After "Hail to Chief" and a 21-gun salute rang out, the casket of President George H.W. Bush was carried up the steps of the U.S. Capitol as the setting sun cast a pastel sky over Washington in a final nod to one of America's great public servants.

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The late president's son, former President George W. Bush, held his hand over his heart and held back tears as he watched pallbearers carry his father into the Capitol while the U.S. Army Band, “Pershing’s Own,” played the hymns, "Fairest Lord Jesus" and "A Mighty Fortress is Our God." The Bush family and members of Bush's cabinet solemnly followed the casket into the Capitol Rotunda led by Maj. Gen. Michael L. Howard.

Bush's casket was draped with the American flag and placed underneath the marble dome of the Rotunda. Surrounded by family, members of his administration, the current White House, Supreme Court justices and members of Congress, Vice President Mike Pence, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan paid tribute to Bush.

"Thirty years ago, on the west front of this capitol, George Herbert Walker Bush addressed the nation for the first time as our president," McConnell said in his tribute on the rotunda floor. "He said, 'We meet on democracy's front porch. A good place to talk as neighbors and as friends.' The words of a humble servant who loved his fellow citizens and of a principled leader who knew America not only guards our own future but also safeguards democracy for the world. Today, this hero has returned to the capitol a final time."

During his tribute, Ryan said he campaigned for Bush in high school.

"He was the first president I had the chance to vote for. And he was the first president to teach me and many of us that in a democracy, sometimes you fall short. And that how you handle that, that is just as important as how you win," Ryan said.

The remarks paid tribute to a man known for his kindness and humility.

"When President George H.W. Bush left office, he left America and the world more peaceful, prosperous and secure," Pence said. "He was a great leader who made a great difference in the life of this nation. But he also was a good man who was devoted to his wife, his family and his friends."

Pence shared a personal story of Bush writing to his son after he earned his Wings of Gold and made his first tailhook landing as a Marine aviator on the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush.

"I asked him to sign a picture of the flight deck that I could give to my son. We were told by the staff that the president had long since ended the practice of signing autographs and we understood that. But little to my surprise, just in time for my son's winging, there came not only a signed photograph but, of course, a letter. Hand-signed as well," Pence said. "In that letter President Bush wrote to my son, 'Congratulations on receiving your wings of gold. I know how proud you and your family are at this moment.' And then in words that assured us that the letter came directly from him, he wrote, 'Though we have not met, I share the pride your father has for you during this momentous occasion and I wish you many C.A.V.U. days ahead. All the best, G. Bush,'" Pence said.

C.A.V.U. stands for clear skies and visibility unlimited and was one of Bush's favorite terms from his time in the Navy.

"Ceiling and visibility unlimited. That may well describe the essence of this man," Pence said. "And it may well have been his vision. The vision he had for his life, for his children, his children's children and his country. No barriers, no boundaries, no limits."

The plane -- referred to as Air Force One when the president is on board -- was given the name "Special Air Mission 41" on Monday and Wednesday for when the late president and his family traveled between Joint Base Andrews and Houston.

When the plane landed at Andrews Monday under clear skies, it marked the start of a four-day tribute in the nation's capital to the 41st president. A hearse waited as the plane taxied to its place.

Alex Brandon/Pool via Reuters

Members of the CIA, for which Bush once served as director, and sailors from the carrier USS George H.W. Bush stood at attention.

More than a dozen members of the Bush family descended from the Boeing 747 and then watched as military members carried the casket through a cordon and placed it in the hearse. The late president's longtime friend, former chief of staff and Secretary of State James Baker accompanied the Bush family, as did Sully, the 2-year-old service dog that stayed by the president's side through the last few months of his life.

Eric Gay/AP

As during the departure ceremony at Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base in Houston, the former president and World War II Navy pilot was honored with a 21-gun salute. After the ceremony, the hearse left for the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, where Navy captains and admirals will serve as pallbearers and bring the late president's casket up the Capitol steps.

AP

The official ceremonies honoring the late president began Monday morning as his family watched members of the U.S. Secret Service carry his casket from a funeral chapel in Houston to a waiting hearse. The motorcade then headed to Ellington Field about 45 minutes away.

Bush, who was famous for having socks for every occasion, will be buried in a pair that pays tribute to his time in the Navy, according to family spokesperson Jim McGrath. The former president flew 58 combat missions in the Pacific as a torpedo bomber pilot and was shot down by the Japanese in 1944.

The 41st President will be carried to his final rest wearing socks that pay tribute to his lifetime of service, starting as an 18 year-old naval aviator in war. That legacy is now being carried, in part, by the brave, selfless men and women aboard @CVN77_GHWB. #Remembering41 pic.twitter.com/OabtK756fO — Jim McGrath (@jgm41) December 3, 2018

Over the last few months, the Bush family shared photos of him wearing socks with former President Bill Clinton's face on them, as well as a pair featuring a yellow lab that looked like his service dog, Sully.

David J. Phillip/AP

As the departure ceremony was taking place, President Donald Trump tweeted that he would see the Bush family soon.

