Former President George H. W. Bush Receives Regan Freedom Award

When former President George H. W. Bush was given the 2007 Ronald Reagan Freedom Award at a gala Tuesday night, he joked that Reagan was a "tough act to follow." Former First Lady Nancy Reagan was escorted to the stage to place the medal around Bush’s neck. Wearing a sparkly silver dress and smiling, she waved to the assembled crowd but did not give any remarks.

In his acceptance speech, Bush said that he cherished the time he had been able to spend working alongside Reagan. "Working with Ronald Reagan was one of the greatest joys of my life," he said. Reagan died on June 5, 2004, at age 93. He had battled Alzheimer’s disease for 10 years prior to his death.

"I wish I had a little Ronald Reagan in me when it came to communicating with the American people," said Bush, who served as Reagan’s vice president before being elected to the high office himself. "Had I been blessed with my predecessor’s remarkable skill, who knows? I might still be employed."

The Ronald Reagan Freedom Award is given to people who "have contributed greatly to the cause of freedom worldwide." Past recipients of the award have included Rev. Billy Graham, Colin Powell, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, Lady Margaret Thatcher, Jordan's King Hussein, Bob Hope and Rudolph Giuliani.

Earlier Tuesday, a graveside ceremony was held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Museum in Simi Valley to honor and remember the former President. The crowd of attendees included Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and former California governors Gray Davis and Pete Wilson.

Also Tuesday, at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Museum, a wreath of white roses was placed on Reagan’s grave on behalf of President Bush by Col. James B. Seaton, III, commanding officer of Camp Pendleton, and former Attorney General Edwin Meese III. Seaton told the crowd of about 600 people that Reagan had been an inspiration to the Marine Corps while he was president, and that his legacy is still strong today as the military faces challenges in Iraq and around the world.

"America didn’t become great because we took the easy road," Seaton said.

Nancy Reagan did not attend the ceremonies, saying that she wanted to reserve her energy for the Tuesday night gala. However, she did issue a statement earlier in the day saying "It’s hard to believe that Ronnie would have been 96 years old today."