This afternoon President Obama awarded the Medal of Freedom to 15 recipients. The following were recipients:
Warren Buffett, Yo Yo Ma, George H. W. Bush, Bill Russell, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Rep. John Lewis, John Adams, Maya Angelou, Jasper Johns, Gerda Weissmann Klein, Tom Little (posthumously) , Sylvia Mendez, Stan Musial, Jean Kennedy Smith, and John Sweeney
The awards ceremony was very touching. President Obama was magnanimous. The most touching mini speech was given for former President Bush, who was in attendance.
A big deal was made of Daddy Bush and he just beamed. He is a humble person, despite all their money and prestige. President Obama called him a gentleman. He beamed even more. He appears to be having a hard time getting around now. The marine escorts helped him up. He sort of shooed them off but they were there as a safety net. Daddy Bush is 86.
Maya Angelou is another of my personal favorites. I heard her deliver ‘On the Pulse of Morning’ at Clinton’s first inauguration. Powerful. President Obama gave her a peck on the cheek. She beamed.
I also really like Warren Buffett. Stan Musial was beaming also, even though the person at the podium kept mispronouncing his name.
Jean Kennedy Smith accepted her award and was just as spry as a bird. The is the last remaining Kennedy of JFK’s generation. The last sibling, in fact and next to the youngest.