Operation Desert Guard (Bush's War Record: Missing, Inaction -If he isn't a deserter, what is he?)

The Village Voice ^ | January 28 - February 3, 2004 | James Ridgeway

[presidio9]

The moral dictates of the Christian right are nothing compared with the concerns of the protectors of public morality in the press corps. Ever vigilant in our behalf, they recently condemned Michael Jackson (Who needs a trial with the people's advocate Nancy Grace and CNN judge Larry King on the job?). But even Jackson didn't have the audacity to say what Michael Moore said—that the president of the United States is a deserter. Yes, indeed. He said that. Not only did Moore say it, but he said it in public on a stage in the midst of a political campaign. In the midst of a war, no less. The press corps blushed in shame for all of us and promptly condemned Moore as an ignorant fool who ought to stick with his disgusting comedy shows.

Fortunately for us, Michael Moore is crazy like a fox. By calling Bush a "deserter," (video) he got the big-time journalists—horrified David Broder, incredulous Peter Jennings, outraged Robert Novak, nonplussed Tim Russert—to openly raise the deserter issue before millions. It is now a political topic once again. As the journalists damn Moore, the populace is once again wondering, well, maybe Bush is a deserter after all. And the idea of a deserter running this war makes it even more sick than it already is. Consider that this weekend warrior is already responsible for the following toll in Iraq: 513 GIs sent to their death; 8,000 medevacked out of Iraq; 2,919 wounded (missing arms or legs, or blinded, or psycho); and at least 22 GI suicides. God only knows how many Iraqi men, women, and children. And when it was his turn to fight for his country, Bush booked.

What are the facts? The single best rundown on this issue was contained in an article by Walter V. Robinson of The Boston Globe on May 23, 2000. On May 28, 1968, Bush enlisted in the Texas Air National Guard's 147th Fighter-Interceptor Group at Ellington Air Force Base in Houston and was selected for pilot training. In July of that year a board of officers said he should be commissioned as a second lieutenant; he left for six weeks of basic training and was commissioned that September 4. Then he took off for eight weeks to work on a Florida Senate campaign. Next he attended and graduated from flight school (November 25, 1968, to November 28, 1969). He trained full-time to be an F-102 pilot at Ellington, where from July 7, 1970, to April 16, 1972, he attended frequent drills and alerts.

From this point on, his record is murky. Bush's records reveal no sign he showed up for duty during his fifth year as a guardsman, according to the Globe. On May 24, 1972, Bush had moved to Alabama to work on a Senate race and received permission to serve with a reserve unit there. Headquarters ordered that he serve with a more active unit, and on September 5, 1972, he got permission to perform his Guard duty at the 187th Tactical Recon Group in Montgomery. But there is no record of his turning up, and the unit commander says he never did. From November 1972 to April 30, 1973, Bush was in Houston but didn't go to his Guard duties. In May 1973, two lieutenant colonels in charge of Bush's Houston unit were unable to rate him for the prior 12 months, claiming he had not been at the unit during that time. From May to July 1973, Bush logged 36 days on duty after special orders for active duty were issued to him. His last day in uniform was July 30, 1973, and that October 1, after beginning Harvard Business School, this weekend warrior was discharged from the Texas Air National Guard. That was eight months before his Guard tour was scheduled to expire.

If the president wasn't a deserter, what was he?

[Pikamax]

"What are the facts? The single best rundown on this issue was contained in an article by Walter V. Robinson of The Boston Globe on May 23, 2000. "

and this article has been debunked time and time again including the NYTIMES.

[Puppage]

the Christian right

Is that the opposite of the Atheist Left?

[antaresequity]

Zot bait?

[WinOne4TheGipper]

The Real Military Record of George W. Bush. Not Heroic, but NOT AWOL, either.

[Az Joe]

You're a liar.

[XJarhead]

From this point on, his record is murky.

If the record is "murky", then how can the VV draw the conclusion that he was a deserter?

[NavyCaptain]

I was never in the National Guard, but was a Naval Reservist. Back in the 1973 time period, the record keeping in the units I was affiliated with as pretty poor. Everything was done by paper and once the paychecks wer e known to be received, things got lost. It is not a surprise that records may be murky!

