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Who Was The 43rd President?

Who was the 43rd president? The 43rd president of the United States was George W. Bush. Bush served as the president of the United States, from his inauguration in 2001 to 2009. To discover a few interesting facts about Bush’s background and his two terms as president, simply continue reading.

Everything you need to know about George W. Bush:

He followed in his father’s footsteps:

George W. Bush wasn’t the first Bush to serve as the president of the United States and his father George H.W. Bush occupied the White House between 1989 and 1993.

He graduated from both Yale and Harvard:

Bush is highly educated and graduated from Yale in 1968 and the Harvard Business School in 1975.

Bush originally worked in the oil industry:

Prior to getting into politics, Bush originally worked in the oil industry.

He was the president during the infamous September 11 terrorist attack:

One of the most defining moments of Bush’s presidency was the infamous September 11 terrorist attack which saw terrorists hijack numerous planes. One of which crashed into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, which caused the towers to crumble and for close to 3,000 individuals to lose their lives. After the attack, Bush declared a war on terrorism and ordered the US military to invade and occupy Afghanistan. In order to try and put an end to the Afghanistan-based Islamic terrorist group, Al Quaeda who claimed responsibility for the September 11 terrorist attack.

Bush also invaded Iraq:

In 2003 the Bush administration also invaded Iraq. As Bush claimed that Saddam Hussein the leader of Iraq was hiding weapons of mass destruction. While many individuals agreed with Bush’s decision, there was intense scrutiny by some individuals who argued that there was no evidence that Iraq had hidden weapons of mass destruction or formed an alliance with Al Queada.

Bush was reelected in 2004:

In 2004 Bush was reelected after defeating his opponent John Kerry in the presidential election.

Bush was the president during the 2008 economic crisis:

Another of Bush’s challenges as president was dealing with the 2008 economic crisis, during which the world plunged into a recession.

Assassination attempt:

In 2005 a man by the name of Vladimir Arutyunian attempted to throw a live hand grenade at a podium on which Bush was speaking, during an event in the city of Tbilisi, Georgia. Which is located in Europe and is not to be confused with the state of Georgia, in the United States. Fortunately, Bush was not harmed. While Arutyunian threw the live grenade at the podium, it ended up not exploding when it hit a girl who was standing close to the podium.

Art and retirement:

After retiring from politics and business, Bush followed his passion for art and has painted portraits of world leaders as well of himself. Bush has also taken to writing and has published a couple of autobiographical books.

In conclusion:

Bush had a successful two-term stint as the president of the United States and navigated many tricky challenges such as the 2008 economic recession and the September 11 terrorist attack.

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A Guide To The USS Kawishiwi

The USS Kawishiwi was initially commissioned in 1954 and remained in commission until her retirement in 1979. To discover a few facts about the USS Kawishiwi, simply continue reading. Especially if you have a keen interest in military history or naval history. Or alternatively, you may be interested in learning fun facts about the USS Kawishiwi if you have a family member or friend who served time on her, in the past.

It was named after a well-known river in Minnesota:

If you were curious about how the USS Kawishiwi got its name, it was named after the Kawishiwi River in Minnesota.

It served as an oiler:

From 1954 to 1973 the USS Kawishiwi served as an oiler that transported much-needed oil to US Navy ships that were based in the Pacific and Asia. Some of the locations that the USS Kawishiwi frequented included the Hawaiian Islands and Vietnam. Oilers were and are a crucial part of the US Navy as they are responsible for transporting oil to all of the country’s naval ships which are based around the world.

Her home port was Pearl Harbor:

Her home port was Pearl Harbor which was located on the most populous of the Hawaiian Islands, Oahu. Although for a lot of her life she ended up being based in Vietnam. For example, in 1966 she spent half the year refueling US ships in Vietnam’s waters before heading back to her home base in Hawaii.

During 1970-1971 she delivered mail as well as oil:

From 1970-1971, which was towards the end of her active military service, the USS Kawishiwi was commissioned to deliver mail as well as oil. During this time period, she delivered 250,000 of mail throughout Vietnam.

