President George H.W. Bush left us
this week.
He was the last of his generation to
lead this American nation, as he was the final WWII veteran to have held presidential
office. And there will never be another. Perhaps his most notable achievement
during the one term in which he held the most prestigious office on earth was
another war in which he involved this and many other nations; in order to
liberate a obscure little country in the Mideast. Since the 41st
President of the United States went the way of all flesh, he has not ceased to
be eulogized by statesmen and common men and women alike. Two traits in
particular enveloped him like a garment; Integrity and Humbleness.
As time wore on, and the former
president grew more feeble, the elder Bush’s family brought in a service dog; a
yellow Labrador named, “Sully.” Interestingly enough, Sully is named after the
pilot, “Sully” Sullenberger, who managed to bring his disabled passenger
aircraft down on the Hudson River; whereby sparing every soul on board from
almost certain death.
President Bush’s family could have
never imagined the depth of the relationship which he and Sully would establish
in such a short time period. Sully was trained to respond to commands, to
retrieve items requested by his master, and to notify a family member if, and
when his human experienced a problem of any kind.
The ninety-four year old former
president seemed to develop an instant bond with Sully. And while the elder
Bush was widely known for his monogrammed socks, no one could have predicted he
would order a pair featuring the likeness of Sully. In fact, multiple
likenesses of Sully.
Pt. 2
Of course, neither could anyone have predicted
that George’s and Sully’s relationship would be of such a short duration. All
of six months from beginning to end. In the past few days old George joined the
vast host of America’s presidents with names such as Thomas and Benjamin and
Abraham and Calvin and Franklin and John.
America is commemorating the life of
#41 this week. A multitude of news anchors, reporters, relatives and friends
have contributed multiplied hundreds of hours to the story of his life and
death. And I suppose they will be telling the story for years to come.
Hours of old film footage have filled
up our television screens, and temporarily replaced the time dedicated to bashing
our current president; (admittedly a conceited, outspoken, unpredictable man
without an humble bone in his entire body).
The grainy video of twenty year old
Navy pilot George H.W. Bush being hauled onto an American submarine; after
being shot down by Japanese antiaircraft fire. George and Barbara as they
stroll down a rustic pathway, and suddenly the former suddenly manages to throw
his left foot up against the latter’s posterior. The old man and his wife
seated in their Texas living room trading words and laughter. The
eighty-something year old man recreating his ancient parachute jump.
Old film footage of what must have
been the most multifaceted politician in the history of our American Republic.
Texas congressman, U.N. Ambassador, Ambassador to China, Chairman, Republican
National Convention, Director, CIA, Vice President, President.
Pt. 3
I may be biased since I love dogs, but
I think the most poignant memories of the man are the most recent ones, and
which include Sully, his service dog.
First, there was the photo of this
devoted yellow Labrador lying on the floor directly in front of #41’s
flag-draped casket in a Texas funeral home.
Yesterday, the late president was
transported to our nation’s capital on Air Force One, along with members of his
extended family, and (you guessed it) Sully the service dog. Once our nation’s
most famous aircraft landed at Andrews Air Force Base, President Bush’s casket
was driven to Washington D.C., and placed on Abe Lincoln’s 150 year old
catafalque in the rotunda of the Capitol Building.
And while the live coverage of the
frail 95 year old Senator Bob Doyle standing from his wheelchair to render a
left-handed salute to his friend was exceptionally poignant, what “got to me”
was Sully the service dog’s own personal homage to his late master.
Sully is escorted into the rotunda by
a member of the late president’s entourage. The middle-aged woman steps up to
the casket, and silently stands with Sully by her side. George’s service dog is
attired in a vest reminiscent of an American flag which covers his chest and
back. The seal of the President of the United States is affixed to it. It
almost seems that the yellow Labrador understands this will be the final time
he will stand in the presence of his beloved friend. Both intelligence and
emotion register in his eyes. Ultimately, the middle-aged lady turns, and
escorts the faithful canine from the building.
I find myself thinking about other
dogs which displayed the most eloquent of emotions and subsequent actions, as
they responded to deaths of those whom they loved.
Pt. 4
In the mid-20’s,
HidesaburÅ Ueno, a professor at the Tokyo Imperial University, brought Hachiko,
a Japanese Akita, to live in Shibuya, Tokyo
as his pet. Hachiko would meet Ueno at Shibuya
Station every day after his commute home. This continued for over a year, when
Ueno died of a cerebral hemorrhage while at work. From then until his death nine
years later, Hachiko would return to Shibuya Station every day to await Ueno's
return.
Greyfriars Bobby was a 19th
century Skye Terrier who was well known in Edinburgh, Scotland for spending fourteen
years guarding the grave of his owner, John Gray, ‘til his own death. Just
recently I stood at the gravesite of Bobby, and snapped a photo of a statue of
the dear little critter; which stands within yards of his final resting place.
My own nephew, a dear young man named
Wade, left us decades before his time. He owned and loved a “Heintz-57” mixed
breed dog which he named “Fluffy.” After Wade’s passing the poor little
creature refused to eat, and literally mourned himself to death.
I am convinced that dogs, and other
animals, such as Sully, possess an awareness far beyond anything we can
comprehend. They have an innate intelligence, and the God-given wherewithal to
remember. I have no doubt, whatsoever, that Sully will remember, and, no doubt,
mourn his “Poppy George.”
While the Bush family would love to continue
to care for Sully, and he for them, the decision has been made to transfer the
service dog to the nation’s premier military hospital, Walter Reed, in
Bethesda, Maryland; where he can continue to render service to the nation, and
the veterans who have given so much to preserve it.
Thank you Sully for your love,
kindness, commitment and service to your friend, George, and the 41st
President of the greatest nation on the face of the earth.
May God grant you length of years, and
the wherewithal to go on making a difference in the lives of those whom He sets
in your pathway.
by William McDonald, PhD. Copyright Pending
If you wish to copy, share or save, please include the credit line, above
No comments:
Post a Comment