Aircraft Carrier Named After George H.W. Bush

NORFOLK, Jan. 10 -- In a final presidential journey rife with pomp and nostalgia, President Bush joined family and friends here Saturday to commission a massive new aircraft carrier named for another U.S. president -- his father.

After landing on the Navy's newest nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the USS George H.W. Bush, the current president praised "President 41" as a leader, public servant and father. Addressing a crowd of about 10,000 that included his parents and four siblings, Bush said he had come "to help commission an awesome ship and to honor an awesome man."

"We will always be inspired by the faith, humor, patriotism and compassion he taught us through his own example," Bush said speaking for his siblings. "And for as long as we live, we will carry with us dad's other lessons -- that integrity and honor are worth more than any title or treasure, and that the truest strength can come from the gentlest soul."

Bush's father, walking with the aid of a cane, told the sailors gathered for the ceremony that "you take with you the undying respect and admiration of the entire Bush family."

Barring an unforeseen emergency, the 43rd president's trip to Norfolk Naval Station marked his last scheduled journey on Air Force One, the presidential aircraft, before he relinquishes power to President-elect Barack Obama on Jan. 20. While Saturday's ceremony had few overt signs of farewell, the event seemed a fitting coda marking the end of Bush's presidency and, at least for now, the family's political dynasty.

The gargantuan USS George H.W. Bush is the last of 10 Nimitz-class aircraft carriers to be commissioned by the U.S. Navy. Standing 20 stories high and more than three football fields long, the $62 billion "supercarrier" has been under construction since 2001 and is the latest in a long line of ships and submarines named for former commanders in chief.

Other recent commissions include the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier in 2001, and the USS Jimmy Carter submarine in 2004. A new generation supercarrier named for Gerald R. Ford is now in the works.

The elder Bush, now 84 , was the youngest aviator in Navy history when he earned his wings at age 19 and earned the Distinguished Flying Cross while flying 58 missions in the Pacific during World War II. His plane was shot down by Japanese antiaircraft fire in 1944; Bush parachuted into the sea and was rescued by a Navy submarine.

Saturday's commissioning ceremony included a flight over the new ship by an Avenger torpedo bomber of the kind George H.W. Bush flew during the war. The colorful commissioning ceremony also included a deafening 21-gun salute from the ship's cannons, followed by warm accolades and gentle teasing for the 41st president.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, who served under both Bushes and will continue heading the Pentagon under Obama, said the elder Bush "had a courage and a toughness that impressed all those who worked for him. At the same time, he was, and is, a man of feeling."

President Bush, after sharing a few well-known tales about his parents and himself, asked the crowd: "So what do you give a guy who has been blessed and has just about everything he has ever needed? Well, an aircraft carrier."

Bush's sister, Doro Bush Koch, lavished praise on her brother and father, both of whom ended their presidencies with low popularity. Her father "made us all very proud," she said, adding that the new aircraft carrier represents "the universal cause of freedom that our 43rd president has championed with unfailing devotion."

With 10 days left in office, the younger Bush seemed in a gregarious mood during his stop in Norfolk, which also included a private visit with U.S. Navy Seals teams. After his return to Andrews Air Force Base in Washington, Bush said farewell to the Air Force One crews who have made it possible for Bush to travel the world.

After arriving on the aircraft carrier on Marine One, Bush joined his parents and first lady Laura Bush on a golf cart sitting far above the water on the flight deck. As he flashed a big grin, the aircraft elevator on which the cart was sitting jerked and then plunged some four stories down to a lower deck, much to the surprise of reporters and onlookers.

Bush waved and laughed all the way to the bottom.