The passing of George H.W. Bush holds special relevance for one Whidbey Island resident.
On Sept. 9, 1992, Charlie Moore was command master chief at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove in Pennsylvania when he got the chance to meet the 41st president of the United States.
“It was one of the highlights of my career,” he said, “and I will always cherish that moment.”
Moore and the base’s executive officer, Cmdr. C.M. Wilson, greeted Bush as he stepped off Air Force One after landing at the air station. It was just 55 days before the election and the president was scheduled to speak at campaign events.
While it was undoubtedly a busy and stressful time for the commander in chief, Moore said he remembers being impressed that Bush took the time to chat with him briefly after shaking hands.
The president asked Moore what he did on base and Moore explained that he was the senior enlisted advisor to the commanding officer. Bush seemed genuinely interested and was surprisingly approachable, Moore said.
“He seemed like he was very focused,” Moore said. “He was in the moment there. He was very decent.”
Then Bush was off to his motorcade and a very busy day. According to a database of his speeches, he spoke that day at a meeting with Republican congressional leaders and then a community event in Morristown, Pennsylvania. He participated in a question-and-answer session at an industrial company in Collegeville, Pa., and then gave remarks at a Bush-Quayle rally in New Jersey.
His good humor was on display when he spoke that day about job training.
“Lamar Alexander, our secretary of education who is with me, suggested about a year ago that I learn to run a computer. I’m trying to kill him for that, but nevertheless I use it all the time,” he said. “I think it does help demonstrate that nobody’s too darn old to learn.”
Moore was able to get an official White House photo showing him greeting the president, which he now displays in the office of his business, Charlie Moore Realty in Oak Harbor. Moore retired in June 1994, after 30 years in the Navy.
He served at more than a dozen bases — including Naval Air Station Whidbey Island — but one of his proudest moments, he said, was when he greeted the leader of the free world.
“It was a terrific experience for me,” he said. “It was an exciting time.”
