Richard Earl Bush of Glasgow, Kentucky, a U.S. Marine Corps master gunnery sergeant, was awarded the Medal of Honor for his extraordinary actions in Okinawa on April 16, 1945.
Bush enlisted in the USMC in 1942. He served with the Marine Corps Raiders in the Pacific, and while with the Raiders, he was promoted to corporal. On April 16, 1945, Cpl. Bush was serving in the 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 6th Marine Division.
Cpl. Bush led his men in a charge against an enemy stronghold. During the assault, he placed himself on a thrown enemy grenade, absorbing the force of the explosion and saving the lives of his fellow Marines and corpsmen.
In World War II, twenty-seven Marines similarly used their bodies against thrown enemy grenades in order to save their comrades’ lives. Bush was one of four who survived. He lost several fingers and sight in one eye.
In the years following the war, Bush worked for the Veterans Administration until 1972 as a counselor helping veterans file claims. He earned numerous civilian awards for his efforts to aid other veterans. Bush died of a heart ailment at the age of 79 in 2004.
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