Charles V. Bush

Charles Vernon Bush (December 17, 1939 – November 5, 2012) was an American civil rights activist, retired senior corporate executive and former U.S. Air Force officer.

In 1954, at the urging of Chief Justice Earl Warren, who had asked for the appointment of an African-American page of the Supreme Court of the United States, Bush was selected as the first one by Court Martial T. Perry Lippitt.

He was also one of the first three African-American Cadets to attend the U.S. Air Force Academy and the first African American to graduate from there.

The son of Charles H. Bush, an administrator at Howard University, and his wife Marie, Bush grew up around Howard University's campus.

He attended Banneker Jr. High School and Capitol Page School, a special high school for Congressional and Supreme Court pages.

Prior to graduation from Capitol Page School, he competed on an examination, with 34 other candidates, for Washington, D.C.'s one nomination to the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA).

He placed No. 2 on the exam and was designated the alternate nominee.

He attended Howard University for two years, majoring in Electrical Engineering and was inducted into Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.

As he was completing his sophomore year, he was contacted by James C. Evans about reapplying to USAFA with the assurance of receiving a nomination from Congressman William L. Dawson (D-IL).

Evans served five Secretaries of War, ten Secretaries of Defense and six Presidents in his role of overseeing the integration of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Accepted for the USAFA Class of 1963 with his two African-American classmates, Bush reported as a Cadet in June 1959.

He was a Squadron Commander, member of the USAFA Debate Team and a member of the Wing Champion Rugby Team.

Having received academic course credits from Howard University, Bush was accepted into a special joint USAFA/Georgetown University Masters program, commencing with graduate courses in his senior year at USAFA, which included his oral comprehensives in the Russian language.

He graduated from USAFA with a Bachelor of Science.

Following his commissioning in June 1963, Bush attended Georgetown University as a student, where he earned a Master of Arts degree in International Relations.

Bush received his Masters of Arts degree in International Relations from Georgetown University, in June 1964, and was inducted into the Georgetown chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society.

He married Bettina Wills in 1964.

They have a son, Charles and two daughters, Kyra and Bettina Bush.

They also have a granddaughter and seven grandsons.

He then attended Air Intelligence Officers School in Denver, Colorado, from March 1964 to November 1964.

On completion of his air intelligence training, Bush was assigned to 8th Air Force Headquarters, Strategic Air Command, Westover Air Force Base, Massachusetts, as an Intelligence Officer, in November 1964.

He was responsible for the briefing of the 8th Air Force Commander on strategic intelligence activities, specializing in Soviet political intelligence.

While on this assignment, he taught undergraduate political science courses for American International College, as an Adjunct Assistant Professor.

In 1966, he volunteered for an assignment to a special intelligence unit in Vietnam.

For his service with 8th Air Force, Bush was awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal.

In preparation for his Vietnamese assignment, he attended the Sanz Language School in Washington, D.C. under the auspices of the Defense Language Institute, in which he acquired fluency in the Vietnamese language.

He also studied the Korean martial art Tae Kwon Do at Jhoon Rhee Studio in D.C., in 1966 - 1967.

Upon completion of his Vietnamese language training, Bush was assigned to the 6499th Special Activities Group, Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Saigon, Vietnam.

From May 1967 to May 1968, as an Intelligence Officer, he was responsible for the deployment and operations of six intelligence teams composed of 10-15 officers and enlisted men, operating from Saigon, Bien Hoa, Nha Trang, Pleiku, Da Nang and Can Tho.

The teams were involved with significant intelligence operations, particularly involving the attack on Tan Son Nhut Air Base during the Tet Offensive and the defense of the Marines and South Vietnamese at the Battle of Khe Sanh.

Bush was awarded the Bronze Star by 7th Air Force and the Joint Services Commendation Medal by Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, for his service in-country.

In November 1968, 6499th Special Activities Group was awarded the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for meritorious service during the period July 1966 to June 1968.

Returning to the United States in May 1968, Bush was assigned to Headquarters Air Force Special Projects Production Facility, Westover Air Force Base, Massachusetts, as Chief, Technical Analysis Division.

He was responsible for image assessment studies leading to definitive objective evaluation techniques by which one could better assess and improve the photographic payload from reconnaissance satellites.

He resumed teaching political science courses for American International College, as an Adjunct Assistant Professor.

Upon leaving the Air Force in 1970, he attended Harvard Business School, was co-chair of the African-American Student Union and was inducted into the Century Club in his second year.

In May 1970, he resigned his commission, effective August 1970 and received an Honorable Discharge.

Bush was awarded his second Air Force Commendation Medal by Headquarters Space and Missiles Systems Organization for meritorious service.

Following his resignation from the Air Force, from August 1970 to June 1972 Bush attended Harvard Business School, majoring in Finance.

Bush received his Masters in Business Administration in Finance, in June 1972.