US Navy HA1c Robert Bush: WWII Medal of Honor Recipient

Welcome back, everyone! Before we dive into today’s story about Medal of Honor recipient Navy Hospital Apprentice First Class Robert Bush, I want to share a brief Medal of Honor story about another Navy hero—Lieutenant (junior grade) John Koelsch. The following audio comes from a short we released on the Duty & Valor YouTube channel, where we share daily videos honoring our nation’s heroes.

While serving with Helicopter Squadron 2 during the Korean War, LTJG John Koelsch demonstrated extraordinary heroism in a daring mission to save a fellow aviator. As nightfall rapidly approached on July 3, 1951, word came in that Marine Corps Captain James Wilkins had been shot down and was trapped by enemy forces in rugged, mountainous terrain deep within hostile territory. Despite the dangers, Lt. Koelsch volunteered to fly his unarmed HO3S helicopter to the pilot's reported location to attempt a rescue.

Flying without a fighter escort, he navigated through near-impossible conditions, descending to dangerously low altitudes below the cloud cover to search the area. Enemy fire grew increasingly intense, striking the helicopter at one point, but LT Koelsch remained undeterred. After a relentless search, he located the downed pilot, who was suffering from severe burns on his arms and legs.

As Captain Wilkins was being hoisted up, another burst of accurate enemy fire struck the helicopter, causing it to crash into the side of the mountain. 

Undaunted, Lt. Koelsch quickly freed his crewman, Aviation Machinist’s Mate 3rd Class George Neal and Captain Wilkins from the wreckage, then led them away from the crash site in an effort to evade the pursuing enemy. For nine days, they evaded capture.

Eventually, the group was captured, but even as a prisoner of war, Lt. Koelsch demonstrated unyielding courage. He refused to cooperate with his captors, inspiring his fellow prisoners through his resilience and selflessness. Tragically, Lt. Koelsch died of malnutrition and dysentery on Oct. 16, 1951.

For his actions during the rescue mission, evasion from the enemy, and his defiance as a POW, LTJG John Koelsch was awarded the Medal of Honor.  

In tribute to LT Koelsch’s legacy, the Navy commissioned the Garcia-class frigate USS Koelsch in his honor. 

LTJG Koelsch was 27 years old when he died and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Amid the brutal fighting of the Battle of Okinawa, an 18-year-old Navy corpsman found himself outnumbered and under fire. As explosions rocked the battlefield, Robert Bush refused to abandon his mission—treating a wounded Marine while a wave of Japanese soldiers charged his position. Armed with nothing but his pistol, a medical kit and sheer determination, he made a stand that would see him being awarded the Medal of Honor. This is his story.   

Robert was born on Oct. 4, 1926, in Tacoma, WA to parents Carl, a logger, and Estelle Bush, a nurse.  When Robert was four, his parents divorced.  He, and his sister, lived with their mom in the basement at Bridge Hospital in Raymond, WA, where she was a nurse.  They remained there until his mother remarried when Robert was in the 8th grade.  

Robert was considered a troubled youth, but by high school, he seemed to be turning his life around—thanks in part to the guidance of a dedicated coach.  While attending High School, he also worked at a sawmill.  

When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, one of Robert’s neighbors, a fireman aboard the USS Arizona, perished when the ship went down. The loss ignited a deep desire in Robert to serve in the Navy, but at just 15 years old, he would have to wait before he could join the fight.

Robert dropped out of high school as a junior and enlisted in the Navy Reserve on January 5, 1944, in Seattle, WA. After completing basic training, he requested to train as a medic—likely influenced by his mother’s work as a nurse. He attended the Naval Hospital Corps School, and upon graduation, was assigned to the Naval Hospital in Seattle. From there, he underwent further field corpsman training at Camp Pendleton, CA, before deploying to the South Pacific.

As a Hospital Apprentice 2nd Class, Bush arrived in the Solomon Islands on December 23, 1944, for further training. After completing his training, he was assigned to the Headquarters Company before transferring to G Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division.

You might be wondering why a Navy hospital apprentice was assigned to a Marine unit. That’s because the Marine Corps is part of the Department of the Navy and does not have its own medics. Instead, Navy corpsmen—who receive specialized combat medical training—are embedded with Marine units to provide battlefield care.

