Peter Martin Busch (November 19, 1934 – April 10, 1986)[1][2] was a U. S. Marine Corps officer and the 1984 Democratic nominee for United States Senate in Idaho.[3][2]

Peter M. Busch
Nickname(s)Pete
Born(1934-11-19)November 19, 1934
San Francisco,
California, U.S.
DiedApril 10, 1986(1986-04-10) (aged 51)
Clark County, Idaho
Cause of deathPrivate plane crash
Buried
Saint Gall Cemetery
Colton, Washington
Allegiance United States
BranchU.S. Marine Corps
Years of service195x–1976
RankLieutenant colonel
WarsVietnam War
Spouse(s)Charlene Ann Dupre Busch (1944–1986)
Other workSenatorial candidate

Biography

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Born in 1934,[2] Busch was a U. S. Marine Corps fighter pilot during the Vietnam War.[2] He flew in about 400 missions during the war and was shot down once.[2][4] Busch retired from the Marine Corps as a lieutenant colonel in 1976,[2] and moved to Lewiston, Idaho.

He ran for the U.S. Senate as a Democrat in 1984 and won the May primary,[1][2] but was soundly defeated by two-term Republican incumbent Jim McClure in the November election,[3] receiving just 26% of the vote.[2] He moved from Lewiston to Caldwell in 1985 to run for Congress in the first district against incumbent Larry Craig.[2][4]

Death

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On April 10, 1986, Busch was piloting his private airplane, a single-engine Piper Arrow, from Coeur d'Alene to a political event in eastern Idaho at Idaho Falls.[2][4] Also aboard were his wife Charlene (42) and former state senator and Democratic lieutenant governor candidate Terry Reilly (39). The weather was rainy with heavy fog patches;[2] shortly after 8 p.m. MST, the plane crashed into a hillside in Clark County near Dubois and all three were killed instantly.[2][4][5] After their funeral in Lewiston on April 15, Busch and his wife were buried in Colton, Washington.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Lewiston Morning Tribune - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 2020-08-20.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Officials Confirm Three Dead In Crash Of Plane Carrying Candidatess". AP NEWS. 1986-04-11. Retrieved 2021-04-15.
  3. ^ a b "Reagan's win changes little in Congress". The Oil Daily. 1984-11-08. Archived from the original on 2012-11-04. Retrieved 2010-08-15.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Busches lauded as believers". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. April 16, 1986. p. A9.
  5. ^ "Plane crash in eastern Idaho kills Democratic candidates". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. April 12, 1986. p. A6.
Party political offices
Preceded by Democratic Party nominee, U.S. Senator (Class 2) from Idaho
1984 (lost)
Succeeded by