Tom’s phone alarm went off at 6:20am on Friday October 22, 2021. I watched as he sat up on the couch, looked out the window, saw it was still dark, and reset his alarm to 7:10am. All I could do was smile, mainly because I knew he didn’t sleep well on the plush sofa. I had hoped he wouldn’t cancel our day at the Bush Library. From what I had heard, that was our final Presidential stop on the trip and it was in jeopardy of being cancelled.
As the sun illuminated the backyard behind Bill and Kim Johnson’s farmhouse like a thousand points of light, that’s when I caught a glimpse of what appeared to be a debris field caused by whatever made the strange noises during the night. It appeared a wild pig or two had rooted the plush grass in search of food. While it looked like only a small section of the Johnson’s yard was affected, their neighbor’s lawn was devastated by the feral hogs. I was saddened by the destruction, but at the same time I was thankful it wasn’t a Sasquatch doing its “Peeping Tom” impersonation. In my mind, there’s nothing worse than a “Peeping Squatch”.
My day with Tom was set – he had planned to take me to College Station, Texas where we’d once again visit the George Bush Presidential Library. We were very lucky; the museum had been closed to the public for over two months due to COVID restrictions and it had just reopened on Monday. For once, our timing was perfect. Vicki, Anthony, and Ashley, on the other hand, were scheduled to drive in the opposite direction where they had planned to spend the day in Waco. While my photographer’s wife has been a frequent visitor to the Magnolia Market Silos during the past few years, the Fiscelli’s wanted to see the Gaines’ empire for themselves. When Tom mentioned the Silos were nothing more than a high-priced Hobby Lobby, it didn’t matter one iota to them. My brazen camera guy also pointed out that Joanna Gaines didn’t make the stuff; she never touched the stuff; and everything was made in China. All of that fell on deaf ears.
With me riding in the Jeep’s back seat and safely secured in the camera case, Tom drove out of the front gate of Paradise Farm at precisely eight o’clock. Two hours and nearly 120 miles of boring highway later, we had arrived in College Station. The weather was ideal for photographs, and I couldn’t wait to get started. After I posed for a few images in front of the Presidential Library, Tom carried me towards the front entrance where the two of us received some stunning news – we needed pre-paid tickets to get through the doors and only a small number of visitors could be inside the museum at one time. With the help of a young female staff member, my cameraman used his I-phone to purchase a 10:30am entry ticket. With some time to kill, Tom decided to make the half-mile hike to the Bush Family Gravesite before too many other people did the same thing. It had been just over two years since our last visit, and I was excited to see President Bush’s gravesite again. I’ve been to every Presidential Library in the country and the Bush Library in College Station is one of the best.
The George Bush Presidential Library; by the dawn’s early light!
George and Barbara Bush posed with their dog, Sadie, in front of the Library for their 2002 Christmas card photo. The image was captured on November 8, 2002.
During my 2019 visit, the area around the fountain was under construction and numerous vehicles hindered our view of the Presidential Library. Thanks to COVID, it seemed as though we had the place to ourselves; and I loved it!
Former President George Bush, left, was joined by President Bill Clinton, and former Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter on the stage at the George Bush Presidential Library dedication on Thursday November 6, 1997. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)
When the George Bush Presidential Library was dedicated on November 6, 1997, a platform had been erected over the fountain behind me and was where the ceremony took place.
George H.W. Bush shared a laugh with President Clinton while Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter acknowledge the crowd.
This sculpture, called ‘The Day the Wall Came Down’, was created in 1996 by artist Veryl Goodnight and was on permanent display in the plaza just north of the Bush Presidential Library. At 12 feet tall and 18 feet wide, the statue weighed roughly seven tons.
Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates and his wife Becky walked with President George H. W. Bush and his wife Barbara to a dinner at the Rotunda of the George Bush Presidential Library on October 26, 2007.
As the two of us headed towards the Bush Family Gravesite, we stopped to admire the bronze statue of our 41st President.
