WASHINGTON — The Senate Republican Conference, chaired by U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), today released a video honoring former President George H.W. Bush and his service to our nation.

Video transcript:

“Public service is a noble calling. Be a part of something. Be a part of the community. Give to others. I think for people just to sit and whine and complain about things in life, that’s not good enough. Get off the bench, and get in the game.

I’m a man who sees life in terms of missions. Missions defined and missions completed.

We live in a peaceful, prosperous time, but we can make it better. And a world refreshed by freedom seems reborn. The old ideas are new again because they’re not old. They are timeless. Duty, sacrifice, commitment, and a patriotism that finds its expression in taking part and pitching in.

I do not fear what is ahead, for our problems are large, but our heart is larger. Our challenges are great, but our will is greater. But I see history as a book with many pages, and each day we fill a page with acts of hopefulness and meaning. The new breeze blows. A page turns. The story unfolds, shared and written together. Thank you, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.”