station to the gravesite at the bush library on the texas a&m university campus. on our drive, thousands of people lined the streets and waved flags, and those texas men took off their cowboy hats and placed them over their heart. when we reached the burial site at the bush presidential library, we was welcomed by 700 saluting texas a&m cadets. it was a lovely tribute to a remarkable woman. president george hw bush is doing fine, and he is in the state of maine, and he misses his wife and i have to say that the state of maine is a lot quieter without her. but he is a good spirits and will head back to houston in october. george and i believe that his parents have shown us a way to age with grace. in maine, barbara walked her dogs on the beach every day twice a day. she did two times early in the morning and in the late afternoon when the dogs are allowed on the beach. she would walk her dogs both times a day. that a couple of summers ago she began to walk with a walker, and then last summer, she cannot walk on the beach, so she wildly drove her golf cart around walker's point with her little dogs running behind her for exercise.[ laughter ]. >> she won said that for heaven's sake, enjoy life and don't cry over things that was are things that was not, but enjoy what you have now to the fullest. from george's parents we have learned that all we know what we had is now. so take advantage of your life as it is and walk on the beach every chance you get. now, we are going to get to hear from five of the grandchildren of barbara bush, who will reflect on how their life has been shaped by the lessons there ganny taught them. i am happy to introduce ellie, and i hope she is going to come on out.[ laughter ]is she coming ?[ laughter ]ellie is first.[ applause ]. she works for a healthcare nonprofit and recently wrote a book about george and barbara bush, a great american love story. guess what, you can buy a signed copy outside of the auditorium after the program. here is pierce bush. he is the son of neil, and he lives in houston, and he is the ceo of big brothers and big sisters lone star. give him an a plus. [ applause ]. jeb bush jr., serves as managing partner of jeff bush and associates, and he serves on a number of nonprofit boards. he lives in florida. [ applause ] >> we then have our two daughters. barbara bush is the cofounder and board chairman of global health core. [ applause ] >> jenna bush, she is the correspondent with the nbc today show. as george said, she is just continuing the bush family tradition of warm relations with the media.[ laughter ]they are joined by our moderator cokie roberts and please join me in welcoming them to the stage.[ applause ] >> so barbara and jenna, >> we will share this year. [ laughter ]>> at her grandmother's funeral, jeff bush your dad in his eulogy did say that she struck fear in the hearts of her grandchildren.[ laughter ]>> she was a benevolent dictator, but not always felt benevolent. i'm sure that you all have stories that we want to hear. but i will start with you barbara because you and jenna have written some of these stories, and tell us the story of being in the bowling alley at the white house when he was seven years old. >> it might have been implied earlier on the earlier panel, but we called our grandmother ganny, or the enforcer, because she was the enforcer in our household. when my grandfather first became president, all of us went to the inauguration and we was so excited! we was about to move into the white house and we had no idea what it was going to be like, but when you are seven years old, it is about to be magical. so jen and i went and we heard there was a bowling alley, so we went into the bowling alley and we was bowling and having a blast. there was a phone on the wall. so we don't know what we was doing, but we picked it up and we ordered two grilled cheese sandwiches. >> peanut butter and jelly. >> yes, peanut butter and jelly. >> we are both really jetlagged. so we are playing and we are so excited, and what is a white house peanut butter and jelly sandwich going to taste like? we continue bowling and then we hear footsteps come to the door and we are getting more and more excited. instead of our sandwiches, a grandmother walks in and she is not happy. she gets mad at us and tells us this is a home, and it is a borrowed home, and not a hotel, and we will never order anything again. >> did any of you ever order thanks. >> no. [ laughter ]. >> i feel like we suffered. >> we learned from you.[ laughter ] >> we never knew what it was going to taste like. >> but he didn't stop when you with children right? we still got reprimanded and i will say that barbara and i spoke to our ganny on the sunday before she passed away. we lived four blocks from each other, and she walked over, and we did not know how long we had, so we called her on the speakerphone, and we all cried, and if you do your job right, >> i was crying too. >> we both burst into tears and i think she could tell that we was weeping, and said don't worry, stop believing everything that you are reading. they are making it sound like i'm going to die any minute. i think it was funny, but maybe this is me reading into it as her granddaughter, but her trying to comfort us. she was trying to make sure that we didn't weep on the phone with her and the last conversation. you will have time to come and see me and don't believe everything. when i was in my 30s, i was reprimanded by mike grandmother, and i had just had a baby and we had a tennis tournament going on, and my tennis was suffering, and i can blame it on my baby. plus i have never been a great tennis pro. we was playing and i was actually playing with the tennis pro because i set up the tournament and i wanted to win. when i wasn't hitting great strokes or whatever you call them, i would make some sort of gesture, and i lifted my skirt up, and i had shorts underneath and i did some things, and i did the worm. >> that was impressive. >> but my grandmother did not like it, and she did not say anything, and then i got home and[ laughter ] >> i get a letter in the mail, and it is addressed to jenna and george. my dad likes the thing like the warm. -- worm.