Alabama commander [Brigadier Gen. Turnipseed] regrets Bush comments

MSNBC.com ^ | 02-11-04 | Jim Cummins

[veronica]

National Guard boss says he couldn't recall if president attended

The flap over President Bush's military service in the Texas Air National Guard really comes down to what he says he did from May 1972 to May 1973 and evidence and recollection from that time. Now, the military officer at the center of the row regrets he ever got involved.

[Huck]

I am sure he does. Now he has to contend with scores of journalists--the dregs of the earth.

[cripplecreek]

I dont recall people who worked with me part time 5 years ago.

[KC_Conspirator]

Hell, I am trying to forget people I worked with recently.

[Howlin]

But, in an NBC News interview this week, the general expressed surprise that his remarks caused such consternation. "George Bush wasn't even famous back then, so why would I notice this outsider showing up at a couple of meetings. I just wouldn't."

Can you see me smiling?

[secret garden]

Why doesn't he use the standard hillary response - 'I don't recall' and let it go at that?

[jwalsh07]

Thirty years ago I used to drive General Pattons TOC. He wouldn't know me from a freakin hole in the wall. This is ridiculous.

[marty60]

Then he should have kept his mouth shut. The vicious liberl media looks for any nuance to hang a hit piece on. But, unless you deal with them eveyday ,I guess it's easy to get suckered by them.

[Wheee The People]

wow...this information was out sereral days/weeks ago. Still some newspapers that ran the bogus AWOL story on the front page, havem't reported this. Or if they did report it, they ran it on page B 16.

[NYCVirago]

Hell, I am trying to forget people I worked with recently.

I wish I could forget a few of the people I work with now! ;)

[Hon]

Here is some more from that piece:

""Brig. Gen. ‘recall’ in 2004
Brigadier Gen. Turnipseed, 75 and retired in Montgomery, Ala., says he's sorry he ever said he would have "had some recall" of Bush had he attended a meeting of the Alabama Air Guard unit.

'No way. He was never assigned to our unit so he couldn't be AWOL. Like so many Guard and Reserve soldiers during the Vietnam War, they moved around and temporarily attended meetings with other units but Bush never left his original unit in Texas.'


— Brigadier General Turnsipseed, Feb. 9



"I don't remember whether he came or not. Our unit had about 900- 1,000 men and he could have attended many meetings without me ever knowing it," Turnipseed said this week.

As for Bush being AWOL, Turnipseed said, "No way. He was never assigned to our unit so he couldn't be AWOL. Like so many Guard and Reserve soldiers during the Vietnam War, they moved around and temporarily attended meetings with other units but Bush never left his original unit in Texas.”

Turnipseed has said all along there would be no mention of the president in the Alabama unit since Bush was paid out of Texas.

When asked about Bush’s pay record, Turnipseed said the paymaster in Alabama would note Bush attended a meeting and send the information onto Texas on what he described as an "IBM 105" card where it would be recorded and sent onto payroll in Colorado.

Bush was accused by Democrats of skipping meetings because there was no written record of him attending those meetings in October and November in Alabama.

On Tuesday, the White House released payroll records that showed the president received credit for attending meetings in October and November 1972.

The records don't indicate where he attended those meetings but he was living in Alabama at the time.

As for Turnipseed, he says the crux is that it is really difficult to remember what happened more than 30 years ago."

You will notice that it confirms everything that I posted about Turnipseed here:

Debunking The Bush AWOL Story - From The Horse's Mouth

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1073076/posts?page=1,50

[Hon]

Let me try that again:

Brig. Gen. ‘recall’ in 2004
Brigadier Gen. Turnipseed, 75 and retired in Montgomery, Ala., says he's sorry he ever said he would have "had some recall" of Bush had he attended a meeting of the Alabama Air Guard unit.

"I don't remember whether he came or not. Our unit had about 900- 1,000 men and he could have attended many meetings without me ever knowing it," Turnipseed said this week.

As for Bush being AWOL, Turnipseed said, "No way. He was never assigned to our unit so he couldn't be AWOL. Like so many Guard and Reserve soldiers during the Vietnam War, they moved around and temporarily attended meetings with other units but Bush never left his original unit in Texas.”

Turnipseed has said all along there would be no mention of the president in the Alabama unit since Bush was paid out of Texas.

When asked about Bush’s pay record, Turnipseed said the paymaster in Alabama would note Bush attended a meeting and send the information onto Texas on what he described as an "IBM 105" card where it would be recorded and sent onto payroll in Colorado.

Bush was accused by Democrats of skipping meetings because there was no written record of him attending those meetings in October and November in Alabama.

On Tuesday, the White House released payroll records that showed the president received credit for attending meetings in October and November 1972.

The records don't indicate where he attended those meetings but he was living in Alabama at the time.

As for Turnipseed, he says the crux is that it is really difficult to remember what happened more than 30 years ago.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4242877/

[Huck]

The guy's name is hilarious though. Turnipseed? Sounds like the Turgidson guy from Dr. Stranglove.

[ntnychik]

Great work, Hon!

[jwalsh07]

Yeah, it is pretty funny. Captain Kangaroo meet General Turnipseed.

[Huck]

This whole issue is so stupid. It's actually embarassing.

[Hon]

It's a fairly common name in the south--and in Switzerland, where the folks here emmigrated from.

He's a lurker here, BTW.

[Hon]

"This whole issue is so stupid. It's actually embarassing."

It should be embarrassing, since the media simply made it up based on misrepresenting Brig. Gen. Turnipseed's comments.

But the media have no shame. Only their agenda.