Funeral preparations are underway for the country’s 41st President, George H.W. Bush, who died on Friday night at the age of 94.
As is customary for former Presidents, Bush will be honored with a state funeral — a series of events that will last at least a week and take place in both Texas and the nation’s capitol.
The Bush family is working with the Department of Defense’s Joint Task Force National Capitol Region to implement a funeral schedule in accordance with the late President’s wishes. Exact details from the family are expected to be announced shortly.
“We, the men and women of the Department of Defense, are honored and proud to support the Bush family and will do so with the utmost respect,” Maj. Gen. Michael L. Howard, the Joint Force Headquarters-National Capital Region commanding general, said in a statement. “This state funeral is a culmination of years of planning and rehearsal to ensure the support the military renders President Bush is nothing less than a first-class tribute.”
Congressional leadership – Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Paul Ryan, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi – announced Saturday that the late President will lie in state at the United States Capitol Rotunda from Monday evening to Wednesday morning, giving the public an opportunity to pay respects. An arrival ceremony will be held on Monday evening.
President Donald Trump has designated Wednesday, Dec. 5 as a national day of mourning. He and his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, are expected to attend the portion of the funeral that will take place at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C.
This is the first state funeral for a former President in over a decade, since Gerald Ford passed away in December 2006.
