It was Nov. 10,1989 and I was at the White House for a state dinner honoring president Corazon Aquino of the Philippines. The mood…
It was Nov. 10,1989 and I was at the White House for a state dinner honoring president Corazon Aquino of the Philippines. The mood was celebratory because the Berlin Wall had opened. The pictures captured the joy of people free to cross a border that had been sealed since the 1960s. It was a momentous occasion, yet the commander in chief claimed no credit nor did he seek to insert himself into the historic events that were unfolding.
President George H. W. Bush spoke that night of the right to political and economic freedom and the importance of family, faith and friendship. His calm and steady leadership guided our nation as the Cold War ended and millions of people were freed. Two years later, in Operation Desert Storm, President Bush built a global “Coalition of the Willing,” and in 43 days freed the people of Kuwait. Once again, the president’s leadership and skillful diplomacy proved to be invaluable to the decisive outcome.
I mention these two historic aspects of the consequential presidency of George H. W. Bush because they reveal the character of a man who was in many ways the most remarkable man I have ever known. His life is the greatest example of public service, and his personal qualities are sorely lacking today in so many of those who would lead.
