VICE PRESIDENT AND EVENTUALLY PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. SAVANNAH GUTHRIE TAKES A LOOK
BACK AT HIS LIFE OF PUBLIC
SERVICE.
SERVICE. ♪
♪ >> AS PRESIDENT, I CAN REPORT TO
THE NATION AGGRESSION IS
DEFEATED.
DEFEATED. THE WAR IS OVER.
>> Reporter: FOR GEORGE HERBERT
WALKER BUSH, VICTORY IN THE
FIRST GULF WAR WAS HIS FINEST
HOUR.
HOUR. NEVER A POLITICAL FIRE BRAND, HE
WAS OFTEN DESCRIBED AS HAVING
THE BEST RESUME IN AMERICA.
A GREGARIOUS PERSONALITY AND
MOST OF ALL, EXPERIENCE.
>> WHAT IT ALL COMES DOWN TO
AFTER ALL THE SHOUTING AND THE
TEARS IS THE MAN AT THE DESK AND
WHO SHOULD SIT AT THAT DESK, MY
FRIENDS, I AM THAT MAN.
>> Reporter: BUT GEORGE BUSH WAS
ALSO VERY PRIVATE AND BELIEVED
EVEN AFTER DECADES IN PUBLIC
LIFE THAT HE WAS MISUNDERSTOOD.
>> I WAS NEVER CLEAR IN LETTING
PEOPLE KNOW WHAT MY HEART BEAT
IS.
IS. >> Reporter: BORN IN 1924, BUSH
WAS RAISED IN GREENWICH,
CONNECTICUT.
CONNECTICUT. HIS FATHER PRESCOTT BUSH WAS A
U.S. SENATOR FROM A YOUNG AGE,
HE WAS A NATURAL LEADER.
AT PHILLIPS ANDOVER, HE WAS THE
CLASS PRESIDENT.
CLASS PRESIDENT. AT YALE, PHI BETA KAPPA AND
CAPTAIN OF ALMOST EVERY TEAM HE
PLAYED ON.
PLAYED ON. AT 18 HE DEFIED HIS PARENTS BY
ENLISTING IN THE NAVY.
TWO YEARS LATER HE WAS SHOT DOWN
OVER THE PACIFIC.
>> I’LL NEVER FORGET IT.
THE PLANE, THE FUMES AND THE
SMOKE AND IT WAS TERRIFYING.
>> Reporter: AMBITIOUS AND
IMPATIENT, BUSH MARRIED BARBARA
PIERCE IN 1945.
FINISHED YALE IN JUST THREE
YEARS.
YEARS. AND HE MOVED TO TEXAS TO SEEK
HIS FORTUNE IN THE OIL BUSINESS.
THEY HAD SIX CHILDREN.
AND BY 1964, BUSH COULD AFFORD
TO TURN TO POLITICS.
>> GEORGE BUSH, THE REPUBLICAN
OPPORTUNITY.
OPPORTUNITY. >> Reporter: OVER THE NEXT 20
YEARS, GEORGE BUSH WOULD BECOME
ONE OF THE MOST EXPERIENCED
PUBLIC SERVANTS IN AMERICA.
AFTER TWO TERMS IN CONGRESS, HE
BECAME AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED
NATIONS, CHAIRMAN OF THE
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE.
ENVOY TO CHINA.
AND FINALLY, HIS FAVORITE JOB --
DIRECTOR OF THE CIA.
ALL OF WHICH PREPARED HIM FOR
THIS.
THIS. >> I AM ABSOLUTELY CONVINCED I
WILL BE YOUR NEXT PRESIDENT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. >> Reporter: BUT BUSH COULDN’T
COMPETE WITH THE CHARISMATIC
RONALD REAGAN.
RONALD REAGAN. INSTEAD, SERVING AS HIS VICE
PRESIDENT FOR EIGHT YEARS.
IN 1988, IT WAS HIS TURN.
>> I GEORGE HERBERT WALKER
BUSH --
BUSH -- >> Reporter: AND BUSH CALLED FOR
GREATER CIVILITY.
GREATER CIVILITY. >> TO MAKE KINDER THE FACE OF
THE NATION AND GENTLER THE FACE
OF THE WORLD.
>> Reporter: HIS PROUDEST
ACCOMPLISHMENTS, THE CLEAN AIR
ACT AND THE AMERICANS WITH
DISABILITIES ABILITY.
DISABILITIES ABILITY. >> HOW ARE YOU, SIR?
