Robert Eugene Bush
| Robert Eugene Bush | |
|---|---|
 
Robert Eugene Bush
|
|
| Born |
October 4, 1926 Tacoma, Washington |
| Died | November 8, 2005 (aged 79) Olympia, Washington |
| Place of burial | Fern Hill Cemetery, Menlo, Washington |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1944 - 1945 |
| Rank | Hospital Apprentice First Class |
| Unit | G Company, 2nd Battalion 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division |
| Battles/wars |
World War II *Battle of Okinawa |
| Awards |
Medal of Honor Purple Heart Medal |
Robert Eugene Bush (October 4, 1926 – November 8, 2005) was a United States Navy hospital corpsman who was awarded the nation's highest military decoration for valor, the Medal of Honor, for his actions above and beyond the call of duty while attached to a Marine Corps rifle company on May 2, 1945 during the Battle of Okinawa, in World War II. At age 18, he was the youngest U.S. sailor to receive the Medal of Honor in World War II.
Bush was born in Tacoma, Washington to Carl and Estelle Bush. His father worked as a sawmill logger and his mother was a nurse. After his parents divorced when he was four, he was raised by his mother in Raymond, Washington. He worked in a sawmill with some friends and dropped out of school in 1943.
Bush joined the United States Naval Reserve (United States Navy Reserve) at age 17 on January 5, 1944, as an apprentice seaman, Class V-6, at Navy Recruiting Station, Seattle, Washington. After completing recruit training at the Farragut Naval Training Station, at Farragut, Idaho, he was sent to and graduated from the Naval Hospital Corps Schools in Farragut. He was assigned to the Naval Hospital, Seattle, before completing further training at the Field Medical Service School, Fleet Marine Force Training Center, Camp Pendleton, California. During his training, he was advanced to seaman second class then to hospital apprentice second class. On March 1, He was temporarily advanced to hospital apprentice first class.
On February 10, 1945, he was assigned to Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division. Afterwards, he was assigned to G Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines during the invasion of Okinawa which began on April 1, 1945. On May 2, he was wounded in action by shrapnel from three enemy hand grenades while attending to his wounded platoon commander and at the same time, firing the lieutenant's rifle to protect the lieutenant, himself, and rest of the platoon during an enemy attack. He was honorably discharged on July 26, 1945.
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