Steve Frey
On Dec. 6, 1941, many Americans were thinking about Christmas in a few weeks or Hanukkah beginning in eight days. It was the season of hope, love and kindness.
Little did Americans know, but the Japanese Empire’s armed forces were preparing a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor for the next day, Dec. 7, a day President Franklin D. Roosevelt told Congress “would live in infamy.”
In the sneak attack, the number of military personnel killed was 2,335, including 2,008 from the Navy, 109 Marines and 218 from the Army. Added to this were 68 civilians, for a total of 2403. There were 1,177 lost from the USS Arizona alone, one of several U.S. ships sunk that day.
George H. W. Bush was a high school senior at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts on that awful day. When he heard that Pearl Harbor had been bombed, Bush wanted to serve immediately. “It was a red, white, and blue thing. Your country’s attacked, you’d better get in there and try to help,” Bush later said.
That winter, Bush was not yet 18. He went home for his last Christmas out of uniform, and at a dance saw his future wife, Barbara Pierce, for the first time. Their love lasted a lifetime.
After commencement, Bush joined the U.S. Naval Reserve and became a naval aviator (most likely the Navy’s youngest flying officer), and he was assigned to fly torpedo bombers off aircraft carriers in the Pacific.
On one sortie, he, along with two crew members, flew a bombing mission to destroy a Japanese radio tower. Unfortunately, their plane was hit by enemy fire and, although the plane was on fire, Bush was able to blast the tower before bailing out. The two other men didn’t make it, and that haunted him for the rest of his life.
Fortunately, Bush was picked up by an American submarine before the Japanese captured him. He was severely injured and a war hero. After recovering and being offered the opportunity to return stateside, he insisted on rejoining his unit and continuing the fight.
Bush later became a congressman, ambassador to the United Nations, ambassador to China, head of the CIA, vice-president under Ronald Reagan and president himself.
He was defeated by Bill Clinton when running for a second term, but he left a note in the oval office for the incoming president that said, “There will be very tough times, made even more difficult by criticism you may not think is fair. I’m not a very good one to give advice; but just don’t let the critics discourage you or push you off course.
“…Your success is our country’s success. I am rooting hard for you.”
This note shows what a decent man George H. W. Bush was. He shared great advice in a caring manner to the person who had defeated him for the highest position in the world.
Bush was a patriot, war hero, scholar (Yale), athlete (baseball, again at Yale), family man, civil servant and much more. You may not agree with all of his politics or presidential decisions, but no one can disparage his character.
When he passed away last Friday, he left a massive void in our country. He was the last president to serve in World War II. He talked about “a thousand points of light,” where everyone was invited to help make the country a little better through their service to it and each other. He was a good man and very different from the mean-spirited leaders of today who believe lying, name-calling and manipulation are acceptable. His “gentler, kinder America” has not yet arrived.
On Friday, we will remember the many who were killed at Pearl Harbor. That bombing brought the United States into World War II, and the citizens of the U.S. clearly understood what was at stake. Thousands of families sacrificed their sons and daughters to help save democracy around the world.
George H. W. Bush was one of those soldiers. He answered the call and performed honorably in his country’s service. He represents a shrinking group of veterans from the “Greatest Generation” who lived through the Great Depression, fought during World War II and helped rebuild the world after the war.
As Bush advised Clinton, there will always be critics, but honorable men and women will stand steady in doing what is right. Our Constitution wasn’t written for one class, one nationality, one religion or one race; it was composed by our Founding Fathers as a guide and protection for all Americans. Bush reminded Clinton that criticism is a natural part of the job for a decent politician (no, that is not yet an oxymoron). Fighting for what is right and the rights of all is a constant battle, but it can be done civilly and with respect.
Yes, Bush was just one of many soldiers who fought during World War II to protect the rights of Americans and people throughout the world. Like him, they were honest, decent, fair, hardworking, modest and kind men and women who went to war and, in many cases, never returned.
Godspeed, President George H. W. Bush, and thank you for providing an example for all of us. At the same time, we thank all those who experienced the horror of Pearl Harbor. In both cases, your sacrifices for our country will never be forgotten.
Steve Frey is a writer and CEO of Ascendant Educational Services based in Radford.
