Upon young BusDistinguished Service Cross.... h ... were conferred: Cross of the Legion of Honor, ... Victoria Cross, ...
Conferring of the three decorations upon one man at one time implies recognition of a deed of rare
valor and probably of great military importance as well.
From word which has reached Columbus during the last few days, it appears as if the achievement
of Captain Bush well measures up to these requirements.
The incident occurred on the western front about the time the Germans were launching their great
offensive of July 15.... Tbeen written in another vein, but for the heroic and quick action of Cahe history of the remarkable victory scored later by the allies might haveptain Bush.
The ... three allied leaders, Gen. [Ferdinand] Foch, Sir Douglas Haig and Gen. [John J.] Pershing ...
were making an inspection of American positions. Gen. Pershing had sent for Captain Bush to
guide them about one sector.... Suddenly Captain Bush noticed a shell coming directly for them. Heshouted a warning, suddenly drew his bolo knife, stuck it up as he would a ball bat, and parried the
blow, causing the shell to glance off to the right....
Within 24 hours young Bush was notified ... [that] the three allied commanders had recommended
him for practically the highest honors within their gift.... Captain Bush is 23 years old, a graduate ofYale in the class of 1917. He was one of Yale's best- known athletes ... was leader of the glee club
... and in his senior year was elected to the famous Skull and Bones Society....@s
The day after this astonishing story appeared, there was a large cartoon on the editorial page. It
depicted Prescott Bush as a small boy, reading a story-book a"Gee! I wonder if anything like that could ever truly happen to a boy." Tbout military heroism, and saying:he caption below was a (^)
rehash of the batting- away- the-deadly-shell exploit, written in storybook style.@s
Local excitement about the military "Babe Ruth" lasted just four weeks. Then this somber little box
appeared on the front page: Editor State Journal:
A cable received from my son, Prescott S. Bush, brings word that he has not been decorated, as
published in the papers a month ago. He feels dreadfully troubled that a letter, written in a spirit of
fun, should have been misinterpreted. He says he is no hero and asks me to make explanations. I
will appreciate your kindness in publishing this letter....
Flora Sheldon Bush.
Columbus, Sept. 5.@s
Prescott Bush later claimed that he spent "about 10 or 11 weeks" in the area of combat in France.
"We were under fire there.... It was quite exciting, and of course a wonderful experience." @s
Prescott Bush was discharged in mid-1919, and returned for a short time to Columbus, Ohio. But
his humiliation in his home town was so intense that he could no longer live there. The "war hero"story was henceforth not spoken of in his presence. Decades later, when he was an important, rich
U.S. Senator, the story was whispered and puzzled over among the Congressmen.
Looking to be rescued from this ugly situation, Captain Bush went to the 1919 reunion of his Yale
class in New Haven, Connecticut. Skull and Bones Patriarch Wallace Simmons, closely tied to the