Former President George H. W. Bush was just a 20-year-old navy pilot when he earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, a medal given to…
Former President George H. W. Bush was just a 20-year-old navy pilot when he earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, a medal given to those who display heroism in aerial flight.
What should have been a routine bombing run quickly went sideways and almost killed the man who would later become president. The two other members of his crew — William G. “Ted” White and John “Del” Delaney — were not so fortunate.
20 year old Lt (jg) George H. W. Bush, U. S. Navy, at the controls of a TBM Avenger torpedo bomber in 1944 during World War II. #RIP41 #Bush41 pic.twitter.com/eP1BNeF9rn
— 53d Wing History Office (@53WGHO) December 1,2018
It was September 2,1944, and Bush was flying toward an island called Chi Jima to bomb a Japanese radio station. His Avenger light bomber — one of four tasked from the USS San Jacinto for this particular mission — took a hit from anti-aircraft fire, but Bush kept going and managed to drop his payload and damage the target. He said later, “We were trained to complete our runs no matter what the obstacle.”
He was able to reverse course and made it a few miles out to sea before he realized they had no choice but to bail out. Radioing his crew members to strap on their parachutes, he did so himself and prepared to jump.
