George H.W. Bush was part of Navy pre-flight training program in Chapel Hill

Posted Dec 6, 2018
In Jon Meacham’s 2015 best seller, “Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush,” the president’s time in Chapel Hill plays a short but important role in his life. When Bush turned 18 in 1942, he enlisted in the Navy and was sent to Chapel Hill for pre-flight training, which was “a very shaping experience, a memorable experience.” (Durham Herald-Sun)

Related: Campus Connections

Christmas 1970: James Taylor and Joni Mitchell in Chapel Hill
On Christmas Eve 1970 I had just turned twenty-one and was managing the Record and Tape Center at 456 West Franklin Street. As I was...
Sun Dec 21, 2025

Former North Carolina governor, UNC law school alum Jim Hunt dies at 88
Former Gov. Jim Hunt, who redefined the office of governor in North Carolina, championed public education and helped focus the state's economy on high-tech industries,...
Sat Dec 20, 2025

Best moments from ESPN documentary "Boo-Yah: A Portrait of Stuart Scott"
In 1984, Stuart Scott began attending the University of North Carolina, where he studied journalism. He became a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.,...
Thu Dec 18, 2025

UNC grad documents post-Helene recovery
In addition to Carolina’s Spring Commencement, Max Feliu ’25 had another May date circled on his calendar. The filmmaker’s nine-minute documentary on life after Hurricane...
Thu Dec 18, 2025