"Freedom is beautiful; freedom is precious; freedom must always be defended,” said Bush, spending his first Fourth of July in eight years not in the White House.
Bush steered clear of commenting on his successor, President Barack Obama, and instead spoke of patriotism and the ongoing war against terrorism.
He said it was important to respond militarily after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the U.S. by those who wanted "to spread their ideology of hate.”
While the U.S. military presence is being diminished in Iraq, Bush said, "This generation will do its duty, and we will prevail.”
A surprise was in store for the estimated 6,000 who came to the rodeo grounds at a city park — the former president brought along his wife, Laura.
After his 30-minute speech, Bush waded out into the front-row seats and shook hands with spectators and some military members.
"We miss you, George!” a man in the crowd yelled.
In his speech, Bush, wearing an open blue dress shirt and slacks, said he mostly missed being commander-in-chief "of such fine men and women” in the military.
Bush, who turns 64 on Monday, spoke of patriotism and how Americans can be patriots by performing various acts of community service. Patriotism is to serve a cause greater than oneself, he said.
Bush also reflected on the country’s founders and the actions they took in 1776 to seek independence from Great Britain.
"They did the right thing even when it was hard,” Bush said. "They did the brave thing even when it was risky.”
The 43rd president’s appearance was part of a celebration to mark improvements at Crystal Beach Park and the park’s 80th anniversary, as well as the Fourth of July holiday.
37° 