Born in 1873, Ben Bush was enlisted as Sergeant in Company D of the First Regiment of Idaho Volunteers in the Philippine Insurrection, on May 1st, 1898.  He received two medals, and was mustered out on September 25, 1899.

Ben graduated from University of Idaho in 1903 with a Bachelor of Mining Engineering.  In 1906, Ben was City Engineer for Moscow, Idaho, but maintained throughout his career a connection with forestry.  On March 16, 1925 Ben was nominated to be Idaho’s first State Forester.