[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book II)]
[January 10, 2009]
[Pages 1529-1531]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks at the Commissioning Ceremony of the USS George H.W. Bush in 
Norfolk, Virginia
January 10, 2009

    The President. Thank you very much. Secretary Gates, thank you for your introduction. I know I speak on behalf 
of President 41 when I say it has been a 
privilege for both of us to serve with this fine and distinguished man.
    I want to thank you all for coming. Laura and 
I are thrilled to be here to help commission an awesome ship and to 
honor an

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awesome man: President George H.W. Bush.
    To prepare for this day, I went back through some of my 
father's letters. I thought it was 
especially interesting to read one that he wrote in the late 1940s. He 
sent it to a friend, and here's what he said, he said: ``You should see 
Georgie now. Whenever I come home, he greets me and talks a blue streak, 
sentences disjointed of course.'' [Laughter] ``He tries to say 
everything, and the results are often hilarious.'' [Laughter] Some 
things do not change. [Laughter]
    The aircraft carrier, which we commission today, may be the Navy's 
newest ship, but she has already had an interesting past. Her catapult 
testing took place during an unseasonable cold snap. Her christening was 
thrown into chaos by a fierce nor'easter. And during construction, the 
shipyard was closed down because of Hurricane Isabel. So in keeping with 
this ship's short history, I brought along an equally strong force of 
nature: my mother. [Laughter]
    Mr. Vice President and Lynne, thank you for joining us. Vice President Cheney has 
been a fabulous Vice President of the United States. Governor 
Kaine, thank you for your welcoming 
remarks. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, I appreciate you joining us. Other members of the 
administration and their families; the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of 
Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen; CNO Gary 
Roughead; Captain O'Flaherty; other member of the United States Armed Forces and 
their families; shipyard workers and managers; members of our family who 
have joined us; and all the friends of George H.W. Bush: We are glad you are here.
    The story of the USS George H.W. Bush begins in the early days of 
World War II, when our dad enlisted in the 
United States Navy. Like many servicemen deployed overseas, he was 
sustained by a girl he loved back home. From 
her dorm room, she knitted socks for him. In remote Pacific atolls, he 
collected seashells for her. And when he returned home from war, the 
first thing he did was to make her his bride. And for 64 years ago this 
week, the love of my father's life has been Barbara Bush.
    Over the years, our parents have built a family bound forever by closeness, 
warmth, and unconditional love. Jeb, Neil, Marvin, and Doro and I will always feel blessed to have had the 
best father anyone could ever ask for. We will always be inspired by the 
faith, humor, patriotism, and compassion he taught us through his own 
example. And for as long 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.
    George H.W. Bush has the deep love of 
his family, the admiration of his friends, and the thanks of a grateful 
nation. So today we are faced with the--[applause]. So what do you give 
a guy who has been blessed and has just about everything he has ever 
needed? Well, an aircraft carrier. [Laughter] The ship that bears our 
dad's name is more than 95,000 tons of aluminum and steel. She will 
carry nearly 6,000 of the finest sailors and marines in the world. She 
represents the craftsmanship of many skilled builders and thousands of 
hours of preparation. And so I congratulate all of you on this 
tremendous achievement.
    This ship is a fitting tribute to a generation of men with whom my 
dad was privileged to serve. She's also a 
tribute to a new generation of American soldiers and sailors and Coast 
Guard men and women, airmen and marines who have stepped forward to 
defend the United States America. Again our troops are facing down a 
brutal enemy, again they are making America and the world safer, and 
again they will come home in victory.
    People often ask what I treasure most about being the President. 
Nothing comes close to the honor of being your Commander in Chief. Every 
day, I'm amazed by the skill and courage of our men and

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women in uniform. And as we send the USS George H.W. Bush into service, 
I know you will do credit to the sailors who served before you and the 
good man for whom this ship is named. I ask that God protect this ship 
and let her know only victory and peace. And I ask God's continued 
blessings on our wonderful Nation.
    Thank you.

[At this point, Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter made brief 
remarks.]

    The President. I hereby place the United States Ship George H.W. 
Bush in commission. May God bless and guide this warship and all who 
shall sail in her.

Note: The President spoke at 11:43 a.m. In his remarks, he referred to 
Gov. Timothy M. Kaine of Virginia; Adm. Gary Roughead, USN, Chief of 
Naval Operations; and Capt. Kevin E. O'Flaherty, USN, commanding 
officer, USS George H.W. Bush. The transcript released by the Office of 
the Press Secretary also included the remarks of former President George 
H.W. Bush. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish 
language transcript of these remarks.