(RIP) George H W Bush Passes away (Navy Pilot?)

FloridaPilot

FloridaPilot

Pattern Altitude
Joined
Mar 10, 2014
Messages
2,456
Location
Florida
Display Name
Display name:
FloridaStudentPilot
Keeping politics out of it. I didn't know George HW was a Navy Pilot here are some facts:

  • Enlisted in U.S. Navy on his 18th birthday - June 12, 1942
  • Earned the "Wings of Gold" Naval Aviator Rating June 9, 1943 at the age of 18 years, 11 months, and 27 days
  • Qualified as carrier pilot on USS Sable August 24, 1943
  • Assigned to VT-51 aboard the new carrier San Jacinto CVL-30 as part of Task Force 58 in May, 1944
  • Doomed flight on September 2, 1944, while attacking Japanese held island of Chichi Jima he was shot down and lost his two crewmen: John Delaney ARM-3C, and Lt. (JG) Ted White, Squadron Ordinance Officer
  • Rescued by the submarine Finback SS-230
  • Returned to his squadron and flew twelve more missions, thereby totaling 58 combat missions.
Source:

http://www.capitalwing.org/tbm_bush.asp?menuID=20~20~21~21~23~23


RIP
 

Attachments

  • DIwT3ASVoAAclIS.jpg
    DIwT3ASVoAAclIS.jpg
    110.4 KB · Views: 53
FloridaPilot said:
Doomed flight on September 2, 1944, while attacking Japanese held island of Chichi Jima he was shot down and lost his two crewmen: John Delaney ARM-3C, and Lt. (JG) Ted White, Squadron Ordinance Officer
Click to expand...

Interesting factoid...

He was discussing this at a convention and mentioned that he hit the tail when he bailed out due to neglecting to actually jump first. He said something to the effect that if he ever had the opportunity to jump out of an airplane again, he wanted to do it right. That led to him becoming the only president to skydive.

http://www.joejennings.com/Bush1.htm
 
I have always admired President Bush. RIP. Job well done and life well lived.
 
Yes, he was. There is a WWII aircraft carrier in Charleston, SC you can tour. They have one of the dive bombers on board that he flew. I think it was a Hellcat? Not sure I have that right.
 
One of the greatest public servants this country has ever seen.

Navy pilot
US House of Representatives
Ambassador to the UN
Chairman of the RNC
Envoy to China
CIA Director
Vice President
President

And he did it all in a dignified manner. A lesson others should learn.
 
Anymouse said:
Interesting factoid...

He was discussing this at a convention and mentioned that he hit the tail when he bailed out due to neglecting to actually jump first. He said something to the effect that if he ever had the opportunity to jump out of an airplane again, he wanted to do it right. That led to him becoming the only president to skydive.

http://www.joejennings.com/Bush1.htm
Click to expand...

Also interesting as documented in a book that included his Pacific shootdown by the Japanese; other crews shot down and captured around the same island were slain and eaten by the enemy.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
 
Not only do i beleive he was a good man, but he represented an era where politics didnt determine personal friendships, what news channel we watched, what sports we would watch, how close we were to other family members, and political affliation of opposite persusion than your own didnt make the other side less patriotic.

Rest In Peace my fellow pilot and Great American.
 
Bill Watson said:
Also interesting as documented in a book that included his Pacific shootdown by the Japanese; other crews shot down and captured around the same island were slain and eaten by the enemy.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
Click to expand...

Fly Boys. Excellent book. Read it in Iraq back in 2004.
 
Sad.

but 94! what a run.
I recall being impressed that he would skydive on his birthday every year. I believe he did this into his 80s.
Not 100% sure on that but.

I was still pretty young when he was president so my memory of him was the skydiving after his presidency and as a president, all I recall is the "Read my lips" thing.
Sounds like he had several lifetimes crammed into one life.
 
What a full life he led. All for the love of this country.

Not to forget the longest married presidential couple. I was afraid he would not last much longer after his wife passed away. I was not aware that they had a daughter pass away at age 3 in 1958.


46932319_154132778888225_8119711839611335060_n.jpg
 
Go visit his Presidential Library at Texas A&M. Great pictures and stories. Worth the time to learn about a good man. We loved seeing Mr. and Mrs. Bush in town, whether at a baseball game, at dinner, or lighting the Christmas tree at the Library. I'll miss them both and take comfort that they're together again.

Robin has been buried at the Library since it was built. Mr. and Mrs. Bush will be with her there. Beautiful grounds.
 
A well respected gentleman, to be sure. I used to have his and Barbara's photo on my mantle (probably machine signed, who knows) until a water leak destroyed it.
 
President Bush was an patrician, an American aristocrat in the finest sense. In my lifetime he compares well with President Carter, who was a bit of a religious zealot and puritan, but also in the finest sense.

I didn’t care for either man as a political leader in their time but I realized overtime that they were good men who knew what service meant and lived accordingly.

RIP President Bush


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
 
I remember running into him at the rec center one year when I was at A&M. He was working out with the common folks and didn’t think anything of using machines right next to us students. He stopped to take pictures and shake hands with anyone who asked and did it all with a smile.

