Obama honors ex-President George H.W. Bush with Medal of Freedom

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama honored former President George H.W. Bush this afternoon with the nation’s highest civilian award, the Medal of Freedom, at an emotional White House ceremony.

“His life is a testament that public service is a noble calling,” Obama said. “We celebrate an extraordinary life of service and of sacrifice.”

Bush, 86, smiled and wiped his eyes a few times during the ceremony in the East Room, packed with cameras, senators, Cabinet members and most of Bush’s immediate family, along with friends and family of other medal recipients.

Obama spoke of Bush’s “humility and decency” and a career of service that spanned seven decades, from “decorated Navy pilot who nearly gave his life in World War II to U.S. ambassador to the United Nations , from CIA director to U.S. envoy to China to the vice presidency.”

The Democratic president lauded Republican Bush’s presidential accomplishments, noting that he “expanded America's promise to new immigrants and people with disabilities. He reduced nuclear weapons. He built a broad international coalition to expel a dictator from Kuwait.”

Former first lady Barbara Bush sat with first lady Michelle Obama.

The guests included all of the Bush children other than the 43rd president, Dallas resident George W. Bush , and his wife, Laura: former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Neil Bush , Marvin Bush, Dorothy Bush Koch, and their spouses.

Other honorees included poet Maya Angelou ; Rep. John Lewis, the civil rights icon from Georgia ; cellist Yo-Yo Ma; artist Jasper Johns; baseball great Stan Musial; basketball star Bill Russell; Omaha billionaire Warren Buffett; and longtime union leader John Sweeney.

The 44th and 41st presidents visited privately in the Oval Office beforehand.

Earlier, at a news conference, Obama defended his own “calibrated” approach to Egypt’s recent revolution, and he seemed to have that in mind as he offered open admiration for Bush’s leadership during another tumultuous time.

“When democratic revolution swept across Eastern Europe, it was the steady diplomatic hand of President Bush that made possible an achievement once thought impossible — ending the Cold War without firing a shot,” Obama said.

Although Obama has often criticized the economic and foreign policies of George W. Bush, he has been reverential toward the elder Bush before. In fall 2009, Obama traveled to the elder Bush’s presidential library at Texas A&M to celebrate his advocacy of volunteerism.

“This is a gentleman, inspiring citizens to become points of light in service to others,” Obama said, noting that in recent years Bush had teamed up with the man who defeated him in 1992, Bill Clinton, to champion relief for victims of an Asian tsunami and Hurricane Katrina.

Bush, who often walks with a cane, entered the East Room on the arm of a Marine. Obama and the officer steadied him when he stood later for Obama to place the medal around his neck.

An hour or so after the ceremony, Jeb Bush tweeted: “Just left White House where the President honored my dad with the medal of freedom. Wow!”