Description:

Bush George H. W. 1924 - 0 George H.W. Bush ALS regarding his WWII era Torpedo Bomber airplane.

1pp crisp white stationery with "George Bush, P.O. Box 79798, Houston, Texas" letterhead signed "George Bush" and hand-inscribed with over forty words in cobalt blue felt tip pen. In extra fine condition with minor wrinkles at top and bottom corners of left paper edge, measuring 6.25" x 8.5". Also accompanied by a color photograph of a World War II era Torpedo Bomber airplane named "Lt. George Bush, 63" manned by an unidentified pilot, in immaculate condition and printed on 8" x 11.5" Kodak paper. From the remarkable collection of Ronald Ellis Wade.

41 st U.S. President George H.W. Bush (born 1926) sent this March 14, 2003 reply to Ron Wade, who had sent him the enclosed airplane photo to authenticate it. The former president pens a rather deadpan response: "Dear Ron - Bad news - This is not me flying that plane. The colors on the plane are wrong, no 50 calibres in the turret. Helmet color is wrong. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Sincerely, George Bush".

George H.W. Bush had a celebrated career as a Navy pilot during World War II flying torpedo bombers like this one and completing 58 combat missions in the Pacific Theater. He earned a Distinguished Flying Cross after he was forced to abandon his burning plane near the Japanese island of Chichi Jima. Bush retired from the military to enter Yale University following the Japanese surrender.

A gently comedic letter from World War II veteran pilot George H.W. Bush, with outstanding provenance.

Below is an interesting interview from TheHill.com, about Ron Wade and his collection of Presidential memorabilia:

Step into Ronald Wade's office and it's easy to see why he's listed in "Guinness World Records 2015" for the largest collection of U.S. presidential memorabilia — it's really a replica of the Oval Office.

"Actually, they quit counting," Wade says of his immense collection of White House and presidential campaign items, "because I probably have closer to 20,000 or 30,000 items, if not closer to 100,000 — that's with duplication." The official count from the folks behind the famed book puts Wade's collection in chief at 6,960 pieces as of last year.

The lifelong Republican has been racking up "practically anything that has to do with American politics" since he was 10 years old.

"My first memory in life is wearing an 'I Like Ike' button, and I was probably 4 years old. So I've always been interested in politics," Wade, 64, tells ITK.

The retired Texas Department of Human Services supervisor and Ex White House aide to President Nixon, says he counts former Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush as friends. His most prized item in the collection is from the 41st commander-in-chief's failed 1964 Senate bid.

"George W. has been to my house, and seen my collection, and was quite impressed," boasts Wade, who has also donated several pieces from his massive memorabilia stockpile to the George W. Bush Presidential Library outside Dallas.

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