[ laughter ]>> that was on the sideline and saying that's my girl. he likes the behavior, and she was mad, and i cried and henry came home from work and set what is wrong? i said my grandmother is very mad. he said why, because of that tennis tournament a month ago. he barely remembered. but i saw my dad in tears, and he had gotten the same letter. he just said come on, i have already thrown it away. but they said don't show it to anybody and then i asked him to publish it. >> that is journalistic instinct. >> he didn't like it because our grandfather was raised to be a good sportsman, and i think she thought even though i bet he probably thought it was funny, but i think she was embarrassed because she would've thought that his mother who was a really good tennis player, and that is the difference. >> his mother was lovely, very athletic. i don't think she would have needed to do the worm.[ laughter ]>> anyway. >> what about the rest of your times that your grandmother came down on you? >> yes. i always felt like gainey would take on people that she felt like could take it first of all. the original panel, and she was a great defender of her family to other people in the public on but she would let you have it. so one time, i had just graduated from college, and i was in a spot in life and i went to that university of texas and tcu, and maybe there is some people here? i get just one. so i did not really know what i was going to do in life, and my grandmother hated idleness. so graduating and having two months of unknowing was not a good time to be around her. second of all, she had double knee surgery that summer in the summer of 2008. the third thing to add what i am about to say, is that i had wrecked my grandfather's both the day before, which was a pretty serious offense in our family. in fairness, it wasn't really my fault. i see my grandmother looking upon me and saying nobody likes excuses. it happened i was the man at the helm. so a long story short, that next day trying to do a good deed, i took my cousin robert, to a movie, and i get a call from my dad, and he says pierce, where are you? ganny noticed the smart car was missing? she thinks you might be driving her smart car. there was a rule in our family that you could take her smart car, would you had asked her permission. she had just had double knee surgery, so long story short, i show up at the big house, >> your father has got a call from his mother saying where is my car? >> my uncle knows this and my aunt of course, and my dad is like the happiest go lucky guy. there is almost joy in knowing what i am about to receive.[ laughter ] >> so i show up and this nice couple from houston who i had never met, and she in front of these guest, she scolds me to the point where i was in tears. [ laughter ] >> i guess i was 22 years old. she had a point, and i will say this, >> you had wrecked the boat a day before. >> he handles his anger in a slightly different way, but here is the truth about my grandparents. every single one of my cousins, they are doing something in some small way that is bigger then their own and created their own financial success and there is nothing wrong with making money. but our grandmother never let us take the fact that our grandparents were president for granted. she said we might grow up in this unique set of circumstances, but you should use that to better the lives of others. there is not one cousin that i can think of, >> and don't mention if you can't.[ laughter ]>> she is like that strong sicilian grandmother, that all of her kids and grandkids are better because of it. >> you have said, and i was trying to learn more about your boys and i know a little bit more about the girls. it made me go to twitter. [ laughter ]>> which i don't like to do because there is other people on twitter. >> who's that? >> but you did say at some point that she said you cannot really have a successful life unless you serve other people. >> yes. she embodied that, but again, it was through some of the tough love lessons that we got, and i think andy expressed as well that's make it well -- it well, because she was the embodiment of love. as it pertained to us and i sue my uncle and others, she was passionate about us not living an i don't live in not taking our position for granted. >> jeb. >> i had a streak of being maybe a held razor at times, -- raiser at times. i got to spend every summer up there in maine when i was age of 10-18. >> we would go in the summer, but he would go all summer. >> she would certainly chew on our butts a couple of times, and she kept everyone in line and assault in order between the 21 grandchildren, and we stood up straight and said yes ma'am, and shook a firm hand. >> you