After 94 years of patriotic devotion and service to the United States, George H. W. Bush, the former 41st President passed away. Bush died in his Houston home on November 30 and was buried at his presidential library in Houston alongside his wife of 73 years and his daughter Robin who died early in life from leukemia.  

After serving as Ronald Reagan’s vice president for two terms in the 1980s, President Bush was elected for office in 1988 under the Republican party. Before his presidency, Bush already had an array of achievements under his belt.  

President Bush was born the son of a senator on June 12, 1924. The day of his 18th birthday, Bush joined the military and served as a Combat Pilot during World War II.  

While serving in the Pacific in 1944, his squadron was stormed by Japanese forces. Their missions had involved bringing bombs over the island of Chi Chi Jima. Bush’s plane engine on caught fire when he was hit by an enemy plane, but he still finished the mission while his plane was on fire. Bush was forced to leave the burning plane behind and was floating on a raft in the Pacific for hours before being rescued. He was presented the Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions and ended his military career in September 1945 with an honorable discharge after the Japanese surrender. 

After his multitude of successful air missions, Bush attended Yale University. He later entered the oil business, bringing him huge success and was elected for the House of Representatives after a failed senate campaign. 

Under Richard Nixon’s presidency, Bush was ambassador to the United Nations and later was the director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) under President Gerald Ford. Finally, after two terms spent as Ronald Reagan’s vice president, Bush was elected as president in 1988.  

Under his own presidency, Bush removed the dictator of Panama from power after a Marine was killed. Drugs were entering the country through Panama, and Bush helped eradicate the dictatorship in Panama. He conducted the first large military missions that were unrelated to the cold war while shifting government power in Panama.  

In 1989, the Berlin Wall fell, and the Soviet Union fractured. Bush held a meeting with the soviets on the island of Malta in the Mediterranean. On December 2 and 3 in 1989, Bush met with General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev of the Soviet Union. The meeting was a successful step in the long process of ending the cold war.  

When Iraq invaded Kuwait during Bush’s presidency during the Gulf War, military was sent in at the request of Saudi Arabia. Bush denied the request of splitting Kuwait and instead demanded that all invading troops left. Bush influenced the creation of the coalition that would go on to remove unwanted invaders from Kuwait.  

Doubts about Bush’s dealings during the Gulf War as well as the economic recession at the time hurt his presidential campaign of 1992. Bush was shockingly not reelected in 1992 and only served one term in the Oval Office but made tremendous accomplishments.  

After his political ventures, Bush moved to Texas with his wife and former First Lady Barbara, who passed away last April from pulmonary issues. Even when Bush was no longer in office, he was involved with the political ongoing of the country. Bush returned to Kuwait in ‘93. He was targeted in an assassination attempt involving a car bomb. The assassination attempt was later answered when President Clinton attacked the Iraqi Intelligence Service. “President Bush was the ideal image of what the American drive is. Not matter what party you belong to or who you vote for, this can’t be denied,” said sophomore Ryan Marrione.  

In 2000, Bush’s son George W. Bush was elected as the 43rd president of the United States. Aside from Geroge W. Bush, Bush is survived by five other children. Bush’s last words were spoken over the phone to the 43rd president on the day he died: “I love you.”

Bush’s body was brought to Washington D.C. by plane where a memorial service took place at the National Cathedral. There was also another service at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Houston. In his honor, President Trump named December 5 a federal holiday and a national day of mourning. All living presidents attended the memorial in the capital to give their respect to the beloved former president.