Bush credited for Guard drills (Kapow!)

The Boston Globe ^ | 2/10/04 | Walter V. Robinson

[The G Man]

President Bush received credit for attending Air National Guard drills in the fall of 1972 and spring of 1973 -- a period when his commanders have said he did not appear for duty at bases in Montgomery, Ala., and Houston -- according to two new documents obtained by the Globe.

[optimistically_conservative]

Now can we see your records JFKerry?

I would like to see the silver star request myself. I have not been able to find it. I'd like to see who submitted it and witness accounts.

[adam_az]

t is also obvious, from their position, that the tactic is to smear Bush through this campaign of "questions" and innuendo until enough people (measurably significant) are aware of the true facts and then they'll drop it like it never existed and give it no more ink. In that way, an equal measure of setting the record straight can be omitted and the tactic of "questioning" the motives of Bush's political enemies for raising the issue cannot come home to roost.

In other words, they are trolling. :)

[Hon]

Just for context, here is an anti-Bush demonstration put on by Democrats.com back in July 2001.

Note that they couldn't quite figure out why they hated him yet, but they sure hated him!

Here are some more photos from that outfit (which is a militant gay group):

Democrats.com Photos

All of the photos were taken by Bob Fertig.

[rintense]

You are correct. If Kerry is looking to 'compare' his service record with Bush's, he will fail miserably. Tell me: w

What is more honorable, serving in the National Guard and doing so quietly, or serving in Vietnam, then coming home and throwing away medals and protesting the war?

What is more honorable, using your service to the country as a political motive, or quietly honoring your record by just saying you served proudly?

What is more honorable, touting the many medals you've received, or humbling yourself and your service as Bob Dole and GHWB did?

What is more honorable, trying to make an political issue of serving your country or simply honoring all those who did so voluntarily and willingly.

What is more honorable, using a non-starter issue to basically tell the American people that not only did Democrats miss some key information on Bush's service record four years ago, but they also didn't have the correct strategy four years ago and want another chance to slander his service, or simply thanking those who have served- not matter when or how

What is more honorable, saying you carried an M-16 and know what it is like to really serve, or to be a life-long military secretary who battles bureaucracy everyday?

Anyone who has served in the military knows where honor lies. And Kerry is not only ostracizing himself from other Vietnam Vets by bragging about his chest of medals, but he's also completely removing himself from any military service by creating an elitist attitude among all soldiers, past and present.

At any point during GWB's election campaign, did he use his military record as a campaign issue? No. Because he was humbled by the experience to just proudly serve like so many others. It's called humility, something Kerry knows nothing about. So keep it up, ketchup boy. Not only will those serving proudly in the military abandon you, but vets will as well. Why? Because anyone who has served (and most Americans) knows the difference between honor and hubris.

We've already seen that Kerry does not.

[Just mythoughts]

Surely they must be held somewhere in DOD. Since DOD is looking into President Bush's files no need to stop there let us all see JFKerry's files as well.

JFKerry really can't be trying to hid, now can he? "BRING THEM ON" JFKerry. Put up or SHUT-UP!

[antiRepublicrat]

It looks like releasing the rest of the records just might clear up the training days issue, making me admittedly quite wrong.

If the records exonerate him, that leaves only questions on one issue outstanding: why was there no standard investigation for a pilot losing his flight status? Why didn't Bush take the physical?

[Hon]

For the record, Kerry will NOT allow the media to have access to the medical records about how his three "wounds" in Vietnam were treated.

BTW, the most serious of which was supposed to be the shrapnel in his thigh. (Kerry says he was out of service for two days, but his commanding officer says he didn't miss any duty time due to injuries.)

Oddly enough, it was only a few days after this wound that Kerry is supposed to have jumped off of his boat and chased down the wounded VC and "dispatching" him--for which he got a Silver Star.

He must be a fast healer.

[From The Deer Stand]

Why wasn't Bush's National Guard service that big a deal when he ran against Gore? I don't remember all the flak back in 2000.

[Hon]

"If the records exonerate him, that leaves only questions on one issue outstanding: why was there no standard investigation for a pilot losing his flight status? Why didn't Bush take the physical?"

This has been explained hundreds on times. If you would do a Google on it, you'd see that it was standard procedure for people who were on their way out to just skip the bother of a physical.

It was very unlikely that Bush would ever fly again at that point for a number of reasons, not the least of which being that they were getting new planes and would not waste the money on training him, since he was slated to leave shortly.

[mwl1]

The liberals started this smear campaign to try to innoculate Kerry from justifiable attacks on his foreign policy record. They will get the fight they wanted.

Anybody notice that since the Jane Fonda matter came up, the RATS and their media handmaidens want to drop the subject and fault the GOP for revisiting Vietnam?

These RATS are filthy scum.

[Hon]

"Why wasn't Bush's National Guard service that big a deal when he ran against Gore? I don't remember all the flak back in 2000."

The first stories about this came out then. Walter Robinson's (the first) came out as soon as Bush was the nominee. Maybe they had to softpedal it a little, since Gore's service record his a helluva lot more suspect.

But also I've been told that the Dems were saving it for a last minute punch, then they found out about the Bush DUI form thirty years earlier, and went with that instead.

[CMClay]

More like kerplunk:
http://www.calpundit.com/archives/003220.html

ARF is the reserves, and among other things it's where members of the guard are sent for disciplinary reasons. As we all know, Bush failed to show up for his annual physical in July 1972, he was suspended in August, and the suspension was recorded on September 29. He was apparently transferred to ARF at that time and began accumulating ARF points in October.
ARF is a "paper unit" based in Denver that requires no drills and no attendance. For active guard members it is disciplinary because ARF members can theoretically be called up for active duty in the regular military, although this obviously never happened to George Bush.
To make a long story short, Bush apparently blew off drills beginning in May 1972, failed to show up for his physical, and was then grounded and transferred to ARF as a disciplinary measure. He didn't return to his original Texas Guard unit and cram in 36 days of active duty in 1973 — as Time magazine and others continue to assert based on a mistaken interpretation of Bush's 1973-74 ARF record — but rather accumulated only ARF points during that period. In fact, it's unclear even what the points on the ARF record are for, but what is clear is that Bush's official records from Texas show no actual duty after May 1972, as his Form 712 Master Personnel Record from the Texas Air National Guard clearly indicates.

[Pikamax]

bttt.

[RightOnline]

Very well said.

[MJY1288]

You signed up today to show us this?

[LiteKeeper]

SPOTREP - W! - GUARD

[plain talk]

The propaganda spin woven throughout this piece is reminscent of the communist press.

[Petronski]

To make a long story short, Bush apparently blew off drills beginning in May 1972, failed to show up for his physical, and was then grounded and transferred to ARF as a disciplinary measure.

I'd like to see him document this spin.