She continued her services with a civilian crew between 1978 and 1992:

When she was struck from the Navy’s list of active ships in 1992, the USS Kawishiwi continued her services but with an all civilian crew. She was eventually retired from this duty in 1992.

She was eventually scrapped:

The USS Kawishiwi was scrapped at Brownsville, Texas in April 2014. However, initially, the plan was to sink the USS Kawishiwi so that she could create a natural reef that could be explored by keen divers. The plan at the time was to create a natural reef off the coast of California. However, this plan was seen as too costly and she was eventually scrapped for parts.

USS Kawishiwi ao 146 reunion:

The crew members of the USS Kawishiwi ao hold frequent reunions. As an example, in 2015 the ship’s former crew mates took a tour of Angel Island, in San Fransisco together. If you served on the USS Kawishiwi, you can find out about future reunions through the official Facebook page. Which is kept up to date.

In conclusion, if you were searching for information about the USS Kawishiwi, hopefully, you discovered a few fascinating facts. Especially if you have a great interest in military history or naval history.

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Everything That You Need To Know About The USS America & The USS Pope

If you’re interested in the history of some of America’s battleships and are curious about the lives of the USS America and the USS Pope, simply continue reading to discover a few fascinating facts about each ship.

She was launched in 1964:

The USS America was launched in 1964 after being commissioned in 1961.

It was the only US supercarrier to be sunk:

You may be surprised to learn that the USS America is the only US supercarrier that has even been sunk, either intentionally or during combat.

The USS America cv 66 sinking was controversial:

The USS America sinking was controversial as originally the plan was for the supercarrier to be scrapped for parts, which would then be sold. However, in the end, the decision was made to sink the carrier during a live-fire test, in order to aid the future design of supercarriers. However, former crew members and supporters were unhappy with the decision and felt that the decision to sink a ship that was named the USS America was disrespectful and instead lobbied to turn the USS America into a museum ship. Ultimately the USS America was sunk as it was seen as a less costly option than turning the USS America into a museum or scrapping it.

The USS America now lies in its final resting place which is located approximately 250 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras. It is located a staggering 16,860 feet under the sea.

Everything that you need to know about the USS Pope:

It was commissioned in 1919, which was the year that the Treaty of Versailles was signed and marked the end of WWI. While the USS Pope was not a part of WWI it did serve during WWII.

It was used during WWII:

The USS Pope served during WWII and was a Clemson class destroyer. During the early stages of WWII, the USS Pope was engaged in fighting in the Dutch East Indies. For example, it was one of the five ships that was ordered to escort the Bloemfontein to safety. One of the USS Pope’s greatest accomplishments was delaying the Japanese landings at Balikpapan.

She was named after John Pope:

John Pope, for who the USS Pope was named, was a famous naval officer who served in the Mediterranean, the West Indies, Brazil, and Africa. John Pope actually had the honor of having not one but two military ships named after him.

She evacuated Americans from China:

She was charged with the responsibility of helping evacuate Americans from China when the Japanese invaded the region of Manchuria.

She was eventually sunk by a Japanese aircraft:

The USS Pope met its end in 1942 when it was sunk by a Japanese aircraft.

In conclusion, if you love learning about historic American warships, hopefully, you found learning about the USS Pope and the USS America interesting. Especially if you have an interest in learning about WWII and the US participation in WWII.

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A Guide To The PV 2 Harpoon

The PV 2 Harpoon was a bomber that was in high demand by both the United States and the United Kingdom. To discover the history behind the PV 2 Harpoon, simply continue reading. Especially if you have a keen interest in aircraft, WWII, or military aircraft. You’ll even learn where working models of the PV 2 Harpoon exist and where you can visit one at a museum.

It was designed by the United States Navy:

The PV 2 Harpoon was designed by the United States Navy and was a twin-engine medium bomber, which saw a lot of action in Europe and the Pacific during WWII. One of the purposes of the PV 2 Harpoon was to be used as an anti-submarine aircraft.

Its first flight took place in 1941.

The PV 2 Harpoon’s first flight took place in 1941. The year that the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii and the United States decided to take a more active role in WWII.