>> Reporter: AND OVERSEAS HE WAS
CREDITED WITH THE STEADY HAND AS
THE COLD WAR ENDED.
THEN IN 1990, BUSH FACED A
CRISIS WHEN THE IRAQI ARMY
INVADED KUWAIT.
INVADED KUWAIT. >> A LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN THE
SAND.
SAND. >> Reporter: USING HIS TRADEMARK
PERSONAL DIPLOMACY, BUSH BUILT
AN UNPRECEDENTED COALITION.
AFTER FIVE WEEKS OF HIGH-TECH
BOMBING, THE GROUND WAR WAS OVER
IN JUST 100 HOURS.
AND BUSH REACHED AN INCREDIBLE
91% APPROVAL RATING.
HE WAS THE MOST POPULAR
PRESIDENT IN U.S. HISTORY.
>> WE WANT WORK!
>> Reporter: BUT THAT HIGH
APPROVAL RATING SOON COLLAPSED
AS AN ECONOMIC RECESSION FORCED
BUSH TO BREAK HIS MOST FAMOUS
CAMPAIGN PLEDGE.
CAMPAIGN PLEDGE. >> READ MY LIPS -- NO NEW TAXES.
>> Reporter: AND A LITTLE KNOWN
GOVERNOR FROM ARKANSAS ISSUED A
CHALLENGE.
CHALLENGE. >> DON’T READ MY LIPS.
READ MY PLAN.
>> Reporter: IT WAS A BITTER
DEFEAT.
DEFEAT. >> 20 YEARS AGO WHEN YOU LOST,
WAS IT A HARD FEELING?
>> TERRIBLE FEELING.
AWFUL FEELING.
AWFUL FEELING. AND I REALLY WANTED TO WIN AND I
WORKED HARD.
WORKED HARD. >> Reporter: BUSH THREW HIMSELF
INTO LIFE AFTER THE WHITE HOUSE.
RAISING MORE THAN $100 MILLION
FOR CANCER RESEARCH.
LITERACY.
LITERACY. >> JUST BECAUSE YOU’RE 90 IT
DOESN’T MEAN YOU CAN’T STILL GET
A THRILL OUT OF STUFF.
>> Reporter: HE WAS NOT ABOVE
USING A SPECTACLE TO HELP
CHARITY EVEN AT 90 YEARS OLD.
>> WHY DOES HE KEEP JUMPING OUT
OF PERFECTLY GOOD AIRPLANES?
>> Reporter: POLITICALLY, BUSH
TRIED TO KEEP A LOW PROFILE BUT
CAMPAIGNED FOR SONS JEB AND
GEORGE W. AND GAVE ADVICE.
>> I TALKED TO HIM ALL THE TIME.
>> Reporter: AND IN 2000, HE
WATCHED HIS SON BECOME THE 43rd
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. >> I GEORGE WALKER BUSH --
>> Reporter: AS HE SURVIVED HIS
WIFE OF 73 YEARS, BARBARA, AND
WITNESSED AN OUTPOURING OF
AFFECTION FOR HER.
THE THEIRS WAS THE LONG --
THEIRS WAS THE LONGEST MARRIAGE
IN PRESIDENTIAL HISTORY.
A PRIVATE MAN WHO LIVED A VERY
PUBLIC LIFE.
PUBLIC LIFE. PRAISED BY HIS FELLOW PRESIDENTS
FOR HIS LEADERSHIP AND GRACE AS
PRESIDENT OBAMA SO APTLY SAID AS
HE HONORED BUSH WITH THE
PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM.
>> HIS HUMILITY AND HIS DECENCY
REFLECTS THE BEST OF THE
AMERICAN SPIRIT.
AMERICAN SPIRIT. THOSE OF YOU KNOW HIM, THIS IS A
GENTLEMAN.
GENTLEMAN. >> Reporter: BUT BUSH HIMSELF
ALWAYS MAINTAINED HIS PROUDEST
ACCOMPLISHMENT WAS THAT HIS
CHILDREN STILL CAME HOME, HIS
LIFE WAS ABOUT FAITH, FAMILY AND
FRIENDS AND AN UNDERSTATED
POLITICAL LEGACY.
POLITICAL LEGACY. >> I’M SURE I COULD HAVE DONE A
LOT OF THINGS BETTER, BUT IT’S
BEEN A FULFILLING TIME IN MY
LIFE AND A LOT OF EXPERIENCES
AND INCLUDING BEING PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES.