 Serving on a ship, flying into combat and striking from beneath the waves, George Bush's naval career shaped his life and made him a better president. December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor is attacked without warning, and upon hearing the news, George Bush, a student at the time, decides to join the Navy. One year later, he begins flight training and is then assigned to the USS San Joaquin Toll, making him the youngest naval aviator at the time. They depart from New Jersey and after some shakedown and a few anti-submarine patrols, Bush finds himself in danger for the first time at the Battle of the Philippine Sea. Tied to the deck and ready for launch, the ship comes on fire. Unable to launch until the attack is over, Bush and his crew members brace for impact, hoping that a straight bullet doesn't strike one of the bombs loading on the plane. Narrowly avoiding disaster, they immediately launch. Shortly after takeoff, there is a drop in oil pressure caused by the attack, and they are forced to make a water landing. USS San Joaquin Toll continues to fight in Rota, Guam, and Pataloo. Bush and another pilot receive credit for sinking a small cargo ship, and on August 1, he is promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade. They then head for the Bonin Islands, and on the morning of September 2, Bush starts his attack run that would earn him the Distinguished Flying Cross. He quickly encounters heavy anti-aircraft fire, and his plane sustains a hit, causing the engine to catch fire. Continuing the attack, he drops four bombs, which causes damaging hits. Unable to see and afraid the plane might explode, he flies a few miles away and makes a quick right turn, giving him and his crew a chance to bail out, but only his shoot opens. He lands into Pacific, sailing. I didn't know what was going to happen for a couple hours, and then out of the sea came a periscope and then a submarine. My god, it turned out to be ours. Over the next 30 days, he experiences the Navy from the tight quarters of the silent service. Serving as a lookout, he shares the joys of rescuing other aviators and the helplessness of being depth charged. When Bush is dropped off in Hawaii, he finds his way back to his unit and rejoins the fight. By December of 1944, his unit is recalled and Bush heads to Novo. In his career, Bush flies 58 combat missions, receives the Distinguished Flying Cross, and three air medals. He is credited with 126 carrier landings and 1,228 flight hours.