George W. Bush 100K Bike Ride With Dozens Of Wounded Veterans Shows The Price Of War

George W. Bush adds 100K bike ride to his already impressive resume. Over the weekend, former President George W. Bush and several wounded vets from Afghanistan and Iraq took part in the three-day Warrior 100K – a 62-mile bike ride through Texas, which concluded in the commander-in-chief’s Prairie Chapel Ranch.

George W. Bush 100K

George W. Bush biked 100K terrain with members of the arm forces during an event put together by the Bush Institute’s military service.

According to retired Army Col. Miguel Howe, director of the Bush Institute’s military service initiative, more than 20 vets (and their families) from all over country took part in the 5th annual Warrior 100K mountain bike ride, which zigzagged through Texas and concluded at Bush’s Prairie Chapel Ranch in McLennan County.

Among the wounded veterans, who succeeded in the 100-kilometer bike ride, was Command Sgt. Major Brian Flom who was injured severally in October 2007 by a rocket attack.

Flom said that it was important to be there with his wife, Monika Flom, because she stayed by his side during the toughest times in his life. Prior to the ride, Bush told the veterans and the volunteers:

“Their service and sacrifice is different.But it is no less a service and sacrifice. I’m proud to be their friend, I was proud to be their commander-in-chief and now I’m proud to be riding mountain bikes with them.”

The director of the Bush Institute’s military service initiative went on to explain that it is often very difficult for vets and their families to transition back to civilian life, which is why Mr. Bush, the institute and its partners are determined to help them.

Amber Vasquez, whose husband Army Spc. Marco Vasquez, served in Iraq, spoke to local media saying that she had the feeling that Howe was talking about her life.

When Mr. Vasquez returned home, his re-entry into civilian life was a nightmare, and he tried to commit suicide. Mrs. Vasquez shared:

“When all the problems came up, we were isolated. No one understood, and it actually scared some people away.”

The vet, who suffered a brain injury during a firefight in Fallujah, said the event was a treat and added that mountain biking is therapeutic.

What are your thoughts on Bush’s initiative?

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70 Comments

  1. I don’t care what anyone says. This man LOVE’S his country and his countrymen.
    You will not see the current “president” doing anything for anyone but himself after his term is over (thank GOD (yes, I said GOD)it will end).
    God Bless you President Bush, We sure miss a real Leader in OUR White House.

    1. He started 2 wars for oil. The man has no shame. The only thing he loves is money.

      1. 2 wars for oil huh? So the cowards that dropped the World Trade Centers were not the reason for the Afghan war?

        1. Al Qaada Dropped the WTC Buildings, Not Irac.
          We went to war in Irac to reclaim the Interests of individuals
          who had major financial interests in Irac, Mainly the oil Industry. The Bush Administration used “weapons of Mass Destruction” as a motive to invade. Did they find any? No!
          A CIA operative was outed Because she said that there were no WMD’s in Irac, An NSA Analyst lost his job for reporting that the photos used to convince the war mongering establishment were photos obtained during the first war when he did have WMD’s, Thousands of people on all sides lost as a result. If there is another reason we went to war in Irac please tell me.

          1. Al, Learn to spell; study history, correct your “facts”; pull your head out of your rectum. Not necessarily in that order.

          2. You need to stay more informed. There has been recently published information that they did find WMDs in Iraq, look it up. Originally, since Saddam was refusing to let our International coalition monitor his chemical operations, more than 30 other countries helped in that effort along with complete Congressional support (something O has never even sought) We effectively removed a brutal dictator that committed genocide on his own people and Iraqi citizens stood in line for over 36 hours to vote after their country was freed from him. All of that success was destroyed by our current “brilliant” commander when he removed our troops. Now besides repeating what you hear solely on MSNBC why don’t you widen you scope of information sources and for goodness sake…learn how to spell Iraq.

          3. Perhaps prior to pretending to be an authority on something a speak definitively on an issue you know nothing about (the issue being Bush’s real intentions which no one but him knows) then you should learn how to spell the names of the countries in question. Iraq is with a q.