By April 1, 1945, he had been promoted to Hospital Apprentice 1st Class and was among 500 Marines aboard a landing ship off Okinawa’s coast, preparing for battle.

Codenamed Operation Iceberg, the Battle of Okinawa lasted over two months and is considered the bloodiest and fiercest battle of the Pacific Theater. In total, American and Allied forces suffered approximately 50,000 casualties, while the defending Japanese forces endured 100,000 losses. 

For thirty days, Hospital Corpsman Bush showcased his medical training as he treated fallen Marines. On May 2, his rifle company sent out an eleven-man patrol led by Lt. James Roach. Almost immediately, the Japanese hit their position with accurate and devastating mortar fire, killing or wounding half of the patrol.

Lt. Roach was seriously wounded and took cover behind a ridge. Seeing this, Bush immediately wanted to run out and treat his platoon commander. As Bush later recalled, his actions in combat were driven by the thought, 'If I think I can get out there, get him back, save him, then I go.'

Despite this, Bush’s platoon sergeant told him it wasn’t necessary, as Lt. Roach was too far from friendly lines. Still, Bush insisted on reaching his commander and asked two riflemen to accompany him. As they advanced, they drew heavy Japanese fire. The lead Marine was killed instantly, and the second fell before Bush could reach Lt. Roach, but he pressed forward.

When Bush finally reached Lt. Roach, he saw how badly wounded his platoon commander was. Ignoring the rifle fire hitting the ground around him, he began treating Lt. Roach. The lieutenant had lost a lot of blood, so Bush started an IV of plasma just as Japanese soldiers reached the top of the ridgeline. Seeing them, Bush drew his .45 caliber Colt M1911 pistol. With one hand holding the plasma bottle high, he began firing at the enemy with the other.

Bush continued firing until he ran out of ammunition. He then grabbed a discarded carbine and resumed shooting at the Japanese, who were now at point-blank range. During the firefight, a grenade landed near him and Lt. Roach, sending shrapnel into Bush’s back. Despite the pain, he accounted for the deaths of six enemy soldiers.

Moments later, a second grenade was thrown directly at Bush, wounding his left arm and causing the loss of his right eye. Just then, other Marines from the patrol reached his position and neutralized the remaining Japanese soldiers.

Seeing how badly wounded Bush was, the Marines insisted on evacuating him, but he refused until Lt. Roach was brought back to the main line. Bush attempted to move back for treatment but collapsed before reaching the aid station.  

Bush was rushed to a hospital and received treatment. He was unconscious for what he thought was a few hours, but in reality, he was out for eight days. Once stable, he was transferred to the hospital ship USS Relief and eventually made it to Oakland, where he continued his recovery at Oak Knoll Naval Hospital.  

Robert Bush was discharged from the Navy on July 26, 1945, and returned home to Washington. Months later, on September 30, he married his high school sweetheart, Wanda Spooner. The couple spent their honeymoon on a cross-country train trip to Washington, D.C., arriving just in time for the ceremony on Oct. 5 where President Harry Truman awarded Robert Bush the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle of Okinawa.

Robert served in the military for just one year, six months, and 22 days—the shortest tour of duty of any Medal of Honor recipient in World War II. In addition to living the rest of his life with a glass eye, he also carried shrapnel in his left arm and lung.

In addition to becoming a successful business owner in Washington, Robert Bush dedicated much of his time to veteran causes. He also served as President of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society from 1971 to 1973.

Robert and Wanda Bush raised four children—three sons and a daughter.

On November 8, 2005, Robert Bush passed away at the age of 79 and was laid to rest at Fern Hill Cemetery in Menlo, WA.

To close this episode, I want to share a quote from Robert that perfectly captures his perspective on receiving the Medal of Honor.. 

“This medal wasn’t given to me because I’m the greatest guy who came down the pike.  We had thousands who lost their lives who were certainly equally identifiable as being able, in their mind or the minds of their compadres, to receive the Medal of Honor. But perhaps it wasn’t properly documented. So, I look at it as though I’m a custodian for those who died.”