While serving in World War II, George H.W. Bush, the 41st President of The United States, almost ended up being stir-fried with vegetables and soy sauce. In 1944, along with his crew, a young 20-year-old Bush embarked on an aerial assault against Japanese forces in the Bonin Islands. At the tail-end of the attack, Bush and his crew fell upon heavy anti-aircraft fire by Japanese forces from the island of Chimijima. His plane, and several other Navy aircraft were shot down, forcing the airmen to bail from their craft, unaware of the horrors that awaited them below.
“Reservations for Eight?”
Yoshio Tachibana, Lt. Col. of the Japanese Imperial Army, instructed his men not only to capture the Navy pilots, he also ordered his men to butcher and prep their thighs and livers for meals-to-come. He was later extradited to Guam and tried for his war crimes. Since, at the time, the U.S. didn’t specifically deal with cannibalism, he was charged with “prevention of honorable burial”, and was sentenced to death by hanging.
“I’m Not On the Menu!”
George H.W. Bush himself was spared the horrific fate of his eight fellow crewmen. He bailed from his aircraft much farther from the shores of the island and managed to cling onto an inflated safety raft. Japanese ships quickly pursued the young Bush, but their dinner plans were kept at bay by several U.S. Airships. Bleeding from an open head wound, puking and terrified, his saving grace came in the form of the U.S.S. Finback, a submarine, as it surfaced in front of the young, battle-scarred pilot. “Happy to be aboard”, stated the would-be 41st President as he was pulled aboard the ship, having narrowly escaped the gruesome fate of a Bento box.
Here’s a video:
Screengrab via: YouTube