            As to another reason, the poster who you are responding to already gave you one.

            I’m not taking sides on the issue, just saying you don’t make a convincing argument.

          4. so where is all this free oil? sure couldn’t tell it from gas prices where I live.

        2. Brain dead, loooong nap, locked in isolation, stupid pills????
          What planet have you been on?

        3. Chadwaller, you and I obviously are not aware that Afghanistan was fought over oil. Oil that no one has ever seen or found (and lots of folks have looked for that oil)and which would be carried in a pipeline over an immense mountain range immune to the threats and objections of some of the most independent and warlike tribes on the face of this planet.

          Same for Iraq. We went spent some trillions to steal the oil out of Iraq. Problem is the oil still belongs to Iraq and its drilling partners (mostly Europeans and I think some Chinese) and Iraq’s oil does not come to the U.S. and the U.S. does not get a % on it.

          If we could just get Iraq to use its oil to pay back the trillions that war cost it would turn our economy around.

          Saribus clearly believes the thoroughly discredited lefty theory of warfare.

      2. that comment makes no sense, your an idiot…for oil? wow what a uninformed fool you are..money? thats even a dumber thing to say…go ask the Clintons, there the real shameless, bloodsucking politicians…look where they take money from fool…

        1. Al Qaeda, with 15 Saudis, are responsible for 911, not Sadam, not Iraq. So, what was the reason for invading Iraq? For spending $3 Trillion and thousands of lives? WMD? None.

      3. He didn’t start any wars, but he should have went after all of the countries that harbor terrorists. Like the world wars, we went to where the Germans and the Japanese were.
        The sneak attack on Pearl Harbor cause 2,104 deaths. We went to war. 9-11-01 over 3000 died and we started showing yellow streaks.
        We really didn’t have the man power, but this war should’ve extended to all terrorist nations.

      4. Actually he started one war, big daddy started the other. His dad during Viet Nam set up one person to get killed, fortunately they are still alive to tell. I do not trust this family as far as I can throw them. They really do not care about anyone but themselves. We as well as our fighting men are expendable in their eyes, be they Republican or Democrat. I know because my father died of Agent Orange of which he ended up give to my mom and then they had a baby out of it. There is a possible chance my older sister and I have it.
        Do not say they care because they do not. they are on a power trip!

        1. You don’t know them anymore than I know them, unless you break bread with them, you do no know them. You know of Bush what the big media wants wants you to think. You probably also think it’s true about Katrina, right? I know this man for no reason does events for the soldiers after he has left presidency, I know the speech he gave at the first event, was truthful and from his heart, when he said that from his how own decisions and actions these men are where they are know. Maybe he feels guilt, or doesnt, but no one here on this web knows them, it’s silly to say that.

        2. Really? Your dad gave Agent Orange to your mom?? Not possible since Agent Orange was an herbicide used in Vietnam, not the name of a disease. There are specific medical conditions which have been linked to exposure to Agent Orange and none of these medical conditions are named Agent Orange. Exposure to Agent Orange could have potentially caused birth defects, but you would have already seen the effects in children of Vietnam veterans. There is no possible chance you and your sister have it nor did Agent Orange cause your mother to become pregnant.

      5. Seriously Saribus? You’re an idiot if you believe that. We didn’t go there to get oil. Clearly we never got oil out of the war. The actions of Bush after the war shows his integrity, something COMPLETELY lacking in our current “president”.

      6. Started two wars for oil? We, collectively, are the worst oil thieves ever. Next time we do it lets get everyone involved, France, Germany, the Russians, heck lets even get the leaders of the opposing party to go along, oh, we did that. How about this, lets actually get some oil? Didn’t do that part very well. Of course you have noticed that every time they find something in Iraq the dem’s all say “Well, yeah. But not those WMDs” Sarnayev got convicted of using a WMD at the Boston Marathon; a pressure cooker… I bet we found a few of those there too.