As I looked into the eyes of the Bush statue, it was as though I could hear him say: “Old guys can still do fun things.”
The Quote Wall on the east side of the Presidential Library rose high above the Presidential Pond. I’m standing on the sidewalk where the casket of President George H.W. Bush was carried on December 6, 2018 as it made its way to the Bush Family Gravesite.
The flag-draped casket of George H.W. Bush, escorted by family and dignitaries, made its final journey to the Bush Family Gravesite.
“Over the bridge and through the woods, to Forty-One’s grave we go” popped into my head as Tom and I headed for the gravesite.
At the end of the trail, the two of us arrived at the Bush Family Gravesite. Inside the fenced-in plot were the graves of President George H.W. Bush, First Lady Barbara Bush, and their daughter Pauline “Robin” Bush.
Due to the locked gate and high fence, not to mention security, I knew I’d likely never get the opportunity to stand on the tombstone of Bush 41.
George H.W. Bush was buried between his daughter and wife on December 6, 2018. First Lady Barbara Bush’s grave was to the right of her husband’s; she was laid to rest on April 21, 2018. Their daughter Robin, who died on October 11, 1953 at the age of three, was originally buried in Greenwich, Connecticut and was reinterred at the Presidential Library in 2000. Robin’s grave was to the left of her father’s.
The morning my photographer and I were at the Bush Family Gravesite, the entire area seemed peaceful and serene. As I stood to the side of the burial plot, another Bush quote popped into my head: “Aging’s all right. Better than the alternative, which is not being here.”
From the rear of the plot, I was held fairly close to the Latin cross headstone that was made out of white “Lasa Ortles White Class” marble from the Carrara quarry in northern Italy.
At the time of his death on November 30, 2018, George H.W. Bush was 94 years old and was the longest-lived U.S. President. That record had since been eclipsed by Jimmy Carter.
My photographer and I spent more time at the gravesite than we had anticipated. By the time we had begun the half-mile walk back to the museum, it was past eleven o’clock.
I’m standing alongside one of the Presidential limousine’s used by Bush during his administration.
George Bush’s Naval aviator sidearm, which was a .38 caliber Smith and Wesson Special CTG that he used in World War II.
George Bush checked out his service revolver after it was donated to his Library by Ron Brostrom.
I thought Bush’s first baseman’s mitt was cool. He kept it well-oiled and stored safely in the top drawer of his Oval Office desk.
On July 12, 1984, Vice President George Bush played in an Old Timers Game at Mile High Stadium for the Denver Bears.
Yale University baseball captain George Bush accepted a copy of the Babe Ruth Story from the Great Bambino himself in June 1948. That was one of Ruth’s last public appearances; the Yankee slugger died two months later.
In the display case to my right was Bush’s travel-worn briefcase he used during his tenure as the Director of the CIA. I was so close to the artifact that it was easy for me to see the three-digit combination – which was 000. That CIA Director sure was sneaky!
Below me were dozens of items from the Reagan-Bush campaigns of 1980 and 1984.
The Vice President’s flag behind me was flown onboard Space Shuttle Columbia during its first manned flight from April 12 – 14, 1981. NASA astronauts John Young and Robert Crippen brought it back safely to Earth and gave it to Vice President George Bush.
I love to stand on podiums, and that one was special. It was used by Vice President George Bush on October 13, 1988 during his second televised debate with Governor Michael Dukakis in Los Angeles.
Vice President George Bush gestured while making a point to the panel during the second televised 1988 Presidential campaign debate.
From this very podium, during the closing statement of his debate, George Bush said: “Lincoln called this country the last best hope of man on earth. And he was right then, and we still are the last best hope of man on earth. And I ask for your support on November 8th. And I will be a good president.”
“I want to invest in our children. Because I mean it when I say I want a kinder and gentler nation.”
The American flag to my right, which was positioned above a few gifts presented to the new President, was flown over the White House on Inauguration Day January 20, 1989.
