Bush's Guard service: What the record shows

The Boston Globe ^ | 2/5/04 | Walter V. Robinson, Globe Staff

[SpinyNorman]

Michael Moore, the documentary filmmaker, started it, labeling President Bush a military "deserter" during an appearance last month with Democratic presidential candidate Wesley K. Clark.

Less incendiary was Democratic National Committee chairman Terry McAuliffe, who charged Sunday that Bush had been AWOL, absent without leave, while a fighter pilot in the Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam War.

[stuartcr]

Without even leaving the country!!

[kcvl]

I found this on GOOGLE...

Who is Terry McAuliffe and what is his military record? Anyone criticizing Bush *better* have a military record of their own or they need to STFU. Of course, Clark can talk since he has one, but even Generals have bosses. This guy makes himself sound like he negotiated peace all by himself.. Err, nope - even Generals can be middle managers.

Edit: Looked up McAuliffe's biography on the DNC website. Check out these credentials and then tell me whether this tool has the right to talk about Bush's record.


Current DNC Leadership

TERRY MCAULIFFE
DNC CHAIRMAN
Terry McAuliffe was elected Chairman of the Democratic National Committee in February 2001. He has re-energized and revitalized the Party, using new state of the art technology to connect grassroots activists with the Party's new information infrastructure. McAuliffe's "Project 5104" is the DNC's strategic plan to combine new technology with proven strategies for delivering message, mobilizing voters, and raising money. Project 5104 will ensure that our nominee for president has the best foundation upon which to build a victory.

Building on his promise of "A New Day at the DNC", McAuliffe developed a redistricting project to support the state parties during the reapportionment process; a new Women's Vote Center to revolutionize the Party's outreach to women voters; and a multifaceted Hispanic outreach program to communicate to the fastest growing ethnic group in the Nation.

To ensure that the voter disenfranchisement of the 2000 election never happens again, McAuliffe commissioned the DNC's Voting Rights Institute, which sent thousands of lawyers into the field in 2002 and set up a national voter assistance hotline. In addition to increasing voting participation within key communities, McAuliffe spearheaded the "Every Vote Counts" voter registration and turnout campaign.

McAuliffe has focused heavily on strengthening and communicating with the Party's grass roots. His technology project was a top-to-bottom overhaul of the Democratic Party's approach to doing business, linking millions of activists across the country, and increasing the Party's small donor base by 70%. In March 2003, McAuliffe spearheaded the creation of the African American Leadership Council (AALC) as part of a comprehensive effort to recognize the vast contributions of the African American community to the Democratic Party.

For the first time in Democratic Party history, under the leadership of Chairman McAuliffe, the DNC is debt free. The new 21st century Democratic Headquarters on Capitol Hill has been prepaid, therefore every dollar raised by the DNC during this cycle will be spent to win back the White House in 2004.

For Terry McAuliffe, love of politics and the Democratic Party is a family value. When he was growing up in Syracuse, New York, his father served as Treasurer of the County Democratic organization. From an early age, McAuliffe walked precincts and attended Party functions with his father.

After graduating from Catholic University of America, McAuliffe immediately became active in national politics, signing on with the Carter-Mondale Reelection Committee. It was during this campaign that he wrestled an alligator on a dare from a fund-raising prospect and he has been wrestling with tough challenges ever since. He has served as Finance Director of the DNC and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, National Finance Chairman and then National Co-Chairman of the Clinton-Gore re-election committee. He also served as the Chairman of the 53rd Presidential Inaugural Committee. In 2000, McAuliffe chaired the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles & the convention that helped give the Democratic ticket a 20-point bounce in the polls, on its way to a popular vote victory in the fall.

McAuliffe has been a successful entrepreneur since he started his first business, McAuliffe Driveway Maintenance, when he was only 14 years old. He is an attorney, having received his J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center in 1984, and a business leader in the fields of banking, insurance, marketing and real estate.

Terry McAuliffe is married to the former Dorothy Swann and they have five children: Dori (12), Jack (10), Mary (9), Sally (4) and Peter (1). The family lives in McLean, Virginia.

[GrandEagle]

AWOL and Deserter to not apply to "drilling" reservists. I was unaware of that but AWOL could mean almost anything. It is a term used for missing duty for unexplained reasons. Once I was on a temporary assignment when a need came up for me to go home for a few days.
I was in Colorado, home was in Mississippi. I spoke with my First Shirt and he informed me that (due to my "in training" status) leave could not be granted, but that he could give me a week off work. He told me to be very careful because I would be over 100 or so miles (i think this was the number)from my duty assignment, and that if I was caught over that far away I would be considered AWOL. I went and came back with no problems, but it could have been considered AWOL.
I said all that to emphasize the point that AWOL is meaningless unless it's in a combat environment, under fire. A bit like taking an extra sick day from work.
If he had been considered a deserter he certainly would NOT have gotten an honorable discharge. I'll bet that where you did not find him was overseas, protesting our government. You would also not find him giving political aid (or any other kind of aid) to our enemies; UNLIKE the "man" he replaced in the Whitehouse OR his potential Democratic rival in the next election.