"Looking forward to being with the Bush Family to pay my respects to President George H.W. Bush," he wrote.

The president doesn't yet have any public events scheduled with the family ahead of Wednesday's state funeral. Vice President Mike Pence is scheduled to make remarks at the U.S. Capitol, where the president's casket will be taken after an arrival ceremony at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.

The Clintons and the Obamas are expected to attend the funeral service, as well as former President Jimmy Carter. At age 94, the same age at which Bush died, Carter is now the oldest living president.

The official schedule for ceremonies honoring the late George H.W. Bush was released on Saturday. The four-day tribute includes lying in state at the U.S. Capitol for parts of three days, a funeral at the Washington National Cathedral and eventual burial at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum back in Texas.

Bush's casket will lie in state through Wednesday morning. An honor guard will be in attendance and the public will be allowed into the Capitol from 7:30 p.m. Monday until 8:45 a.m. Wednesday.

Sen. John McCain, a war hero like Bush, is the last person to lie in state at the Capitol following his death in August. Bush called McCain "a patriot of the highest order" following his death.

There will be a departure ceremony for Bush at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday at 10 a.m. and his casket will arrive at the Washington National Cathedral five miles away at 11 a.m.

The funeral at the Washington National Cathedral, set to be attended by a wide array of former presidents and politicians, including Trump, will last 90 minutes.

Following the funeral, Bush's casket will return to Joint Base Andrews at 1:15 p.m. for the flight back to Houston. His arrival at Ellington Field is expected at 4:30 p.m. Central time on Wednesday.

Bush will then lie in repose at St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston, where first lady Barbara Bush's funeral was held in April.

AP

The president's casket will depart by railroad on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. Central time and arrive at Texas A&M; University in College Station, home to the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum, at 3:45 p.m. Bush, an admirer of trains, has had a special one with a glass viewing car designed to carry his remains to internment.

Bush will be interred next to his wife and daughter Robin at 4:15 p.m.</s>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on events related to late former President George H.W. Bush (all times local):

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump have paid their respects to former President George H.W. Bush at the U.S. Capitol.

The nation's 41st president is lying in state at the Capitol Rotunda. The Trumps stood in front of the casket Monday evening with their eyes closed for a few moments.

After Trump saluted the casket, the pair walked out.

Trump skipped an earlier service at the Capitol, where Bush was eulogized by Vice President Mike Pence, among others.

Trump has a fractured relationship with the Bush family, whom he has repeatedly criticized. But he has praised Bush since his passing as "just a high-quality man who truly loved his family" and a "terrific guy" who will be missed.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump have arrived at the U.S. Capitol to pay their respects to former President George H.W. Bush.

The body of the nation's 41st president is lying in state at the U.S. Capitol until Wednesday morning.

Trump skipped an earlier service at the Capitol, where Bush was eulogized by Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Paul Ryan, among others.

Trump is not expected to speak at the service and has a fractured relationship with the Bush family. But he has praised Bush since his passing as "just a high-quality man who truly loved his family" and a "terrific guy" who will be missed.

Bush died Friday at his home in Houston. He was 94.

Several hundred people have gathered in downtown Houston for a memorial to former President George H.W. Bush, a beloved figure in his adopted hometown.

The ceremony Monday night took place in front of Houston's City Hall, bathed in lights of red, white, and blue.

City organizers encouraged Houston residents to wear their boldest socks in a nod to Bush's well-known sartorial tradition.

Michael Meaux (moh), who worked in the U.S. State Department for Bush's son, former President George W. Bush, wore a pair of hot-pink socks that he laughingly said he had owned for a long time but had never worn before.

The Houston resident called Bush "the last gentleman president that we've had."

Vice President Mike Pence has offered the nation's condolences to the family of the late former President George H.W. Bush.

He also thanked Bush's family for sharing "this special man" with the country and the world.

The vice president says Bush left America and the world "more peaceful, prosperous and secure."

He spoke of first meeting Bush as a 29-year-old entering politics and of a letter his son, an enlisted Marine, received from Bush. Pence's son had just completed a landing on the USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier and Pence wrote to Bush. Bush sent a signed photograph and letter.

Pence spoke at a ceremony in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, where Bush will lie in state through Wednesday.

Bush died Friday at his home in Houston. He was 94.

Vice President Mike Pence says former President George H.W. Bush's example will always inspire and his lifetime of public service will be enshrined in the hearts of the American people.

Pence says Bush never failed to answer the call to serve his country.

Pence is speaking in the Capitol Rotunda as lawmakers, Supreme Court justices and former members of his administration pay their respects to the nation's 41st president.

Bush also served as vice president for two terms under President Ronald Reagan. Pence says Bush joked there was "nothing substantive to do at all" going into that job.

But Pence says Bush set the standard as "a sound counselor and loyal adviser to an outsider who came to Washington, D.C., to shake things up, cut taxes, rebuild the military, and together they did just that."

