George HW Bush remembered as WW2 hero who ended the Cold War and liberated Kuwait

George HW Bush oversaw a peaceful end to the Cold War
AFP/Getty Images
Eleanor Rose1 December 2018

World leaders have paid tribute to former president George HW Bush who has died aged 94.

Theresa May said: "President George HW Bush's ethos of public service was the guiding thread of his life and an example to us all."

Others including Donald Trump and Barack Obama praised his dedication to duty and lifetime achievements.

Here are some of the 41st US president's most talked-about moments.

Second World War service

Bush joined the US Navy on his 18th birthday in 1942 against the wishes of his father, Prescott, who wanted him to stay in school.

At one point the youngest pilot in the Navy, he flew 58 missions off the carrier USS San Jacinto.

George HW Bush with his son George W Bush, former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, and Melania Trump, Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush
Getty Images

He was shot down on September 2, 1944, during a bombing run on a Japanese radio tower.

Eight others who were shot down in that mission were captured and executed, and several were eaten by their captors.

But an American submarine rescued Bush. He won him the Distinguished Flying Cross for bravery.

Peaceful end to the Cold War

It was during Bush's presidency that the Berlin Wall came down - but rather than gloating, observers noted his muted response.

"I'm very pleased," he told a press conference as the news broke, and when questioned on his lack of enthusiasm he replied: "I am not an emotional kind of guy."

His refusal to gloat likely prevented backlash in Eastern Europe and helped him work closely with Soviet premier Mikhail Gorbachev to bring an end the Cold War.

Mr Gorbachev expressed his "deep condolences" to Bush's family on Saturday.

"It was a time of great change," he told the Interfax news agency of the early 1990s, "demanding great responsibility from everyone.

George HW Bush with Mikhail Gorbachev in 1991
AP

"The result was the end of the Cold War and nuclear arms race."

Liberating Kuwait

After Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990, Mr Bush quickly began building an international military coalition that included other Arab states.

Kuwaiti troops on the first day of ground offensives in Operation Desert Storm
AP

After winning UN support and a green light from a reluctant Congress, he unleashed an air campaign against Iraq and a five-day ground operation that sent Iraqi forces reeling back to Baghdad.

It triggered the biggest outpouring of public pride in America's military since the Second World War, and his approval ratings soared to nearly 90 per cent.

George Bush Snr

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After freeing Kuwait, he rejected suggestions that the US take the offensive to Baghdad, choosing to end the hostilities 100 hours after the start of the ground offensive.

His legacy was dogged for years by doubts about the decision not to remove Saddam Hussein.

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