National and State Day of Mourning for Pres. George H.W. Bush declared
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The nation and state have been called to remember the life and legacy of a former President of the United States.
Ohio Gov. John Kasich has declared Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018 as an official Day of Mourning in the State of Ohio for President George Herbert Walker Bush. Gov. Kasich is encouraging Ohioians to remember the example of being a public servant such as former President Bush.
President Donald Trump released the following statement concerning the life of one of his predecessors, “President George H.W. Bush led a life that exemplified what is truly great about America. As with so many of his generation, the Greatest Generation, President Bush worked selflessly throughout his long life to bring about a world of justice and lasting peace. With his passing, we mark one of the last pages of a defining chapter in American history. Much of George H.W. Bush’s life was shaped by global conflict. He began his adult life by volunteering for combat in the Pacific Theater of World War Two. Through his heroic efforts as an aviator in the United States Navy, the youngest in United States history at the time, President Bush flew 58 combat missions, helping to win a hard-fought but fragile peace. Shortly after the war, the Nation found itself confronted with new challenges, including a protracted Cold War and the threat of nuclear annihilation by the Soviet Union. Propelled by his sense of duty to his Nation, George H.W. Bush re‑entered public service, first as a Member of Congress, and then as Ambassador to the United Nations, Chief of the United States Liaison Office in China, Director of Central Intelligence, Vice President, and President of the United States. Resolute through war, President Bush was magnanimous in peace. As the Communist threat subsided, he stood down America’s nuclear bombers from the alert posture they had maintained for so long and gently encouraged the development of democracy and free markets in the crumbling Soviet Union. Through these and other gestures of goodwill, President Bush helped to bring the Cold War to a victorious end and to transition the country into a period of sustained peace and prosperity.”
The statement went on to say, “During one of his many combat missions as a young man, then-Lieutenant Bush was forced to parachute from his airplane into the ocean below. Many years later, in celebration of a life of accomplishments in both war and peace, President Bush jumped from another aircraft — this time a helicopter — and parachuted safely onto the grounds of his home in Maine. Fearless, courageous, adventurous, and unyielding, through the highs and lows of the twentieth century and into the next millennium, President Bush served his Nation, creating an example that will inspire generations for decades to come.”
President Trump also declared Wednesday, Dec. 5 as a day of National Mourning in a proclamation, “I do further appoint December 5, 2018, as a National Day of Mourning throughout the United States. I call on the American people to assemble on that day in their respective places of worship, there to pay homage to the memory of President George H.W. Bush. I invite the people of the world who share our grief to join us in this solemn observance.”
Congressman Bill Johnson reacted to the passing of the 41st President when he heard of the news, “I was saddened to learn this morning of the passing of President George H.W. Bush. There is no doubt that he was a true patriot, someone who loved and served his country in the Navy as part of the Greatest Generation. History has rightly looked back on his term in the White House favorably. And, after he departed Washington, he set an example with his exemplary character that inspired many to be better citizens and to volunteer in their communities. We’ve lost a giant in American history.”
Attorney General and Governor-elect Mike DeWine released the following statement concerning the life and death of President Bush, “Fran and I are deeply saddened to learn of the death of a great and good man — our friend, former President George H.W. Bush. We extend our sympathy and love to his children, grandchildren and great-granchildren. President Bush lived a full and fulfilling life, revolving around his touchstones of faith, family and friends. President Bush said that the definition of a successful life was in serving others, and he urged Americans to reach out to those in need as part of a ‘thousand points of light.’ President Bush never stopped helping his fellow Americans, and led the way for volunteer efforts in times of disaster or other events, often partnering with his 1992 political rival turned personal friend, President Bill Clinton.”
He noted the former President visiting Ohio, “President Bush came to Ohio often, and Fran and I were always delighted to be with him many times when he visited the Buckeye State. When were having a picture taken with him and our whole family at Wright Patterson AFB, he noticed that our son Brian had the flap of his jacket pocket turned out. Ever the father, he helped him fix it before the picture was taken.”
DeWine also noted something that the his family shared with the Bush family, “President Bush also knew the pain of losing a child, having lost his daughter, Robin, to cancer. When our daughter, Becky, died in 1993, he called Fran and me to express his condolences. While we join our fellow Ohioans in mourning, we take comfort that President Bush is now reunited with the love of his life, former First Lady Barbara Bush, and their beloved daughter, Robin, and we are grateful for the life of this good man.”
