Bush did indeed fail to finish military duty

Honolulu Star-Bulletin ^

[GrandmaPatriot]

In reply to Sandra Anderson's May 9 letter to the editor, "President deserves to wear military uniform," here are some facts regarding President Bush's failure to serve honorably in the Texas Air National Guard: After serving less than two years in the Texas Guard he moved to Alabama to work on a political campaign. He had requested a transfer to the Alabama Guard, but ignored an order to report for duty there and simply never showed up. He also never reported to the Texas Guard again after he moved back to Texas.

Bush has said that he quit flying in Texas because they were no longer using the planes he was trained for, and didn't fly in Alabama because they didn't have the planes there. The truth is, he had been suspended from flying while still in Texas after failing to get a required physical exam.

Bush states in his 1999 autobiography that after completing flight training he "continued to fly with my unit for the next several years." The truth is that 22 months after completing flight training he was suspended from flying and never flew with his unit again.

In an effort to prove he wasn't trying to dodge combat, he claims to have tried to volunteer for a Guard program that rotated pilots to Vietnam. However, in his application for the Guard, he checked the box specifying that he did not want to volunteer for overseas duty.

[GrandmaPatriot]

OK, I need some help here from you experts to rebut this letter to the editor. Any suggestions?

[LurkerNoMore!]

Try this:
http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a39ea05224b3e.htm

[Michael Barnes]

Hey GP...all I see here are a bunch of accusations. I would reply back to this with wanting to see proof to back up the claims.

"Show me proof" is what I would say. Nice liberal tactics in that diatribe, but unlike the Clinton/Gore fiascos (and the proof thereof), I suspect most of this is out of context, and lifted from "other sources" and firm proof is most likely non-existant.

[Texas Eagle]

Dear Editor,
In response to the response to the letter of Sarah Anderson regarding President Bush's military service. One thing we know President Bush didn't do during the time in question was go overseas to organize protests against his own country during time of war thereby giving aid and comfort to the enemy. An enemy who were busying themselves killing our young men with barbaric booby traps and torturing those taken prisoner.

Love,
GrandmaPatriot
FReeper City, USA

[deedgirl]

The man is doing a great job as president! I quess one has no beter things to do then produce more lies against him.I say keep it up, the democrates are making asses of themselves over and over again.

[Texas Eagle]

Dear Editor,

In response to the response regarding President Bush's military service I would just like to say to the writer, "Get over it! Bush won!"

Love,

GrandmaPatriot
FReeper City, USA

[narses]

Many thanks to Colonel Lockhart USAF for the following REPORT:

Lt. George W. Bush's Instructor Pilot Speaks Out -- Sets the Record Straight Subject: A Personal Letter of Observation of Lt. George W. Bush by his former Instructor Pilot Colonel Thomas G. Lockhart, USAF (Ret) Fellow Veterans:

I have heard about all I can stand of the military careers of the two presidential candidates. It's like two combatants arguing about who's Purple Heart carries the most weight. I have seen e-mails "splitting hairs" and making unsubstantiated claims against both candidates. I will not engage in this type of childish name-calling. The official records indicate that both individuals completed their military service obligations and received honorable discharges.

I can, however, give you some personal observations upon which I base my opinion of Governor Bush. George W. Bush arrived at Moody AFB, Georgia, for undergraduate pilot training (UPT) in 1968 as a member of the Texas Air National Guard. I was assigned as one of his Instructor Pilots. The atmosphere at this training base was somber and dead serious, as the student pilots were all either going to Vietnam or subject to being called up for combat duty as members of a Guard or Reserve unit.

George W. Bush put himself totally into the task of becoming the best aviator in the class. His unit flew Century Series jet fighters, which required the best pilots. There was no room for error, as these airplanes were unforgiving, and the price for a mistake was often the pilot's life. George W. Bush appeared to have that "fighter pilot attitude" from our first meeting. This attitude can best be described as: "I can handle the situation--regardless of the odds." He was extremely competitive and eager to learn every thing about his machine and the enemy's tactics. He was quick to pick up the flying skills necessary to maneuver an aircraft into a position to shoot down an enemy aircraft.

Being a fighter pilot is truly like being a modern day gladiator. When two jet fighters meet in combat, there is usually only one survivor. It is the ultimate test of your skills, and you must hone these skills until you have complete confidence that you will be victorious--that in the air you are invincible. Cocky? You bet!!! That was the attitude that saved England during the Battle of Britain, when a small cadre of British fighter pilots turned back the German onslaught. "Never have so many owed so much to so few," were Winston Churchill's words describing the RAF victory. This standard is part of the heritage of every fighter pilot.

