George H. W. Bush Has Passed Away

The president I served under has passed away.

Prayers for the family and for the country...

Lord knows we need help right now.

Sad day. Almost gonna cry but not gonna do it at this juncture. It would not be prudent. Even though he never said it.

RIP

RIP, Commander in Chief. A POTUS has died. Hopefully those who care to can post condolences and not turn this political. If you did or did not like him as president, no need to share.

It's always said to here a leader has passed.
I wish Osama Bin Laden could have been taken under his watch!

Godspeed Mr. President.

RIP POTUS

When I was a student, the lab in which I worked got some money from SDI. President Bush came through (with our execrable senator) to look at what we were doing with the funds. My project not photogenic, so I was not among the students who presented work to him.

At some point, the Secret Service opened the door to the room in which the non-photo-op students were waiting and Marlin Fitzwater came in to make a phone call -- on land-line that had been specially installed for the visit. He noted that we were all studying. "I was wondering where they put the students with more important things to do today." he winked. "Let me see if I can get him over here to say 'hi'.

A few minutes later, the Secret Service guys (who were amazingly cool and surprisingly funny) took us out and pulled aside a bulletproof curtain so we could shake his hand as he left the floor. He made the same joke: "Here's all the folks with something important to do today!" We all smiled and laughed, until the Senator came around the corner -- and we hissed at him.

In another professor's lab, Bush had to endure a very long and technical presentation about the challenges of producing a blue LED laser (this was a long time ago). On his way out of the building, the Secret Service had him wait in the department mailroom. There he picked up a pen and wrote some mathematical gibberish on the white board ending it "= blue laser", under which he signed his name. It was genuinely charming.

Bat-mite said:

Hopefully those who care to can post condolences and not turn this political. If you did or did not like him as president, no need to share.

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There is some interesting research about how casual internet communities like this one deal (or fail to deal) with the deaths of celebrities

https://phys.org/news/2017-12-celebrities-die-grief-policing-abounds.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/scie...-ill-dead-goes-online/?utm_term=.9a995cd4a13d

Sad news but a refreshing reminder of what a great leader is. RIP to a great man who served his country well.

I did not know that he was a captain of the baseball team in college and played in the first two college World Series.

An amazing biography..
A truly great man, agree with his politics or not..
The last of a dying breed..
Just one example,,
he ran and was elected on the slogan "No new taxes"..
He later, after he was elected, found himself in a and had no choice,
he honestly felt it was the best and right thing to do for our country.
So he made a new tax, believing that it would cost him his reelection bid..
He was right, it did, he was jumped all over by his opposition for it..
He later said it was the right thing to do at the time, and held no regret over it, though he did want a second term..

God speed G.H.W. Bush
R.I.P.

Teddy

The last of the leaders from the "Greatest Generation".

Last President that seved in WWII .
Got shot down in the pacific, and later in life decided to revisit the parachute jump experience with the Golden Knights. Not just once, but like eight times...on his 85th and 90h birthdays.
Pretty cool for an old guy.

My wife, 3 week old son and I had the privilege of watching H.W. jump out of the back of a C-130 for his 80th b-day here in College Station, TX. July 2004. Even though we only got about 500' from him and the SEAL he was tandemed with when they landed, it was way cool to be that close to a president. It was memorable. He led a life of servitude. RIP!

Sad day RIP GHWB.
I heard a joke about his wife and President Bush stopped the presidential limo in their home town gas station on the way to Air Force one and the Gas station attendant gave Barbara a big hug. When they got back in the Limo George asked her “what was up with that man?”
Barb, smiling, answered “we used to date in high school”
George laughed “wow Barb, if things would’ve been different you could’ve been married to the gas station attendant instead of the most powerful man on earth”.

Barbara snickered and shook her head “ honey, you got that wrong, if I would’ve married him, HE would have been the President “...George’s smile vanished into a blank stare.

Tbmx3 said:

He led a life of servitude....

