TODD: Fortunately, we have EIB High Note, which is a way that we take great memories of Rush and compare them to today’s news, things that just made him happy. There’s a World War I Memorial that’s been open to the public in Washington, D.C., that did some really cool one-day flyovers. If you’ve ever seen… I just will never forget. I had the fortunate honor to be in D.C. the weekend they opened the World War II Memorial, to see these men and women come and see the memorial.
By the way, the World War II Memorial is almost completely privately funded, which was why it was obscene when Obama shut it down, or tried to, and then World War II vets said, “We stormed the beaches at Normandy! You think some barricades are gonna keep us out?” They kicked ’em over and went and saw the memorial.
The World War II Memorial is open, the World War I Memorial is open, and it opened to the public Saturday. There was an essential ceremony on Friday, like I said, included a military flyover, something that always deeply moved Rush. So for today’s EIB High Note let’s listen together as a family while Rush describes the impact flyovers had on him.
RUSH: It was a tribute to all of the branches of the United States military, featuring either armaments such as tanks, Bradley vehicles, helicopters, stealth bombers, fighter jets, the F-22 Raptor, the Blue Angels. And folks, I have to tell you, by the time the Blue Angels flew over, which was one of the finale events, I literally — and I haven’t done this in I don’t know how long. I was standing up, and I literally started choking up.
When I start to cry, I try not to. I don’t know why. I just try to choke it back, not cry. (interruption) No, no, no, no, no. It’s not “real men don’t cry.” It’s not that. I choke it back. I don’t like crying. I couldn’t stop it. When those jets flew over, I felt an immense pride, and I could envision the pilots in those jets, and I started imagining what it must be like for them to be on that team. I got choked up a couple of times during some of the military flybys.
But when the Blue Angels came over, when The Battle Hymn of the Republic, when the Army Corps sang that, I lost it. That song, I remember George W. Bush had Pope Benedict into Washington for a quasi-state visit on his birthday, and they played The Battle Hymn of the Republic. And it moves me every time I hear it. And I’m sitting there choking back tears. And I finally just stopped trying to choke them back and I just let them happen.
And it was the feeling of pride, just abject pride. I felt like I was in one of those Blue Angels jets. I felt like I knew the people in them. I felt like they were friends. I felt like that we were all on the same team. And I imagined that they felt a swelling pride within themselves to be part of the event, as did everybody, not just the Blue Angels. I mention the Blue Angels because they were close to the finale. But the Coast Guard did a flyby, the Air Force did a flyby, the Navy did a flyby before the Blue Angels. There were helicopters, any number of aircraft. And they were all timed to great historical achievements by each of the branches of the U.S. military.
TODD: It brings a little comfort to know that Rush is closer to those jets now and maybe, just maybe, got to be a part of that flyover last week. There will be a link to the video of the ceremony over at Rush Limbaugh.com, which includes the flyover.
It brings just a little comfort to know that Rush is closer to those jets now and maybe — maybe — just got to be part of that flyover this last week.