COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) – Marine One is the iconic mode of transportation for past presidents, a convoy of up to 11 identical helicopters flying at once, piloted by a crew known as the HMX-1 “Nighthawk.”
The helicopter carrying the President is always referred to as “Marine One” while aboard.
One of the helicopters that was instrumental in ferrying President George H. W. Bush to his destination is now on display at the Presidential Library and Museum in College Station. A new pavilion showcases the helicopter and Union Pacific 4141 locomotive that transported President Bush to his final resting place.
Retired U.S. Marine Corps Colonel Steven Taylor has long flown the nation's leaders aboard Marine One, including the helicopter currently on display.
“I took a quick look at the logbook between those two flights and I had about 100 hours flying time in this helicopter,” Taylor said.
Those tours have included the presidency of Ronald Reagan, when George H. W. Bush served as vice president, and the presidency of George W. Bush. Taylor said the library's new additions have plenty of stories to tell.
“Whenever they came in by helicopter, they were always very polite, they'd come over, say 'hello,' check the weather, we'd say hello, and then they'd go back, sit down, and then they'd leave,” he said. “One of the things I've always thought was valuable was that the helicopter allowed the president to see and be seen, so they could see out the window, whether it was Normandy, the World Trade Center after 9/11, natural disasters. The helicopter allowed them to go and see a lot of places they wouldn't have been able to see otherwise.”
It was Taylor's first time seeing the helicopter since it landed in College Station on Wednesday, and now that it's open to the public, Taylor says she's excited for people to see the new exhibits and learn about pieces of the pavilion's history.
“I walked through the library and the museum and then I took a little walk over to the pavilion here and saw this amazing display of this helicopter and, of course, there's the locomotive next to it. So it's really great that people can come and see the piece of history that this helicopter represents,” he said.
Taylor said it was clear from his time as vice president that George H.W. Bush was a hard-working, dedicated leader who utilized Marine One throughout the day to serve the American people.
The Pavilion closes at 8pm on Thursdays.
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