Jesse Charles Bush Jr.

JAKE - Jesse C Bush JR 13 November 1922

Jake passed away peacefully on 14 May 2025 in his home in Bluewater Bay, Niceville, Florida.

The oldest of 4 children born to Jesse Charles Bush & Mary Estelle McCain.

He was undoubtedly the last living survivor of those who participated in the Berlin Airlift operation.

After World War II, both Germany and its capital city, Berlin, were partitioned among the United States, Soviet Russia, France and England. The Russians, in a bid to gain control of all of Berlin, closed all of the highways, railroads and canals into western-controlled Berlin. Rather than acquiesce, the Americans, English and French decided to supply the people in their sectors of the city by air. They would eventually deliver nearly 2.5 million tons of supplies into West Berlin before the Russians lifted their blockade. Jake was on hand for all 15 months of the airlift, which began in June 1948 and ended in September 1949. First flying a C-47 and later, a C-54, Bush and his crews for the most part delivered coal, bagged and stacked in the aircraft, to Royal Air Force Station Gatow.

He spent over 31 years in the USAF, retiring in 1974 as a Colonel with numerous decorations.

He had grown up on a farm in Alabama’s Elmore County, where his family raised cotton and corn — “I can remember if we had two bales of cotton, that was great,” he said — and inherited his love of flying from his mother. “My mother loved to fly,” he said, “and they came around with this Ford Trimotor, and for $10 you could go for a ride. ... So I went up with her for that ride, and that started me.”

Jake holds a degree in aeronautical administration from Auburn, where he also taught in the Reserve Officer Training Corps from 1954 to 1958, during his time in the Air Force.

An avid golfer he counted 12 holes in one.

He is predeceased by his parents; siblings Lynnette and Wallace; his first wife Martha; and his older son Chuck. He is survived by his wife of 40 years Kathy; his daughter-in-law Judy; son Mike (Sylvia); brother Tom (Pat); his 5 grandchildren; Andrea (Johnathan); Robbie (Emma); Chris (Jen); Eric; and Michelle; and 8 great grandchildren - Jackson; Jacob; Hollon; Abby; Hayden; Evan; Lucas; and Lexi, as well as NUMEROUS nieces and nephews.

The Cremation is being handled by National Cremations (Milton, FL) He will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.

In lieu of flowers you could donate to “toys for tots"

There will be no services locally.