During World War II, Rush saved the entire crew of the submarine USS Billfish from a November 1943 depth charge attack by three Japanese destroyers.
He graduated from the Naval Academy a year early in the aftermath of the World War II attacks on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
[3] After graduation from the Naval Academy on February 7, 1941, Rush served on destroyers in the Pacific Ocean until he volunteered for submarine duty while in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
[4] His efforts were aided by two crew members, Chief Electrician's Mate John D. Rendernick and Engineman Charley Odom, who immediately sprang into action after Rush took command.
"At the time, Billfish's patrol report falsified the chaos on board during the depth-charge attack and Rush promised to keep the details secret on the condition that the skipper, Frederic Colby Lucas, Jr.
Rush was featured on the television show War Stories with Oliver North episode "Silent Warriors: Submarines of the Pacific".
[4] In November 2002, nearly 60 years later after Rush's heroic actions, he was awarded the Navy Cross in a ceremony at Naval Station Pearl Harbor.
Rush was involved in the UUM-44 Subroc Missile System, a submarine-launched rocket, and consulted on the polar passage of the USS Nautilus,[9] "the first submarine to complete an under-ice voyage to the North Pole.
[12] Rush was a member of the Royal Ocean Racing Club, Sons of the American Revolution, and United States Submarine Veterans of World War II.