GEORGE H. W. BUSH PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY (Mark)

“Let future generations understand the burden and the blessings of freedom.  Let them say we stood where duty required us to stand.” 

George H. W. Bush, 1991

We spent the day at the Presidential Library of our 41st President.  The plants around the grounds of the library were a little less than ideal, due to the extremely cold weather Texas endured last week.  But still they convey a quiet but solid presence.  The library is on the 52,000 acres of Texas A&M campus.

THE DAY THE WALL CAME DOWN

A Monument to Freedom by Veryl Goodnight, dedicated October 11, 1997.

The Berlin Wall stood for over 28 years as the most visible icon of the Cold War. This 14-foot high, 105-mile long barrier surrounded West Berlin. It was erected by communist-controlled East Germany to keep its citizens from escaping to the West. On November 9, 1989, the world witnessed the sudden and unexpected collapse of the Berlin Wall.

Sculptor Veryl Goodnight captured this moment of joy, felt around the world, when Berlin was reunited. By using horses, representing freedom of the human spirit, the artist recognizes all people who seek freedom from oppression.

The graffiti painted on the rubble beneath the horses was replicated by the artist from actual graffiti painted on the Berlin Wall. At President Bush’s request, the names of 15 people killed at the Berlin Wall were written on the “Dove of Peace.” These names represent over 900 people who were killed trying to escape to the West. This bronze monument weighs seven tons and took the artist three-and-a-half years to complete. A “sister” casting is on permanent display at the Allied Museum in Berlin, Germany.

President George Bush’s diplomatic skills enabled the hole in the Berlin Wall to become so large that all of Eastern Europe was set free from Communist rule. The Cold War had ended.  (Text from the plaque at this sculpture.)

The actual limousine used by Bush 41. 

The exhibits are set up so you can walk through the events of President Bush’s life.  Sports were a big part of his upbringing.  A quotation from his mother near this picture emphasized the importance of team performance over personal accomplishment.

President Bush had been accepted to Yale in 1941.  He went against the advice of his father and volunteered to join the Armed Forces, becoming a Naval Pilot.

The story of his being shot down, then being rescued by a submarine, caught on camera, is amazing. 

By the end of his period of active service, Bush had flown 58 missions, completed 128 carrier landings, and recorded 1228 hours of flight time.  He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

After the war He returned home and went to Yale, becoming among other things captain of the baseball team.

This is the actual car George and Barbara Bush drove to Midlands Texas to start his career in the oil fields:

A humorous take on a straw vote in the 1988 presidential race:

A recreation of the office in Camp David.  I enjoyed looking at the titles of his personal books.

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President George Bush, Barbara Bush, and their daughter Robin Bush are buried on the grounds.

It would take several days to fully explore the library, and to see all the exhibits and history contained in the library.  We only had one day, but will likely return again.