House Speaker Paul Ryan praised George H.W. Bush as a "great patriot," and the first president he had been able to cast a ballot for as a young man.

The Wisconsin Republican was delivering remarks during a ceremony at the Capitol Rotunda where Bush will lie in state, an honor reserved for few. The former president died Friday.

Ryan says Bush's character was "second to none."

He says Bush lived his life with "a fundamental decency that resonates across generations."

Ryan says Bush's presidential campaign in 1988 first drew him to politics. He said Bush showed other political leaders that "how we live is as important as what we achieve."

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is comparing the "steady hand" with which President George H.W. Bush kept his bomber under control when it was shot down during World War II with the way he guided the country.

McConnell says Bush "kept us on course" as the Kentucky Republican delivered a eulogy for the late president at a ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda on Monday. Bush's flag-covered casket lay in state as McConnell spoke.

Bush's aircraft was shot down in 1944 over the Pacific. He completed his bombing mission before bailing out.

McConnell says Bush "kept us flying high and challenged us to fly higher still" as he steered the U.S. through the end of the Cold War and Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait.

The casket carrying the remains of George H.W. Bush has arrived at the U.S. Capitol for the nation to begin its formal farewell to the 41st president.

His remains arrived Monday afternoon at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington aboard an aircraft that often serves as Air Force One. Former President George W. Bush, the eldest of the four Bush sons, and his wife, Laura, along with brother Neil Bush and his family, were aboard the plane for the trip from Houston.

Following a short service Monday afternoon, the president's remains will lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda until Wednesday morning.

Bush died Friday in Houston at age 94. An invitation-only funeral service is set for Wednesday at Washington National Cathedral. President Donald Trump is among the dignitaries who plan to attend.

The body of former President George H.W. Bush is heading toward the U.S. Capitol following a brief ceremony at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington.

Bush's flag-draped casket was unloaded from the presidential plane and brought to a hearse by an honor guard as a military band played "Hail to the Chief."

Bush's son, former President George W. Bush, descended from the plane with his wife, Laura, and other family members. Others including Jeb Bush were already waiting on the tarmac.

Bush will lie in state in the U.S. Capitol rotunda for a ceremony and public visitation from Monday through Wednesday. An invitation-only funeral service will follow at Washington National Cathedral before his casket returns to Houston for burial.

A military aircraft carrying the remains of former President George H.W. Bush has arrived at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington, as the nation's capital prepares to honor the 41st president.

A formation of Navy sailors and Air Force personnel stood at attention as the plane touched down. The sailors assembled were from the USS George H. W. Bush, the Navy's newest aircraft carrier. A group of about 100 civilian dignitaries and well-wishers also were on hand.

Bush will lie in state in the U.S. Capitol rotunda for a ceremony and public visitation from Monday through Wednesday. An invitation-only funeral service will follow at Washington National Cathedral before his casket returns to Houston for burial.

President Donald Trump, who will attend the funeral service in Washington, has ordered the federal government closed Wednesday for a national day of mourning.

A military aircraft carrying the remains of former President George H.W. Bush has taken off and is flying from Houston to Washington for official mourning ceremonies, including a state funeral.

Pallbearers carried Bush's casket from a hearse across the tarmac to a presidential plane commonly known as Air Force One. For the task of transporting Bush's body on Monday, the plane has been renamed Special Air Mission 41, the number being a reference to Bush's place in the roster of America's presidents.

A military band played "Hail to the Chief." An American flag and one with the presidential seal flew nearby.

Bush's son former President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura Bush, were among those relatives and Bush friends who walked to the aircraft shortly after the body was loaded aboard.

George H.W. Bush's remains have made the journey from a Houston funeral home to Ellington Field, where a presidential aircraft will carry them to Washington for a state funeral.

Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush, one of George H.W. Bush's grandsons, was among more than 100 invited guests seeing off Bush's remains on Monday. The guests are set to witness a ceremony including a military band and a 21-gun salute.

Angela Savage one of the people who stood outside the funeral home to watch the passing of the hearse carrying Bush's casket as it headed to Ellington Field. She called it "a once-in-a-lifetime kind of event."

Savage describes what she saw as "amazing and very respectful," adding, "I feel like that's what he deserves."

More than 100 invited guests have gathered at Houston's Ellington Field for a ceremony to send off the casket of former President George H.W. Bush to Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.

The guests stood next to the tarmac at Ellington Field on Monday and awaited the arrival of the hearse with Bush's casket.

The guests and Bush family members are to attend a ceremony that will include a military band and a 21-gun salute.

The guests stood near the U.S. military plane that's more commonly known as Air Force One. For the task of transporting Bush's body, the plane has been renamed Special Air Mission 41, the number being a reference to Bush's place in the roster of America's presidents.

Bush died Friday in Houston at age 94. An invitation-only funeral service is set for Wednesday at Washington National Cathedral.

A hearse carrying the casket of former President George H.W. Bush has left a Houston funeral home.

