‘Great and noble man’
Bush’s tearful farewell to dad
George H.W. Bush was remembered Wednesday as a “great and noble man” with a sly sense of humor by his fellow commander-in-chief son during a tearful tribute at the Washington National Cathedral.
Former President George W. Bush elicited laughter and tears from an audience that included dignitaries, heads of state, President Trump and three other men who have occupied the White House as he honored his dad.
“When the history books are written they will say that George H.W. Bush was a great President of the United States, a diplomat of unmatched skill, a commander-inchef of formidable accomplishment and a gentleman who executed the duties of his office with dignity and honor,” he said.
Bush's praise set the tone for the moving national funeral service in the cavernous cathedral, which followed three days of remembrance in Washington before the 41st President's remains return to Texas for his burial Thursday. The statesman and World War II veteran died Friday in Houston. He was 94.
Amid the mourning there were moments of levity as eulogists recalled the senior Bush's sense of humor.
Bush enjoyed a good joke, his son said, and often shared his favorites, which included some of the offcolor variety, with friends via email.
“To us he was close to perfect, but not totally perfect . . . . The man couldn't stomach vegetables, especially broccoli,” George W. Bush said, a reference to his father's famous dislike of the vitamin-packed green. “And, by the way, he passed these genetic defects on to us.”
Earlier Wednesday, the Bush clan gathered in front of the Capitol as a flag-draped coffin carrying the family's patriarch was carried to a waiting hearse with a military band playing “Hail to the Chief” in the background.
Four of the President's five living children, including his namesake son; former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush; Dorothy Bush Koch, and Neil Bush, along with their spouses, stood watch as their father left the Capitol after lying in state since Monday.
Thousands packed into the pews of the cathedral, including world leaders, lawmakers and friends and family who gathered to honor the late President.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Prince Charles, Supreme Court justices, former NFL star Peyton Manning and golf pro Phil Mickelson paid their respects.
Former Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter sat side by side with their spouses in the front row.
President Trump and First lady Melania Trump joined the group shortly before the service began, shaking hands with Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama.
It was the first time Trump has been with the previous Presidents since his inauguration nearly two years ago.
Trump, a prominent proponent of the conspiracy theory that Obama is not a U.S.-born citizen, has broken with tradition and openly criticized his predecessors. He also continues to call for investigations into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, his Democratic opponent in 2016, who was only four seats away from him Wednesday.
The President has fostered a tense and contentious relationship with the Bush family. At a political rally over the summer, Trump blasted the elder Bush for his “thousand points of light” call to volunteerism. He has also challenged the legacy of George W. Bush and openly mocked “low-
energy” Jeb Bush during the 2016 Republican presidential primaries. The late Bush in turn labeled Trump a “blowhard.”
Trump tweeted Wednesday that the day marked “a celebration for a great man who has led a long and distinguished life.”
Presidential historian Jon Meacham delivered the first remarks Wednesday, calling him “an imperfect man” who “left us a more perfect union.”
Bush, a Navy pilot who survived a mission after his plane went down over the Pacific and an earlier crash-landing, was “the last great soldier-statesman,” Meacham added, “our shield” in dangerous times.
Meacham also noted Bush’s sense of humor. Campaigning in a crowd in a department store, Bush once shook hands with a mannequin, Meacham recalled. “Never know. Gotta ask,” Bush quipped.
He also recounted how former “Saturday Night Live” comedian Dana Carvey said the key to doing an impersonation of the one-term President was “Mr. Rogers trying to be John Wayne.”
Irish tenor Ronan Tynan, who lost his gig singing the national anthem at Yankee Stadium a decade ago due to anti-Semitic comments, sang “Last Full Measure of Devotion” during the service.
Former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and Alan Simpson, a former senator from Wyoming, both spoke of their long friendships with Bush and expounded on his relationship with his wife of 73 years, Barbara, who passed away in April.
Simpson called Bush “the most decent and honorable person” he ever met. “None of us were ready for this day. We mourn his loss from our own lives and what he was to each of us,” he said.
George W. Bush ended his tribute with a tearful toast to his dad’s legacy as a family man.
“Your decency, sincerity and kind soul will stay with us forever,” he said as he began to weep. “So through our tears, let us know the blessings of knowing and loving you, a great and noble man. The best father a son or daughter could have.”
Trump declared Wednesday as a national day of mourning, meaning most nonessential federal employees will be given the day off, and stock markets and post offices will be closed.
Following a 21-gun salute at Joint Base Andrews, Bush’s casket was boarded onto a plane often used as Air Force One that was designated “Special Air Mission 41.”
On Thursday, a separate funeral service will take place for him at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Houston before he is buried at a family plot at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library in College Station, Texas, alongside his wife, Barbara, and daughter Robin.