Today, I honor the passing of our 41st president of the United States, George H. W. Bush.
GEORGE H. W. BUSH, our 41st president of the United States, passed away Friday. In the coming days you will hear much about this man – his years of public service, his genuine humility and kindness. Of course, opinions vary, even among Republicans, about his presidency. Space will not permit me to give his career proper coverage here.
That’s me sitting at the former president’s desk at his library with Mrs. Kramer and son, Bradley, looking on.
I will share with you my experience of visiting his library on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station. Mrs. Kramer and I were on campus to see our grandson compete in a state swim meet, and took that occasion to visit the library. Of course, it was filled with memories of this great man, including a film clip of his rescue from the Pacific Ocean after being shot down in his Avenger aircraft during World War II.
(Photo by Hunter Martin)
As a golfer, who prefers to just play the game and save all of the stories for later in the clubhouse, I was particularly interested in the former president’s reputation for “dashing” around a golf course. I understand that he proudly claimed the course record at Cape Arundel Golf Club in Kennebunkport, Maine, playing alone in an hour and 20 minutes. He not only played quickly, he won the club championship there in 1947.
I’ll never forget the under-reported remark he made to George W. at the dedication of his son’s library at Southern Methodist University. Apparently instructed to keep his speech short, the senior Bush briefly thanked the people for coming from his wheel chair, then leaned over to his son and said, “too long?” It drew a big laugh from “W.”
George H. W. Bush will be missed. He was a true public servant … and a golfer.
THE BUSH FAMILY, unlike the McCain’s, will not disinvite President and Mrs. Trump from participating in their mourning for former president George H. W. Bush, despite the number of insults by Donald Trump during the 2016 campaign, aimed at then presidential candidate Jeb Bush.
While attending the G-20 meeting in Buenos Aires, President Trump graciously expressed his sympathy for the passing of the former president, and related that he had spoken with both Jeb and George W. Bush.
The McCain family, you will recall, was unable to forgive and forget and didn’t want President Trump to participate in any of the seemingly never-ending memorial events for John McCain.
May God bless George H. W. Bush and the United States of America.