The casket was draped in an American flag and was carried by six pallbearers on Monday morning. It was placed into a hearse headed to Houston's Ellington Field, where a presidential aircraft waited to carry Bush's body to Washington for a state funeral.

The hearse was part of a motorcade escorted by Houston police officers on motorcycles.

A spokeswoman confirms former President Jimmy Carter plans to attend the state funeral for former President George H.W. Bush.

Rosalynn Carter will not attend. The 91-year-old former first lady has limited her travels in recent months.

With Bush's death, Jimmy Carter becomes the oldest living former president, at age 94. Both men were born in 1924, Bush on June 12, Carter on Oct. 1.

Bush served as CIA director when Carter first ran for president 1976. Carter replaced Bush with Stansfield Turner.

Four years later, Bush joined the Ronald Reagan Republican ticket that routed Carter in the 1980 presidential election.

Bush died Friday in Houston at age 94. An invitation-only funeral service is set for Wednesday at Washington National Cathedral.

Secret Service personnel who had been assigned to protecting George H.W. Bush are serving as honorary pallbearers as his remains begin making their way from Houston to a state funeral in Washington.

The former president's spokesman, Jim McGrath, tweeted Monday that for "this first movement in Houston" members of "the current @SecretService Bush Protective Division will serve as honorary pallbearers."

Bush died at his Houston home on Friday at age 94. His remains are scheduled to arrive at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on Monday afternoon and later will begin lying in state at the U.S. Capitol.

On Wednesday morning, a motorcade will take the remains to a state funeral at the National Cathedral.

Houston is honoring George H.W. Bush with a City Hall tribute and urging people who attend to dress in colorful socks, a nod to one of the former president's favorite fashion accessories.

Mayor Sylvester Turner is hosting Monday evening's event featuring music and community leaders in front of City Hall. Turner tweeted that those in attendance should "wear their own colorful socks."

Bush often sported bright socks, sometimes with loud, unusual patterns. He died Friday at his Houston home at age 94, and his body is heading to Washington for a state funeral.

Spokesman Jim McGrath tweeted Monday that Bush "will be carried to his final rest" wearing gray socks saluting the Armed Forces and paying "tribute to his lifetime of service," starting as an 18-year-old "naval aviator in war."

George H.W. Bush is set to embark on his final tour of Washington as a nation prepares to bid farewell to its 41st president.

His remains will arrive in Washington on Monday, and he will lie in state at the Capitol through Wednesday. An invitation-only funeral service is set for Wednesday at Washington National Cathedral, to be attended by President Donald Trump and other dignitaries.

Bush will then be returned to Houston for burial Thursday at his presidential library at Texas A&M University.

He will be laid to rest alongside Barbara Bush, his wife of 73 years who died in April, and Robin Bush, the daughter who died of leukemia at age 3.

Bush was president from 1989 to 1993. He died Friday in Houston at age 94.</s>HOUSTON (AP) — Former President George H.W. Bush will be honored during several public and private events in Houston and Washington before his burial Thursday in Texas.

Four days of events for Bush, who died Friday at age 94, include a state funeral at Washington’s National Cathedral, a private service at his longtime church in Houston and public viewings in both cities. He will be buried next to his wife Barbara and their daughter Robin who died in 1953.

Here are details about the events:

Bush’s body was transported by a motorcade Monday morning from a Houston funeral home to Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base, a Texas Air National Guard base. The casket was loaded onto a plane during a departure ceremony and flown to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.

Relatives accompanying the casket included his sons, former President George W. Bush and Neil Bush, along with members of their immediate families. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and the rest of the Bush family met the party when the body arrived at Joint Base Andrews.

Houston hosted a public tribute to Bush on Monday night. Mayor Sylvester Turner had urged attendees to wear colorful socks, a nod to the former president’s fondness for sporting loud socks often emblazoned with unusual patterns during public events.

Family spokesman Jim McGrath tweeted Monday that Bush will be laid to rest wearing gray socks honoring his days as a naval aviator.

In Washington, Bush is lying in state in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol until 8:45 a.m. EST Wednesday. His casket will be transported by motorcade Wednesday morning to the National Cathedral, where a state funeral will be held at 11 a.m. EST. President Donald Trump, who ordered federal offices closed on Wednesday for a national day of mourning, is to attend with first lady Melania Trump.

Following the service at the National Cathedral, Bush will be flown to Houston on Wednesday with a scheduled arrival of around 4:30 p.m. CST. His body will be transported by motorcade to St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, where he and his wife regularly worshipped. A public viewing of Bush’s casket will be held at the church from 6:45 p.m. CST on Wednesday until 6 a.m. CST on Thursday.

On Thursday, a private funeral service with about 1,200 invited guests will be held at the church starting at 10 a.m. CST. After the hour-long service, a motorcade will transport Bush’s casket to a train station north of Houston, near the international airport named after Bush.

A ceremony will be held at the train station as Bush’s casket is loaded onto a Union Pacific train. The train will take about 2½ hours to travel roughly 70 miles (113 kilometers) to the city of College Station, home to Bush’s presidential library at Texas A&M University.

