STATES, GEORGE H-W BUSH,
HAS DIED AT THE AGE OF 94.
HIS SPOKESPERSON SAYS HE PASSED
AWAY IN HOUSTON
YESTERDAY.
ANDERSON COOPER TAKES A LOOK AT
HIS LIFE AND LEGACY.
(ANDERSON COOPER)
GEORGE HERBERT WALKER BUSH WAS
BORN IN MILTON,
MASSACHUSETTS ON JUNE 12TH,
19-24... THE SON OF A FUTURE U-S
SENATOR .
HE MARRIED BARBARA PIERCE...
THEY HAD SIX CHILDREN.
TWO WOULD FOLLOW HIS FOOTSTEPS
INTO PUBLIC LIFE.
NAT SOUND:
"I GEORGE WALKER BUSH, DO
SOLEMNLY SWEAR."
IN 2001 HIS ELDEST SON, TEXAS
GOVERNOR GEORGE WALKER
BUSH, BECAME THE 43RD
PRESIDENT...THE FIRST SINCE JOHN
QUINCY ADAMS TO FOLLOW HIS
FATHER INTO THE
WHITE HOUSE.
NAT SOUND:
"I'M NOW ABOUT TO ENTER...SO
HELP ME GOD, SO HELP ME
GOD."
HIS SECOND SON, JEB BUSH, SERVED
TWO TERMS AS
FLORIDA GOVERNOR AND IN 2016
UNSUCCESSFULLY RAN FOR THE
REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL
NOMINATION.
AFTER EARNING A DEGREE AT YALE--
THE ELDER BUSH MOVED
HIS FAMILY TO TEXAS-- WHERE HE
MADE A FORTUNE IN THE OIL
BUSINESS.
THERE, HIS BUDDING INTERESTS IN
REPUBLICAN POLITICS
BLOSSOMED.
THAT ONE FACT HELPED BUSH BECOME
ELECTED TO TWO
TERMS AS A CONGRESSMAN.
BUT HE WAS DEFEATED IN TWO
SUBSEQUENT BIDS FOR THE U-S
SENATE. HIS DISAPPOINTMENT
DIDN'T LAST LONG.
BUSH:
"WE VIEW THIS ITEM SO SERIOUSLY
THAT WE CONSIDER
IT A POSSIBLE TURNING POINT IN
THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED
NATIONS."
HIS POLITICAL PROFILE WAS HIGH
ENOUGH THAT PRESIDENT
NIXON APPOINTED HIM U-S
AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED
NATIONS.
LATER, HE BECAME CHAIRMAN OF THE
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL
COMMITTEE.
PRESIDENT FORD SENT HIM TO CHINA
TO HEAD UP THE U-S
LIAISON OFFICE, AS PART OF A NEW
INITIATIVE IN U-S CHINESE
RELATIONS.
AND IN 19-75, BUSH CAME HOME TO
BECOME DIRECTOR OF THE
C-I-A.
A JOB ASSOCIATES SAID HE TRULY
LOVED.
HE LEFT THAT JOB WHEN DEMOCRAT
JIMMY CARTER
BECAME PRESIDENT.. AND SOON
BECAME A PLAYER IN NATIONAL
REPUBLICAN POLITICS.
BUSH RAN AGAINST RONALD REAGAN
IN THE 1980 G-O-P
PRIMARIES, WINNING SOME, BUT
EVENTUALLY WITHDRAWING WHEN IT
BECAME CLEAR HE WOULDN'T BE THE
NOMINEE.
BUT REAGAN BELIEVED THE TEXAS
OILMAN COULD HELP HIM
WIN-OVER THE PARTY'S
MODERATES... AND NAMED HIM AS
HIS RUNNING MATE.
AS VICE PRESIDENT, BUSH SPENT A
LOT OF TIME ON THE
ROAD...
HE WAS REAGAN'S HIER APPARENT IN
19-88...
BUSH:
"I WANT A KINDER AND GENTLER
NATION, LIKE A THOUSAND
POINTS OF LIGHT IN A BROAD AND
PEACEFUL SKY"
HE ALSO MADE A CAMPAIGN PROMISE
THAT WOULD COME
BACK TO HAUNT HIM.
BUSH:
"READ MY LIPS... NO NEW TAXES."
HIS SELECTION OF A RUNNING MATE,
SURPRISED MANY.
BUSH:
"MY CHOICE FOR THE VICE
PRESIDENCY... IS SENATOR DAN
QUAYLE OF INDIANA."
BUT VOTERS SUPPORTED THE TICKET.
BUSH:
"SO HELP ME GOD."
AS THE NATION'S 41ST PRESIDENT,
BUSH'S FOCUS
RETURNED TO INTERNATIONAL
AFFAIRS.
HE PRESIDED OVER THE COLLAPSE OF
COMMUNISM IN
THE FORMER SOVIET UNION... AND
THE END OF THE COLD WAR.
HE ORDERED U-S TROOPS INTO LATIN
AMERICA TO CAPTURE
PANAMANIAN DICTATOR MANUEL
NOREIGA.
BUSH:
"THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR SENDING
SOMEONE'S SON AND
TODAY DAUGHTER INTO HARM'S WAY
RESTS ON THE SHOULDERS OF THE
PRESIDENT, SO IT IS THE MOST
DIFFICULT DECISION."
HE WOULD ORDER U.S. TROOPS INTO
COMBAT AGAIN... ALLIED
WITH DOZENS OF OTHER COUNTRIES
TO FREE KUWAIT FROM IRAQI
DICTATOR SADDAM HUSSEIN'S
AGGRESSION. THE FIRST GULF WAR
DIDN'T LAST LONG.
