Former President George H.W. Bush passes away at 94

[astrohip]

Originally Posted by Dopo

I already saw W and Cheney doing their rounds trying to use this to improve their image.
Two guys that have been hiding for 10 years.

Hiding? Improving their image? Neither of those two give a flying %&#$ about their "image". Nor were they in hiding.

Nice way to threadcrap this thread to honor our former President, an adopted Houstonian.

[hounomad]

My favorite: https://streamable.com/9hj3q

[astrohip]

George H.W. Bush will journey to his final resting place on a train whose engine is named for him

https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/03/us/ge...rnd/index.html

George H.W. Bush's journey to his final resting place will be aboard a train whose engine was specifically built to honor his life.

After a funeral route that will take the late President by plane from Houston to Washington D.C. and back again, a Union Pacific train led by a locomotive dubbed the "Bush 4141" will carry him to the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library in College Station, Texas.

The Bush 4141 is a rare locomotive that was commissioned to honor the former president in 2005. One of only a handful of Union Pacific trains to bear a color scheme other than the company's traditional blue and gold, it's painted to resemble Air Force One with a white body, a presidential seal and and long vertical bars of blue.

Where to watch...

[Texas Ag 93]

Originally Posted by hounomad

My favorite: https://streamable.com/9hj3q

That was nice. A bit like watching Harvey Korman and Tim Conway during an episode of The Carol Burnet Show.

[astrohip]

https://www.kbtx.com/content/news/Un...501940301.html

The U.S. Navy plans to perform a 21-aircraft missing man flyover above College Station on Thursday to honor the former Commander-in-Chief.

The 4:15 p.m. flyover will go directly above the George Bush Library and Museum on the Texas A&M campus and will be the Navy's largest ever flyover.

The F/A-18 Hornets and Super Hornets from Naval Air Station Oceana left Virginia Beach Tuesday en route to Texas.

Captain Kevin McLaughlin, Commodore of Strike Fighter Wing Atlantic, is leading the mission. He joined the Navy during Bush's presidency.

"To be even a small part of this ceremony means a lot to me," he said on the flight line Tuesday before departing for Texas.

Bush was 18 when he earned his Wings of Gold, making him one of the youngest Naval Aviators. His 58 combat missions during World War II earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross.

A traditional missing man fly-over is performed with four jets.

"A missing man fly-over is symbolic of the departure one of the members of our squadron, members of our air wing, and in this case, our Navy," Captain McLaughlin shared.

The fly-over for Bush will be much larger, involving 21 aircraft with good reason.

"Traditional honors for a Head of State is a 21-gun salute. As Texas is landlocked obviously, there is no ability to put a ship near President Bush`s final resting place. The Navy elected to go with a 21-plane flyover which is especially meaningful being that President Bush had been a Naval Aviator," Captain McLaughlin explained.

The jet McLaughlin is flying to Texas has also been specially marked with the name of President Bush and his wife of 73 years, Barbara, painted on the cockpit and backseat.

That, coupled with the fly-over, is an honor the Navy says Bush has more than earned.

"[It's] a symbolic final farewell to a great man who left a tremendous legacy of selfless service to his nation and his family behind," Captain McLaughlin said.

[High_Plains_Retired]

President G.H.W. Bush, welcome back to Texas. May your soul rest peacefully with God and with your loved ones who went home before you.

[astrohip]

A friend was able to get some pictures of the train procession...