SAN ANTONIO -- President Bush made an emotional New Year's Eve visit Sunday to the 'gutsy, courageous young men' wounded in the U.S. invasion of Panama and said the trip helped give him the strength to avoid 'second guessing.'
Speaking to reporters after meeting with 45 injured warriors at two medical facilities in San Antonio, Bush also said diplomatic efforts continued to bring former Panamanian leader Gen. Manuel Antonio Noriega 'to justice.'
Noriega has been holed up in the Vatican Embassy in Panama City, Panama, since Christmas Eve. The Roman Catholic archbishop of Panama said Sunday a deal may be near for the Vatican to turn Noriega over to U.S. or Panamanian authorities, but the White House said it knew nothing of a deal.
The Bush administration wants Noriega extradicted to the United States to face drug charges.
'It is the only fair thing for these kids lying here that that happens and I am determined to see that that happens,' Bush said. 'There's a lot of discussions going on.'
Bush, accompanied by his wife, Barbara, visited the Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland Air Force Base and the nearby Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston on the tail end of a six-day hunting, fishing and golfing holiday that ends New Year's Day.
Most of the more than 320 service personnel wounded in Panama already have been treated and released from the two medical centers. The Bushes visited individually with each of the remaining 45 men.
Bush, fighting to control his emotions, spoke to reporters after the visits of the 'spirit, patriotism ... of the kids.'
'It was very moving to Barb and me. I identify with these families,' said Bush, who was shot down over the South Pacific as a 20-year-old Navy pilot in World War II.
'I'm here at year's end to salute these courageous men and to tell them how proud we are of them,' Bush said. 'The beautiful thing from this visit is that I get strength from them (the soldiers) about no second guessing. They are gutsy, courageous young men.'
Mrs. Bush, appearing emotionally drained and red-eyed, told reporters of one soldier, now a parapalegic, who 'thanked George and gave him a little American flag and said, 'This is from all the men in Panama and I want you to have this from them. And wethank you for sending us.''
'It was so sweet,' Mrs. Bush said. 'He meant it.'
At Brooke Army Medical Center, in a particularly gut-wrenching moment, Bush asked Noella Almedia, 8, daughter of Sgt. James Almedia, 'What was your favorite (Christmas) present.'
'My daddy,' replied the little the girl, standing beside her bed-ridden father.
Almedia, 36, of Taunton, Mass., suffered multiple fragmentation wounds in the invasion.
Bush repeatedly told the soldiers: 'I'm proud of you. We're all proud of you.'
'We're glad we were able to do it,' replied Marine Sgt. Gregory Johnson, 24, of Anchorage, Alaska, from his bed -- a Purple Heart pinned to his pillow -- at Wilford Hall.
Bush told Johnson and his three hospital roommates: 'It was a great operation. There are little post-mortems here and there, but it was a wonderful thing.'
In a private bedside ceremony in the intensive care unit, Bush also presented a combat parachutist badge to Army specialist William Dunham, 21, of Rogers, Ark., who lost his left leg in the Dec. 20 invasion that toppled Noriega.
As Bush spoke quietly to each soldier, he asked them where they were from, how they were wounded, and when they expected to go home.
'Nice to meet you. Where did they clip you?' Bush asked Army Sgt. David Reeves, 25, of Woodstock, Ga., who was shot in both shoulders on the first day of the Panama operation and was taken to Wilford Hall.
Reeves, who had one arm in a brace and his left arm hooked to an intravenous tube replied: 'Both shoulders.'
'Automatic rifle fire,' Bush asked.
Reeves nodded.
Reeve's father, Alan, told Bush he was proud of his son and then, fighting back tears, told a visibly moved president: 'It brings tears to yours eyes.'
The younger Reeves earlier told reporters he was pleased that Bush had scheduled a visit to the hospital, saying: 'I think it is important for him to show his interest, his support of us.'
Johnson, who is stationed in Norfolk, Va., and was shot just hours after the invasion began, told reporters before the president's visit, 'We were told we were there to liberate Panama. It's history. I had a small part of it.'
When asked if he was excited about meeting the president, Johnson replied: 'It's kind of a nice experience -- but a rough way to do it.'
