George HW Bush the president who avoided
being eaten by cannibals in World War
two George Herbert Walker Bush was the
last US president that served in combat
there were a number of his predecessors
who also paid their debt to the country
but George Bush's experience was
completely unique he managed to evade
the gruesome death of being eaten by
Japanese soldiers when the Japanese
forces attacked Pearl Harbor on December
7th 1941
George Bush was only a
seventeen-year-old teenager he was
attending the last year of the Phillips
Academy University Preparatory School in
Andover Massachusetts in the days after
the attack the people of the United
States experienced a rush of patriotism
it was the same case with young Bush who
wanted to enlist as soon as possible
so he could serve his country since he
was still underage his first idea was to
enlist in Canada he changed his mind due
to a strong wish to serve as an aviator
in the US Navy as soon as he graduated
and turned 18 On June 13 1942 George
Bush signed up for the US Naval Reserves
one year after he joined the Navy he was
commissioned as an ensign many believed
at the time that he was the youngest
pilot in the US Navy as he was only 19
years old it didn't take long when in
the spring of 1944 he was sent as a
pilot to the USS San Jacinto light
aircraft carrier he arrived just in time
to participate in the campaign of island
hopping against japanese-held islands in
the Pacific still a youngster George
Bush became an experienced pilot after
fighting over Marcos and Wake Island he
also participated in one of the largest
air combats in the war battle of the
Philippine Sea in June 1944 in the final
day of the battle after returning from
the mission Bush had to make a forced
landing on the water it was his first
crash in the war luckily he and his crew
were rescued by the destroyer USS
Clarence K Bronson the second one
however was far more dramatic as
American forces were rolling northwards
on the Pacific they commenced a campaign
on the Bonin islands in August 1944 it
was the same month when George HW Bush
was promoted
to lieutenant junior on September 2nd
Bush received an order to fly in a group
with three other bombers towards the
island of chichi Jima their mission was
to destroy a very important radio tower
that was located on the island as soon
as they appeared in the skies over the
island they were attacked by the strong
anti-aircraft defense Bush's plane was
hit at the moment when he started to
dive towards the target neglecting the
fact that his plane was on fire and the
entire cockpit was full of smoke Bush
continued to dive until he realized the
bombs had hit and damaged the radio
tower
it was only then that he turned his
blazing plane towards the USS San
Jacinto once they were far enough from
the island bush and two other crew
members bailed out of the plane as he
was descending Bush observed his plane
hitting the water and disappear into the
waves
moments after as he hit the water his
struggle began with a heavy soaked
flight suit wounded head and eyes still
burning from the smoke in the cockpit
Bush had to fight to stay on top of the
water his fortune was that he landed in
the vicinity of a life raft when he got
a hold of it he inflated it and climbed
aboard the misfortune was that the winds
were pushing him closer towards the
japanese-held Island so Bush had to
paddle with his arms to stay as far away
as possible
at one point he was spotted by the
Japanese who sent boats to capture earth
but these were repelled by American
fighter planes for four hours George was
floating in his raft as fighter aircraft
were flying above his head to protect
him finally he was rescued by the
lifeguard submarine USS finback several
other Airmen were shot down and also
escaped by bailing out but they would
not be so lucky those eight aviators who
were captured suffered severe torture
from the Japanese squad on the island
they were either beaten or stabbed with
sharp bamboo sticks after which they
were killed the most horrifying part was
that the bodies of four of them were
used to prepare a meal for the Japanese
officers by the wish of major Swale
Matoba japanese surgeon dr. t rocky
removed the liver from one of the dead
US pilots and handed it over to the cook
he then prepared it with soy sauce and
vegetables and served it in small pieces
pierced with bamboo sticks major Matoba
in the company of other office
and commander of the island general
Yoshio Tachibana feasted on this
gruesome meal with sake they believed it
was good medicine for the stomach the
same feast was repeated with the body
parts of three of the other aviators at
the time bush knew nothing about this
crime that was kept secret even though
the executors were eventually trialed in
1946 it was not until 2003 a study
published in the book
Flyboys a true story of courage that
George HW Bush and the entire public
learned of the terrible destiny of the
captured Airmen in November 1944 Bush
returned to the USS San Jacinto and
continued to fight over the Philippines
after a few months his entire unit
returned to the States due to heavy
casualties and in September 1945 George
HW Bush was honorably discharged from
duty even though he flew 58 combat
missions had 126 carrier landings and
1228 flight hours the mission over the
island of chichi Jima was one that
earned him the Distinguished Flying
Cross as he later claimed these were the
moments that he remembered for the rest
of his life
you
subscribe for more World War 2 videos