shortly after dawn on saturday, september 2nd, 1944, lieutenant junior gray george herbert walker bush joined by two crew mates took off from the u.s.s. san jacinto to attack a radio tower. as they approached the target, the air was heavy with flak. the plane was hit, smoke filled the cockpit, flames raced across the wings. my god lieutenant bush thought. this thing's going to go down. yet, he kept the plane in its 35 degree dive, dropped his bombs, and then roared off out to sea telling his crew mates to hit the silk. following protocol, lieutenant bush turned the plane so they could bail out. only then did bush parachute