George Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts. In 1942 he joined the navy, becoming its youngest fighter pilot. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross for completing a 1944 bombing mission in the Pacific after his own plane had been hit. After leaving the navy in 1945, he went to Yale University, where he graduated with a degree in economics in 1948. He soon married Barbara Pierce, then moved to Texas to work in the oil industry. In 1966 he was elected to the House of Representatives. President Richard Nixon appointed him ambassador to the United Nations in 1971. From 1974 to 1975 Bush served as special envoy to China, then became director of the Central Intelligence Agency in 1976. In 1980 he was elected vice president under Republican president Ronald Reagan and served two terms. He was elected president in 1988. During his presidency he declared War on Drugs, sent U.S. troops to invade Panama, and presided over U.S. operations in the Gulf War. He lost his bid for re-election in 1992 and retired to Texas.