I had a friend who worked at the only fancy restaurant in town at the time. The waitress waiting on 41 was so nervous her hands were shaking when she brought drinks out to President Bush and his wife. The story goes that he grabbed her hand and said, “Don’t be nervous. I once threw up on the emperor of Japan.”

41 was a true gentleman and his dedication to public service was something I think we can all admire.
 
Bill Watson said:
Also interesting as documented in a book that included his Pacific shootdown by the Japanese; other crews shot down and captured around the same island were slain and eaten by the enemy.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
Click to expand...

The book was Fly Boys.
 
Kritchlow said:
Too late. There was one post that started the spiral.
Click to expand...
What? Are we unable to recover from a spiral here? I thought we were all superpilots. ;)

All kidding aside, if we can't control ourselves, we need to take it elsewhere.
 
Fallsrider said:
Yes, he was. There is a WWII aircraft carrier in Charleston, SC you can tour. They have one of the dive bombers on board that he flew. I think it was a Hellcat? Not sure I have that right.
Click to expand...

He flew a Torpedo Bomber, the TBF Avenger. The Hellcat was a Fighter.

Cheers
 
“I do not like broccoli. And I haven’t liked it since I was a little kid and my mother made me eat it. And I’m President of the United States and I’m not going to eat any more broccoli!”

GHWB, 3/23/1990
​
My kind of guy. :p

He was comfortable with people. Here's then-VP Bush at the White House Easter Egg Roll, April 1987:

 
bobmrg said:
What a contrast to the present occupant of the White House. A true gentleman.

Bob
Click to expand...
Way to make it NOT about the person who died. Classy post

RIP GHWB
 
Pilots and politics don’t mix. Keep the wings level and focus on the aviation aspect. Enjoy your Saturday PoAers.
 
It's a crappy job, usually ascended to by amatuers and semi-amateurs, with no way to prep except OJT. Anyone who can navigate it with any semblence of effectiveness has probably done OK.

He did OK, probably top third, IMHO.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
Sad.

but 94! what a run.
I recall being impressed that he would skydive on his birthday every year. I believe he did this into his 80s.
Not 100% sure on that but.

I was still pretty young when he was president so my memory of him was the skydiving after his presidency and as a president, all I recall is the "Read my lips" thing.
Sounds like he had several lifetimes crammed into one life.
Click to expand...
Last time was when he was 90. I believe he was the longest-lived of any of the presidents.
 
I read a book on the battles at ChiChi Jima. It was not to far from Iwo Jima and served as a radio post. There were POWs on the island and the Japanese were known to eat their captives. Eating the heart, liver etc of your opponent was considered powerful.

The attack against the radio outpost resulted in Pres Bush being shot down. The Japanese on the island was sending a boat to get Bush when the submarine surfaced to rescue him.
 
Everskyward said:
Do not let this thread veer into a discussion of the current President.

RIP, 41.
Click to expand...
Too late. Some insensitive jackass already did, demonstrating his thoughts and actions are no better than the very person he was denegrating instead of just saying “A true gentleman”

****es me off when someone, especially a VETERAN, died after giving so much to this country... and people take the opportunity to advance their unrelated and unsolicited thoughts and opinions. It’s beyond rude. It’s being a ****ty human being. Have some respect for someone who gave more to this country that you ever did or ever will.

If you can’t say something nice or respectful, don’t say anything at all.
 
Last edited:
I think some more parts of that rickety old dilapidated front porch just fell in.
 
One day the owner of a company I used to work for took us to the Houston club he was a member of. We walked into their private reataurant and as we turned the corner, there was George and Barbara having lunch. I have never met a President or even a Senator. I was a bit taken back. We were seated 3 tables down from them and had to keep myself the whole time from turning around and watching them. So now I just tell people I had lunch with George HW Bush. :)
 
Stewartb said:
Go visit his Presidential Library at Texas A&M. Great pictures and stories. Worth the time to learn about a good man.
Click to expand...

Did a college tour there with my son 4 years ago ... that's a GREAT library!

Stewartb said:
We loved seeing Mr. and Mrs. Bush in town, whether at a baseball game, at dinner, or lighting the Christmas tree at the Library. I'll miss them both and take comfort that they're together again.
Click to expand...

Attended the NCAA Final Four in HOUSTON a few years back. They were both there and having a great time. It was also Charles Barkley's FIRST NCAA Final Four Tournament, and he was over the moon with the excitement/atmosphere as well. One of the best father-son events I've attended.
 
I thought it might be cool to fly over the train as it takes him from Spring to College station to take photos, but I'll most likely be busy at work. The only TFRs I see are in Spring and College station, but nothing in between. They're inviting people to come out and watch as the train goes by.
img-up-media-4141-photo-2-1543706117.jpg
 
Wouldn’t mind a model of that train to keep my Phantoms and 747s company.

I find it rather interesting that we had a run of presidents, from Kennedy to Bush senior, with the exception of Reagan, that were Navy veterans.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top