      7. He started one war which the cia lied to him and us about bilogical weapons, but he turned that into an opportunity to setup the only democracy in the entire middle east. This democracy started domino effect (see Egypt) , unlike our democracy it’s not neat or bloodless but it’s their mess and they can only blame themselves for their success or failure. Sadam had to go and Bush took a huge gamble on democracy.

      8. Shut your filthy liberal/progressive/communist/socialist mouth.

        1. Wanna make somebody shut up you cowardly little bitch? Okay Fuc*tards, The plans to invade Iraq were on Rummy’s desk prior to 9/11. We didn’t want Afghanistan for the oil. We wanted to run an Afghan PIPELINE through to China with the Iraqi oil “that will pay for the war as we are greeted as liberators”. We wanted to help the poppy farmers who were victims of the Taliban burning their crops in Afghanistan. Look up the aid package Colin Powell whipped up for the poor poppy farmers. Bush is a liar, Rummy is a liar, Cheney is a liar. They should all be executed for their treasonous crimes. Support your troops assholes…quit believing all the lies. Quit sending them into harm’s way over lies. AND NO, WE DID NOT FIND THE WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION THAT RUMMY SAID WE KNEW EXACTLY WHERE THEY ARE. You all have memories shorter than a fly’s dick. Fu*k off pu$$y.

      9. Correction: He lied us into one war for oil. It would likely never occur to him to honor the members of our military by NOT starting wars based what we now know were lies. I am confident he knew they were lies at the time he started the Iraq war. The documentation is there.

        The other war, the one in Afghanistan, was started in reaction to the terror attack. Keep in mind that in the hours after that attack, the Saudis who were here in the US were allowed to leave when all planes were supposedly grounded. We have pictures of Shrub holding hands with members of these Saudi families. Keep in mind that most of the terrorist on the planes used as weapons were Saudi.

        On someone else’s comments about the current president compared to Bush, it looks to me that most of the Democratic presidents do more for people in general than the Republicon presidents. Bush is in the camp of doing nothing much for anyone but himself.

    2. really James so the person responsible for making them “Wounded Vets” is exonerated because he goes on a bike ride? wow and now ur such a creep ur predicting Obama’s future? (bias much?) lol ur a joke and Bush/Cheney should have been on trial years ago for war crimes. I wonder if they will finally find those WMD’s on that bike ride?

    3. I see Georgie has a new costume. He sure do love his role playing. But I digress. One of the first, if not the first, acts the Bush administration did once they got their war started was to ELIMINATE HAZARDOUS PAY.

      1. Shockingly, another liberal gives inaccurate information. If you don’t increase a budget as high as liberals would like for you to, they call it a cut; which is the most idiotic way of describing anything ever. Hazardous pay has never been eliminated for the military and when the money was increased but not as much as suggested; the libs automatically called it a cut. It was still an increase, not a cut; and it was NEVER eliminated.

      2. That’s a blatant lie, no president has ever tried that. Hazard pay get rolled back for when certain wars ended but never during.

      3. ELIMINATE HAZARDOUS PAY?.?.? Ha, you’re funny! I was a medic who deployed seven times during my 25 year career and was deployed in the Middle East during Desert Shield/Storm (Purple Heart (PH) 1), Somalia, Bosnia, Iraq (3x & PH 2&3), and lastly Afghanistan (PH 4). During all of those deployments I had some form of Immanent Danger Pay (IDP) and/or Hazardous Duty Pay (HDP), not sure where you’re getting your information from; maybe from the Obama administration. Were we wrong in going to Afghanistan and Iraq, maybe. But the civilians who were oppressed and abused that I help to treat there told me a whole other story. As for the amount of love and support that President Bush shows toward the vets who have served, I certainly don’t feel can be matched by any other president our nation has recently had (have). Let’s also keep in mind that he also served in the military and though never saw combat, understands what it means to be part of a ‘family’ of which only 1% of our nation has been part of. Just saying…

    4. Loves Vets ” are you nuts” The only time this SOB will ever see God is on his way to Hell and that will be looking back. A million people are DEAD because of this Puppet of the Vice Jack ass.

