Whereas George Herbert Walker Bush, the 41st President of the United States, was born on June 12, 1924, in Milton, Massachusetts, to former Senator Prescott Bush and Dorothy Walker Bush; Whereas George H.W. Bush was raised in Greenwich, Connecticut, and was active in leadership and athletics during high school; Whereas, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, George H.W. Bush enlisted in the United States Naval Reserve in 1942 on his 18th birthday, was assigned to a torpedo squadron as a photographic officer, and went on to become one of the youngest aviators in the Navy during World War II; Whereas, during an attack against Chichi Jima, a heavily fortified island held by Japanese forces, the aircraft George H.W. Bush was flying was damaged by Japanese anti-aircraft fire, however, George H.W. Bush released his payload against his target before ejecting from the aircraft and being rescued by the USS Finback, a lifeguard submarine; Whereas George H.W. Bush served the United States honorably as a naval pilot during World War II, logging 1,228 hours of flight time, 126 carrier landings, and 58 combat missions; Whereas George H.W. Bush was awarded the United States Navy Air Medal with 2 gold stars and the Distinguished Flying Cross for bravery in action; Whereas, on January 6, 1945, George H.W. Bush married his great love and best friend, Barbara Pierce, and their marriage lasted 73 years, the longest presidential marriage in the history of the United States; Whereas, while enrolled at Yale University following World War II, George H.W. Bush played in 2 College World Series games as a left-handed first baseman and met Babe Ruth before graduating in 1948 with a degree in economics and moving to Texas with Barbara and his eldest son, George W. Bush; Whereas upon moving to West Texas, George H.W. Bush became a successful businessman, establishing himself in the oil and gas industry before being elected to the House of Representatives in 1966