makes me hope that one day the shield will be on display in the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum.
I'm sure it will be.
Come to think of it, there may be more historic items in his library than there are in most others.
He has the bullhorn that he spoke with at ground zero. Bob Beckwith, the retired fireman that stood by his side when he said "I can hear YOU!", visited the White House and gave the bullhorn to the President personally.
President George W. Bush welcomes retired New York firefighter Bob Beckwith and his wife Barbara to the Oval Office Feb. 25 [2002]. Mr. Beckwith and New York Governor George Pataki visited the White House to present the President with the bullhorn the President used to talk with recovery workers during a visit to the World Trade Center Sept. 14, 2001.
President Bush also has the Texas Lonestar patch that Marcus Luttrell, the Lone Survivor of SEAL Team 10, wore while he was serving in Afghanistan.
From the book LONE SURVIVOR:
And then he [President Bush] saw me glance at his desk, and on it was the battle patch that I'd asked Admiral Mullin to present to him. The president grinned and said, "Remember this?""Yessir." Did I ever remember it. I'd hidden that baby in my Afghan trousers, just to make sure those Taliban bastards didn't get it. And now here it was again, right on the desk of the president of the United States, the Lone Star of Texas, battle worn but still there.
We talked privately for a few minutes, and it was clear to me, President Bush knew all about the firefight on Murphy's Ridge [named after fallen SEAL and Medal of Honor recipient Michael Murphy]. And indeed how I had managed to get out of there.
At the end of our chat, I reached over and picked up the patch, just for old times' sake. And the president suddenly said, in that rich Texan accent, "Now you put that down, boy! That doesn't belong to you anymore."
We both laughed, and he told me my former battle patch was going to his future museum.
As I left the Oval Office he told me, "Anything you need, Marcus. That's anything. You call me right here, on that phone, understand?"
"Yessir." And it still felt to me like two Texans meeting for the first time. One of 'em kinda paternal, understanding. The other absolutely awestruck in the presence of a very great United States presidnt, and my commander in chief.