    5. Boy you are as stupid as Bush. LOVES his country…He closed the majority of VA hospitals. Threatened any tv who showed our dead military coming home. He does not have the right to breath the same air as our men in uniform. He is a coward who hid at a black college to keep from serving. And do not even go into how he was in the reserves. Please. Why do you think we need Wounded Warrior programs?? Because the military has a terrible time getting treated. Do you realize they have only two years to file on a military related injury? It takes some illnesses more than 5 yrs to show, again thank you George Bush. There is a special place in hell for someone like him.

    6. He is the reason they are wounded he should be doing more with his mission accomplished sign and the fact that he lied us into the war in the first place, guilty conscience I would assume. As for the present president at least he thought more to get them out rather than get them in.

    7. Amen! God bless you President Bush! May these service men and women find peace and healing.

  2. Obama would have let them carry his golf clubs while he rode in a golf cart, citing that he was giving them a chance to get back on their feet!

    1. Bush is the reason why they are as they are not Obama remember he is the one who ended the liars war.

      1. Obama ended??? are you insane? His ROE might as well have lined up our troops for the firing squad not to mention laying out the ground work for ISIS.

  3. That the former President would do this with wounded Veterans is good; but nevertheless, it was he and his cohort VP Cheney that blew into the Iraqi war with false claims of WMD and an ill conceived need to destroy the former dictator of the country in the mean time destroying the Iraqi country, its various networks of electricity, oli, gas, water supplies to its people, their safety in the essentially stable and peaceful country that led to the country being destroyed, innocent men, women, and children residents living there, and above all the thousands of Americans and other NATO women and men of the military’s of these countries killed and forever scarred and wounded due to the President and VP’s arrogance that we would be in and out of the war in a moment of days if not weeks. And now he puts on such a show with these men and women w/o allowing a bit of sorriness and error to enter into his speech that the war was wrong and as with Afghanistan little was gained with much more loss as we continue to fight the various factions whose philosophy differs from their neighbor. Bush and Cheney remain a sad commentary of how to destroy a country and its women and men of its military!

    1. I guess the terrorists that attacked out country on 9-11 and that still want to kill and distroy America and all that we stand for is not a factor

      1. Patriot: Afghanistan, yes. Iraq, NO! The war in Iraq was not necessary and costs thousands of Americans lives, and there would be many less wounded vets had Bush and Cheney not lied to the American people about WMD’s and al Qaeda being there.

        1. Fewer Americans died in Iraq while Bush was president than under Obama. What does that tell you? Oh wait never mind, you’re a liberal. Facts don’t matter to you.

      2. Sorry sir it was proven that they did not come out of that country Iraq it was Saudi Arabia, get your history straight, Bush and Cheney used that narrative to get them in that war.

  4. Nice to see that Bush is doing photo ops and “caring” as he does. Of course it is slightly overshadowed by the fact his brother is running for President, and the fact that many of these vets he disabled by a war that should have never come to be. Great job Shrub!

    1. Oh and I guess the terrorists that attacked America on 9-11 had nothing to do with the war…Bush just decided to start a war for the heck of it…really people…I guess you think Ameica should just coward down and not defend ourselves when attacked…sounds like you are in agreement with Obama…

      1. Sorry but currently no countries named Terroristghan. And yes Iraq had ‘nothing’ to do with the Towers being brought down. NOTHING STUPID! Please tell me you do not vote. This nation is ran by Big Money’s lackeys voted in by uneducated fools. We’re doomed.

  5. For those enlightened individuals posting on here who say there was no evidence of WMD’s…You might want to review your history of the region, or better yet, talk to one of the Vet’s of the first Gulf War suffering “unknown” health problems, especially those serving near a little ammo dump called Khamasia!!!And one other thing, as a great man once said…You are much better off to do something and fail than to do nothing and succeed…

    1. Thank you sir for your service! You have done a good work, and I pray your health improves daily. God Bless!!

  6. I am not the least bit of surprised that former president George W. is so involved with the vets. I have always felt, like someone else said in his comments, that this great man loves his country. I never doubted that one iota with him. My father served in the Army for 31 years. When he passed away, we were so grateful that George W. Bush was in office and the letter of appreciation for my father’s service was from President Bush. Either Bush would have done, but this one was such a blessing to us. In my 58 years of living, George W. was my favorite president. He was/is a great man and a true patriot. I cannot say that about his successor or predecessor. When he was in office, I wished there were no presidential term limit. I miss him as my president. His dedication and involvement with Veterans is an example of his great character.

