Monday, June 14, 2004
he Battalion
40*'
olume 110 • Issue 151 *6 pages
A Texas A&M Tradition Since 1893
SPORTS:
LSU knocks A&M out
of the race for the
College World Series.
Page 3
www.thebatt.com
PAGE DESIGN BY: LAUREN ROUSE
Bush’s birthday bash
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JOSHUA HOBSON • THE BATTALION
Bush embraces actor Chuck Norris as Fox News' Managing Editor, Brit Hume (far right), afternoon. Bush, Hume and Norris each completed tandem jumps with members of the U.S. Army
three skydived and successfully landed at the George Bush Presidential Library Sunday Parachute team, The Golden Knights.
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President Bush flew into
Houston to celebrate his
father's 80th birthday at
Minute Maid Park
The event was emceed by Larry King of CNN's
"Larry King Live"
Performers included Amy Grant and Vince
Gill, Randy Travis, Wynonna Judd, Irish tenor
Ronan Tynan and comedian Dennis Miller
The Bush Endowment announced that it raised ;
more than $55 million to benefit the Bush
Library Foundation, the Points of Light Foundation jj
and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
WILL LLOYD • THE BATTALION
SOURCE : JIM MCGRATH, BUSH SPOKESMAN
5,000 friends, family
celebrate birthday
former President George Bush (front) and
U.S. Army Golden Knight parachutist Sgt.
|lryan Schnell complete a tandem jump from
JOSHUA HOBSON • THE BATTALION
13,500 feet above the George Bush
Presidential Library and Museum Sunday
afternoon.
By Brian D. Cain
THE BATTALION
In an event best described as
spectacular, former President
Bush celebrated his 80th birthday
with 5,000 of his closest friends
on Saturday at Minute Maid Park
in Houston.
The event, though on the heels
of former President Ronald
Reagan’s funeral, was a celebra
tion of Bush’s career in public
service filled with celebrities,
entertainers and heads of state.
The party started with a VIP
reception in the food vendor section
of Minute Maid 1 Park. Sections of
the area were tilled with food and
decorated to reflect stages of Bush’s
life. Of the six sections, the Maine
section offered Maine new potatoes
with lobster and mini creme brulee,
while the Texas A&M section had
chicken fried steak lingers and Blue
Bell ice cream.
The event began with the
Houston Symphony Orchestra
playing for a restless crowd until
an announcer’s voice said, “Ladies
and gentlemen, the president of
The United States of America and
Laura Bush.” The appearance of
President Bush and first lady
Laura Bush drew wild applause
from the crowd.
While Larry King, of the CNN
television show “Larry King Live,”
See Birthday on page 2
Fexas A&M students get involved at 41 @80 event
By James Twine
THE BATTALION
Texas A&M students not
nly watched former President
Bush skydive on Sunday to
elebrate his 80th birthday,
ley were also involved with
he entertainment and assis-
ance during the day’s events.
“The day was absolutely
mazing,” said executive vice
president of student govern
ment association Chris Diem.
“It was a great event honoring
a great man, and I am very
glad to have participated in it.”
The Aggie Wranglers,
Singing Cadets, Sigma Alpha
sorority, Aggie Men’s Club
and the Student Government
Association were some of the
organizations that were
involved with the 41 @80 event
on Sunday at the George Bush
Presidential Library.
The Aggie Wranglers and
Singing Cadets performed at
the barbecue luncheon after the
Bush skydive and the U.S.
Army Parachute Team demon
stration, in front of a host crowd
of dignitaries and guests.
Those dignitaries and
guests were met and assisted
by Aggie students as they
climbed off the Challenger
3985-led Union Pacific Train
from Houston and were shut
tled by bus to the drop zone on
the Bush Library grounds.
Student Government
Association representatives
assisted the guests from the
train to the shuttles and gave the
guests a rundown of the sched
ule of events to take place.
Diem said that it was a great
experience to meet and talk to
people like Jeb Bush and
Mikhail Gorbachev.
“On the bus I was able to
talk and socialize with some of
the people that were in atten
dance and meet people that
you wouldn’t meet otherwise,”
Diem said.
Diem said he thought having
See Students on page 2
Bush gets
his wings
Sunday
By Brian D. Cain
THE BATTALION
Former President Bush waved to
the crowd amid the cheers of 5,000
spectators as he landed from his
much anticipated parachute jump
Sunday over the grounds of the
George Bush Presidential Library.
Bush skydived to celebrate his
80th birthday and to show people
that age is no reason to slow down
one’s lifestyle.
“Bush is also jumping today to
celebrate the 229th birthday of the
U.S. Army and the 227th anniver
sary of the adoption of the American
flag,” said Lt. Col. Dave Standridge,
commander of the U.S. Army
Parachute team, the Golden Knights.
“Bush was extremely disappointed
that we had to do a tandem jump
today, because of all the hours of
training he had gone through (to
jump solo),” Standridge said.
Because of high winds around
the drop zone, the Golden Knights
decided it would be best to make the
skydive a tandem jump.
Upon landing, Bush was award
ed the U.S. Army’s basic para
chutist badge for successfully com
pleting his fifth parachute jump.
“This badge contains a small
bronze star inset in it, which indi
cates that the wearer has made a
combat jump into hostile territory,”
Standridge said.
Bush parachuted over the Pacific
Ocean during World War II when his
naval aircraft was shot down near
the island of Chi Chi Jima in
September 1944.
Bush was excited about his jump
and ready to do it again.
“It was a real thrill for me; I had
no fear being in the hands of the
Golden Knights, the most qualified,
the best parachutists we have in the
U.S. military,” Bush said. “It was
absolutely fantastic. I got to jump
this morning, and I don’t know
about going back and asking them if
I can do another one a few months
from now, but I’m thinking about it.”
“It’s been a great day, and we’re
very, very grateful to the Golden
Knights,” Bush said.
Martial arts action star Chuck
See Wings on page 2
i