Bush Joins in Star-Spangled ‘Welcome Home’ for Troops

President Bush joined in a star-spangled, televised “Welcome Home” extravaganza Wednesday night to honor American troops returning from the Persian Gulf.

Bush and his wife, Barbara, waved small paper flags as a parade of Hollywood and musical celebrities led the tribute in an airplane hangar converted to a high-tech sound stage for the evening.

Thousands of servicemen and women and members of their families clapped in time with patriotic melodies, hissed Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and gave Bush a roaring ovation when he spoke briefly.

Introduced by actress Sophia Loren, the President said he was pleased to be among the stars at the TV salute co-directed by his campaign adviser, Roger Ailes.

“I’m talking about the real stars--the men and women of Operation Desert Storm,” Bush said as the crowd erupted into prolonged cheers. “While we freed a tiny nation, we rediscovered America’s special decency, compassion and courage of a free people,” the President added.

Alluding to the U.S. troops killed in action during the six-week war to liberate Kuwait from Iraqi occupation, Bush said: “We will never forget you, nor what you have done.”

Bush and his wife flew to this Air Force base outside Washington after a fishing vacation in the Florida Keys.

Some members of the audience, freshly returned from the Mideast, wore camouflage uniforms. Several had been wounded and a few watched the two-hour production from wheelchairs.

Air Force Lt. Col. Jeffrey D. Fox, once held by the Iraqis as a prisoner of war, was introduced before the show started and received a standing ovation from his military comrades.

Humorist Andy Griffith set the tone when he told the assembled troops: “You got the job done and all of us were so grateful.”