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George Bush: The Unauthorized Biography - Get a Free Blog

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<strong>The</strong> incident occurred on the western front about the time the Germans were launching<br />

their great offensive of July 15.... <strong>The</strong> history of the remarkable victory scored later by<br />

the allies might have been written in another vein, but for the heroic and quick action of<br />

Captain <strong>Bush</strong>.<br />

<strong>The</strong> ... three allied leaders, Gen. [Ferdinand] Foch, Sir Douglas Haig and Gen. [John J.]<br />

Pershing ... were making an inspection of American positions. Gen. Pershing had sent for<br />

Captain <strong>Bush</strong> to guide them about one sector.... Suddenly Captain <strong>Bush</strong> noticed a shell<br />

coming directly for them. He shouted a warning, suddenly drew his bolo knife, stuck it up<br />

as he would a ball bat, and parried the blow, causing the shell to glance off to the right....<br />

Within 24 hours young <strong>Bush</strong> was notified ... [that] the three allied commanders had<br />

recommended him for practically the highest honors within their gift.... Captain <strong>Bush</strong> is<br />

23 years old, a graduate of Yale in the class of 1917. He was one of Yale's best- known<br />

athletes ... was leader of the glee club ... and in his senior year was elected to the famous<br />

Skull and Bones Society....@s5<br />

<strong>The</strong> day after this astonishing story appeared, there was a large cartoon on the editorial<br />

page. It depicted Prescott <strong>Bush</strong> as a small boy, reading a story-book about military<br />

heroism, and saying: "Gee! I wonder if anything like that could ever truly happen to a<br />

boy." <strong>The</strong> caption below was a rehash of the batting- away- the-deadly-shell exploit,<br />

written in storybook style.@s6<br />

Local excitement about the military "Babe Ruth" lasted just four weeks. <strong>The</strong>n this somber<br />

little box appeared on the front page:<br />

Editor State Journal:<br />

A cable received from my son, Prescott S. <strong>Bush</strong>, brings word that he has not been<br />

decorated, as published in the papers a month ago. He feels dreadfully troubled that a<br />

letter, written in a spirit of fun, should have been misinterpreted. He says he is no hero<br />

and asks me to make explanations. I will appreciate your kindness in publishing this<br />

letter....<br />

Flora Sheldon <strong>Bush</strong>.<br />

Columbus, Sept. 5.@s7<br />

Prescott <strong>Bush</strong> later claimed that he spent "about 10 or 11 weeks" in the area of combat in<br />

France. "We were under fire there.... It was quite exciting, and of course a wonderful<br />

experience." @s8<br />

Prescott <strong>Bush</strong> was discharged in mid-1919, and returned for a short time to Columbus,<br />

Ohio. But his humiliation in his home town was so intense that he could no longer live<br />

there. <strong>The</strong> "war hero" story was henceforth not spoken of in his presence. Decades later,

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