BUSH DECORATES GULF WAR HEROES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP99-01448R000401700023-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 23, 2012
• Sequence Number: 23
• Publication Date: July 4, 1991
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/23 :CIA-RDP99-014488000401700023-2
Bush decorates Gulf
war heroes
By Frank J Murray
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
President Bush presented ;Medals
of Freedom yesterday to Gen. Nor-
man Schwarzkopf and Gen. Colin
Powell, "the men that our heroes
look up to;' at a White House cere-
mony where he also honored his
Desert Storm brain trust.
"Under your leadership, America
sent its sons and daughters to con-
ftront anenemy abroad, and in the
process you transformed a nation
here at home;' Mr. Bush said to the
two generals.
Renewing a theme he hit hard at
the war's end, ;Vic. Bush said, "Desert
Storm marked the end of an era of
self-doubt and lingering uncertainty
about America's staying power and
sense of purpose:'
At the East Room ceremony, at-
tended by ambassadors from many
of the coalition nations that fought
with U.S. troops, Mr. Bush noted that
the medals usually are given at the
end of a career to honor the recipi-
ent's life work. But he said he made
an exception because "Desert Storm
was such a watershed event, so
unique, so singular."
He also gave Medals of Freedom,
the nation's highest civil honor, to
Secretary of State James A. Baker
III, Defense Secretary Richard
Cheney and National Security Ad-
viser Brent Scowcroft, whom he
called one of the unsung heroes of
the Gulf War.
"He was at my side, poor guy,
throughout the crisis, quite literally
from the early mornitrg hours on Au-
gust 2nd until vtctor~' Mr. Bush
said.
The president also presented the
prestigious Presidential Citizens
Medal to the six members of his
"small group" of advisers who
tracked every jog of policy through-
out the crisis.
"Despite the modest name, the
contribution made by the 'small
group' to our success in the Gulf was
really nothing short of monumen-
tal;' Mr. Bush said as he presented
medals to:
Deputy National Security Ad-
viserand CIA director nominee Rob-
ert Gates; National Security Council
regional specialist Richard Haass;
Adm. David Jeremiah, the vice
chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Deputy CIA Director Richard Kerr,
who skipped his oneymoon to stay
on the job; Undersecretary of State
for Political Affairs and nominee for
ambassador to Germany Robert
Kimmitt; and Undersecretary of
Defense Paul Wolfowitz.
In addition to.his "small group;'
Mr. Bush ga~~e Citizens Medals to
Deputy Defense Secretary Donald
Atwood and Deputy Secretary of
State Lawrence Eagleburger, recall-
ing the tatter's "mission to Israel,
cane in hand, amid the torn and
twisted ruins on streets shattered by
a Scud attack:'
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Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/23 :CIA-RDP99-014488000401700023-2