2 SEPTEMBER 1944 – With the wings of his plane on fire and smoke pouring into the cockpit, future President George H.W. Bush parachuted into the Pacific Ocean, where he floated for hours on a life raft, vomiting uncontrollably and bleeding profusely from his forehead. He flew the Avenger, which had a three-man crew. It was the heaviest plane the Navy dared to fly off an aircraft carrier. His target was a Japanese radio transmitter on the island of Chichijima. His plane was hit as he began his run into the target. But he stayed with it until he dropped his bombs, before trying to get back over water. Fliers who parachuted down onto the island were often executed. So out over the water, Mr. Bush told his crew to bail out. Neither of the other two crewmen were seen again. Mr. Bush landed in the water and swam to a life raft. The Japanese came out after him. Some fighters from the flight were able to strafe the Japanese boats and keep them away during the four hours that Bush was actually in the water. A U.S. submarine (USS Finback) got to him before the Japanese could. A 20-year-old George H.W. Bush spent 30 days on that submarine thinking, as he later told author James Bradley, “Why had I been spared and what did God have in store for me?” rochestermilitary.com