Mr. Bush, 94, served America with distinction for half-a-century, from flying 58 combat missions for the Navy in WWII to Congressman, UN Ambassador, CIA director and Ronald Reagan’s VP, before his 1988 election to the presidency /2
President during one of the most momentous years of the 20th century - 1989 - Bush led America as communism collapsed in Eastern Europe, culminating w/the dramatic fall of the Berlin Wall. Bush said America would not gloat at the end of the Cold War - but reach out to new friends
Two years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Soviet Union itself collapsed - one of the most momentous events of the 20th century. Bush said America would help Russia and other former Soviet states transition peacefully; the U.S. sent aid to the Russians
Bush led the response to Iraq’s 1990 invasion of Kuwait, culminating in “Operation Desert Storm,” the 1991 Persian Gulf War. His objective was to restore Kuwaiti sovereignty; the U.S. did not topple Saddam Hussein or occupy Iraq itself - SecDef Dick Cheney said it wasn’t worth it
A 2017 @cspan survey of historians ranked George H.W. Bush the 20th-best President, in the middle of the pack. His best leadership quality: “International Relations,” his worst: “Vision/Setting an Agenda” 
