It cleared the way for the end of communism in Europe, and it happened on George Bush senior's watch. Monday, the former president celebrated the fall of the Berlin Wall in College Station.

Twenty years ago Monday evening, a politburo official announced East Germans had permission to leave the German Democratic Republic, and people took to the streets to tear down the wall.

President Bush didn't celebrate on November 9, 1989, but he did Monday night.

Bush was accompanied by former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice. During his term in office, Rice was a member of Bush's national security staff. She recalled urging the president to go to Berlin in 1989 as the wall was coming down. Rice said Bush questioned what he would do at the wall other than dance on it, and chose instead to watch the wall fall from the White House.

Last weekend, Bush joined former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, in Berlin.

"First of all, the three of us are in fact 20 years older," said Bush. "Talk about dancing on the wall, I'm lucky to even be standing up next to the damn thing."

Rice is a Cold War expert and has written several books on the Cold War.

"I never dreamed that I might be lucky enough to be the White House Soviet specialist at the end of the Cold War because I never dreamed that there was going to be an end to the Cold War," said Rice.

During a brief lecture, Rice touched on three men involved in the collapse of the wall, who she said used their talents for good. She named Helmut Kohl, and Gorbachev, a man she called an unwitting partner in the collapse of the Soviet Union.

"As he watched the end of Soviet power in the front of him, he did not try in the rear view mirror to stop it," said Rice.

The third man she named was President Bush.

"Mr. President, I was invited to a lot of commemorations for the fall of the wall. There is no place that I would rather be than here with you, to celebrate your extraordinary role in history's term," said Rice.

Afterwards, the crowd gathered around the library's Berlin Wall monument. As the German National Anthem was sung at least one person in the crowd already knew the words. Martin Knaack was born on the eastern side of the wall, and is now studying at Texas A&M.

"I just can say thanks to these amazing political leaders at that time that they realized what was the time about and which actions they had to take," said Knaack.

Actions that allowed Knaack and others to celebrate, 20 years later.

Some who showed up at the library said they were turned away from the event, despite making reservations and bringing tickets.

Margaret Ann White, a Brazos County resident, brought her ticket, and said she called three weeks ago to confirm her reservation by phone. White said she waited in line, but wasn't allowed in the library and was told she could watch the event on a big screen television set up outside.

"I'm handicapped, I can't stand that long and there are no seats out here, couldn't possibly do that. I'm very disgusted," said White.

The library opened an overflow room, though it was unclear if that room had filled to capacity.