Former United States President George H.W. Bush Was Almost Eaten By Cannibals.

In 1944, then 20-year-old George H.W. Bush and his 8 wing men were on a bombing run over the small island of Chi Chi Jima when they encountered intense anti-aircraft fire over their targets. Bush's airplane was hit by flak before catching fire. He dropped his bomb load over the target, but was forced to abandon his Avenger Torpedo Bomber. Bush parachuted into the water where United States' planes protected him from being captured by Japanese boats. After a few hours, he was pulled out by the United States' submarine, the USS Finback. 

After the war, it was discovered that the captured airmen had been beaten and tortured before being executed. The airmen were beheaded on the orders of Lt Gen. Yoshio Tachibana. That wasn't all,  five of the Navy pilots had their livers and thigh muscles cut out by surgeons and then prepare the meat for Japanese officers. It was prepared with soy sauce and vegetables, then washed down with hot sake.

Tachibana, alongside 11 other Japanese personnel, was tried in August 1946 in relation to the execution of U.S. Navy airmen, and the cannibalism of at least one of them. Because military and international law did not specifically deal with cannibalism, they were tried for murder and "prevention of honorable burial".

This case was investigated in 1947 in a war crimes trial, and of 30 Japanese soldiers prosecuted, five (Maj. Matoba, Gen. Tachibana, Adm. Mori, Capt. Yoshii, and Dr. Teraki) were found guilty. Tachibana was sentenced to death, and hanged.