Bush gives Boy Scouts condolences
BOWLING GREEN, Va. - Succeeding on his third try to visit them, President Bush comforted thousands of Boy Scouts on Sunday at their national Jamboree, which was marred by the electrocutions of four leaders and stifling heat that sickened 300.
"The men you lost were models of good citizenship," Bush told the estimated 50,000 Scouts, leaders and visitors attending the event near Bowling Green, where boys yelled "Boy Scouts Rock!"
"As Scout leaders, they devoted themselves to helping young men develop the character and skills they need to realize their dreams. These men will always be remembered for their leadership and kindness, and you Scouts honor them by living up to the ideals of the Scouting they served."
Marine One landed in a grassy field, and Bush, who had been a Cub Scout in Texas, was ferried by van to a stage where he was met by a sea of cheering Scouts wearing uniforms covered with colorful patches and badges.
As the sun set, Bush told the crowd that the first man he often sees every morning, chief of staff Andrew Card, is a former Scout from Massachusetts; Vice President Dick Cheney was a Boy Scout in Wyoming; and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld was an Eagle Scout in Illinois.
Bush's speech was about patriotism, community and military service to the nation, but he also recalled how his mother, former first lady Barbara Bush, was the den mother of his Scouting pack. "It's about the time her hair turned white," he joked.
Before Bush arrived on stage, an Army band performed, and a man wearing an Army T-shirt led groups of Scouts in chants of "OO-rah" and "U.S.A." Tall pines provided a backdrop for blue, red and black hot-air balloons emblazoned with military and Scouting emblems.
The heat-related illnesses came as the Jamboree participants were still trying to overcome the deaths on Monday of four adult Scout leaders who were electrocuted in front of several Scouts when a metal pole at the center of a large dining tent touched power lines. The tent caught fire, and the men burned. An investigation into the accident is under way.