George W. Bush: “It's my pleasure to welcome Secretary Gates, the Joint Chiefs, and the combatant commanders to the White House.”

We know our words cannot help, but we believe the prayers of so many Americans will.

We are heartbroken by the loss of life and the agony so many are feeling.

We are grateful to the first responders and volunteers who are working to find the missing and comfort the grieving at Camp Mystic and along the Guadalupe.

History will remember him as among the finest public servants of his generation – a patriot who brought integrity, high intelligence, and seriousness of purpose to every position.