the utmost respect to every tradition and everything he stands for. so the train is going to pass through eight cities. 70 miles. it will slow down but it will not stop. along the sides there is plexiglass on the funeral car allowing those who line the route to seat casket inside. it will arrive here around 3:25. met by a chorus of cadets as well as the aggie band. the funeral, these funeral trains were common in 18 and 100s, lyn lincoln, graham, eisenhower in 1969. people were not passenger. we mainly haul freight. president bush as a veteran of world war ii. he went to war on the train. he came home from war on the train. and i think that emotional connection to the railroad really stuck with him. so the train is going to stop about a mile from here. the family will get off the passenger cars followed by
are intentionally going to slow down as the train goes through some smaller texas towns in between spring and college station. we have a map for you to show where the train route is actually headed. and boy, oh, boy, we have seen people braving the cold and braving the rain in some locations, already camping out and some of those little towns. they could make their way down to houston and be a part of the celebration and the farewell today, but they are going to get a chance to see the president and a piece of history ride by as this train passes through their town. what a powerful moment it was. america the beautiful was playing. the casket was playing out the back of that hearse one more time. carrying them to the funeral car. placed inside. after it was loaded, we saw the
plexiglass window unveiled. and that is really interesting because that is how the public is getting involved in this final little leg of his farewell tour, if you will. the train car, where the casket is being carried, has a giant plexiglass window on both sides. there is even lighting we understand. to illuminated. so it s very easy for people who are gathering on the interstates and freeways and on the bridges who want to see it. and then the car immediately following the funeral car, that is where the immediate family is. george w. bush, jed, neil. and then the cars behind those, more and more family. what i want to point out so many
sound, there, and we wanted to let that breathe. i will again lower my voice. it takes a few moments for them to load the casket onto the funeral car, and to prepare everybody inside to take their seats for the procession, the family, everyone to sit down. in that time, i want to welcome back my friend, ed rawlins. ed, as we watch this is the final journey. it is so purposeful with the front car painted as air force one. i have been looking a little bit of social media to see what people are feeling and thinking at this time. the expression of that plexiglas, in this car periods that you can see that flag-draped casket as it goes through town, is purposeful and meaningful. people will see the this ths afternoon. george w. bush, ron kaufman was his most loyal staff person.
defending in the persian gulf, he kept us on course. bill: william la jeunesse leads our coverage this hour live from the bush library in college station, texas, william, good morning. how are preparations there? good morning, bill. the library is closed for the next three days. we came over here to the train station and it is restricted as well right now. the president s long and remarkable journey will end here in college station, texas, home of texas a & m and the city owes its existence to the fact the university was here where the train station is located. now, the president will fly back from washington to houston tomorrow night. the public will be invited to view him there at st. martin s church in houston. then the train will come here. they re building a riser right now where the funeral car where