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

Brig. Gen. Turnipseed | February 6, 2004 | Hon

[Hon]

I just got off the phone about an hour ago with Brig. Gen. William R. Turnipseed. He is the sole source for the four year old story that Bush was AWOL during his National Guard service.

Mr. Turnipseed is very unhappy with the way what he said "casually" four years ago has been twisted by the "Bush haters" (his words) in the media, especially the Boston Globe (who first reported the story) and the New York Times.

In a nutshell here is what happened, according to Turnipseed. Back in 1972 his Alabama National Guard unit received a letter from Bush (who was in the Texas Nation Guard) asking if he while he was in Alabama do some equivalancy training with the Alabama unit.

Turnipseed said that this request was as a matter of routine turned over to his administrative assistant, Lott, who wrote back to Bush, giving him the dates of the next unit drills. Lott told Bush he could report for those dates.

Neither Turnipseed nor Lott can now remember whether Bush appeared for these drills or not. Turnipseed says he himself might not have even been around the base at the time, so he wouldn't know one way or the other. And he says he has always said this.

The points Turnipseed wanted to stress are these: Bush was never ordered to report for duty to his unit. Since Bush was in the Texas National Guard and Turnipseed was in the Alabama National Guard, he couldn't have ordered him even if he had wanted to. But he didn't want to.

He (or his assistant, Lott) simply gave Bush the dates he could report if he wanted to do equivalency training with them. There were no orders given. If he showed up or didn't show up, it wasn't their concern.

Additionally, Turnipseed says that he never once said anything about Bush being "AWOL." He said it isn't even a term used in the National Guard. And anyway, as already noted, Bush's training record was not his concern, but the Texas National Guard's.

He said that since the Texas National Guard gave him an honorable discharge it shows that he fulfilled his training requirements.

Turnipseed said that the media has constantly misrepresented what he said and edited him so as to make Bush look bad.

He also said that he had no idea who Bush was, and that he certainly didn't do him any special favors. Nor would he have.

He said that when he first spoke to the Boston Globe reporter about this four years ago he didn't realize he was talking to a "Bush hater."

Turnipseed is a strong Bush supporter. He said that he has been contacted many times especially recently, by "Bush haters" in the media, who try to get him to say that Bush was AWOL. Once they realize that he won't cooperate they lose interest in talking to him. When they do quote him, they say he is backpedaling--even though he is still saying the same exact thing he told them four years ago.

He has been recently asked to go on with Peter Jennings and NBC's Dateline, but he is concerned that they will edit him in such a way as to misrepresent his story again. I have been in touch with Fox news, in hopes that they will have somebody talk to him and try to present his story fairly.

Bottom line, this whole AWOL story was media spin from the git-go. The Boston Globe reporter simply cherry picked Turnipseed's comments and totally misrepresented him--to make Bush look bad.

And the media are still doing it four years later. They should be ashamed--but they have no shame. They have only their agenda.

[kabar]

Hopefully, someone in GOP operations research will examine Kerry's reserve record as closely as the media has done with GWB's. After almost 8 years active duty as a naval officer (regular commission not reserve), I spent a little over a year as an active reserve and then quit. Kerry seems to have spent 10 years active and inactive in the reserves. Fertile ground I would think for some digging.

[kabar]

It's strange. Kerry seems to always list his military service this way: Experience: Navy, 1966-1970; Naval Reserves, 1972-1978" It looks like he took off the two years from the Navy to attack the military, then quietly went back in.

That is odd. Usually, when you leave, you are out. If true, maybe he needed the extra money from a paid billet or he thought it was plus for his political career.

[wildbill]

"...he has sort of given up on trying to get the truth out. I think he feels that the media spin is already established and that to fight it just gives the story more play."

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.

[Hon]

"That is odd. Usually, when you leave, you are out."

If you check Google, you will see that this is how his military service is usually listed:

http://www.google.com/search?q="John%20Kerry"%20"naval%20reserves"

"If true, maybe he needed the extra money from a paid billet or he thought it was plus for his political career."

More likely the latter, since in 1972 he married his first heiress (worth more than $300 million in 1970 dollars).

It looks like he was playing both sides of the fence. Being highly anti-military in public and yet going back into the reserves in private. It seems to be a pattern with him.

[BigSkyFreeper]

Gee, thanks for the link...I now feel soiled. ;-)

LOL no problem :)

[Ditto]

He has been recently asked to go on with Peter Jennings and NBC's Dateline, but he is concerned that they will edit him in such a way as to misrepresent his story again.

Tell his that if he does agree to sit down with any of these propaganda organs, to have his own video camera rolling tape. (They will likely refuse the interview if he insists) If they then twist his words out of context, he has the evidence to take them to court for defamation or to turn over to a competitor to discredit a rival network.

[Cai Della]

Good post.

Has the rumor that our president crashed an F-102 while flying drunk been debunked? No recent mention of that old murmur that I'm aware of.

Thanks.

[Hon]

That's a new one on me, and I can't believe that anybody would even try to suggest it.

Flying a jet is hard enough sober, I would imagine. You simply wouldn't survive flying one drunk.

[Cai Della]

Read this site. It's long and gets interesting when he flies the Cessna with Evans. Hillarious.

http://www.seanet.com/~johnco/bush102.htm

[Bluntpoint]

I heard he was not flying drunk, but he was ticketed for having an open container in the Jet.

When the air cop pulled him over, Bush hit the airbrakes and a dozen or so empty beer cans rolled from under the ejection seat.

[Hon]

From that site:

"Sept. 5, 1972: Bush is granted permission to do his Guard duty at the 187th Tactical Recon Group in Montgomery. But Bush's record shows no evidence he did the duty, and the unit commander says he never showed up."

This lie is everywhere. Turnipseed never said that.

[Cai Della]

This lie is everywhere. Turnipseed never said that.

I hope you are successful in debunking the lie.

Seems I've seen your screen name around the Internet somewhere, like in AFer environs?

NTTIAWWT.

[Cai Della]

I heard he was not flying drunk, but he was ticketed for having an open container in the Jet.

Can you recall where you heard that?

Thanks.

[Andy from Chapel Hill]

I found the link. Good luck!
http://web.archive.org/web/20001202233300/http://www2.georgemag.com/bush.html

[hole_n_one]

The Way Back Machine!

Now, why didn't I think of that?!

Thanks!

[Bluntpoint]

[Weimdog]

I just think it's interesting that someone would just pop in and say, "lookie here, I've just talked to THE person and he says everything is hunky-dory."

Do you take everything you read on FR as gospel without checking the facts for yourself? I sure don't, unless, of course, that person has a "track record" of verifiable, truthful posts.

[Andy from Chapel Hill]

I found a circa 2000 FR thread that has some very intering links regarding the original documentation of Bush's military records. Enjoy!
Andy
http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a39ea05224b3e.htm#28

[Cicero]

Great work. Congratulations.

[ntnychik]

Truth detection ping