[bushfamfan]

Slander 'journalism' is all this is. And I think this ba***rd should be held accountable. You see this on a regular basis aimed at this President. They are very selective and distortive in their 'reporting'. And you may very well call it an outright lie. That's what it's about for these slimes. They need to be held to account. I wish the administration, GOP would get tough with these partisans. That article is slander, plain and simple. And funny how they seem to not want to give reports of how Kerry is involved in very controversial behavior right on returning from Vietnam. It will get out there though. Too bad for their 'hero', he is a phony, just like they are phonies in labeling themselves respected journalists.

[WHBates]

Your right about who really cares. But I was around at the time and many of my friends served in the guard. Many later became cops and firemen, I never thought of them as cowards? I would be surprised if they knew anyone special.

I lived in Chicago at the time and if someone said that he became a electrician or carpenter I would really believe he had some strings pulled. You definitely had to know someone or pay someone. LOL

[anniegetyourgun]

Thank you for reminding us of the kind of company Kerry kept. Even now, he surrounds himself with the unpatriotic.

[CaptRon]

They just can't give it up. Even "George" magazine, in an article I printed from FR this morning (and intend to keep with me), concludes that the Globe is wrong.

[SpinyNorman]

Hmmm, Bush flew a notoriously difficult to fly fighter jet, and Kerry drove a boat (presuming that he didn't have a sailor for a chauffeur).

Speaks volumes for skills, but Massachusetts Democrats are not know for their driving/piloting skill (Ted Kennedy actually confused the two at Chappaquiddick, when he turned an Oldsmobile into a submarine).

[Jagdgewehr]

Let's face it. The Democrats, along with their allies (the press), will continue to use this smear. It doesn’t matter what the truth is. The Democrats will repeat this until it is accepted as truth by a substantial number of citizens. That's what the Democrats rely upon for votes…the easily beguiled (among other things).

[onedoug]

Bush seems to have gotten an "early-out".

So did Kerry.

So did Gore.

So did Clark.

Big deal.

[stuartcr]

I graduated from HS in Tampa in 1968...no one wanted to go to VietNam, and it was extremely difficult to get into the Nat Guard without knowing someone. The only ones that could get in were already policemen, but that was mostly because there was an MP Platoon.

[muawiyah]

Why and how folks got into the Army National Guard and why and how they got into the Air National Guard were a bit different.

Indiana Air NG and (as a previous posting shows) the Texas Air NG show that pilots were actually involved with flying to Viet Nam. There were probably other ANG units that had pilots doing the same thing.

I was coming out of the Infantry and was told to take a position in a Reserve unit or an Army National Guard unit in Indiana. I asked for a waiver because my employment was in Washington DC (where there were NO National Guard or Reserve openings of any kind at the time the area being overrun with draft dodgers of every stripe.)

My entire 4 years Reserve obligation was waived!

Dan Quayle got one of the positions I had rejected. He had not needed to use influence at all at that time!

[Mike Darancette]

the combination of Kerry's service and Bush's spotty attendance in a Guard unit will make it difficult for the GOP to hold the high ground on national security issues..

That Kerry would pretend to lead the American Armed Forces after calling American soldiers butchers and giving aid and comfort to the enemy is the "dirty little secret" that the RATS don't want the public to think about.

[eyespysomething]

Oh no, Kerry would never allow the Vietnam War to enter the political race. He said so in 1992:

http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_020404/content/see__i_told_you_so_2.member.html

Kerry: "What saddens me most is that Democrats, above all those who shared the agonies of that generation, should now be refighting the many conflicts of Vietnam in order to win the current political conflict of a presidential primary. The race for the White House should be about leadership, and leadership requires that one help heal the wounds of Vietnam, not reopen them; that one help identify the positive things that we learned about ourselves and about our Nation, not play to the divisions and differences of that crucible of our generation. We do not need to divide America over who served and how."

He closed: "We do not need more division. We certainly do not need something as complex and emotional as Vietnam reduced to simple campaign rhetoric. What has been said has been said, Mr. President, but I hope and pray we will put it behind us and go forward in a constructive spirit for the good of our party and the good of our country."

[stuartcr]

I agree, and there were probably regular NG units that went...my point is that in my generation, when you mention the 60's and the NG....most think about not wanting to go to Nam.....I have no idea why Mr. Bush went into the ANG, and I would not speculate.