have had the great joy in that last period of your grandmother's life of writing this book about their love life, and do we know who the baby is who is being christened in that picture? >> i think it is ashley. >> yes, that is my sister ashley. >> a great picture. >> ellie, writing this book, it must've been really special. >> it was incredibly special, and i remember when i was first thinking about writing it, i knew that i needed to talk to two people before it went for a, and one was my mom, and i talked to her first, and she was excited, but she said you have to talk to ganny. we both knew that my grandmother had to be on board for this to work. i'll never forget that i went in to talk to her, and she was in her bedroom, and i very much dropped a bomb on her and said ganny, i am thinking about writing a book. she then looked at me and say -- said you? then i said i think it is going to be about you and your love story. then she said why would you want to write a book about that because it sounds so boring? i said ganny no, is a love story that we all know and it is unbelievable. she ended up being totally onboard and light susan i was able to interview her several times, which was really special, especially during her last year with us. i remember about 10 days before she passed away, my mom was with her in the hospital, and we had plans to do some sort of interview with her, and i sent a text to my mom and said don't worry about it, my mom calls me and said ganny is on the line and she wants to do it. and i have a co-author for my book and i immediately got my co-author own, and i said my grandmother is on the line, and the last time that i talked to her was about 10 days before she passed away, and she was still as funny and sharp as ever, and i said at one point ganny, was there anything in your life that you regret? she said if i would've been thinner, smarter, prettier, and funnier. she said seriously, you are not going to meet anyone any happier in the world. just to be able to hear those words from her during the last time that i talked to her was really special. >> she seemed to have inspired you to write love books. you wrote that you are going to miss sharing books with her so much. >> she did. it was a little bit like when we was younger and we would go and visit maine, and i think that was a moment that andy, we lived in midland texas, and our grandparents was the vice president and the vice president's wife, so we did not get to see them as much as little toddlers. but we lived next to jenna and harold welch, who are my mom's parents. we do not really know our other grandparents as well, and i think that was a moment they came to midland, and am i right mom? yes, we loved to read and our whole family does. the first thing that i said to my dad was that i just finished a great mystery. i think she was the one that inspired that in all of us. i think it is because she was an adventurer. you sort of got to this, but i cannot even imagine being a young mother and moving away from everybody, >> also to a place, >> also away from everything that you know. that is where that picture was taken and luckily she did that so that here we are. but i think doing that as a young mother, and my grandfather traveled quite a lot, and to lose a daughter, that is in a similar state of life and she was at that moment, and i cannot imagine not having a support system even though i don't live close to my parents either. >> but you live close to your sister. >> i live just four blocks and they come to visit, but they are not that helpful anyway.[ laughter ] >> that is so rude. >> they loved him, but they don't change a diaper.[ laughter ] >> it is remarkable to know what kind of a maverick and adventurer she was. i think that goes, and there is no better adventurer than to lose yourself in the book. she did annoy us when we was little and that we had to finish our summer reading everyday, and that was already the annoyance of knowing that you have work left to do. >> neil, i noticed that you was on tv recently talking about books, >> which my grandmother would be very upset. >> like three days before she died, she said you have got to shake that beard, and i was actually in maine this weekend visiting my grandfather, so i did not have time to cut it and i felt bad about that.[ laughter ]>> but she was going on to talk about the books that have influenced this. did you include pride and prejudice? her favorite book? >> we never talked about her favorite book, and she would spend time, and she would force me to read out loud to her to make sure i was doing the summer reading. >> we would be up in the dormitory and yelling downstairs, and tell us have you done your summer reading? >> he would say like no, >> we are working on it. >> the other thing that you all have talked about is sir being the glue that held everybody together. you know it is important that the glue will still stick. so what are you guys doing? >> this is the question that she is trying to get a shawl, i think going to maine was very sad because she was not only the glue that held us together, which i think, and a lot of people have said that, but she also had such huge presence, and she was up early, and to wake up and not see her in the porch where she woke up first of all was sad. >> we have a room with two couches and a television, and the last couple of years, there was a meeting place every morning were around 5:30 am or 6:00 a.m., and she would be there writing letters and checking in with people i assume from all over the world. people would come in and out to have a cup of coffee and she was eight what are you going to do today? but it was a very special time in the morning where we got to spend 30 minutes or an hour and she would not hold back her opinion. those with special times. >> it is quieter without her. i went the first week that he got there, and i said it is so quiet without ganny. he looked at me and said are you trying to tell me that she talked too much?