Hobby Master Archive

The man who survived WW II to become the 41st U.S. President George Herbert Walker Bush. After graduating from Phillips Academy, Bush joined the U.S. Navy on June 12, 1942, his 18th birthday, as a seaman second class. While the Navy normally required their aviators to have completed 2 years of college study, this requirement was waived for Bush, without official explanation. Bush was assigned to squadron VT-51 in September 1943, based on USS San Jacinto. Bush flew his first combat missions in operations against the Japanese in the Marianas archipelago in June. On June 17, 1944, Bush was forced to make an emergency water landing and he and his two crew members were picked up by a US Destroyer, although the plane was lost. Bush received a promotion to the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade on August 1, 1944.

August 1944 saw the USS San Jacinto begin operating in the Bonin Islands. September 2, 1944 four Avengers launched from the San Jacinto to neutralize a radio transmitter on Chichi Jima Island. Bush was one of the pilots and during the attack, his plane was hit by triple A and caught fire. With fire spreading towards his fuel tanks he persevered and dropped his bombs on the target scoring several hits. According to Bush he realized the plane was doomed and headed out over the water where he issued the order for all to bail out. He was the only one to manage an escape and live as one crew member died on impact with the water when his shoot failed to open and the other went down with the plane. Bush was later picked up by a U.S. submarine. There seems to be some controversy to this day as to what actually took place. The turret gunner in the plane that was in front of Bush’s Avenger claims there were no flames and had Bush made a water landing his two crew members probably would have survived. For his action in the raid Bush received the DFC (Distinguished Flying Cross) for his bravery and gallantry. Throughout his career he also was awarded three more flying medals and the Presidential Unit Citation. In 1944 he had flown 58 combat missions and was reassigned to Norfolk Navy Base and put in a training wing for new torpedo pilots. He was later assigned as a naval aviator in a new torpedo squadron, VT-153. With the end of the war, he was honorably discharged in September 1945 and then entered Yale University.

After graduation from Yale he went on to become a U.S. Congressman from Texas, U.S. Ambassador to the UN, Republican National Committee Chairman, Chief of the Liaison Office in the Peoples Republic of China, Director of the CIA, Chairman of the First International Bank in Houston, 43rd Vice President under Ronald Reagan and 41st President of the U.S..