SAN ANTONIO — As the country paused to honor the life of former President George H.W. Bush and to watch his funeral service, for many of our country's veterans, he holds a special place in their hearts.

  • George H.W. Bush held special place in hearts of veterans
  • San Antonio's Col. Robert Certain had a memorable meeting with the president

Col. Robert Certain is a retired Air Force chaplain and is well versed in presidential funerals.

"[I] flew B52s first and after Vietnam, became a Chaplain," he said.

Certain is also a former P.O.W and an Episcopal priest. He's served in churches and participated in services all over the country.

"I met President Bush a couple of times, and I officiated the funeral of President Ford," he said.

He and his wife now live at Blue Skies of Texas in San Antonio, a retirement community with strong military ties. Watching the funeral for George H. W. Bush brings back a lot of memories, including a meeting from years ago.

"I've been acquainted with the Recor of St. Martin in the Fields in Houston for some years. Then I went to Houston to sit down with him and President Bush about President Bush's funeral. It is a very interesting process and as soon as somebody is nominated, the Military District of Washington begins to develop a funeral plan," Certain said.

Between the selections of music, tributes, readings, and lessons, he said there's a lot that goes into the service. For Certain, something that stands out most is one of his first impressions of the 41st president.

"I'm kind of a smart-aleck myself. I walked into his office and he said, 'Oh, are you here to talk about what happens when I die?' And I said, 'No sir, I'm actually what happens after you die," he said.

As he watches the services from San Antonio, proud memories come to the surface.

"Here at Blue Skies most of us have served in the uniform and we never stopped serving. That's just part of our DNA and was certainly part of the DNA of George H. W. Bush," he said.