The locomotive has been painted the colors of the Air Force One plane used during Bush’s presidency and bears the number “4141” in honor of the 41st president. The casket will be in a car with Plexiglas windows to allow people to see it during the trip, according to McGrath, the family spokesman.

The train is scheduled to arrive in College Station on Thursday around 3:45 p.m. CST. Bush’s casket will then be transported by motorcade to the presidential library, where he will be buried at the gated family plot near his wife and their daughter Robin, who died of leukemia at age 3. Barbara Bush died on April 17 at their Houston home. The couple was married for 73 years , longer than any other U.S. presidential couple.

Ceremonies at the presidential library will include a missing man formation flyover. The casket will then be rolled along a path through woods, over a bridge and over a creek for burial during a private graveside service with Bush’s family.

See AP’s complete coverage of George H.W. Bush here: https://www.apnews.com/GeorgeHWBush</s>HOUSTON (AP) — Former President George H.W. Bush will be honored during several public and private events in Houston and Washington before his burial Thursday in Texas.

Four days of events for Bush, who died Friday at age 94, include a state funeral at Washington's National Cathedral, a private service at his longtime church in Houston and public viewings in both cities. He will be buried next to his wife Barbara and their daughter Robin who died in 1953.

Here are details about the events:

Bush's body was transported by a motorcade Monday morning from a Houston funeral home to Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base, a Texas Air National Guard base. The casket was loaded onto a plane during a departure ceremony and flown to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.

Relatives accompanying the casket included his sons, former President George W. Bush and Neil Bush, along with members of their immediate families. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and the rest of the Bush family met the party when the body arrived at Joint Base Andrews.

Houston hosted a public tribute to Bush on Monday night. Mayor Sylvester Turner had urged attendees to wear colorful socks, a nod to the former president's fondness for sporting loud socks often emblazoned with unusual patterns during public events.

Family spokesman Jim McGrath tweeted Monday that Bush will be laid to rest wearing gray socks honoring his days as a naval aviator.

In Washington, Bush is lying in state in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol until 8:45 a.m. EST Wednesday. His casket will be transported by motorcade Wednesday morning to the National Cathedral, where a state funeral will be held at 11 a.m. EST. President Donald Trump, who ordered federal offices closed on Wednesday for a national day of mourning, is to attend with first lady Melania Trump.

Following the service at the National Cathedral, Bush will be flown to Houston on Wednesday with a scheduled arrival of around 4:30 p.m. CST. His body will be transported by motorcade to St. Martin's Episcopal Church, where he and his wife regularly worshipped. A public viewing of Bush's casket will be held at the church from 6:45 p.m. CST on Wednesday until 6 a.m. CST on Thursday.

On Thursday, a private funeral service with about 1,200 invited guests will be held at the church starting at 10 a.m. CST. After the hour-long service, a motorcade will transport Bush's casket to a train station north of Houston, near the international airport named after Bush.

A ceremony will be held at the train station as Bush's casket is loaded onto a Union Pacific train. The train will take about 2½ hours to travel roughly 70 miles (113 kilometers) to the city of College Station, home to Bush's presidential library at Texas A&M University.

The locomotive has been painted the colors of the Air Force One plane used during Bush's presidency and bears the number "4141" in honor of the 41st president. The casket will be in a car with Plexiglas windows to allow people to see it during the trip, according to McGrath, the family spokesman.

The train is scheduled to arrive in College Station on Thursday around 3:45 p.m. CST. Bush's casket will then be transported by motorcade to the presidential library, where he will be buried at the gated family plot near his wife and their daughter Robin, who died of leukemia at age 3. Barbara Bush died on April 17 at their Houston home. The couple was married for 73 years , longer than any other U.S. presidential couple.

Ceremonies at the presidential library will include a missing man formation flyover. The casket will then be rolled along a path through woods, over a bridge and over a creek for burial during a private graveside service with Bush's family.

See AP's complete coverage of George H.W. Bush here: https://www.apnews.com/GeorgeHWBush</s>Plane carrying casket of former President George HW Bush arrives at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington, DC

