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Rank and organization: Corporal, U .S. Marine Corps Reserve, 1st Battalion,
4th Marines, 6th Marine Division. Place and date: Mount Yaetake on Okinawa,
Ryukyu Islands, 16 April 1945. Entered service at: Kentucky. Birth: 23 December
1923, Glasgow, Ky. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity
at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a squad leader
serving with the 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, 6th Marine Division, in action
against enemy Japanese forces, during the final assault against Mount Yaetake
on Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands, 16 April 1945. Rallying his men forward with
indomitable determination, Cpl. Bush boldly defied the slashing fury of
concentrated Japanese artillery fire pouring down from the gun-studded
mountain fortress to lead his squad up the face of the rocky precipice,
sweep over the ridge, and drive the defending troops from their deeply
entrenched position. With his unit, the first to break through to the inner
defense of Mount Yaetake, he fought relentlessly in the forefront of the
action until seriously wounded and evacuated with others under protecting
rocks. Although prostrate under medical treatment when a Japanese hand
grenade landed in the midst of the group, Cpl. Bush, alert and courageous
in extremity as in battle, unhesitatingly pulled the deadly missile to
himself and absorbed the shattering violence of the exploding charge in
his body, thereby saving his fellow marines from severe injury or death
despite the certain peril to his own life. By his valiant leadership and
aggressive tactics in the face of savage opposition, Cpl. Bush contributed
materially to the success of the sustained drive toward the conquest of
this fiercely defended outpost of the Japanese Empire. His constant concern
for the welfare of his men, his resolute spirit of self-sacrifice, and
his unwavering devotion to duty throughout the bitter conflict enhance
and sustain the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
This data was extracted from the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, U.S. Senate, Medal of Honor Recipients: 1863-1973 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1973)
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