RIP President Bush, the Navy has the watch. Fair winds, and following seas. One hopes the chattering masses will at least have the decency to wait 72 hours before they start bringing up all the ‘stuff’ they didn’t like about him.
The USSS loved the Bush family, they were treated with respect and care by them, and afterward when he was no longer in the White House.
The Secret Service sends our heartfelt condolences on the passing of Former President George H.W. Bush. Timberwolf, you defined patriotism and leadership throughout your life of service to this country and you will be sorely missed. pic.twitter.com/qof2DRNX0B
— U.S. Secret Service (@SecretService) December 1, 2018
Your hopes are in vain. Within four hours of the news hitting I was seeing widespread leftist denigration, though a few paid a backhanded complement (at least in their minds) by observing something along the lines of “at least he wasn’t Trump.” And a few on the right were expressing anger over the late president’s part in the spread of globalism. And various people all over the political spectrum kvetching about petty stuff. It hasn’t been pretty.
Both Bush presidents were gentlemen and their wives were ladies. They treated the USSS with respect that they deserved, unlike the Clintons and Obamas, who were despised.
George HW volunteered to fly in combat and flew 53 missions over enemy territory. Clinton, Obama and Trump didn’t do that. Neither did his son. We need to consider his service in that light. Whether he was a good DCI or President will be debated and history will judge him – as it always does. He raised a family, ran a business, went to war and then ran a country. No small thing (any of that).
That was our take on our radio show. Flawed, like all of us, but a patriot as he saw it.
Bush, Jr did volunteer for combat flying. Didn’t have the required hours on his aircraft to qualify for Vietnam service. IIRC, by the time he did, they had withdrawn that aircraft from use in that conflict. I think it still holds the label of the most accident/failure prone warplane the US has had. Very hazardous to it’s pilot. Took big brass ones to fly that thing!
The Left has conveniently ignored his attempts to get into combat, and liked to label him as a dummy. “Dummy” is not a character trait of a fighter pilot.
I had the honor of flying VP Bush from Camp Pendleton to the Reagan ranch in 1982. He was very kind and polite to all of us. He introduced himself and shook hands with the pilots and me, then asked if he could sit in my jumpseat. He said he never got the chance to ride the cockpit of Marine Two and would like to see how a helicopter worked. We scrounged up a helmet and he spent the flight asking questions. He also told us how the flight controls and instruments worked in his old TBM. He had a great time and again shook hands when he left. Fair winds and following seas, Sir. Later that week I also flew Mrs. Bush to the ranch. A truly gracious lady.
TOS- Figures… sigh
LL- Agreed!
Ed- Thanks!
Don- I’ve heard that from former HMX-1 folks. I think he even tried to talk them into letting him sit in the copilot seat. And he did the same thing on AF-1.
By all accounts I’d read or had first-hand, he was a patrician but a real gentleman. Set aside any political ty ics for the moment, he cared for people. I like the zstories above; hey, a torpedo/ attack bomber pilot is always wanting to get back in the cockpit. IIRC, he had a ditch on a combat mission as well. That’s a lot of stell under a mild surface. Clear skies and good winds, sir.
Say what you will about the man’s politics, He had class. A real gentleman.
RIP, Sir.
PK/Heath- Agreed!
boundaries for needs first, it’ll just put more income in foreign oil pockets and will have
very little influence on our retail prices. Since there
is no need for any fuel, this is the very clean way to obtain energy.
This all very commendable but after the morning in the end you be
repaying on your energy use unless you consider the bull from the horns and invest in your home solar energy system.