Acknowledging George Herbert Walker Bush

President George H.W. Bush's funeral was held Wednesday, and he is finally receiving the recognition and accolades that he deserves. He will likely be judged by historians as an important if not great president, but you'd hardly know it from the public perception of him during his one term in office.

As the president succeeding Ronald Reagan, Bush faced an unenviable task in persuading the public to love and respect him. Reagan had finished his two terms with a loyal following and an easy charm that made him a favorite on the national stage. Despite all his accomplishments and qualifications for office, Bush never seemed comfortable as a politician. His speaking style ranged between stiff and awkward. He was not an eloquent speaker, nor a spell-binding story teller. He always seemed self-conscious on the podium and refused to brag about himself, no matter how justifiable. Texas governor Ann Richards said Bush was "born with a silver foot in his mouth."

Some critics even suggested he was a coward. But as one Navy aviator put, anybody who does night carrier landings cannot be a coward. Bush flew 58 combat missions in World War II, landing on a rocking, moving aircraft carrier that is a mighty small refuge in a vast ocean. When he pointed out his grandchildren in a crowd to Ronald Reagan as "the little brown ones," he was accused of being a racist. A man who loves and is proud of his Hispanic daughter-in-law and her children is not prejudiced.

After succeeding Reagan, his next challenge was running for office against one of the best political charmers the nation had ever seen. Bill Clinton was glib, charming, empathetic, eloquent at times and willing to do whatever it took to win. The Democrats in 1992 portrayed Bush as a bumbling old man who didn't speak well and was out of touch with the electorate. Clinton's campaign hammered Bush on the economy ("It's the economy, stupid!), although any president's influence over the economy is limited, and the economy had begun improving before 1992 votes were cast.

Bush's accomplishments as president are only now being appreciated. He helped arrange the world order as the Soviet Union collapsed and Soviet bloc states declared independence. He saw to the reunification of Germany and the expansion of NATO. He negotiated and got approved a nuclear weapons treaty, and he led the push for the Americans with Disabilities Act and a civil rights bill.

But what he may be best remembered for is his personal dignity and kindness. He never called attention to himself. He refrained from criticizing others. He was sincere and genuine, never pretending to be someone he wasn't. He famously sent hand-written notes to friends, relatives and new acquaintances, thousands of such notes that are now cherished and even compiled in a book.

America is at last acknowledging the greatness of George H.W. Bush