Former Dannelly worker: Bush not AWOL [another eyewitness steps forward]

THE DECATUR DAILY ^ | 2.16.04 | Eric Fleischauer

[ambrose]

Former Dannelly worker: Bush not AWOL

By Eric Fleischauer

DAILY Staff Writer

eric@decaturdaily.com · 340-2435

Retired Master Sgt. James Copeland does not care so much whether people think President Bush went absent without leave in 1972, but one thing he hears bothers him plenty.

"Maybe the Bush family was well known in Texas, but we didn't know who he was here. He was just another guy in a flight jacket," Copeland said Sunday.

Copeland, who lives in Hartselle, retired from the Air Force on Jan. 31, 1980. He was the disbursement accounting supervisor, a full-time position, for Dannelly Air National Guard Base in Montgomery from Oct. 28, 1971, to Oct. 27, 1975. His office was less than 100 yards from the hangar where Bush performed drills.

Rumors say Bush went AWOL while assisting Winton "Red" Blount in an unsuccessful campaign for U.S. Senate focus on 1972 and 1973.

Copeland, 65, remembers meeting Bush on two occasions. He does not remember the precise dates. On one occasion, Copeland said, Bush and Lt. Col. John "Bill" Calhoun came to Copeland's office with a question about Bush's pay. Copeland is not sure, but he believes the question had to do with where to mail Bush's checks.

Bush was never a member of the Alabama National Guard, he just did his drills here. For that reason, Copeland thinks he referred the pay question to the paymaster for the Texas National Guard.

The other time Copeland remembers meeting Bush was at the base canteen. Bush was there drinking coffee or a soft drink, Copeland said.

Copeland stressed that Calhoun's account of Bush's service in Montgomery would be accurate because Calhoun was in a position to work with Bush during every drill. Calhoun told The Associated Press last week that he saw Bush every drill time, which was one weekend each month.

Not only was Calhoun in a position to know of Bush's service, Copeland said, but Calhoun "was an ethical and honest officer."

No easy treatment

The suggestion that he or anyone else gave Bush a break because of the family legacy bothers Copeland.

"You hear people saying that everybody (at Dannelly) knew the Bushes. Well, that's just a lie," Copeland said. "He was just another pilot. No one paid any more attention to him than to anyone else. There was no hoopla."

Copeland said Bush trained on an F-106 fighter plane in Texas, so he was not qualified to fly the planes at Dannelly. Dannelly had F-84 Thunderjets and, later, F-4 Phantoms.

The issue of whether Bush skipped his Air National Guard duties is not a new one.

Some Democrats have long questioned whether Bush continued his drills while absent from Texas for Blount's campaign.

Bush Press Secretary Scott McClellan said Friday that the White House is making no effort to locate people who could document Bush's service.

Joe Holcombe, 71, of Joppa worked with Bush on the Blount campaign. He told THE DAILY last week that he remembers Bush missing at least one campaign meeting because of his National Guard drills.

While Copeland said he thinks claims that Bush was AWOL are baseless, he said one thing puzzles him.

"All Bush would have to do to get proof of his Alabama service is pick up the phone and contact military records," he said. "It seems a little odd that he hasn't done that."

Copeland also is puzzled by dental records that Bush produced as evidence of his duties at Dannelly.

"We had no dentist at Dannelly Field," Copeland said. "The only dentists were at Maxwell (Air Force Base)."

[montag813]

Former Dannelly worker: Bush not AWOL [another eyewitness steps forward]

The Shot Across the Bow

It's real hard to get excited about articles such as this. It's like people stepping forward to say "GWB does not beat his wife". The problem is that the entire manufactured "crisis" was was designed by the DNC. The only good news for the Bush team is that election day is still 8 months away. There is still time to learn from their own weak response to this.

We have seen Bush on the total defensive, releasing documents when he should have just said "judge me as Commander-in-Chief" and refused to say another word. The White House failed miserably by accepting this as a legitimate story to begin with, instead of ridiculing it out of hand, chastizing the press for mentioning it, and deflecting the press onto Kerry's own outrageous behavior as an anti-war leader. It was bizarre to see the White House scrambling to answer every inane attack, while never mentioning how Bill Clinton's blatant draft-dodging was NOT an issue in 1996.

