HONOLULU -- President George W. Bush and the first lady left Oahu on Tuesday morning after spending about 16 hours in Hawaii.

Bush had dinner with Gov. Linda Lingle then spent the night in military quarters, officials said.

In the morning, the president ate breakfast with troops. On the way to the breakfast, three Honolulu Police Department motorcycle officers on the president's detail crashed. (Read more)

He also attended a military briefing with Adm. William Fallon before leaving at about 9:20 a.m.

U.S. Army combat medic Jose Perez was one of the few who shook hands with the president.

"I just tried to push yourself out, and it was really nice shaking the president's hand," Perez said.

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"I think it made my day to see the president in person instead of on TV," soldier Anthony Davis said.

The president and first lady wished the service members a happy thanksgiving and thanked them for serving the country.

"He was moving very slowly and he made sure to stop by everyone and shake everyone's hand," Air Force member Alison Stewart said.

Stewart serves in the U.S. Air Force and Hawaii Air National Guard. She also writes a technology column for Midweek and became an interview subject herself because of her handshake with Bush.

"I wanted to meet the president. I voted for him during the last two elections, and it was a great honor to meet him," she said.

Stewart like many of the service members saying farewell support the president and his agenda in Iraq despite mounting criticism over his handling of the war.

Fallon, head of the U.S. Pacific Command, was one of just a few VIP's who met with the president during his short stay. He said they discussed growing nuclear concerns in Iran and North Korea.

"We got a chance to sit down to talk about a lot of the issues in the theater. He was very positive," Fallon said.

The president is on his way back to Washington after an eight-day trip across Asia.

Bush last visited Hawaii in October 2003.