Posted on 09/02/2010 2:03:09 PM PDT by Michael Zak
George H. Bush, at the age of eighteen, became the youngest pilot in the U.S. Navy. He learned to fly a three-man torpedo bomber and named his plane for his fiance, Barbara. He was assigned to the aircraft carrier USS San Jacinto.
On this day in 1944, Lt. Bush's squadron attacked Japanese radar installations on the island of Chichi Jima. His plane was hit by an anti-aircraft gun, setting it on fire.
(Excerpt) Read more at grandoldpartisan.typepad.com ...
I don’t think either Bush flew fighters by teleprompter.
And what is the current President’s great and brave acts? Bow to anyone recently?
So he had a history of bombing even before he won POTUS
I really needed that laugh!
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The story of his rescue by submarine could’ve come right out of Hollywood. Either that sub surfaces and saves him in the bay, or the boat full of Japanese cannibals reaches him and roasts him on a spit like they did his countrymen.
As with President Bush Jr., I may have disagreed with Bush’s liberal economic policies but I always thought he was an honorable man. Bush Sr., in particular, exemplified service, honor and duty. And yet, remember how, during President Bush Sr.’s presidential campaigns, there was a Leftie smear whisper campaign that Bush was shot down due to his incompetence? The Left is scum.
George HW wasn’t my favorite president, but that’s not funny at all.
I believe he was shot down in that plane. Few politicians today can survive a combat war and still retain a sense of their need to serve humanity. John McCain certainly didn’t; and John Kerry, either [if you can call what he did ‘combat’].
Several others of his flight were shot down down by the enemy and captured, killed and eaten.
Reminds me of Billy Jeff and the medias “wimp factor” campaign against HW. Still pisses me off
Truman - Army in World War I
Eisenhower - Army WWI and WWII
Kennedy - Navy WWII
Johnson - Navy Reserve WWII
Nixon - Navy Reserve WWII
Ford - Navy Reserve WWII
Carter - Navy (graduated USNA in 1946 and served until 1953)
Reagan - Army Air Corps during World War II (1942-1945); Army Reserve (1937-1942)
Bush Sr. - Navy WWII
Clinton - ran away to Europe from military service (draft dodger)
Bush Jr. - Texas Air National Guard, 68 - 73
Obama - never served, and draft ended by the time he was of age
in addition, 21 of the remaining 31 Presidents served in some form of military service (including state militias).
That is, 12 of 44 Presidents did not serve in the military. And of those 12...
John Adams was chairman of the Continental Congress Board of War
Herbert Hoover helped guide US Marines in 1900 during the Boxer Rebellion
Franklin Roosevelt served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy during WWI.
So that means that 9 of 44 didn't somehow work with the military in some form.
Care to explain that?
Interesting. Thank you. Who were the other nine Presidents who did not serve in the military?
My respects to anyone who flew torpedo bombers in battle, whether the older Douglas TBD’s or newer Grumman TBF’s that Bush flew.
>> Bush Jr. - Texas Air National Guard, 68 - 73 <<
Not only that:
For almost two years during this five-year period, he actually was full-time, active-duty Air Force.
Madison and Jefferson were two of them.
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