Sailors from the American submarine “Finback” pull a downed pilot from the water, September 2, 1944. The pilot had a torpedo bomber that was shot down by Japanese anti-aircraft guns and crashed into the Pacific Ocean. The pilot was George Bush Senior. [689×1024]

The pilot, a skinny 20-year-old nicknamed “Skin” because of his lanky physique, was the only survivor – both of his gunners were killed, and he himself had been adrift for four hours on an inflatable raft. If not for the submariners, he would have faced death from thirst or sharks. The pilot was lucky and would continue his service, demobilized after his victory as a well-deserved hero. The young man’s name was George Bush. A few decades later, the world would know him as “Senior.” Including Kennedy, who also had to take a dip after his torpedo boat sank, two US presidents were on the verge of death in the Pacific.