[js1138]

The press has had this backwards from the beginning. The question is not whether people remember a completely unremarkabel Bush after thirty years, but whether anyone remembers him AWOL, or in trouble.

I can't remember the names of more thatna two or three of the guys I served with in this period, but if anyone had gone missing or AWOL, I'd remember that forever.

[rebel_yell2]

From a scientific standpoint, you are correct. You simply cannot prove a "negative." You can only prove a "positive." Just because you have no evidence that Bush did not serve doesn't mean that he did not serve. It simply may mean that one has come forward that remembers him. However, now some witnesses have come forward, effectively refuting the "null" hypothesis that he did not show up in favor of the "alternative" hypothesis that he did show up.

[angkor]

I can't remember the names of more thatna two or three of the guys I served with in this period,

I remember the two guys who were booted for nighttime indiscretions, and the one guy who in fact did go AWOL, and my fellow platoon leaders, and the company commander, and the nutcase who required a physical reprimand from his platoon leader (me).

But with the exception of the CC, I couldn't remember their names if you paid me. The rest are all vague memories at best.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

I can't remember the names of more thatna two or three of the guys I served with in this period, but if anyone had gone missing or AWOL, I'd remember that forever.

I can remember the names of maybe a dozen people that I went to college with and that was just a decade ago. I remember close friends and those that were weird. Aside from that most I would not know if they walked up and slapped me. And I went to class with these people for years.

[speekinout]

I can't remember the names of more thatna two or three of the guys I served with in this period, but if anyone had gone missing or AWOL, I'd remember that forever.

That's an excellent point. I don't remember all that many people from years ago, but I will never forget the one who disappeared abruptly (accused of rape, I found out later) or the one who got caught making off with company supplies.
AWOL is serious. I can't imagine that it would have gone unnoticed by others. Esp. during that era - if one guy could just leave and still get an honorable discharge, there would have been a lot of guys walking out.