So I fail to rejoice in articles such as this. It is a depressing reminder that the campaign so far has been entirely on Kerry's terms. Bush's team can learn from this, or continue running a defensive campaign like those of Jimmy Carter, Mike Dukakis and George H.W. Bush--with similar results.

--
John Bruder, Big Sky Group (GOP Consultants)

[TruthShallSetYouFree]

At the risk of being redundant--the media didn't give a rat's rear end about Bill Clinton's lack of service. He wasn't in the Guard or the Reserves. He was in the Draft Dodger Corps, and nobody cared. As for Clinton/s medical records--we're still waiting! Hypocrisy doesn't even begin to explain it.

[ohioWfan]

Hmmmmmm.....looks like he had his wisdom teeth pulled, but I wonder what happened to molar #3? Knocked out playing rugby??

[PhiKapMom]

Maybe you better check facts before talking about Kerry have eye witnesses!

[PhiKapMom]

The Dental and Medical Corps of the Air Force have done exams on other small bases for years. Most dental corps members are stationed only on the larger bases so it would make perfect sense for a dentist from Maxwell to go to a smaller base to do exams.

[patsyde]

I also watched part of Chrissy's show. Had to change channels before I threw something at my new TV set. The B*lls of this guy to question the Present's gaurd service, who by the way flew F-102 Fighter aircraft, and that POS Matthews joined the Peace Corps to evade Vietnam. Some comparison huh?

[CyberAnt]

Was it the ret. Lt. who served with Bush in TX ..??

[Kath]

There was an old girlfriend as well

[cookcounty]

"Bush got into Harvard grad school because his father was famous!"

"Bush got into the Air National Guard because his father was famous!"

"Bush got out of the Air National Guard because his father was famous!"

But no one asks the question:""Way back then. exactly what was his father famous for?"

[Lady In Blue]

The President hasn't started his re-election campaign yet and why should he?! Kerry is still not the nominee. BTW, the President has a full plate right now.He and his advisors know full well when it's time for them to go on the offensive - more so than anybody on this board.Why waste precious resources until you know who the candidate will be?

[montag813]

The President hasn't started his re-election campaign yet and why should he?! Kerry is still not the nominee. BTW, the President has a full plate right now.He and his advisors know full well when it's time for them to go on the offensive - more so than anybody on this board.Why waste precious resources until you know who the candidate will be?

Your analysis is deeply flawed. First, the President started his re-election campaign the day he took office. It is clear that you do not understand the business of politics, if you fail to understand this. Second, it is irrelevant who the Democrat nominee will be. The "AWOL" attack came directly from the DNC Chairman, and not from Kerry himself. So how is it "wasting precious resources" to counterattack prior to the RAT convention, instead of going defensive and injuring Bush's approval ratings?

No, the White House showed bad form on this round, and believe me they know it. I would be surprised to watch them repeat this weak performance. They are much smarter than that.

[txrangerette]

So you totally disagree with
Common Tator? Or have you read
his analysis?

[The Wizard]

I want to see the records of Kerry's wounds.

[txrangerette]

Ping to #41 & #51

[deport]

but saying there were "zero" eyewitnesses to Kerry's actions in getting the silver star is just bullbleep

---

Thanks..... now can you give a cite or link to where they may be found, listed or cited?

[Krodg]

We have seen Bush on the total defensive, releasing documents when he should have just said "judge me as Commander-in-Chief" and refused to say another word.

Personally, I would have been quite satisfied with that but...

The White House failed miserably by accepting this as a legitimate story to begin with, instead of ridiculing it out of hand, chastizing the press for mentioning it, and deflecting the press onto Kerry's own outrageous behavior as an anti-war leader.

that wouldn't work with the voters or the press. He had already been deemed arrogant and a snob, ignoring them now would have just cemented that opinion.

So I fail to rejoice in articles such as this. It is a depressing reminder that the campaign so far has been entirely on Kerry's terms.

I fail to see how our President being truthful and honest with the public, can be depressing. I would expect nothing less from a man who wrote these words...

I pray for guidance. I do not pray for earthly things, but for heavenly things, for wisdom and patience and understanding. My faith gives me focus and perspective. It teaches humility. But I also recognize that faith can be misinterpreted in the political process. Faith is an important part of my life. I believe it is important so I live my faith, not flaunt it.

