George
Herbert Walker Bush was born on June 12, 1924 in Milton, Massachusetts to
Dorothy Walker Bush & Prescott Bush (R-Senator, CT, 1952- 1962). He became
a student leader at Phillips Academy in Andover. On his 18th birthday he enlisted
in the armed forces. The youngest pilot in the Navy when he received his wings,
he flew 58 combat missions during World War II. On one mission over the Pacific
as a torpedo bomber pilot he was shot down by Japanese antiaircraft fire and
was rescued from the water by a U. S. submarine. He was awarded the Distinguished
Flying Cross for bravery in action.Bush next turned his energies toward completing
his education and raising a family. In January 1945 he married Barbara Pierce.
They had six children-- George, Robin (who died as a child), John (known as
Jeb), Neil, Marvin, and Dorothy. At Yale University he excelled both in sports
and in his studies; he was captain of the baseball team and a member of Phi
Beta Kappa. After graduation Bush embarked on a career in the oil industry
of West Texas.
