NORFOLK
Retired Navy pilot John “Raq” Raquepau, 85, remembers serving alongside a young pilot named George Bush on the aircraft carrier San Jacinto during World War II.
“He was one hell of a nice guy,” Raquepau said, adding that Bush’s lanky physique earned him the nickname “Skin.”
George H.W. Bush went on to become the nation’s 41st president, and today the Navy will commission an aircraft carrier in his honor.
Raquepau and about 35 of his fellow San Jacinto veterans will attend. They’re holding their reunion in Norfolk this weekend.
“We’re the luckiest people in the U.S.A.,” Raquepau said, “because there are not many people who knew George Bush.”
To mark that distinction, the veterans and their family members plan to sport black cowboy hats at this morning’s ceremony, honoring “Skin ” and his Texas ties.
San Jacinto vet Jim Lohr planned the stunt.
“I thought it would be amusing,” he wrote in a letter explaining the idea.
The contingent of retired sailors and pilots has reunited annually since 1987, said Lohr, 83. They meet in a different city each year and planned this year’s event in Norfolk to coincide with the Bush commissioning.
Nearly all of them knew “Skin.”
“He was an extremely good pilot,” said Charles “Chick” Peter, 83, who served as a target gunner in torpedo squadron VT-51 with Bush.
Peter is matter-of-fact about his wartime service, except for when he talks about the day Bush’s plane went down, Sept. 2, 1944.
Bush survived, but two other crew members did not.
“My best friend was lost,” Peter recalled with tears in his eyes.
Bush earned the respect of his fellow crew members when he returned to the San Jacinto after the crash.
“He could’ve gone home for rehab leave,” Peter said. “He didn’t. He came back.”
Bush flew a total of 58 combat missions and received the Distinguished Flying Cross for the raid in which his plane was shot down. He also earned three Air Medals.
Each year, the San Jacinto group gets a little smaller. But the survivors keep alive the memories of those who have died, especially the heroes who won’t ever have a ship named in their honor. Each reunion includes a memorial service.
“There are unsung people who don’t get the recognition of George Bush,” such as those who prepared the planes for battle, said Melvyn Brackett, 85, who was a target gunner for torpedo squadron VT-45.
Witnessing the commissioning will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, Lohr said.
“I think it’s a wonderful thing,” Brackett said. “I’m proud I was on the same ship as George H.W. Bush.”
Kathy Adams, (757) 446-2583, kathy.adams@pilotonline.com
