George W. Bush’s portraits of veterans headed to Disney World

IMMORTALIZED IN THIS WAY IS HARD TO CAPTURE. IN TWO WORDS, REALLY IT IS. YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER THE DAY THE PRESIDENT TOLD ME THAT HE HAD PAINTING MY PORTRAIT. IT’S INCREDIBLY HUMBLING. THE PORTRAIT IS OF THIS MAN, ARMY SERGEANT, FIRST CLASS ROD RODRIGUEZ, SPECIAL FORCES GREEN BERET, THE ARTIST GEORGE W BUSH CHOSE TO PAINT RODRIGUEZ AND EVERY ONE OF THESE VETERANS ON DISPLAY, NOT ONLY TO HONOR THEM, BUT SO THAT ALL OF US WOULD KNOW THEM. THEIR SERVICE AND THEIR SACRIFICE. WE DIDN’T DO IT FOR ANY PERSONAL ACCOLADES OR A PAT ON THE BACK. WE DID IT FOR YOU. WE DID IT FOR FOR EVERYBODY, FOR OUR NATION. SO IT’S FOR ME, IT’S INCREDIBLY HUMBLING TO BE PART OF THIS PART OF THIS THAT THIS THIS IS THESE PORTRAITS OF COURAGE. FORMER PRESIDENT BUSH TOOK UP PAINTING AFTER HE LEFT OFFICE. HE COMPLETED THIS ENTIRE TRIBUTE IN LESS THAN A YEAR. HE TRIES TO CAPTURE SOMETHING VERY PERSONAL IN EACH PIECE. RODRIGUEZ WAS ONE OF THE FIRST TO BE PAINTED IN HIS CASE. YOU CAN TELL HE WEARS UNIQUE CONTACT LENSES DUE TO VISION PROBLEMS CAUSED BY MANY CONCUSSIONS SUFFERED IN COMBAT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. NO. AS HE GREETS VISITORS TO THE EXHIBIT, RODRIGUEZ SHARES HIS EXPERIENCES AND STORIES OF ALL THE OTHER VETERANS REPRESENTED. HE KNOWS EVERY ONE OF THEM, AND HE HOPES THESE PORTRAITS OF COURAGE LEAD TO A BETTER UNDERSTANDING. YOU HAVE MORE OF A RESPECT FOR THOSE BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN SERVED, BECAUSE EVERY ONE OF THEM IS AN ASSET TO THIS NATION. AND THEY’VE MADE LIFE AND DEATH DECISIONS, YOU KNOW, IN ENVIRONMENTS THAT ARE HARD TO DESCRIBE. I MEAN, THEY’RE AN ASSET. AND THE FUTURE O