Los-Angeles-Shooter Loc: Los Angeles

In WWII, Bush was a carrier-based bomber pilot and found himself, along w/ other pilots, attacking a strategic Japanese radio relay station on a Pacific Island. Many pilots and crew died because the station was protected by terrain and fortifications. And there was only one route to attack it. The Japanese had heavy air defenses protecting that route.

One day, Bush's plane was hit bad. Bush ordered his crew to parachute out, while he fought to keep the plane in the air long enough for them to escape. Bush knew the flight would end in him dying in a watery crash and that he was giving up his own survival to give his crew their lives.

Amazingly, Bush survived the crash, escaped the cockpit, and was rescued by a lurking U.S. submarine. The crewmen were not so lucky. They were captured and eaten by the Japanese. The Japanese had been indulging in widespread cannibalism throughout the war. In China they sometimes forced the Chinese to cook the victims. (Kung Pao prisoner, anyone?)

The U.S. and Japanese governments tried hard after the war to cover up news about Japanese atrocities, fearing it would make Americans have bad will toward Japanese.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

I assume this is a true story ....do you have a source for this info (link?) - or is this supposed to be "common knowledge" ?? Thanks.

..

mleuck

More f**e news. T***h be told, none of this happened? How would anyone know the crew was eaten? Bush, a hero, probably not. Just like is coward name sake son. Facing death a hero does not make. I faced death many times in Vietnam and I an no where close to a hero. Heros are people that save lives not take them ! People giving of themselves in working with the elderly, disabled, and mentally challenged!

RIP George and be ready to face your maker and answer for your choices!

delkeener Loc: SW Rhode Island, USA

Get lost

happy sailor Loc: Ontario, Canada

The book Flyboys a true story of courage by James Bradley, It might be worth a read for some!

Los-Angeles-Shooter Loc: Los Angeles

Was in a book whose title I believe, was FLYBOYS by James Bradley. Bush's experience was detailed in part of the book; much of the book documented the failure to take out the radio relay station.

Details of Japanese cannibalism are not widely known.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

A bit different than I read it.
They were attacking the radar/radio installation on Chi Chi Jima.
The plane was in and out of clouds when the AA hit it, he completed the bomb run on the mountain top radar/radio rig. The intercom in his plane was knocked out and smoke inside kept him from seeing if his crewmen had bailed out, or were even alive. He kept yelling for them to bail out and held the plane level and steady for as long as he could to give them time to bail out until flames from the engine ate thru the firewall and came into the cockpit around him. Then he bailed out but kept the plane flat and level in case a crewman was still trying to get out the little door/hatch on the bottom of plane. You were supposed to tilt the plane over sharply and let gravity pull you out at an angle to miss the tail fin. His head brushed the tail fin at over 100 mph and he was lucky to survive it. One other pilot saw a man with a chute streaming go past in a gap in the clouds. Bush's crew were the only ones bailing out so that had to be one of his guys.
The Avenger was a bad plane for pilots who had to bail out. First you had to stay level and steady for your crewmen to go out the door/hatch on the bottom, then you had to do the roll and go out the cockpit yourself. If you had enough control and time to do all that.
Bush stayed on the submarine that picked him up a month before they got him back to his carrier and helped rescue other flyers during that month. A few months before he had ditched another shot up plane that couldn't land back on the carrier and been picked up by a destroyer. His squadron had a 300% pilot casualty rate. The Avenger was a dual purpose plane, torpedoes or regular bombs. Two kinds of missions, lots of chances to get shot down in different ways. And both times he had a plane shot out from under him he had the option to go home, he stayed and continued flying missions until he was ordered home in Dec 1944 to become an instructor.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

You are one sick puppy. Do you h**e everyone?

They documented that "some" Japanese committed cannibalism, esp the livers of enemy soldiers. Most other Japanese had the same opinion of that as we do.

ken_stern Loc: Yorba Linda, Ca

We probably read the same book -- yes it did happen -- We found, tried & executed some of these creepy guys right after the War ended

Rose42

He did far more than the vast majority to serve his country.

RIP Mr. Bush

Los-Angeles-Shooter Loc: Los Angeles

pesfls Loc: Oregon, USA

Am surprised by this hostility towards GHWBush. I thought him to be a decent man I didn’t always agree with. Let’s grow up.

Los-Angeles-Shooter Loc: Los Angeles

I met Bush and shook his hand at an event which also featured Penn State's Joe Paterno.

nimbushopper Loc: Tampa, FL

George Bush was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross by his superiors, so I'll take their opinion over your sick one! I'd also like to see your list of life accomplishments compared to his.

will47 Loc: Indianapolis, IN

And just think hussein obammy was much worse. He was even a failure at community organizing. I am surprised the country survived this prince of fools.