[holdonnow]

New York Times
November 3, 2000, Friday, Late Edition - Final


SECTION: Section A; Page 27; Column 5; National Desk

LENGTH: 539 words

HEADLINE: THE 2000 CAMPAIGN: MILITARY SERVICE;
Bush's Guard Attendance Is Questioned and Defended

BYLINE: By JO THOMAS

BODY:
Two Democratic senators today called on Gov. George W. Bush to release his full military record to resolve doubts raised by a newspaper about whether he reported for required drills when he was in the Air National Guard in 1972 and 1973.

But a review of records by The New York Times indicated that some of those concerns may be unfounded. Documents reviewed by The Times showed that Mr. Bush served in at least 9 of the 17 months in question.

Dan Bartlett, a Bush spokesman, said that Mr. Bush had fulfilled his military obligations "or he would not have been honorably discharged."

The senators, Daniel K. Inouye of Hawaii and Bob Kerrey of Nebraska, both Medal of Honor winners, were responding, in a telephone conference with reporters, to an article in The Boston Globe on Tuesday.

The article, citing military records for Mr. Bush, raised questions about whether Mr. Bush performed any duty from April 1972 until September 1973, when he entered Harvard Business School.

A review by The Times showed that after a seven-month gap, he appeared for duty in late November 1972 at least through July 1973.

Mr. Bush was assigned to the 111th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron at Ellington Air Force Base near Houston, from November 1969, last flying there on April 16, 1972.

In a report dated May 26, 1972, his commander, Maj. William D. Harris Jr., said Mr. Bush had "recently accepted the position as campaign manager for a candidate for the United States Senate."

Mr. Bush went to work for Winton M. Blount a few days after Mr. Blount won the Republican primary in Alabama on May 2, 1972.

From that time until after the election that November, Mr. Bush did not appear for duty, even after being told to report for training with an Alabama unit in October and November.

Mr. Bartlett said Mr. Bush had been too busy with the campaign to report in those months but made up the time later.

On Sept. 5, 1972, Mr. Bush asked his Texas Air National Guard superiors for assignment to the 187th Tactical Recon Group in Montgomery "for the months of September, October and November."

Capt. Kenneth K. Lott, chief of the personnel branch of the 187th Tactical Recon Group, told the Texas commanders that training in September had already occurred but that more training was scheduled for Oct. 7 and 8 and Nov. 4 and 5. But Mr. Bartlett said Mr. Bush did not serve on those dates because he was involved in the Senate campaign, but he made up those dates later.

Colonel Turnipseed, who retired as a general, said in an interview that regulations allowed Guard members to miss duty as long as it was made up within the same quarter.

Mr. Bartlett pointed to a document in Mr. Bush's military records that showed credit for four days of duty ending Nov. 29 and for eight days ending Dec. 14, 1972, and, after he moved back to Houston, on dates in January, April and May.

The May dates correlated with orders sent to Mr. Bush at his Houston apartment on April 23, 1973, in which Sgt. Billy B. Lamar told Mr. Bush to report for active duty on May 1-3 and May 8-10.

Another document showed that Mr. Bush served at various times from May 29, 1973, through July 30, 1973, a period of time questioned by The Globe.

[jraven]

If a newspaper produced four tons of material there are some folks who will dismiss it all as a Democratic plot. I'm always amazed at how belonging to a party means you MUST be a true believe and put aside anything damaging to your own case or candidate and put aside anything positive that applies to the other. People are FLAWED. It looks as if he, like many in that era, wanted to get out of Vietnam and got enrolled in the Guard with his Dad's help. He was not the only one who would have done that. But dimissing it all as a big Democratic plot is not the whole story: there are some real questions about his military service. I don't think it precludes him from re-election. But if we were so absolutely tough on Clinton why shouldn't we apply the same standards to President Bush...unless we only apply certain standards to the other side.

[jraven]

If a newspaper produced four tons of material there are some folks who will dismiss it all as a Democratic plot. I'm always amazed at how belonging to a party means you MUST be a true believe and put aside anything damaging to your own case or candidate and put aside anything positive that applies to the other. People are FLAWED. It looks as if he, like many in that era, wanted to get out of Vietnam and got enrolled in the Guard with his Dad's help. He was not the only one who would have done that. But dimissing it all as a big Democratic plot is not the whole story: there are some real questions about his military service. I don't think it precludes him from re-election. But if we were so absolutely tough on Clinton why shouldn't we apply the same standards to President Bush...unless we only apply certain standards to the other side.

[Jimmy Valentine's brother]

I see Kathleen Hall Jamieson's name popping up regularly in news articles concerning this presidential campaign. I personally worked with her on a Maryland democratic gubernatorial primary campaign in 1978. Just something to keep in mind when you see her quoted.

[stuartcr]

Agree 100pct.