Iowa Boy Scout Camp Tragedy Survivors Meet President Bush

Some Nebraska Boy Scouts are enjoying the field trip of a lifetime.

It's been seven weeks since a tornado ripped through their Iowa campsite, killing four scouts.

Thursday they visited Washington, D.C. and got a special welcoming from President Bush.  

On June 11th the E-F 3 tornado ripped through the Little Sioux Scout Ranch in Iowa killing four scouts , three of whom were from Nebraska.

Thursday close to 150 scouts, who were there that day, went to the Nation's capital where they were honored for their heroism.

The boy scouts were just settling in to watch a movie when a tornado ripped through their Iowa camp site taking the lives of four young boys. In the darkness, scouts began administering first aid to their injured troop members and helped clear a path for rescuers who were working feverishly to cut through trees and debris to reach the injured.

The scouts actions were credited with minimizing the loss of life.

Thursday, just seven weeks after the June 11th tragedy, survivors and their families were in Washington.

They met with President Bush who honored them for their courage. Several were awarded with the Scouts in Action Commendation.

Thursday's bittersweet event comes as the families of the 145 scouts who were attending the leadership camp still struggle to overcome the tragedy.

One compounded because the state of Iowa was not only hit by several tornadoes recently but also inundated with heavy rains that left several cities under water.

Thursday at the National Press Club some scouts described life since their camp was left ravaged.

The scouts also took a tour of the U.S. Capitol building and saw several of the other monuments in and around the D.C. area.

They also had dinner at a scout camp in Virginia before coming back to Omaha around midnight.