That’s one of President George Bush’s tuxedos. There’s no doubt he dressed better than me!
I’m standing on the replica C&O Desk in the replica Oval Office at the authentic George Bush Presidential Library. President Bush 41 used the C&O Desk, rather than the Resolute Desk, because he had used it as Vice President and liked it.
“That’s right Dana. I need you to quit talking like me on Saturday Night Live. Just don’t do it; wouldn’t be prudent!”
The C&O Desk was the shortest served Oval Office desk to date, having been used by the President for only a single four-year term.
President Bush at his C&O Desk during a meeting with Dick Cheney, Colin Powell, Brent Scowcroft, John H. Sununu, and Robert Gates.
Before Bush 41 used the C&O desk in the Oval Office, Presidents Ford, Carter, and Reagan used it in the Oval Office Study; the room next to the Oval Office.
When I saw this photo, I thought to myself: “Wouldn’t it have been easier for Colin Powell to speak directly with President Bush instead of calling him on the telephone?”
There were some artifacts, protected behind glass, that were authentic to George Bush’s Oval Office. Some of those items were the small bronze statue, the books, and set of three plates that were behind me.
The same items I stood next to in the replica Oval Office can be seen in the background of George Bush’s Oval Office in the White House.
This scale model of the HMS Resolute stood prominently alongside the C&O Desk in Bush’s Oval Office.
The Library also featured a replica of George Bush’s office at Camp David.
It seemed as though every Presidential Library owned their own chunk of the Berlin Wall. In this image, I’m standing next to the Berlin Wall at the Bush 41 Library.
The 100-year-old Gait of Kuwait, which the people of that country gave to President Bush as a gift for assisting their freedom. The inscription read: “When a man gives you the key to his home, it means you are the best and most valuable friend to him. When a man gives you the door to his home, it means that you are one of his family.”
Like I had done in 2019, I once again posed close to the Bush’s boat ‘Fidelity’.
While onboard Fidelity, father and son fished off Walker’s Point near their Kennebunkport home in Maine on August 13, 1999.
George H.W. Bush celebrated his 75th birthday in style when he used the equipment behind me to parachute jump onto the site of his Presidential Library on June 9, 1999.
Three days before his 75th birthday, George Bush celebrated the milestone with a parachute jump near the site of his future Presidential Library in College Station, Texas.
I needed a closer look at the helmet George Bush wore during his skydiving experience.
President Bush safely landed as his support crew helped guide the 75-year-old to the ground.
On February 15, 2011, President Barack Obama presented George H.W. Bush the Medal of Freedom during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House.
I was honored to stand near a couple of prestigious awards that were presented to President Bush, including the Medal of Freedom in the center and the LBJ Liberty & Justice for All Award.
On December 3, 2013, George H.W. Bush was presented the LBJ Liberty & Justice for All Award by Lynda Johnson Robb (left) and Luci Baines Johnson.
The saying “A dog is a man’s best friend” must’ve been created for Sully H.W. Bush, the service dog for George H.W. Bush during the final six months of the President’s life.
Sully H.W. Bush mourned at the casket of his best friend – the late George H.W. Bush.
The visitation book from President Bush’s funeral that was inscribed and signed by Barack and Michelle Obama.
My photographer thought the caricature bust of George Bush looked cool. When I saw it, I thought of another quote from our 41st President: “I have opinions of my own – strong opinions – but I don’t always agree with them.” No doubt about it – George H.W. Bush was a colorful character.
I’m standing as close as I could get to the Union Pacific No. 4141 engine that remained under wraps at the George Bush Presidential Library. Tom and I heard the historic engine would be unveiled on June 12, 2024 – the 100th anniversary of President Bush’s birth. I hope Tom and Mongo will be there with me!
