I was with 1stMarDiv Forward in Saudi when we were all told to clean our vehicles for a visit from President and Mrs. Bush, who were coming to have Thanksgiving Dinner with us. We cleaned our vehicle as best we could using brooms and a little bit of water.
On Thanksgiving Day our vehicle was staged with other vehicles and we went to get in line for our one Hot meal for the day. The Mess line was huge and there were all of the people we had never seen; other units, other branches, etc. Finally, we got our hot Thanksgiving Meal and went back to our vehicle. While eating President Bush came to our vehicle, sat his plate down on the hood, and began a press conference – while eating his Thanksgiving Dinner. He had spilled some gravy on the hood so afterwards I circled it with a black marker to commerate the occasion.
I was there and one of my officers got President Bush to sign my Cammy 1st MARDIV ballcap
I have a photo of President Bush eating on a Humvee during that visit, I was one of the MPs guarding him that day.