My faith frees me. Frees me to put the problem of the moment in proper perspective. Frees me to make decisions that others might not like. Frees me to try to do the right thing, even though it may not poll well.

George W. Bush's book, "A CHARGE TO KEEP"

[FreedomPoster]

Ping. Are you collecting Bush AWOL refutations?

[Nix 2]

Pictures! I've got pictures. Give the Ladies some gawks at some of these and Kerry will look like doggie doo forevermore.

Monday, July 3, 2000

---

  George W. Bush is shown in the cockpit of an F102 jet fighter at Ellington Field near Houston in 1968.

---

Bush didn't have much of a chance to see action

AUSTIN, Texas -- When George W. Bush joined the Texas Air National Guard in 1968, there was little chance he would ever see Vietnam from the cockpit of his F-102 Delta Dagger jet fighter.

When the plane was in demand overseas, Bush was not yet qualified to fly it. By the time he passed his final combat flight test in June 1970, the Air Force was pulling the jets out of Southeast Asia.

Bush, the Texas governor and presumptive Republican presidential nominee, said in his autobiography that he and a friend, Fred Bailey, tried to join the Palace Alert program that rotated National Guard pilots into Vietnam.

A colonel told them only a few more pilots would go and "Fred and I had not logged enough hours to participate," Bush wrote.

---

  George W. Bush during his days as a pilot in the Texas Air National Guard.

---

Retired Col. Maury Udell, who trained Bush to fly the F-102, has no doubt his pupil was willing to go to Vietnam.

Udell agreed that Bush was too inexperienced for Palace Alert, but he said the young man did become a good fighter pilot. "George got really good in air-to-air combat," he said.

Udell, now a 270-pound judo expert who describes himself as a "war-type guy," said Bush had an extraordinary memory and ability to process information.

From Udell's perspective, Bush's ability to overcome his aristocratic schooling at Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass., and Yale University and mix with the other guardsmen was more impressive.

"It is OK to get a good education, but some of those people are a little off the wall," he said. "I just wanted to make sure that he was in it for real."

Udell said he spent six hours a day for six months training Bush. And that's not all.

"We would go to the bar and play dead bug just like everybody else," he said. When someone yelled "dead bug" the pilots would hit the floor and stick their hands and feet up in the air.

"The last guy to do that has to buy the next round," Udell said, laughing.

"He was really good with folks," he said. But the young pilot did not take insults well: "You can't put him down too easily. He's really tough. He'll fight you."

Bush's commanders were equally pleased with the young officer. The Associated Press reviewed several glowing annual evaluations along with about 200 pages of Bush's military record.

"Lt. Bush is an exceptional fighter interceptor pilot and officer," Maj. William Harris wrote on May 26, 1972, in a typical example. "Lt. Bush's major strength is his ability to work with others."

In his autobiography, Bush writes that he was proud of his service in the Texas National Guard but does not liken it to facing combat as many of his contemporaries did.

"I know it was nothing comparable to what our soldiers and pilots were doing in battle in Vietnam," he said. "I lost several friends there, pilots I trained with in flight school."

Bush spent most of his time in the Guard based near Houston, but in May 1972 he received a three-month assignment in Alabama so he could work on a political campaign.

While serving as political director of the Senate campaign of Winton "Red" Blount, a family friend, he was ordered to report for duty at the 187th Tactical Recon Unit in Montgomery, Ala.

[Conservababe]

If Kerry doesn't like what McAwful says and does...he should take it up with the Clintons...who run the show. The Clintons are not very adept at electing anyone but their ownselves. LOL

[commish]

The last two quoted questions in the article do need to be addressed. Or have they already been?

HMm Let's see -- the dentist who's name is on Bush's dental records says he doesn;t recall Bush per se, but that he was the Dentist for Danelly assigned personnel -- that answers that one. and, i think that 400+ pages of Bush's Military records answer the other one.

The one thing everyone seems to be missing here -- BUSH NEVER HAD TO SHOW UP AT DANELLY. All he had was a requirement to Train a SET AMOUNT OF DAY PER YEAR. He trained the number of days required between May 1972 and may 1973 -- Where he trained DOES NOT MATTER.