Bush and I were Lieutenants (Fellow Pilot Comes to Bush's Defense)

The Washington Times Letters to the Editor ^ | 2-11-4 | Col. William Campenni (ret.)

[Petronski]

'Bush and I were lieutenants'

George Bush and I were lieutenants and pilots in the 111th Fighter Interceptor Squadron (FIS), Texas Air National Guard (ANG) from 1970 to 1971. We had the same flight and squadron commanders (Maj. William Harris and Lt. Col. Jerry Killian, both now deceased). While we were not part of the same social circle outside the base, we were in the same fraternity of fighter pilots, and proudly wore the same squadron patch.

[GraceCoolidge]

I have heard it reported that the last Democratic primary in Virginia was in 1988, although I'm not sure why. I've lived in Virginia since 1990ish, and I know I've voted in Republican primaries at least once. I never signed anything nor was asked anything about affiliation. You know, I did consider voting in the Democratic primary but just couldn't bring myself to do it! Somehow voting for a Democrat, even in a primary, was too unsettling for me... I need to toughen up.

[capitan_refugio]

You might be referring to Congressman Harold Ford, Jr., of Memphis, Tennessee. He is an articulate and politically savvy black congressman from the south side. His family is about as crooked as they come (not only in politic, but also in the mortuary business), but he seems like a fairly straight shooter. He is less fanatical and liberal than many in the Black Caucus. I have hopes he might eventually be swayed over from the "dark side" (demonrats), but for now, he has hitched his wagon to Kerry.

[ThePythonicCow]

Who would call that a "disciplinary unit"?

A Leftie? I have no idea why they are using that term.

[BigSkyFreeper]

This makes two. There was another Guard member who served with Bush in Alabama who was interviewed via phone on FOX News this morning. He said he hadn't been contacted as of yet by the White House and said he wouldn't hesistate to tell all he knew if the White House did get ahold of him.

The media elite/Democrats worst nightmare has only just begun.

[tuesday afternoon]

Bump.

[BigSkyFreeper]

[olliemb]

Thanks for the ping. This is fun!!!

[alnick]

A lot of the replys are acting as if this is new news and some sort of "gotcha"...I didn't say "irrelavant" - I just don't know that this is the bomb some are portraying it as. It's old news.

Old News? Your position is that because this same gentleman wrote a similar letter last year, it's OLD NEWS? That's ironic.

[BigSkyFreeper]

Friday, Feb. 6, 2004 11:26 a.m. EST

Bush Guard Commander Recants AWOL Charge

The ex-military man who first launched charges during the 2000 presidential campaign that President Bush had gone AWOL from the National Guard has recanted his story.

The account from Brig. Gen. William Turnipseed, who told the Boston Globe four years ago that Bush never showed up for Guard drills with his Alabama unit, had become the centerpiece of Democratic attacks on the White House in recent days.

"Had [Bush] reported in, I would have had some recall, and I do not," Gen. Turnipseed told the Globe in May 2000. "I had been in Texas, done my flight training there. If we had had a first lieutenant from Texas, I would have remembered."

But on Wednesday Gen. Turnipseed reversed course, telling NBC News: "I don't know if [Bush] showed up, I don't know if he didn't. I don't remember how often I was even at the base."

Still, the same day the retired general had withdrawn the allegation, Democratic National Committee chairman Terry McAuliffe was citing Turnipseed's earlier, erroneous account in a bid to keep AWOL charges against Bush afloat.

"The commander this week reiterated the entire time [Bush] was supposed to show up in the Alabama National Guard he wasn't there," McAuliffe told CNN's "Inside Politics" on Wednesday. "He said he made it up later, but you don't have that option. When you're supposed to serve our country, you're supposed to be there."

In fact, McAuliffe was wrong on the latter point as well, since Guard regulations expressly allow for make-up drills, according to no less an authority than Gen. Turnipseed himself.

In July 2000, the New York Times reported, "Colonel Turnipseed, who retired as a general, said in an interview that regulations allowed Guard members to miss duty as long as it was made up within the same quarter."

Asked if McAuliffe was prepared to apologize to the White House for misstating Gen. Turnipseed's position on the Bush AWOL allegation, a spokesman for the DNC told NewsMax: "I don't know. We'll get back to you."

Source: Newsmax

[joyce11111]

OOh I am so happy, as well.

Will wait to see this on cnn, abc, nbc, and cbs...should I await this with bated breath?

No.

I would collapse.

[Krodg]

Between the main acts came a floppy-haired former Navy lieutenant who had won a fistful of medals on the bloody canals of the Mekong Delta. Tall and self-assured, 27-year-old Yale graduate John Kerry read from a rumpled sheaf of papers in the ringing voice that had commanded men on gunships.

Condemning the tactics and morality of the war, Kerry was "brilliant," Fonda says today. He looked like Abe Lincoln and sounded like John F. Kennedy. "He was our ragtag commander at Valley Forge," says veterans organizer Joe Bangert.

http://www.azstudents.com/about_kerry.html

[MEG33]

God bless you ,Mike, and all those who serve with you.Our Guard is serving our nation well in Iraq ,and with sacrifices.

Thank you to you,your unit, and to all our armed forces.Thank you to all the loved ones who wait at home.Stay safe.

[DonnerT]

If there is one weak spot, it is that Bush allowed his flight status to lapse by not showing up for a physical.

It was common practice to let your flight status lapse when near end of term and your unit was changing hardware. You don't jump out of one type of aircraft into another without a training period and the Guard doesn't invest in that training when you won't be around to fly it.

[cateizgr8]

I am definitely passing this article on!

Thanks for the ping :)

[Congressman Billybob]

You're right; this is "pure gold." As soon as I saw it, I copied it and sent it back channel to Rush Limbaugh. Odds are, he's already got it, but I wanted to make SURE.

Congressman Billybob

Click here, then click the blue CFR button, to join the anti-CFR effort (or visit the "Hugh & Series, Critical & Pulled by JimRob" thread). Don't delay. Do it now.

[missthethunder]

George was not with Jane, John was.

[Congressman Billybob]

Robert, my friend,

Thank you for the ping. I immediately copied and sent this back channel to Rusn Limbaugh so I am SURE he has it. p>John / Billybob

[DonnerT]

See #514.