  7. You still have my respect and trust. I will never lose that. I know that you are sincere and a person who loves his country. There should be no doubt about that by anybody.

  8. What do you mean that he is the ONLY one to do for others. What about Carter — he has done nothing for himself but always doing for others. I would NOT give Bush any “medals” as when he does something it is more of a “photo op” than anything else. He created all of these wounded vets so it is the LEAST he can do.

  9. Overall I’d like to congratulate President George W Bush on his journey to salute his 100K bike ride with some retrospect of fulfilling his accomplishments towards being eager to do so also I’d also like to thank the members of the armed forces on proceeding on the bike ride God Bless the President of the United States of America and thank to all in god bless

  10. Now he says he will help the Vet What happened while he was in office? He cut funding for the VA those that are suppose to help them. What about the body armorer our fighting men need. The government fails to protect our Troops then expects funding to come from the general public to help them, we pay taxes for that. Only they do not want to Tax the wealthy, the group that can afford it. Lets get the people to foot the bill for this, cause we are to busy helping the 1% pay less taxes.

  11. What has Bill or Hillary Clinton done for anybody except themselves? -Give President Bush credit where its due

    1. One day out of the year these men and women live with it 24/7 365 days of the year yeah Bush, not.

  12. The morons on this page are the exact same idiots that would have been screaming for President Bush’s head had Hussein used the WMD’s that British Intelligence told Bush they had and they had & were used on some liberal city like LA or Chicago. On top of that, WMD’s found in Syria had Iraqi markings on them proving there were some WMD’s that were moved out of Iraq before the United States went in there. As far as the Oil argument, I guess that’s why Obama toppled the President’s of Egypt and Libya. None of your arguments hold water.

  13. I like reading about what the former President Bush is doing. It shows that he still cares about his country. Period. Regardless of things done and decisions made, one man is not responsible for all the ills of war. Although, we see him as President, Commander-in-Chief, etc…the information that led to the decisions made, were made with the collaboration of many individuals, not just the President. No one is perfect. Blaming one man seems petty and small minded. I think at his age, riding bikes with our veterans and honoring our wounded warriors is his way of showing he still wants to help this great country of ours.

  14. Love Prez Bush. Unlikce that piece of garbage in the WH now, who could care less about our troops.

  15. Quite a contrast to what’s going on in Baltimore and NYC. This is an understanding man(GW)with a big heart and lots of courage and a real patriot, oh, did I miss saying he was a dedicated Commander in Chief compared to Mr Red Line. The incompetent in the WH now will be rated at the bottom of the list of former presidents in a year and a half.

    1. I doubt the Mr Bush the one who lied us into the war in the first place the one when asked about Ben Laudin in Bora Bora what did he say I’m not worried about him, mission accomplished and they will welcome us with open arms some patriot if he was he wouldn’t have sent them into that war in the first place he didn’t think about them just his none rep. A good commander in chief doesn’t send his men into a war by lies and he thinks of the outcome before he goes in.

  16. none of you talking smack on GW rode 100,000 meters on a bike with wounded vets… what have YOU done for anyone. STFU

    1. You STFU what else does he have to do he is the reason they are where they are.

  17. The man is a class act. Not like the one we have in office now. At least he stands up for America and the military. He never backed down from a fight.

  18. What a nut. This man is solely responsible for every maimed and killed serviceman. He started two needless wars without weapons of mass destruction and lied to the American people. Destroyed the economy and is the only terrorist walking around the USA as a free man.

    What a hyprocrite.

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