[ laughter ]but we do miss her. >> i think because she included him, and one of the odd things about having a public figure as somebody you love and i wonder if you all agree, is that i was alone and my family was here for a bit at the bush library, and henry we are telling him is the jared kushner because he joined the board. [ laughter ] >> just getting.[ laughter ]>> we was not invited to join the board. so he really is the jared kushner. we don't know who i vodka is yet -- ivanka is yet. it is very interesting to have someone that you know and love so well spoken about people who know her, but some who are political figures. it hurt when i was alone, and who is this person who don't even know and somebody said something that the bush insiders knew that she would die first. it may be matt and i didn't have anyone to really get mad about. my husband was already here and i just thought, and then as the weeks go by, people would come up and say that i love your grandmother. it is hard at first, and then it is this beautiful thing because i've had friends lose people that they love. that is an interesting thing. i don't know why i brought it up. >> people don't necessarily talk to me all the time about my ran parents because i am one of the people who don't have the last name of bush, so i can get by without people knowing. but after my grandmother passed away, the amount of people that reached out and this is people you haven't talked to in years and said how my grandmother touched them in different ways. it was amazing. >> it kind of crushed -- cushions you with love. >> and we get to learn so much more about her than what we wouldn't have known. i received emails from people who were kids at the home when she was there to set i hope i know you this and i have never told you this, but your grandmother taught us that we was fighting a disease and we are not fighting people. >> she was the godmother, and of course, was that part of your inspiration for starting the program? >> yes and no. i got to know a lot more about my grandmother's experience in working in aids well afterwards. we was so little then and maybe five years old. the year that we was born was the year that aids was discovered. i will say that part of the reason that i worked there is completely what peer said that it never occurred to me do not work on something that i thought i could solve or make a tiny little dent again, and i chose a bit of a beast of global help in trying to make a -- global health, and that was very much shaped by her. >> barbara wrote something really beautiful that is going to be in our new paperback version of sisters first. >> it will be out later on in october. [ laughter ] >> she wrote from maine and it moved me so much and said that maine this summer felt a little bit, and ganny made us feel like we needed to be better and that could be just to talk in our shirt or brush her hair . >> i like why did you pierce your belly button? you are not that skinny. >> she did exactly say that to me. that is so rude, but she is right. don't highlight your problem areas.[ laughter ] >> why would you highlight your problem eric? she was right. so, that was intimidating as teenagers and little children, but i think she made us better, and i think this summer in maine and we had little kids and he was tired, but wait, who is going to hold us up to the standard? there wasn't anybody. >> i hear that you actually broke rules the summer? you went the wrong way on some of the roads? >> i didn't do that. but we said that my dad needs to learn how to be the matriarch.[ laughter ]. >> dad, grow your hair out and be a matriarch. [ laughter ]>> i didn't even know that we had a rule. a fork in the road? >> yes, go right. >> barbara hasn't driven a car since 1971, and it is been a while, and i did not know. >> how about the taco day story. it is kind of a key story of my grandparents in the relationship, but as long as i can remember, we literally had taco sunday every sunday. at 1:00, we would all get together in the big house and have tacos, and i personally liked it and it was pretty good, and my grandmother said that ever sunday we do it we are inviting friends after church, and i guess this year, so when asked our grandfather who is going to be doing our taco sunday? he said that i really don't like tacos.[ laughter ]the poor guy has been holding it in >> it will be burger and hotdog day now. >> but we had hamburgers and hotdogs. [ laughter ]>> and i think he and ellie can talk about it. he loved her just as much. but it took until she passed away for him to say i would rather have a hamburger and hot dog. he suffered years through tacos and i never knew it.