WASHINGTON (AP) — Plane carrying casket of former President George HW Bush arrives at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington, DC.</s>WASHINGTON — Plane carrying casket of former President George HW Bush arrives at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington, DC.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>George H.W. Bush came back to Washington for a final time Monday, heading for the Capitol to lie in state as the nation paid tribute to the 41st president for a lifetime of service that began in the Navy during World War II, ended with four years as president and was characterized throughout by what admirers say was decency, generosity and kindness.Sent off from his beloved Texas with a 21-gun salute, Bush's casket was carried to Andrews Air Force Base outside the capital city aboard an aircraft that often serves as Air Force One.Former President George W. Bush, the eldest of the four Bush sons, and his wife, Laura, along with brother Neil Bush and his family, boarded the plane for the cross-country trip to Joint Base Andrews outside Washington.On Sunday, students, staff and visitors had flocked to Bush's presidential library on the campus of Texas A&M University, with thousands of mourners paying their respects at a weekend candlelight vigil at a nearby pond and others contributing to growing flower memorials at Bush statues at both the library and a park in downtown Houston."I think he was one of the kindest, most generous men," said Marge Frazier, who visited the downtown statue on Sunday while showing friends from California around.A similar outpouring is anticipated in Washington this week during the state funeral for Bush, who died late Friday at his home in Houston. He was 94.Bush, who was president from 1989 to 1993, will lie in state in the U.S. Capitol rotunda for a ceremony and public visitation from Monday through Wednesday. An invitation-only funeral service is set for Wednesday at Washington National Cathedral. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump are to attend. Bush's family has not said who will speak at the service. Former President Jimmy Carter also will be there.Afterward, Bush will be returned to Houston to lie in repose at St. Martin's Episcopal Church before burial Thursday at his family plot on the library grounds. His final resting place will be alongside Barbara Bush, his wife of 73 years who died in April, and Robin Bush, the daughter they lost to leukemia in 1953 at age 3.Bush's casket was to arrive in Washington on Monday afternoon aboard the U.S. military airplane. The crew was tasked by Trump with carrying out "Special Air Mission 41," a reference to Bush's place in the roster of America's presidents.media ID="4816003"</s>Former President George H.W. Bush received a 21-gun-salute both when the casket carrying his body departed from Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base in Houston and when it arrived at Joint Air Force Base Andrews outside Washington, D.C. on Monday afternoon.

Bush, the nation’s 41st president, died late Friday at the age of 94.

Air Force One, re-designated Special Air Mission 41, landed at Andrews at approximately 3:30 p.m. Eastern carrying the remains of the former commander-in-chief.

The Associated Press reported that among those on-board for the flight were Bush’s sons, former President George W. Bush with his wife Laura, and Neil Bush, a Houston-based businessman.

“A formation of Navy sailors and Air Force personnel stood at attention as the plane touched down. The sailors assembled were from the USS George H. W. Bush, the Navy’s newest aircraft carrier. A group of about 100 civilian dignitaries and well-wishers also were on hand,” according to the AP.

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A military band played “Hail to the Chief” as Bush’s flag-draped casket was moved from the presidential plane to a waiting hearse, which transported the casket to the U.S. Capitol, approximately 14 miles to the northwest.

Bush will lie in state at the Capitol from Monday evening until Wednesday, when his casket will be removed for a funeral at National Cathedral in Washington.

Fox News reported that George W. Bush will be among four who will deliver eulogies at the ceremony.

Former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, who also eulogized Bush’s predecessor Ronald Reagan, will speak too, as well as former Wyoming Republican senator and friend Alan Simpson and presidential historian Jon Meacham.

Meacham, author of “Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush” (2015), also spoke at former first lady Barbara Bush’s funeral in Houston in June.

RELATED: George HW Bush Was the Last President To Serve in Combat, World War II

In an Op-Ed for The New York Times published on Saturday, Meacham wrote, “George Herbert Walker Bush, who died Friday night, at 94, was the last president of the Greatest Generation, a gentleman who came of age in an ever-uglier arena, the embodiment of a postwar era of consensus that, in our time, seems as remote as Agincourt.

“He deserves our praise, but he also repays closer historical consideration, for his life offers an object lesson in the best that politics, which is inherently imperfect, can be.”

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump plan to attend Wednesday’s funeral, though the president is not slated to speak.

Trump has declared Wednesday a national day of mourning for Bush and directed that all executive departments and agencies be closed.

He has also ordered the flag to be flown at half-staff for 30 days, starting from the date of Bush’s death.

Following the Wednesday funeral in Washington, Bush’s casket will be flown back to Houston for a service at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, where Barbara Bush was memorialized in June.

Following that service, Bush’s body will be taken by train to the campus of Texas A&M in College Station, where the 41st president will be laid to rest next to Barbara and their daughter Robin at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum.

We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.</s>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on events related to late former President George H.W. Bush (all times local):

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump have paid their respects to former President George H.W. Bush at the U.S. Capitol.

The nation's 41st president is lying in state at the Capitol Rotunda. The Trumps stood in front of the casket Monday evening with their eyes closed for a few moments.

After Trump saluted the casket, the pair walked out.

Trump skipped an earlier service at the Capitol, where Bush was eulogized by Vice President Mike Pence, among others.

Trump has a fractured relationship with the Bush family, whom he has repeatedly criticized. But he has praised Bush since his passing as "just a high-quality man who truly loved his family" and a "terrific guy" who will be missed.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump have arrived at the U.S. Capitol to pay their respects to former President George H.W. Bush.

The body of the nation's 41st president is lying in state at the U.S. Capitol until Wednesday morning.

Trump skipped an earlier service at the Capitol, where Bush was eulogized by Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Paul Ryan, among others.

Trump is not expected to speak at the service and has a fractured relationship with the Bush family. But he has praised Bush since his passing as "just a high-quality man who truly loved his family" and a "terrific guy" who will be missed.

