CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Remembering the 41st President of the United States.
Marine Corps League Chapter 947 played Taps as Chapter 733 of the Military Order of the Purple Heart laid a wreath in honor of President George H.W. Bush at the Veterans Memorial at Spring Hill Cemetery in Charleston on Wednesday.
“When I got the call to participate in this, I knew I wanted to do it because it means a lot to me to be here,” Jean Lamb said. “As a former staff member from the White House and a member of the Herbert J. Thomas Memorial Marine Corps League Detachment, it’s an honor for me to be here.”
Lamb, a Cedar Grove native, worked for the Bush administration as an Administrative Officer. She also worked for the Ronald Regan administration. When she graduated high school, she left for D.C. and worked in politics for 43 years but is now back home.
She remembered working for Bush at the ceremony.
“He was very professional and cared about everybody,” she said. “He knew you by your face. He may not have knew you by name but he knew you by face and acknowledged you whether you were walking down the hall of the old Executive building or if you were walking into the oval office. He was just wonderful. I enjoyed every second of working in the White House with his administration.”
Charles M. Baisden, the commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart Department of West Virginia laid the wreath. The state funeral for Bush took place Wednesday at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. All five living presidents were in attendance.
After the funeral, Bush’s casket will be transported to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland where it will be transported back to Texas. He will then lie at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Houston until 6 a.m. Thursday. A second funeral service will take place on Thursday before Bush reaches his final resting place at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library.
“It’s been very sad,” Lamb said. “I watched the ceremonies yesterday (Tuesday) and I watched this morning (Wednesday) and tears are rolling down my eyes as I remember some of the events that I was involved in with the president and his staff.
“He had a wonderful life. He had a life worth living. He was very professional and a wonderful man. I know it was his time to go but it is very sad.”