[ laughter ]>> yes. >> that dog, may he rest in peace. [ laughter ]>> they are still alive and they live in texas. >> that dog bit almost everybody's bottom. [ laughter ] >> he bit our grandfather in the middle of the night. >> what ganny would say if who provoked him ? even to her firstborn. >> ellie, when you was doing the book, and she talk about all of the stories? >> she did, and it was hard to get her to talk because she doesn't like to talk about herself. but i managed to get it out of her. i think a big part of her love story that we found, and through my experience watching the end is that humor has been a huge part of it, and in saying that, i want to tell a story, and i am going to try and see what happens. you guys know the story in a few years ago, my mom got a gift for her birthday, and it was a fark machine. -- machine. machine you had under someone's chair and someone has a remote control and they press it. so, my mother when she got it the first thing that she bought she says that my grandfather will love this, she said let's bring it over to dinner, so we brought her to dinner. we gave it to him, and, this is two years ago. so, he loved he thought it was so funny he was pressing it over and over there is a big table, we were sitting at the dinner table laughing hysterically we thought it was so funny because we are all very immature. and then, dinner goes on, we put it away we all forgot about an dinner goes on, we have dinner we have dessert, because we have dessert for every meal, and, and then at the end of dinner, he says i'm going to bed, good every night -- annette ever when she gets up she has her walker she is walking down the table down by everyone, good night, good night, good night and just as she gets to him, under his bottom or something he presses it, and, goes off, and it is just like, the timing was perfect. we had forgotten all about it, and, she rolls her eyes, hits him and she says grow up george. [ laughter ] >> that was just the classic example of family. >> yes, she did not think it was funny. [ laughter ] we all thought it was hilarious.>> he did love to laugh i am surprised, i think that when everybody was laughing at something that immature she would like, come on. grow up.>> yes. yes. you also tell stories about finding or going to the library and going through her scrapbook. >> so we all know that our grandmother loved taking pictures, we saw all of that scrapbook that she would keep of pictures of all of us, in the more recent years i did not realize how much she kept from her entire life until i was starting research for my book and i was able to go down to college station, my grandfather's library, and they have the archives there. so, my co-author and i said we were here for a day and a half let's go and do it. 8:00 a.m., we walk in, and she works at the library there was a word you want to start? she opens the door and it is light, millions and millions of different scrapbooks and books and things and we are like, what? we have a day and a half, so, anyway, we just started in her scrapbook, my grandmother had kept scrapbooks from every part of her life together. and we started in the yale scrapbook they were at yale a young married couple and they had george w, and, we were going through, and, looking at all of the pictures my grandmother had written all of her notes by everyone, and, we get to an envelope that was protruding you can see something coming out of it and i said can we see what is inside there? she said yes i do not even know what is in there so she pulled it out, and out of the envelope comes a wishbone. and we are like what is this? and i looked down and my grandmother and her right and that's that, wishbone from our first thanksgiving turkey together. and so, we said okay, we're going to be good, the first thanksgiving wishbone together, it was just amazing, the foresight, she was keeping all of these things, just for family to have, before they were in any sort of public service, roles, so, it was really special to be able to have access to all of those things. in the book.>> carrying it on? >> i want to ask how to be a matriarch. [ laughter ] i want to ask you how many kids you have to have to be a matriarch, what turns you into a matriarch, how my dad should behave as the next matriarch.>> [ laughter ] anybody, can anybody answer that? >> i think that it is, to our kids i have two daughters 17 and one is for, and, we come up during the summers and i think that reading to our kids is what she told me to do, but i'm sure we're going to keep doing it. [ laughter ] she was so proud of her great-grandchildren. i had a little baby and george must have been two years older than mila, my oldest. and she would say, now, she is so smart. she can read. [ laughter ] >> mila was like, bopping around and i say oh my gosh, she says, there is this apt that georgia has. and she was so proud, and i think, and then became prouder, once they could read. >> [ laughter ] >> you get proud of whatever it is, and, i think that she loved, not as a legacy. and the thing is, so, they will remember her. at least my oldest will. and she still, says prayers, and i think that she does it because i cry and she knows that it is my weakness, she likes attention i am not sure where she got that. >> [ laughter ] >> she will say, right after she said, you know, dear god, grandma is up there now, look out for her. and she says, do not worry mom we're not going to forget her because i'm going to draw you a ton of pictures. and that is her legacy. and, how amazing that our girls will get to remember a bad [null] woman. >> [ applause ] >> you can say your name.