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<smile> A fitting memorial for the man born with a silver foot in his mouth. Whatever you thought of him as a politician, among public speakers his was an exceptional gift for verbal slips and mangled speech (a family trait).

https://people.howstuffworks.com/9-political-slips-of-the-tongue9.htm

RIP sir.

Even though my parachuting friends tend to be pretty liberal they're all pretty bummed about his passing. Not just on the level of getting the hobby a lot of good press, or because it's always good in an era of regulation to have people at the highest level of government on your side, but because he just plain got it. The dude could pretty much have done anything he wanted on his birthdays but there he was, jumping out of something or another, great big smile on his face.

Wasn't aware he had a service dog

best picture ever..

meaning his dog at his side, still. very well taken..

dr wogz said:

best picture ever..

meaning his dog at his side, still. very well taken..

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+1..
I feel terrible for the dog..

Teddy

Onebadhawk said:

+1..
I feel terrible for the dog..

Teddy

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The dog will be sent to Walter Reed Army Hospital to become a companion for another warrior.

Dogs are resilient. They only know "now." He'll be fine.

Yeah,, but he still must realize that his companion isn't with him anymore..
You're tellin me he's lying in front of the coffin because he was told to and he doesn't know why of what the coffin is..

He will be fine..

But he knows..
He smells..

Teddy

Onebadhawk said:

Yeah,, but he still must realize that his companion isn't with him anymore..
You're tellin me he's lying in front of the coffin because he was told to and he doesn't know why of what the coffin is..

He will be fine..

But he knows..
He smells..

Teddy

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No doubt. But they don't hurt the way we do.

Onebadhawk said:

Yeah,, but he still must realize that his companion isn't with him anymore..
You're tellin me he's lying in front of the coffin because he was told to and he doesn't know why of what the coffin is..

He will be fine..

But he knows..
He smells..

Teddy

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I agree, Teddy. A cat would be ralphing up a hairball on a floral arrangement, but a dog mourns. But he will love a new veteran and by doing so keep some of President Bush’s legacy alive.

Yep,,
For sure..
This one is really something..
41 and the Mrs was the longest together first couple in our history..
73 yrs I think..
God bless them..
After that long they pass so near in time to each other..
Amazing..
And I think that's kind of frequent that when one of a couple goes the other does fairly soon after..

I think that's mercy..

Teddy

Onebadhawk said:

Yeah,, but he still must realize that his companion isn't with him anymore..
You're tellin me he's lying in front of the coffin because he was told to and he doesn't know why of what the coffin is..

He will be fine..

But he knows..
He smells..

Teddy

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I can confirm with recent experience. We inherited my wife's uncle's dog after he passed. We took the dog to his condo (where he died, in the dog's presence) a few times as we were clearing prepping the condo for sale. The dog was so unhappy to be there that we stopped bringing her along. This is a dog that loves to go anywhere, so it was totally out of character except it being where her old master had died.

That GHWB's service dog will go to another veteran is a testament to his character.

My boys and I feel honored to have seen this and a few keepsakes to remember this day. BTW it was the coolest hearse ever!!

Every time I see a photo of President Bush and his Avenger bomber I think of the two men on his plane that didn't survive the mission where the plane was shot down. President Bush was a pilot of an Avenger which had a three man crew. The plane was shot down on a mission and two of the crew got out. The third man was not seen exiting the aircraft. The other man's chute failed and he was never seen again either. Only Bush survived and had to be rescued by submarine. I always think how difficult it must be to be a pilot and to lose your crew. I hope that didn't haunt him, but I would be surprised if it hadn't.

RIP

Additional background .... I had the honor and privilege to be one of the official Presidential photographers for GHWB 41's inauguration. Many fine memories from that day and evening at the Ball in the Armory in DC. Still have my pins, USSS clearance badge and paraphernalia.

Thirty years just flies by in a blink!

RIP President Bush