The Rescue of George H. W. Bush
Today marks an anniversary that bears remembering. It was on September 2, 1944 (69 years ago today) that a young 20 year old Navy Lieutenant named George Herbert Walker Bush had his plane shot down over the Bonin Islands, and was rescued, to live on to achieve great things.
Following the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Bush, then 17, decided to join the US. Navy. After graduating from Phillips Academy in 1942, he became a naval aviator at the age of 18. He completed a 10-month course and was commissioned as an ensign in the U.S. Naval Reserve at Corpus Christi, Texas on June 9, 1943, just three days before his 19th birthday, which made him the youngest naval aviator up to that time. He was assigned to Torpedo Squadron as its photographic officer in September 1943.
In 1944 Bush's squadron was based on the USS San Jacinto as a member of Air Group 51. Bush piloted one of four Grumman TBM Avenger aircraft from VT-51 that was assigned to attack the Japanese installations on the island of Chichijima. The mission occurred on September 2, 1944, and the crew of his aircraft included Radioman Second Class John Delaney and Lieutenant Junior Grade William White. During their attack, Bush and the other Avengers encountered intense anti-aircraft fire. Bush's aircraft was hit by flak and his engine caught on fire. In spite of this, Bush completed his attack and released bombs over his target, scoring several damaging hits. With his engine on fire, Bush flew several miles from the island, where he and one other crew member on the TBM Avenger bailed out of the aircraft. The other man's parachute did not open. It has never been determined which man bailed out with Bush, but both Delaney and White were killed as a result of the battle.
Bush waited for four hours in an inflated raft, while several fighters circled protectively overhead until he was rescued by the lifeguard submarine USS Finback. For the next month he remained on the Finback, and participated in the rescue of other pilots.
A crewman of the Finback filmed some of the rescue. Following is a video of President Bush recollecting the incident. The filmed portion of the rescue is included in this clip:
Coincidentally, one year later, on September 2, 1945 (68 years ago today), on the deck of the United States Navy battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay, representatives from the Empire of Japan and several Allied Powers signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, formally ending World War II.
Following the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Bush, then 17, decided to join the US. Navy. After graduating from Phillips Academy in 1942, he became a naval aviator at the age of 18. He completed a 10-month course and was commissioned as an ensign in the U.S. Naval Reserve at Corpus Christi, Texas on June 9, 1943, just three days before his 19th birthday, which made him the youngest naval aviator up to that time. He was assigned to Torpedo Squadron as its photographic officer in September 1943.
In 1944 Bush's squadron was based on the USS San Jacinto as a member of Air Group 51. Bush piloted one of four Grumman TBM Avenger aircraft from VT-51 that was assigned to attack the Japanese installations on the island of Chichijima. The mission occurred on September 2, 1944, and the crew of his aircraft included Radioman Second Class John Delaney and Lieutenant Junior Grade William White. During their attack, Bush and the other Avengers encountered intense anti-aircraft fire. Bush's aircraft was hit by flak and his engine caught on fire. In spite of this, Bush completed his attack and released bombs over his target, scoring several damaging hits. With his engine on fire, Bush flew several miles from the island, where he and one other crew member on the TBM Avenger bailed out of the aircraft. The other man's parachute did not open. It has never been determined which man bailed out with Bush, but both Delaney and White were killed as a result of the battle.
Bush waited for four hours in an inflated raft, while several fighters circled protectively overhead until he was rescued by the lifeguard submarine USS Finback. For the next month he remained on the Finback, and participated in the rescue of other pilots.
A crewman of the Finback filmed some of the rescue. Following is a video of President Bush recollecting the incident. The filmed portion of the rescue is included in this clip:
Coincidentally, one year later, on September 2, 1945 (68 years ago today), on the deck of the United States Navy battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay, representatives from the Empire of Japan and several Allied Powers signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, formally ending World War II.