Bush died Friday at his home in Houston. He was 94.

Several hundred people have gathered in downtown Houston for a memorial to former President George H.W. Bush, a beloved figure in his adopted hometown.

The ceremony Monday night took place in front of Houston's City Hall, bathed in lights of red, white, and blue.

City organizers encouraged Houston residents to wear their boldest socks in a nod to Bush's well-known sartorial tradition.

Michael Meaux (moh), who worked in the U.S. State Department for Bush's son, former President George W. Bush, wore a pair of hot-pink socks that he laughingly said he had owned for a long time but had never worn before.

The Houston resident called Bush "the last gentleman president that we've had."

Vice President Mike Pence has offered the nation's condolences to the family of the late former President George H.W. Bush.

He also thanked Bush's family for sharing "this special man" with the country and the world.

The vice president says Bush left America and the world "more peaceful, prosperous and secure."

He spoke of first meeting Bush as a 29-year-old entering politics and of a letter his son, an enlisted Marine, received from Bush. Pence's son had just completed a landing on the USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier and Pence wrote to Bush. Bush sent a signed photograph and letter.

Pence spoke at a ceremony in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, where Bush will lie in state through Wednesday.

Bush died Friday at his home in Houston. He was 94.

Vice President Mike Pence says former President George H.W. Bush's example will always inspire and his lifetime of public service will be enshrined in the hearts of the American people.

Pence says Bush never failed to answer the call to serve his country.

Pence is speaking in the Capitol Rotunda as lawmakers, Supreme Court justices and former members of his administration pay their respects to the nation's 41st president.

Bush also served as vice president for two terms under President Ronald Reagan. Pence says Bush joked there was "nothing substantive to do at all" going into that job.

But Pence says Bush set the standard as "a sound counselor and loyal adviser to an outsider who came to Washington, D.C., to shake things up, cut taxes, rebuild the military, and together they did just that."

House Speaker Paul Ryan praised George H.W. Bush as a "great patriot," and the first president he had been able to cast a ballot for as a young man.

The Wisconsin Republican was delivering remarks during a ceremony at the Capitol Rotunda where Bush will lie in state, an honor reserved for few. The former president died Friday.

Ryan says Bush's character was "second to none."

He says Bush lived his life with "a fundamental decency that resonates across generations."

Ryan says Bush's presidential campaign in 1988 first drew him to politics. He said Bush showed other political leaders that "how we live is as important as what we achieve."

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is comparing the "steady hand" with which President George H.W. Bush kept his bomber under control when it was shot down during World War II with the way he guided the country.

McConnell says Bush "kept us on course" as the Kentucky Republican delivered a eulogy for the late president at a ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda on Monday. Bush's flag-covered casket lay in state as McConnell spoke.

Bush's aircraft was shot down in 1944 over the Pacific. He completed his bombing mission before bailing out.

McConnell says Bush "kept us flying high and challenged us to fly higher still" as he steered the U.S. through the end of the Cold War and Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait.

The casket carrying the remains of George H.W. Bush has arrived at the U.S. Capitol for the nation to begin its formal farewell to the 41st president.

His remains arrived Monday afternoon at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington aboard an aircraft that often serves as Air Force One. Former President George W. Bush, the eldest of the four Bush sons, and his wife, Laura, along with brother Neil Bush and his family, were aboard the plane for the trip from Houston.

Following a short service Monday afternoon, the president's remains will lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda until Wednesday morning.

Bush died Friday in Houston at age 94. An invitation-only funeral service is set for Wednesday at Washington National Cathedral. President Donald Trump is among the dignitaries who plan to attend.

The body of former President George H.W. Bush is heading toward the U.S. Capitol following a brief ceremony at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington.

Bush's flag-draped casket was unloaded from the presidential plane and brought to a hearse by an honor guard as a military band played "Hail to the Chief."

Bush's son, former President George W. Bush, descended from the plane with his wife, Laura, and other family members. Others including Jeb Bush were already waiting on the tarmac.

Bush will lie in state in the U.S. Capitol rotunda for a ceremony and public visitation from Monday through Wednesday. An invitation-only funeral service will follow at Washington National Cathedral before his casket returns to Houston for burial.

A military aircraft carrying the remains of former President George H.W. Bush has arrived at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington, as the nation's capital prepares to honor the 41st president.

A formation of Navy sailors and Air Force personnel stood at attention as the plane touched down. The sailors assembled were from the USS George H. W. Bush, the Navy's newest aircraft carrier. A group of about 100 civilian dignitaries and well-wishers also were on hand.

Bush will lie in state in the U.S. Capitol rotunda for a ceremony and public visitation from Monday through Wednesday. An invitation-only funeral service will follow at Washington National Cathedral before his casket returns to Houston for burial.

President Donald Trump, who will attend the funeral service in Washington, has ordered the federal government closed Wednesday for a national day of mourning.

A military aircraft carrying the remains of former President George H.W. Bush has taken off and is flying from Houston to Washington for official mourning ceremonies, including a state funeral.

