Bush has 'tearful' meeting with families of fallen Marines
By Dana Bash
CNN Washington Bureau
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After rallying Marines at Camp Lejeune, President Bush met with family members who lost loved ones in combat.
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President Bush rallies the Marines and praises them for heroism and generosity in Iraq during a stop at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush, a father who watched his twin daughters grow up, met twin 6-week-old girls Thursday whose father never will.
The babies were among about 20 family members of Marines lost on the battlefield in Iraq that the president and first lady consoled during a visit to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.
The meeting was private, but one administration official who was present provided some details of a gathering that the official described as "tearful" at times.
The official said the president told family members, "You're an inspiration" and "a tower of strength." He sought to comfort those left behind by telling them their loved one "is in heaven."
It was the first time during the two-week-old war with Iraq that the commander in-chief met with families of those killed in battle, a part of his job he "doesn't relish," but knows is his duty, the aide said.
With a Marine minister present, family members -- many of whom are service members or former service members themselves -- were overheard telling the president how their lost loved ones felt about being in the armed forces.
"He loved being a Marine," the official quoted one family member as saying. Another, the official said, told the president, "He was proud to serve."
Many wore photographs of smiling Marines in uniform pinned to their lapels with "in memory" written on them. Some handed photos of their loved ones to the president.
"In some instances a mom would cry," said the senior official. "It was teary-eyed. The president was teary-eyed."
The meeting took place after the Bush gave an upbeat speech to thousands of Marines at Camp Lejeune, his third trip to a military base since the war against Iraq began.