Its first flight took place approximately two years before it was first used by the US military in combat in the Pacific in 1943. During which time it served as a patrol bomber. However, the PV 2 Harpoon was first used in Combat in Europe in 1942. As the Royal Air Force which was part of the British armed forces chose to use it as a bomber in Europe at the end of 1942. Due to its success, in Europe, the United States Navy decided to use it in the Pacific the following year. In order to try and regain control of the Pacific and to stop Japanese submarines from freely moving around the Pacific basin.

It was a popular choice with international military forces:

Not only did the US military rely on the PV 2 Harpoon, but the model was also used by the military forces of Portugal, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, and the Soviet Union. Which is a testament to its design and functionality.

There are still airworthy models which are privately owned:

In the United States alone, there are still original airworthy PV 2 Harpoon aircraft in flight in Minnesota, California, Oregon, New Mexico, and Arizona. Which is a testament to the design and build quality of the PV 2 Harpoon.

There are models in museums around the world:

If you’d like to see a PV 2 Harpoon in person, you’ll be able to see one in Johannesburg, South Africa, Auckland, New Zealand, Pensacola, Florida, Tuscon, Arizona, and North Myrtle Beach, South Florida. So if you would love to see a model in person, it’s well worth planning a trip in the United States or to South Africa or New Zealand to see one in person.

In conclusion, whether you have an interest in military aircraft, WWII, or aircraft in general, hopefully, you now have a sense of how important the PV 2 Harpoon was around the world. Especially in allied countries during WII.

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A Guide to Lake Washington Seattle

Lake Washington which is located in the state of Seattle was named after a former president of the United States, George Washington. To discover a handy guide to the natural freshwater lake, simply continue reading. In order to discover the history behind Lake Washington as well as its place in Seattle today. You’ll even learn about a few famous celebrities who grew up on Mercer Island which is located in Lake Washington.

How was Lake Washington formed?

While Washington state is home to numerous man-made lakes, Lake Washington was naturally formed. It is a ribbon lake and was created when it was excavated by glaciers which caused erosion which created Lake Washington.

Lake Washington size:

Lake Washington is incredibly large and covers 88km2 as such it is the largest lake in King Country and the second-largest natural lake in Washington.

Lake Washington Shipyard:

Lake Washington Shipyard has a lengthy history and was originally constructed in the early 19th century. Originally it was known as the Anderson Shipyard. At the time Anderson Shipyard focused on building large ferries and wooden tug boats.

The shipyard did not become the Lake Washington Shipyard, as it’s known today until it was acquired by Charles Burckhardt in 1923. At which point in time the shipyard stopped building ferries and wooden tug boats and began building steel ships. It’s well worth noting that during WWII, the Shipyard ended up employing 9,000 workers, in order to meet the growing demand for ships. Some of the notable ships that were built at the Lake Washington Shipyard include the USS Aloe, the USS Corson, and the USS Gardiners Bay.

Improved water quality:

After the water quality in Lake Washington started to decline in purity during the 1950s, efforts have been made to improve the lake’s water quality. Today the water in Lake Washington is twice as pure as it was in the 1950s.

Bordering towns and cities:

Some of the waterfront towns and cities that border Lake Washington include Seattle, Lake Forest Park, Kenmore, Yarrow Point, Hunts Point, and Medina. Due to its proximity to a large variety of towns ad cities, Lake Washington tends to be busy.

Mercer Island:

Mercer Island is located at the southern end of Lake Washington and has a population of over 20,000. You don’t need a boat to visit Mercer Island as it’s connected to the mainland via two road bridges. Which makes getting to Mercer Island a breeze. Some famous individuals who grew up on Mercer Island or call the island home include Paul Allen, one of the co-founders of the tech giant Microsoft, NBA player Paul Rashad, comedian and actor Joel McHale, Alan Mulally the CEO of the automotive company Ford and Steve Miller of the Stever Miller Band. Even Barack Obama’s mom Ann Dunham called Mercer Island home.

So if you are interested in learning about Seattle’s lakes, hopefully, you enjoyed learning about Lake Washington, which was named after George Washington and is a natural lake that is large enough to house an island that is home to over 20,000 individuals.

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