Pallbearers carried Bush's casket from a hearse across the tarmac to a presidential plane commonly known as Air Force One. For the task of transporting Bush's body on Monday, the plane has been renamed Special Air Mission 41, the number being a reference to Bush's place in the roster of America's presidents.

A military band played "Hail to the Chief." An American flag and one with the presidential seal flew nearby.

Bush's son former President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura Bush, were among those relatives and Bush friends who walked to the aircraft shortly after the body was loaded aboard.

George H.W. Bush's remains have made the journey from a Houston funeral home to Ellington Field, where a presidential aircraft will carry them to Washington for a state funeral.

Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush, one of George H.W. Bush's grandsons, was among more than 100 invited guests seeing off Bush's remains on Monday. The guests are set to witness a ceremony including a military band and a 21-gun salute.

Angela Savage one of the people who stood outside the funeral home to watch the passing of the hearse carrying Bush's casket as it headed to Ellington Field. She called it "a once-in-a-lifetime kind of event."

Savage describes what she saw as "amazing and very respectful," adding, "I feel like that's what he deserves."

More than 100 invited guests have gathered at Houston's Ellington Field for a ceremony to send off the casket of former President George H.W. Bush to Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.

The guests stood next to the tarmac at Ellington Field on Monday and awaited the arrival of the hearse with Bush's casket.

The guests and Bush family members are to attend a ceremony that will include a military band and a 21-gun salute.

The guests stood near the U.S. military plane that's more commonly known as Air Force One. For the task of transporting Bush's body, the plane has been renamed Special Air Mission 41, the number being a reference to Bush's place in the roster of America's presidents.

Bush died Friday in Houston at age 94. An invitation-only funeral service is set for Wednesday at Washington National Cathedral.

A hearse carrying the casket of former President George H.W. Bush has left a Houston funeral home.

The casket was draped in an American flag and was carried by six pallbearers on Monday morning. It was placed into a hearse headed to Houston's Ellington Field, where a presidential aircraft waited to carry Bush's body to Washington for a state funeral.

The hearse was part of a motorcade escorted by Houston police officers on motorcycles.

A spokeswoman confirms former President Jimmy Carter plans to attend the state funeral for former President George H.W. Bush.

Rosalynn Carter will not attend. The 91-year-old former first lady has limited her travels in recent months.

With Bush's death, Jimmy Carter becomes the oldest living former president, at age 94. Both men were born in 1924, Bush on June 12, Carter on Oct. 1.

Bush served as CIA director when Carter first ran for president 1976. Carter replaced Bush with Stansfield Turner.

Four years later, Bush joined the Ronald Reagan Republican ticket that routed Carter in the 1980 presidential election.

Bush died Friday in Houston at age 94. An invitation-only funeral service is set for Wednesday at Washington National Cathedral.

Secret Service personnel who had been assigned to protecting George H.W. Bush are serving as honorary pallbearers as his remains begin making their way from Houston to a state funeral in Washington.

The former president's spokesman, Jim McGrath, tweeted Monday that for "this first movement in Houston" members of "the current @SecretService Bush Protective Division will serve as honorary pallbearers."

Bush died at his Houston home on Friday at age 94. His remains are scheduled to arrive at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on Monday afternoon and later will begin lying in state at the U.S. Capitol.

On Wednesday morning, a motorcade will take the remains to a state funeral at the National Cathedral.

Houston is honoring George H.W. Bush with a City Hall tribute and urging people who attend to dress in colorful socks, a nod to one of the former president's favorite fashion accessories.

Mayor Sylvester Turner is hosting Monday evening's event featuring music and community leaders in front of City Hall. Turner tweeted that those in attendance should "wear their own colorful socks."

Bush often sported bright socks, sometimes with loud, unusual patterns. He died Friday at his Houston home at age 94, and his body is heading to Washington for a state funeral.

Spokesman Jim McGrath tweeted Monday that Bush "will be carried to his final rest" wearing gray socks saluting the Armed Forces and paying "tribute to his lifetime of service," starting as an 18-year-old "naval aviator in war."

George H.W. Bush is set to embark on his final tour of Washington as a nation prepares to bid farewell to its 41st president.

His remains will arrive in Washington on Monday, and he will lie in state at the Capitol through Wednesday. An invitation-only funeral service is set for Wednesday at Washington National Cathedral, to be attended by President Donald Trump and other dignitaries.

Bush will then be returned to Houston for burial Thursday at his presidential library at Texas A&M University.

He will be laid to rest alongside Barbara Bush, his wife of 73 years who died in April, and Robin Bush, the daughter who died of leukemia at age 3.

Bush was president from 1989 to 1993. He died Friday in Houston at age 94.</s>Plane carrying casket of former President George HW Bush arrives at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington, DC

WASHINGTON (AP) — Plane carrying casket of former President George HW Bush arrives at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington, DC.
The body of former President George H. W. Bush arrives on Special Air Mission from Houston to Washington, DC at the Joint Base Andrews.