IN LESS THAN SIX WEEKS-- THE
IRAQIS WERE BOOTED FROM
KUWAIT. BUT SADDAM HUSSEIN
REMAINED IN POWER.
.. AND HELD A GRUDGE.
YEARS LATER... A CAR BOMBING
PLOT HATCHED IN IRAQ
TARGETED MISTER BUSH DURING A
VISIT TO KUWAIT.
BUSH:
"IF YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE SECURITY,
IF I HAVE TO HAVE IT
WITH THE SECRET SERVICE, I'VE
GOT THE BEST THERE IS, AND WE
WILL CONTINUE TO BE CAREFUL."
THE UNITED STATES RETALIATED
WITH A MISSILE ATTACK AGAINST
IRAQ'S INTELLIGENCE
HEADQUARTERS.
BUT THE MAN BEHIND THE PLOT
WOULD NOT BE CAPTURED FOR
ANOTHER DECADE-- WHEN THE SECOND
PRESIDENT BUSH ORDERED A U.S.
INVASION OF IRAQ.
MAN:
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN... WE GOT
HIM."
AT HOME, PRESIDENT BUSH WAS
HAMMERED BY CRITICS FOR
COMPROMISING WITH CONGRESS ON
TAX INCREASES--- AND BREAKING
HIS NO-NEW-TAXES PROMISES.
BUSH:
"WELL IT WAS A MISTAKE TO GO
ALONG WITH THE DEMOCRATIC
TAX INCREASE... AND I ADMIT IT.
"
IN A THREE WAY BATTLE WITH BILL
CLINTON AND ROSS PEROT--
HE LOST.
HE LIVED LONG ENOUGH TO SEE HIS
SON ACCOMPLISH WHAT HE
DID NOT, WIN A SECOND TERM IN
THE WHITE HOUSE.
NAT SOUND:
"SO HELP ME GOD...SO HELP ME
GOD...CONGRATULATIONS."
AT HIS SON'S REQUEST, HE ALSO --
BRIEFLY-- RE-ENTERED THE
PUBLIC SPOTLIGHT.
BUSH:
"IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE
DEVASTATING TSUNAMI."
HE JOINED WITH FORMER PRESIDENT
BILL CLINTON TO
HELP RAISE MONEY FOR VICTIMS OF
THE 2004 EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMIS
IN ASIA.
THE TWO REUNITED IN LATE 2005 TO
HELP THE VICTIMS OF
HURRICANE KATRINA.
AS A YOUNG NAVY PILOT, BUSH'S
PLANE WAS SHOT DOWN AND HE
HAD TO BAIL OUT OVER THE
PACIFIC.
AS A FAR OLDER MAN, HE WOULD
JUMP FROM PLANES
AGAIN: TO CELEBRATE HIS 80TH,
85TH, AND 90TH BIRTHDAYS.
BUSH:
"IT FEELS GOOD, THERE'S AN
EXHILARATION. IT SENDS A
MESSAGE ALL AROUND THE GLOBE
THAT JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE AN OLD
GUY YOU DON'T HAVE TO SIT AROUND
DROOLING IN THE CORNER. GET OUT
AND DO SOMETHING, GET OUT AND
ENJOY LIFE."
IT WAS A LIFE THAT BROUGHT
GEORGE HERBERT WALKER
BUSH BACK TO THE WHITE HOUSE IN
2011 TO RECEIVE THE NATION'S
HIGHEST CIVILIAN HONOR: THE
PRESIDENTIAL
MEDAL OF FREEDOM.
OBAMA:
"THOSE OF YOU WHO KNOW HIM, THIS
IS A GENTLEMAN. INSPIRING
CITIZENS TO BECOME "POINTS OF
LIGHT" IN SERVICE TO OTHERS. HIS
LIFE IS A TESTAMENT THAT PUBLIC
SERVICE IS A NOBLE CALLING."
AT THIS BELOVED WIFE BARBARA'S
FUNERAL,
PRESIDENT BUSH POSED FOR A PHOTO
WITH THE OTHER SURVIVING FORMER
PRESIDENTS.
THE YEARS HAD TAKEN THEIR TOLL
ON HIS BODY.
BUT HIS DIGNITY AND RESOLVE
SHINED THROUGH, PART OF A
GRACEFUL FINAL ACT IN A LIFE OF
PUBLIC SERVICE.
BUSH:
"I DO NOT FEAR WHAT IS AHEAD,
FOR OUR PROBLEMS ARE
LARGE, BUT OUR HEART IS LARGER.
OUR CHALLENGES ARE GREAT, BUT
OUR WILL IS GREATER."
(BRENNA)
BUSH LEAVES BEHIND FIVE CHILDREN
AND 17 GRAND CHILDREN.
FORMER GOVERNOR OF INDIANA,
MITCH DANIELS TWEETED
HIS CONDOLENCES, THANKING BUSH
FOR HIS LIFE OF SERVICE,
COURAGE,
AND PATRIOTISM.
MAYOR JOE HOGSETT TWEET OUT THIS
PHOTO SAYING, "NEARLY
TWO DECADES AGO, PRESIDENT BUSH
JOINED MAYOR HUDNUT TO PLANT A
ROSE GARDEN TREE IN DOWNTOWN
INDY, CREATING
PRESIDENTIAL PLACE PARK. LAST
NIGHT, AMERICA LOST A DEDICATED
LEADER BUT HIS LEGACY OF PUBLIC
SERVICE WILL LIVE ON."
(BRENNA)