[mystery-ak]

Weekend warrior...another slam at the Guard and Reserves who are serving and dying in the ME...Im sick of it.

[CaptRon]

There was a posting here last week that showed that all of the Presidents time was accounted for. I thought I bookmarked it but I can't find it.

[VaBthang4]

LOL

[RLK]

Bush enlisted in the Texas Air National Guard's 147th Fighter-Interceptor Group at Ellington Air Force Base in Houston and was selected for pilot training. In July of that year a board of officers said he should be commissioned as a second lieutenant; he left for six weeks of basic training and was commissioned that September 4. Then he took off for eight weeks to work on a Florida Senate campaign. Next he attended and graduated from flight school (November 25, 1968, to November 28, 1969). He trained full-time to be an F-102 pilot at Ellington, where from July 7, 1970, to April 16, 1972, he attended frequent drills and alerts. From this point on, his record is murky. Bush's records reveal no sign he showed up for duty during his fifth year as a guardsman, according to the Globe. On May 24, 1972, Bush had moved to Alabama to work on a Senate race and received permission to serve with a reserve unit there. Headquarters ordered that he serve with a more active unit, and on September 5, 1972, he got permission to perform his Guard duty at the 187th Tactical Recon Group in Montgomery. But there is no record of his turning up, and the unit commander says he never did. From November 1972 to April 30, 1973, Bush was in Houston but didn't go to his Guard duties. In May 1973, two lieutenant colonels in charge of Bush's Houston unit were unable to rate him for the prior 12 months, claiming he had not been at the unit during that time.

----------------------

Nobody with any sense of reality ever took his enlistment in the Texas Air National Guard seriously. The unit was flying obsolete aircraft and couldn't be called for serious duty. It was a flying country club for the well-connected.

[RightthinkinAmerican]

Funy how, even before his dad came to any high political power, 34 years ago, he deserted, but recieved no punishment of any kind? If it was a true desertion, the military would've had him big his big, huge berries. How can anyone claim he would've gotten favoritism and had soemthing like this overlooked that long ago? I mean, complete Michael Moore psyco conpiracy-theorists aside.

They just throw out any crap that their delusional minds cook up.

I have a aunt exactly like this, and you should hear some of the stuff her idle brain cooks up. She is certified mentally incompetent. Moore, Franken and others simply don't have their paperwork completed yet.

[CaptRon]

Found it:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1064541/posts

[NavyCaptain]

I was never in the National Guard, but was a Naval Reservist. Back in the 1973 time period, the record keeping in the units I was affiliated with as pretty poor. Everything was done by paper and once the paychecks wer e known to be received, things got lost. It is not a surprise that records may be murky!

[mountaineer]

the Christian right .... recently condemned Michael Jackson

The county prosecutor might be surprised to hear that. Surely the writer isn't saying that Jacko is a victim of the VRWC!!

[joesnuffy]

The Guard of today is an entirely different animal compared to "some" of the Guard units back during the Vietnam war..and back then the guard was a place for people with connections to avoid the draft and combat duty in Vietnam

I was in basic at Ft Campbell with some of these guys who straight out said this was their intent...(including an NFL player) I also trained some of these "wonderfull white winged weekend warriors" at then "Camp McCoy" back in 1970

I also served "in combat" with activated Hawaiian Nat Guard members most of whom were
extremely good jungle fighters...right from the git go...some of the best I ever had the honor of serving with...

Today's Guard and Reserve are now the heart and soul of the fighting military...imo- Desert Storm change this...when a lot of Vietnam vets matriculated into Guard & Reserve Units

[RightthinkinAmerican]

That label we've gotten pretty much says it all, doesn't it? By calling us the "Christian Right", they are - by default - the atheist left. When will people see that these people are flat-out modern-day communists? Atheistic, genocidal, anti-freedom communists.

[bert]

..... -If he isn't a deserter, what is he?.....

Commander in Chief

[presidio9]

Funy how, even before his dad came to any high political power, 34 years ago, he deserted, but recieved no punishment of any kind?

I mostly agree with your thinking, but I like to see fellow FReepers keep their facts straight. In 1969, when George W. Bush entered the Air National Guard, his grandfather, Prescott Bush, was a two term US Senator from Connecticut. In 1972, Prescott Bush died, but George HW Bush was our UN Ambassador.