The traits which, I believe, made George W. Bush a good fighter pilot and would also make him a good president are: a.. Leadership -- a "take charge" attitude. b.. Stamina -- when the going gets tough, the tough get going. c.. Sincerity -- a love of country and care for your fellowman. d.. Integrity -- knowledge of and willingness to act upon honest principles.

My personal bottom line used to be, "Would you follow this person into combat?" Well, I'm a bit old now for combat, but I respect George W. Bush's leadership abilities, and I would follow him anywhere!

Respectfully submitted, Colonel Thomas G. Lockhart, USAF (Ret)

[alnick]

He was honorably discharged.

[BOBWADE]

I also seem to recall that Clinton failed to report for duty and was considered a fugitive until Carter issued a blanket pardon. Anyone else remember reading something to this effect?

[BOBWADE]

I also seem to recall that Clinton failed to report for duty and was considered a fugitive until Carter issued a blanket pardon. Anyone else remember reading something to this effect?

[weegee]

I thought her point was that he didn't serve all of his time. What does this do to support her position?

In an effort to prove he wasn't trying to dodge combat, he claims to have tried to volunteer for a Guard program that rotated pilots to Vietnam. However, in his application for the Guard, he checked the box specifying that he did not want to volunteer for overseas duty.

Gore lost, get over it.

And LBJ sent a ship out to sea (and had crew on leave flown back out) so that he could have a military photo op.

The Rats are running in circles.

[Texas Eagle]

Bill Clinton......blanket pardon......heh, heh, heh.......

[Texas Eagle]

Great work, narses. Is this letter available somewhere online?

[mass55th]

Did Jayson Blair write this?

[duckln]

Bush states in his 1999 autobiography that after completing flight training he "continued to fly with my unit for the next several years." The truth is that 22 months after completing flight training he was suspended from flying and never flew with his unit again

IMO the 'next several years' is 22 months or 'two years'!

[jagrmeister]

This Bush AWOL conspiracy theory advanced by the lunatic-fringe Left makes some of the charges the extreme Right was making about Clinton look sane. All I can do is sit and laugh until the liberal media decides its willing to stoop lower and actually cover this AWOL lie as a genuine news story at which point I'll just shake my head.

[okie01]

Bush did indeed fail to finish military duty

Not possible if one receives an honorable discharge. Which Bush did, indeed.

[PeaceBeWithYou]

[anniegetyourgun]

Indeed....it's the tin-foil crowd of the Left-type!

[ravingnutter]

I believe this is the article they are talking about...they apparently need to take a reading comprehension class.

After basic training at Lackland and his commissioning as a second lieutenant in 1968, Bush got what amounted to a two-month-plus vacation that enabled him to head to Florida to work for a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, Edward J. Gurney. Put on inactive duty status, Bush arrived in early September and stayed through Election Day, riding the press plane, handing out releases, and making sure traveling reporters woke up in time. He occasionally returned to Houston for weekend Guard duty.

Bush graduated from Combat Crew Training School on June 23, 1970, having fulfilled his two years of active duty. But he still flew the F-102 Delta Daggers a few times a month; his unit kept two of the fighters, fully armed, on round-the-clock alert and needed the pilots to man them.

To start at Harvard, Bush needed early release from Guard duty in Texas, and he got it easily, about eight months short of a full six years. A Bush spokesman, Dan Bartlett, said early departures were quite common and, in Bush's case, appropriate because his unit had phased out the F-102s.

Source

Also in that article (Bush said NOTHING about rotating pilots)...

Among the questions Bush had to answer on his application forms was whether he wanted to go overseas. Bush checked the box that said: "do not volunteer."

Bush said in an interview that he did not recall checking the box. Two weeks later, his office provided a statement from a former, state-level Air Guard personnel officer, asserting that since Bush "was applying for a specific position with the 147th Fighter Group, it would have been inappropriate for him to have volunteered for an overseas assignment and he probably was so advised by the military personnel clerk assisting him in completing the form."

During a second interview, Bush himself raised the issue. "Had my unit been called up, I'd have gone . . . to Vietnam," Bush said. "I was prepared to go." But there was no chance Bush's unit would be ordered overseas. Bush says that toward the end of his training in 1970, he tried to volunteer for overseas duty, asking a commander to put his name on the list for a "Palace Alert" program, which dispatched qualified F-102 pilots in the Guard to the Europe and the Far East, occasionally to Vietnam, on three- to six-month assignments.

He was turned down on the spot. "I did [ask] – and I was told, 'You're not going,' " Bush said. Only pilots with extensive flying time – at the outset, 1,000 hours were required – were sent overseas under the voluntary program. The Air Force, moreover, was retiring the aging F-102s and had ordered all overseas F-102 units closed down as of June 30, 1970.