>> you are all having a conversation. [ laughter ] >> someone put us in the same chair. we are having our own panel down here. [ laughter ] >> you know, one of the sweetest text that i got and i thought about this, was after she passed from an employee who works with me, it says read her legacy there are so many nice texts but something about that really grabbed my heartstrings. and, pulled that out for me. i think that is because when you think about her legacy is that speech. it is that picture with that baby, it is sticking up for underdogs. and i think about all of the ways that she has done that for me. and that i think about it, i just got married in march, right before she passed away. first of all, she -- >> -- all of your pictures of your uncle dan. >> yes. >> [ laughter ] >> that was leaked. >> [ laughter ] >> so, [ laughter ] yes, >> [ laughter ] >> i married this amazing young woman, who my grandmother loved, to the point that she said peers, do not mess this up, she loved my stepsisters boyfriend as well so she got a plaque to marry them if we messed it up with each other which is kind of weird.>> [ laughter ] it was a little bit weird, but, you know? my wife, comes from somewhat difficult past, and, she shared it with my grandmother and my grandmother love that about her. how she has overcome that as a child she loves the underdogs. love the underdogs.>> i think that a legacy of her that i have thought about since she died, is, fierceness and fearlessness. she walked into death, and, we are all human beings, we are all scared of dying and she knew she was going to die and she chose how to die, and she chose to do it gracefully. she was fearless, she loved you she was fearless speaking about anything that she cared for and that is not necessarily what you think of when you think about an older white haired woman wearing pearls but she was fearless. and, the day that she died, i woke up in the middle of the night, and i had a complicated relationship with my own name because it had a number of various experiences, i will say one. >> well, i have had many where i have gotten to go speak at at conferences, and everyone is so excited, and i will walk around, and you know certainly they are going to notice the speakers here. and, they think that my grandmother is going to arrive. but, we have one classic family tail with her, my cousin for some reason is going to email me. >> no, not for some reason. >> well, i do not know the -- >> -- okay, go ahead. >> [ laughter ] you are implying something. >> my cousin wendy sent me an email, waxing, laser hair removal, and, she writes email and she says, yo, what up? i'm thinking about getting laser hair removal i am considering electrolysis to ask your bikini line, what do you do? and she sent the email, except, that it auto filled my grandmother's email. >> [ laughter ]>> and, five seconds later, without missing a beat, my grandmother applies and says, hi, wendy, actually do not do any of the above, i just shave i recommend staying far away from harsh products like air. -- nair. and i cannot wait to see you this summer. >> [ laughter ] and so, i have had weekly experiences sharing this with my grandmother, and, after she died i woke up and i just, even though i have had a complicated relationship with that i just thought, now, that is so lucky because it is a reminder to be fearless like her every single day. it is not just something to be worried if someone knows my name. i should just be fearless and live the way that she did. and that is something that i get to forever and i am so grateful. >> rejoice in it. >> yes. >> [ applause ] >> the whole country, you know,>> she says, no, i didn't work, i am sorry. >> [ laughter ] >> i know you did not bring assault, but i think we -- us all, but i think we are all dehydrated from flying today. >> dehydrated, yes. >> [ laughter ] >> just kidding, we were, we loved her, very much. we miss her all the time. >> we all loved her, the whole country came to love her, and you all are in the position of having the very special relationship, that i know, she will be watching you, she will carry on, thank you all very much. >> thank you so much. >> [ applause ] you're watching american history tv. only on c-span 3. c-span, where history unfolds daily. in 1979, c-span was created as a public service by america's cable television company. and today we continue to bring you unfiltered coverage of congress, the white house, the supreme court, and public- policy events in washington dc. and around the country. c-span is brought to you by your cable or satellite provider. next american civil war museum historian john talks about the history of the considerate -- confederate battle flag and how it's perception has changed in the years since the war, he also looks at how the battle flag has been used over time including in pop culture and advertising. this hour-long talk is part of a conference on confederate icons, hosted by the battlefields foundation. >> without further ado, our next speaker, mister john koski, one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. he and i were just commiserating over the fact that it is sometimes very hard to get photographs of people when you are as short as he and i are, so we enjoy getting our pictures together up front here, because, it worked out well for both of us. [ laughter ] i do not think that john is as short as i am. i would not threaten him with that. john is the chief historian at the museum of the confederacy. he earned his ba from