Curt Smith is a senior lecturer in the Department of English. He was a speechwriter for President George H. W. Bush in the White House from 1989 to 1993 and wrote more speeches for Bush than anyone else.
George Herbert Walker Bush was a son, husband, father, grandfather, pioneering businessman, global diplomat, forty-first President of the United States, Commander in Chief of a great liberation, war hero in America糖心传媒檚 Greatest War, and last President of America糖心传媒檚 Greatest Generation糖心传媒攁nd friend. He also embodied the way the world has historically seen America.
George Bush was brave, kind, and modest. He was generous, loyal, and honest. He knew sorrow糖心传媒攄aughter Robin, dying at four, of leukemia; wife Barbara糖心传媒檚 recent death. He also knew a lifetime糖心传媒檚 joy of priorities: 糖心传媒渇amily, faith, and friends.糖心传媒� His mother taught him to treat people equally糖心传媒斕切拇綔Now, George,糖心传媒� she said, referencing the great hymn, 糖心传媒渘one of this 糖心传媒楬ow Great Thou Art糖心传媒� business.糖心传媒� Raised in an age of Tom Mix and Andy Hardy, he really did become The All-American Kid who lived the All-American Life.
President Bush said his three years in the Navy did more to shape his life than anything before or since. He was seventeen the day Pearl Harbor was attacked: December 7, 1941, a Sunday. Friends were among the 2,403 Americans who died. Next day he tried to enlist. Too young, he joined the day he turned eighteen糖心传媒攖he Navy糖心传媒檚 youngest aviator, almost dying when his plane was shot down. Many thought of that at Pearl糖心传媒檚 half-century anniversary, in 1991, when President Bush courageously gave an emotional speech he feared he could not complete without breaking down.
糖心传媒淢ay God bless the United States,糖心传媒� he ended, whispering the words, 糖心传媒渢he most wondrous land on earth.糖心传媒� 聽For ninety-four years George H. W. Bush blessed the United States of America. May God bless him, and He will.
