The heritage of President Bush

Published May 20, 2011
By Airman 1st Class Jarrod Grammel
23rd Wing Public Affairs

MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- The new Air Park at Moody Air Force base is dedicated to former President George W. Bush. President Bush was stationed at Moody Air Force from Nov. 25, 1968 to Nov.28, 1969

"President Bush was a Second Lieutenant in the Texas Air National Guard when he was at Moody for undergraduate pilot training," said retired Col. Clarence S. Parker, 3550th Pilot Training Wing commander for Moody (1968-1971).

"When President Bush and I were at Moody it was a pilot training base," said Colonel Parker. "Moody primarily trained United States Air Force personnel but also had foreign trainees.

The training was in two stages. The first was initial training with the Cessna T-37 Tweet, and the second stage was advanced training with the Northrop T-38 Talon.

Retired Major Norm Connant was President Bush's T-38 flight commander while he was at Moody.

"President Bush was a lively individual," said Major Connant. "He had a great personality and was eager to learn."

As a wing commander, Colonel Parker did not know then Lieutenant Bush personally until after he left Moody.

"As a Wing commander, I didn't get to know Bush personally while he was here, but I had seen reports from his instructors," said Colonel Parker. "All of the reports I had seen from his instructors said he was a good pilot. At graduation his father came and gave a speech, then pinned his wings on."

During his presidency, President Bush invited his former classmates from Moody to attend a reunion in the White House.

"Thirty-two of his former classmates showed up," said Major Connant. "He was very accommodating, and he was the same as I remember him during our time at Moody."