My photographer and I spent over 90 minutes inside the Presidential Museum dedicated to the life of George H.W. Bush. I wanted to stay longer, but Tom’s stomach was growling; plus, his glasses kept fogging-up due to the face covering he was forced to wear due to the COVID protocols. Once we were back in the Jeep, my photographer headed to the closest McDonalds for lunch. What should’ve been a short drive took a lot longer due to the intense afternoon traffic and the long-winded signal lights in College Station. Due to the extra delays, I thought I might see Tom pass-out from starvation and dehydration!
The two of us made it back to the Johnson’s farm at roughly 3:15pm where we discovered the trio of travelers had never made it to Waco. They never left the farm. Although Ashley had felt better, Brooke and Kim were still “under the weather” and had laid low all day. Vicki said their Waco visit was postponed to the following day. For the next couple of hours, Tom and I kicked back on the patio and watched the Fiscelli’s ride around the farm on Bill’s Honda Pioneer side-by-side. After dinner, which included an All-American meal of hot dogs, ‘tater salad, and chips, my photographer and I spent the rest of that day’s light watching for wildlife. And just before dark, a huge buck silently walked past the homestead.
At four o’clock in the afternoon, Brooke was still in her pajamas and not feeling well. She did mention at one point that her Papa had made her sick. I thought to myself: “Heck, I’ve been saying that for the past eight years.”
Reese had the time of her life as she drove the side-by-side around the Johnson’s farm.
Around and around they went, with Reese behind the wheel.
Tom captured this photo of the majestic buck as it posed for him on the edge of the Johnson’s property line. I instantly thought of Harry Truman when the buck stopped here!
When nightfall came, my photographer and I camped out in front of the TV and watched the Houston Astros beat the Boston Red Sox 5-0. The Astros’ victory clinched the American League pennant and sent the team from Houston to the World Series. When I watched the champaign flow during the post-game celebration, I began to wonder why Tom didn’t make an attempt to attend the game in person. After all, we were only 90 miles from Minute Maid Park when we were visiting Bush’s Presidential Library. Heck, he could’ve had six-dollar hot dogs at the ballpark for dinner. The more I thought about it, however, the more I realized the drive back to the farm after the game would’ve taken nearly four hours – not counting the traffic. For once, Tom had made the right decision.
Thankfully Vicki had re-arranged the bedroom to accommodate the two grandkids as well as my photographer. That meant he and I wouldn’t have to spend the night in the living room where Sasquatch could watch us. As I stood on the small nightstand in the dark bedroom, thoughts of George Bush flooded my mind. During his Presidency, he longed for a kinder, gentler nation, which mirrored his own personality. He only served one term; Bush likely lost the 1992 election to Bill Clinton because of six words he said during his ’88 campaign: “Read my lips. No new taxes.” When the economy went sour around 1990, he was forced to make a tax hike; and the people of America never forgot those infamous six words.
As I pictured our beloved 41st President in my mind; and all of the cool artifacts that I had posed with at his museum; I couldn’t help but think of the words his son said during his father’s eulogy. Those are the words people should remember when they think of George H.W. Bush.
“He looked for the good in each person, and he usually found it.” – George W. Bush
My name is Thomas Watson and I've been a U.S. history fanatic since I was 9 years old. In 2013, I decided to take my passion to the next level when I purchased a Thomas Jefferson bobble head with the sole intention of photographing that bobble head at Presidential sites. From that first day on July 10, 2013 at Spiegel Grove in Fremont, Ohio, this journey has taken on a life of its own. Now, nearly 40,000 miles later, I thought it was time to share the experiences, stories, and photos of Jefferson's travels. Keep in mind, this entire venture has been done with the deepest respect for the men who held the office as our President; no matter what their political affiliations, personal ambitions, or public scandals may have been. This blog is intended to be a true tribute to the Presidents of the United States and this story will be told Through the Eyes of Jefferson. I hope you enjoy the ride!
2 thoughts on “170: A KINDER, GENTLER VISIT WITH BUSH 41”
Great read! Thanks
Enjoyed this post! Thanks