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Born: October 4, 1926
Tacoma, Washington
War: World War II
Rank: Hospital Apprentice First Class, US Naval
Reserve (serving as Medical Corpsman with a rifle company)
Location of action: Okinawa Jima, Ryukyu Islands
Date of action: May 2, 1945
Medal received from: President Harry Truman,
October 5, 1945
Official Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his
life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as Medical
Corpsman with a rifle company, in action against enemy Japanese
forces on Okinawa Jima, Ryukyu Islands, 2 May 1945. Fearlessly
braving the fury of artillery, mortar, and machinegun fire from
strongly entrenched hostile positions, Bush constantly and unhesitatingly
moved from one casualty to another to attend the wounded falling
under the enemy's murderous barrages. As the attack passed over
a ridge top, Bush was advancing to administer blood plasma to
a marine officer lying wounded on the skyline when the Japanese
launched a savage counterattack. In this perilously exposed
position, he resolutely maintained the flow of life-giving plasma.
With the bottle held high in one hand, Bush drew his pistol
with the other and fired into the enemy's ranks until his ammunition
was expended. Quickly seizing a discarded carbine, he trained
his fire on the Japanese charging pointblank over the hill,
accounting for six of the enemy despite his own serious wounds
and the loss of one eye suffered during his desperate battle
in defense of the helpless man. With the hostile force finally
routed, he calmly disregarded his own critical condition to
complete his mission, valiantly refusing medical treatment for
himself until his officer patient had been evacuated, and collapsing
only after attempting to walk to the battle aid station. His
daring initiative, great personal valor, and heroic spirit of
self-sacrifice in service of others reflect great credit upon
Bush and enhance the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
Bio:
Bob Bush was born in Tacoma, Washington and entered the military
in 1943 at age 17. He dropped out of high school and went to
Idaho for basic training in the Naval Medical Corps. Less than
a year later he was disembarking an amphibious assault vehicle
going ashore at Okinawa Japan for what became the longest bloodiest
battle in the Pacific theater of WWII. His actions during that
battle earned him the Medal of Honor.
Injured in battle, Bush was shipped to Hawaii for treatment
and then sent home. He re-entered high school and married his
high school sweetheart. At 19-years-old the newlyweds took the
train across country to Washington D.C. for Bush to receive
the Medal from President Harry S. Truman.
Bush enrolled in classes at the University of Washington and
then bought a small lumber company and spent the next 50 years
building it in into a multi-million dollar business.
Several monuments have been built in Bush’s honor: a statue
depicting him in action located in his hometown of South Bend,
Washington; the Robert E. Bush Naval Hospital, located in Twentynine
Palms, California and the Bush Health Care Clinic, located in
Camp Courtney, Okinawa, Japan.
Of Note:
Tom Brokaw has a chapter about Bob Bush in his book “The
Greatest Generation”.
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Robert
Bush