office. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, he postponed his own collegiate career to enlist in the United States Navy and become one of the youngest aviators in the Navy at the young age of 18. In remembrance of his service and in accordance with his affinity for great colored socks, he is set to be buried in a pair of socks adorned with naval aviator wings and a squadron of jets.
In addition to affection from friends and family, Bush’s casket was accompanied by his devoted service dog, Sully, to the Capitol this week.
Posthumously, Bush has been treated as nothing less than a true patriot and icon by both sides of the political aisle.
Congressman Beto O’Rourke, a fellow Texan and former Democratic Senate candidate, said Bush “will be missed and long remembered for his leadership, his decency & his essential kindness. [He] made public service about country, and America’s responsibility in the world, less about party.”
In a statement on Saturday, President Trump praised Bush for his “essential authenticity, disarming wit, and unwavering commitment to faith, family, and country.”
“President Bush inspired generations of his fellow Americans to public service – to be, in his words, ‘a thousand points of light’ illuminating the greatness, hope, and opportunity of America to the world,” the statement continued. “His example lives on, and will continue to stir future Americans to pursue a greater cause.”
Regardless of your feelings on the the politics of George H.W. Bush, his administration, or his family, what no one can deny is that he was not only one of our most dedicated public servants, but one of the proudest American presidents. We will remember Bush today – and every day – as the perfect example of how to approach public service and politics from here on out.
