Hawaii man shares how he became friends with a president

I was pleasantly surprised to find out that a Hawaii man, Ray L’Heureux, had been chauffeur to four U.S. presidents: both Bushes, Clinton and Obama. Oh, and he also transported the pope several times.

L’Heureux didn’t drive a limo: He flew the presidential helicopter. In his 2014 book, “Inside Marine One: Four U.S. Presidents, One Proud Marine, and the World’s Most Amazing Helicopter” (St. Martin’s Press), L’Heureux said he rose through the ranks of the Marine Corps to command the presidential air limo.

“It was a fun life,” L’Heureux (pronounced “lah-ROO”) said. “When you’re flying around Washington, D.C., and you get to hook a right turn and land in the backyard of the White House, you never get tired of that.”

L’Heureux has retired from active duty and today is president and CEO of Pacific Historic Parks at Pearl Harbor.

L’Heureux told the Downtown Exchange Club that after he flew George W. Bush to Camp David in 2006 or so, the president invited him to go mountain biking with several others.

Camp David is in the Catoctin Mountains in Maryland, about 45 miles from the White House.

“As pilots, we are guests of the president and stay in one of the guest cottages. We have the run of the camp. It’s quite beautiful, actually.

“I had never mountain-biked in my life,” L’Heureux said. “I was a fairly avid athlete but had never mountain-biked.”

There are three ways you can get around Camp David, according to L’Heureux: walk, use a golf cart or bike. The camp had several inexpensive mountain bikes.

So that morning, L’Heureux put on his running gear, because that’s all he had, donned a helmet and pedaled up to the president’s cabin, called Aspen. (All the buildings in Camp David are named after trees.)

Several other riders were already there, including some Bush friends from Texas, family members and Secret Service agents.

L’Heureux immediately noticed that their bikes and gear looked far better than his. They all had CamelBak water packs and L’Heureux did not.

The president came over and said, “You must be the colonel.” L’Heureux replied, “Yes sir. People call me Frenchy.”

“He said, ‘OK, Frenchman,’ and from then on he called me Frenchman. That was my call sign. He looked at me and asked if I had done this before.

“No sir, I have not.”

On a hot August morning, the 10 riders headed up the mountain. “We went onto little trails, through woods and up hills,” L’Heureux said, “and my bike, right from the onset, was not being kind.

“I carried the bike up more hills that I pedaled up. I was exhausted. I was not having fun.” But L’Heureux decided he would die on that trail rather than give up.

“We stopped for a water break. I had none. And the president looked at me and he said, ‘Well, Frenchman, how we doing?’”

“I lied. ‘Awesome,’ I told him. ‘This is the best time of my life.’”

Over the next hour they worked their way down the 3,000-foot mountain. Then the president said, “Now we’re gonna work our way back up the mountain. We’re gonna get on this single track, and we’re gonna spin and we’re gonna pump and we’re gonna work your quads.”

“This is how he actually talked,” L’Heureux recalled. “So we started working our way up the mountain. And as we are going up, people start dropping off. It’s hot, and people are done and spent, but I decided I’ll just keep going.

“My heart was about to leap out of my chest. I was dehydrated. I was a disaster.”

After reaching the top of the mountain, the two had about a minute alone before the others, who had been pushing their bikes, caught up.

“There I was, alone with the president of the United States. What do you talk about? He noticed I didn’t have any water and gave me the hose off his CamelBak.

Bush told him, “Frenchman, you did OK…”

“I said, ‘Yes sir, I think I did.’

“Back at the cabins, the president looked at his aide and said, ‘Next time, get Frenchman a better bike,’ and he looked at L’Heureux and said, ‘And you gotta get better gear, too.’ So that started my career, if you will, as a mountain bike guy.”

From then on, L’Heureux and Bush were mountain biking pals, at Camp David and his ranch at Crawford, Texas.

“It was just he and I mountain biking. The surreal part was, I wondered what this bucket-head colonel was doing behind the leader of the free world.

“I never took it for granted. I can tell you, he’s probably one of the most genuine of guys. I think he appreciated the fact that he could be himself. He was very open with his humor.

“To run a squadron of 850 Marines, command Marine One and serve the country was a privilege. But then to forge this relationship with the president was extremely special to me.”

When Bush’s two terms were over and President Barack Obama was sworn in, the former president and his family were flown one last time by L’Heureux on Marine One out of Washington.

“I had left him a note on his seat that said, ‘Sir, it has been an honor and privilege being your helicopter pilot for the last couple of years. I’ve enjoyed every moment of serving you, and riding with you. … You will always be my president. Semper Fi. The Frenchman.’

“I took off and banked around the north side of the Capitol. The photographer snapped a photo. The president had my note in his hand, and you could see the facade of the Capitol draped in all the inaugural bunting. I made three orbits around the Mall.

“President Bush later gave me that photo, and it is one of my favorites.”

After landing, the president gave L’Heureux a big hug and said, “I’m going to miss you,” as he walked off Marine One for the last time.

Bob Sigall, author of “The Companies We Keep” series of books, looks through his collection of old photos to tell stories of Hawaii people, places and companies. Contact him via email at sigall@yahoo.com.