Not to mention the fact that he was shot down near the coast of Iwo Jima and almost executed by the Japanese...
Not sure many people knew about that..
From the wiki review on "Flyboys" (an excellent book, BTW):
As U.S. Marines in 1945 invaded Iwo Jima some 150 miles away, U.S. warplanes bombed the small communications outpost on Chichi Jima. While Iwo Jima had Japanese forces numbering 22,000, Chichi Jima's forces numbered 25,000. Additionally, Iwo Jima has flat areas suitable for a naval invasion, while Chichi Jima's geography included hilly terrains and unsuitable coasts. According to one Marine (who Bradley does not identify), "Iwo was hell. Chichi would have been impossible." Assumedly, it is because of this that U.S. pilots, known as "Flyboys", were needed to neutralize Chichi's defenses.[1]
Nine crewmen survived after being shot down in the raid. One was picked up by the American submarine USS Finback. His name was Lieutenant George H. W. Bush, who later became the forty-first President of the United States. The others were captured by the Japanese and were executed and partially eaten as POWs, a fact that remained hidden until much later. The names of Flyboys were Jimmy Dye from Mount Ephraim, New Jersey, Floyd Hall from Sedalia, Missouri, Marve Mershon from Los Angeles, California, Warren Earl Vaughn from Childress, Texas, Dick Woellhof from Clay Center, Kansas Grady York from Jacksonville, Florida, Glenn Frazier from Athol, Kansas, and an airman whose name was never known. Senior Japanese Army Officers hosted a Sake party for their Navy counterparts where the livers of American POW's were roasted and served as an appetizer. The Navy officers subsequently reciprocated by hosting a party where they butchered and served their own American POW's.[1]
The book also documents Japanese cannibalization of not only the livers of freshly killed prisoners, but also the cannibalization-for-sustenance of living prisoners over the course of several days, amputating limbs only as needed to keep the meat fresh in the harsh jungle environment. It also cites cannibalisim of Allied soldiers killed in action and of Japanese dead, wounded and by lot drawings.[2]
These atrocities on Chichi-jima, were discovered in late 1945 and was investigated as part of the war crimes trials. In 1946, 30 Japanese soldiers were court-martialed on Guam and five officers (Maj. Matoba, Gen. Tachibana, Adm. Mori, Capt. Yoshii, and Dr. Teraki) were found guilty and hanged. All of the enlisted men were released within eight years.[3]
[Not to mention the fact that he was shot down near the coast of Iwo Jima and almost executed by the Japanese...]
George was not “almost executed” by the Japanese. Here are the facts around his service and casualty incident;
After Bush’s promotion to Lieutenant (junior grade) on August 1, the San Jacinto commenced operations against the Japanese in the Bonin Islands. Bush piloted one of four Grumman TBM Avenger aircraft from VT-51 that attacked the Japanese installations on Chichijima.[5]
His crew for the mission, which occurred on September 2, 1944, included Radioman Second Class John Delaney and Lieutenant Junior Grade William White.[1]
During their attack, the Avengers encountered intense anti-aircraft fire; Bush’s aircraft was hit by flak[6] and his engine caught on fire.[1]
Despite his plane being on fire, Bush completed his attack and released bombs over his target, scoring several damaging hits.[1] With his engine afire, Bush flew several miles from the island, where he and one other crew member on the TBM Avenger bailed out of the aircraft;[6] the other man’s parachute did not open.[1]
It has not been determined which man bailed out with Bush[1] as both Delaney and White were killed as a result of the battle.[6] 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.[1]
For the next month he remained on the Finback, and participated in the rescue of other pilots