After being hit by flak and fire engulfing his aircraft, the future President courageously guided his plane to the assigned target and destroyed it. In September 1944, flying from the aircraft carrier USS San Jacinto (CVL-22) on his 58th combat mission, he was shot down during a bombing run against Japanese targets on Chichi Jima, an island 700 miles south of Tokyo. Naval Aviator Bush completed his qualification aboard USS Sable on August 24, 1943. ![]() Flying from nearby Glenview Naval Air Station, during an intensive three-day period trainees were required to complete eight successful landings and takeoffs from those carrier decks. From 1942 to 1945, more than 18,000 Navy and Marine carrier pilots were trained and qualified for carrier duty aboard the USS Sable and USS Wolverine anchored at Chicago’s Navy Pier. Not well known is the fact that then Ensign Bush completed his aviator training and qualification for carrier landings and takeoffs in Chicago. After completing all aspects of flight training he was shipped to the Pacific Theater for aircraft carrier combat operations. At that time, he was known as the second youngest pilot in the U.S. He trained and received his Naval Aviator wings and subsequently qualified to land and takeoff from an aircraft carrier in August 1943 at age 19. He began his service in the Navy by joining in June 1942 at age 18. Foremost among these acknowledgments, evoke his time as a U.S. ![]() Tributes from all quarters have acknowledged his courage, humility, faith and lifelong devotion to selfless service to our nation. The passing of our 41st President has called forth the better angels of our national conscience.
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