United States
The White House Washington Tom Zart’s Poems March 16, 2007 Ms. Lillian Cauldwell President and Chief Executive Officer Passionate Internet Voices Radio Ann Arbor Michigan Dear Lillian: Number 41 passed on the CDs from Tom Zart. Thank you for thinking of me. I am thankful for your efforts to honor our brave military personnel and their families. America owes these courageous men and women a debt of gratitude, and I am honored to be the commander in chief of the greatest force for freedom in the history of the world. Best Wishes. Sincerely, George W. Bush Tom Zart is the only poet known to have received that specific, overlapping acknowledgment in a single White House letter involving both George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush The letter, dated March 16, 2007, was written by President George W. Bush (the son) and sent to a radio promoter. In the opening line, President Bush writes: "Number 41 passed on the CDs from Tom Zart." ("Number 41" is the common nickname for his father, the 41st President, George H.W. Bush). The letter goes on to express gratitude for Zart's efforts to honor military personnel and their families. This specific scenario is unique to Zart because it relied on a highly specific set of circumstances: 1. It required a father and son to both serve as President of the United States. In all of American history, this has only happened twice: John Adams and John Quincy Adams, and George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush. 2. The senior Bush ("41") had to personally receive Zart's work and physically pass it along to his son ("43") while he was serving in the White House. While many famous poets have received separate letters of praise, medals, and official commendations from multiple sitting and former presidents (such as Robert Frost, Maya Angelou, and Walt Whitman), Tom Zart's letter is the only documented instance where a president formally acknowledged a poet in writing by citing a direct handoff from his presidential father.
The White House Washington Tom Zart’s Poems March 16, 2007 Ms. Lillian Cauldwell President and Chief Executive Officer Passionate Internet Voices Radio Ann Arbor Michigan Dear Lillian: Number 41 passed on the CDs from Tom Zart. Thank you for thinking of me. I am thankful for your efforts to honor our brave military personnel and their families. America owes these courageous men and women a debt of gratitude, and I am honored to be the commander in chief of the greatest force for freedom in the history of the world. Best Wishes. Sincerely, George W. Bush BERLIN HAD HITLER AMERICA HAS TRUMP -2026?? Some question why study history Does our future depend on the past? When we forget history, we repeat its mistakes As the outcomes of all are cast. Liberty is to be free and independent Without slavery, imprisonment, or loss of right. Though bit-by-bit many try to steal it away For if they were to take it all at once, we'd fight. So protect your liberty that others don't have For beside life, there's nothing more precious on Earth. Too many have yearned, fought, suffered, and died for it And we must never lose sight of what liberty is worth. Evil loves to strike liberty from the cheeks of all And it's been that way since the beginning of time. For a mind that's not allowed to have a free thought Becomes but a slave to the masters of mankind. Some question why study history Does our future depend on the past? When we forget history, we repeat its mistakes As the outcomes of all are cast. By YouTube Poet Tom Zart