Weekly Column

Dec 10 2018

Remembering 41

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In his teenage years, George Herbert Walker Bush spotted an older classmate bullying a younger, smaller student. The boy heard a voice that yelled, “Leave that kid alone!” Much to his relief, the bully stopped the harassment. The younger student then asked a nearby onlooker who it was that demanded the bully to stop. “That’s George Bush. He’s the greatest kid in school.”

When we reflect on the life of President Bush, we aren’t surprised by his acts of kindness and graciousness at a young age. Long before our nation was introduced to George H.W. Bush, he was living out the values that would later inspire millions.

Members of the Greatest Generation were sharpened with ideals through the adversity and triumph of war. They understood that America has a responsibility to use her power as a force for good. Their passions were forged from service, not spotlight. Men and women knew what was required of them and stepped forward. President George H.W. Bush was among them.

On his 18th birthday, he voluntarily enlisted in the Navy and became one of its youngest aviators. In 1944, Lieutenant Bush was serving as a naval fighter pilot in the Pacific theater. During a mission to strike a Japanese radio tower his plane was struck by the enemy. Smoke filled the cockpit and flames arose rapidly. But the future president took control and stayed the course. Only after successfully completing his mission, did he turn to think about his own survival. Floating on a small raft in the Pacific Ocean, a submarine arrived to his rescue hours later. The grace of God caused him to question throughout his life why it was him who was saved on that fateful day. Our country and our world would soon know exactly why.

Later in life, he harnessed his wartime service into a stewardship of global stability. President Bush took the oath of office in the midst of nuclear confrontation with the Soviet Union and as an Iron Curtain split Europe. We won the Cold War on his watch. Yet he had the foresight to understand that a loud celebration could incite a violent backlash. He spoke of this virtue during his inaugural address: “Some see leadership as high drama and the sound of trumpets calling, and sometimes it is that. But I see history as a book with many pages, and each day we fill a page with acts of hopefulness and meaning. The new breeze blows, a page turns, the story unfolds.” President Bush steered our ship of state with prudence. 

The last commander-in-chief of a courageous era, future generations have surely benefitted from his leadership and service. George H.W. Bush embodied the values of an American patriot. He invoked the spirit of the American people saying: “The old ideas are new again because they're not old, they are timeless: duty, sacrifice, commitment, and a patriotism that finds its expression in taking part and pitching in.” Our country listened. He led by example and kept our country moving forward. He was, as his biographer Jon Meacham noted in his eulogy, “a 20th century founding father.” 

Through the lens of a presidency, he also showed America what it means to be a good man. We remember President Bush for the strength of his character – his kindness, generosity, and decency. With his example, he showed us what it means to love our family, our community, and our country unconditionally.

It was my honor to represent Nebraska as our former president laid in state in the Capitol Building and during his funeral service at the National Cathedral. I had the opportunity to say goodbye to a true leader and a statesman who gave his country his all. 

God Bless President George H.W. Bush, his family, and our great nation.

Thank you for participating in the democratic process. I look forward to visiting with you again next week.

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