George Bush: The Unauthorized Biography - Get a Free Blog

een the Jordanian sovereign's guests on board. Aronow sent a copy of this letter to Bush,
from whom he received a reply dated June 6, 1986 in which Bush thanked him "with
warm regards" for forwarding the royal note and added: "I can repeat that my old
Cigarette, the "Fidelity" is running well too. I've had her out a couple of weekends and
the engines have been humming. I hope our paths cross soon, my friend." [fn 5]
Aronow was reportedly a close friend of George Bush. In his book-length account of the
life and death of Aronow which is the basis for the following analysis, Thomas Burdick
quotes an unnamed Justice Department official relating the comments of one of his
friends on the Bush-Aronow relation: "My friend said, 'I guarantee you I know what the
connection was between him and Bush. It's the boats. The guy loves fucking boats." A
Secret Service agent also referred to Bush as a "boat groupie." [fn 6] But does this
exhaust the topic?
Over the years, Bush had apparently consulted with Aronow concerning the servicing and
upkeep of his Cigarette boat. During 1983, Bush began to seek out Aronow's company
for fishing trips. The original engines on Bush's Cigarette boat needed replacement, and
this was the ostensible occasion for renewing contact with Aronow. Aronow told Bush of
a new model of boat that he had designed, supposedly a high-performance catamaran.
Bush planned to come to Florida during the New Year's holiday for a short vacation
during which he would go bonefishing with his crony Nick Brady. During this time he
would also arrange to deliver an antidrug pep-talk.
On January 4, 1984, George Bush rendezvoused with Don Aronow at Islamorada in the
Florida Keys. Earlier in the day, Bush had delivered one of his "war on drugs" speeches
at the Omni International Hotel in Miami. Bush and Brady then proceeded by motorcade
to Islamorada, where Aronow was waiting with his catamaran. Accompanied by a flotilla
of Secret Service and Customs agents in Cigarette boats that had been seized from drug
smugglers, Bush, Brady, Aronow, and one of the latter's retainers, the catamaran
proceeded through moderate swells to Miami, with White House photographers
eternalizing the photo opportunity at every moment. Bush, who had donned designer
racing goggles for the occasion, was allowed to take the wheel of the catamaran and
seemed very thrilled and very happy. Nick Brady, sporting his own wrap-around shades,
found the seas too rough for his taste.
After the trip was over, Bush personally typed the following letter to Don Aronow on his
vice presidential staionery, which he sent accompanied by some photographs of Bush,
Aronow, Brady and the others on board the catamaran:
January 14, 1984
Dear Don,
Here are some pretty good shots which I hope will bring back some pretty good memories. I
included one signed shot in your packet for [Aronow's pilot] Randy [Riggs]. Also am enclosing a
set of picture [sic] for Willie not having his address or knowing how he spells Myers? Will you
please give them to him and thank him for his part in our wonderful outing. He is quite a guy and I
learned a lot from him on the way up to Miami from the Keys.