[Christian4Bush]

bttt

[A Navy Vet]

Didn't think an open letter from a citizen is against posting rules. I tried to include the link, but was only allowed to excerpt. I'll try again if this is a problem.

[annyokie]

[ChadGore]

[DJ MacWoW]

Ping

[CWOJackson]

Fantastic find.

[Faith]

Wow! God bless you, Col. CAMPENNI! Thank you for speaking up.

[spodefly]

BTTT / Bookmark

[xlib]

This sounds familiar; is it from a while back? Do you have a link?

[Peach]

Bump for later read

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks for posting this great personal observation by: COL. WILLIAM CAMPENNI (retired)
U.S. Air Force/Air National Guard
Herndon, Va.5

[happydogdesign]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1185997/posts

[NonValueAdded]

See Bush and I were Lieutenants (Fellow Pilot Comes to Bush's Defense) from 2/11/2004 w/ 739 comments.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

"MOUNT 52 : REPEAT"

[Homer_J_Simpson]

So what you are saying Colonel, is that Lt. Bush was AWOL? </MSM mindmeld>

[mondonico]

Excellent. BTTT

[anoldafvet]

I heard Kerry saying today that he enlisted in the Navy, that unlike Bush, he volunteered. Well, Kerry enlisted in the NAVAL RESERVES, which is just like the Army and Air Force NATIONAL GUARD. The only problem for Kerry was that he was activated after he completed OCS while Bush was not. So if Bush joined the National Guard to "get out of serving", so did Kerry.

[onyx]

BTTT!
Thank you.

[backtothestreets]

I am one of four brothers that enlisted during the Viet Nam War.  After completing my enlistment, I joined the California Air National Guard.  This post is misleading.  Unlike present day circumstances, the National Guard could not be called up without activating the entire unit, and then only if in a declared war, which the Viet Nam War was not.  Reservists, on the other hand, could be activated individually. The laws governing National Guard activation have been changed greatly since the Viet Nam War.

The National Guard was a refuge from Viet Nam duty for many.  That's the way it was.  That doesn't mean everyone joining the National Guard sought an easy pass.  Many did though.  It was a way to dodge military service in Viet Nam during the Viet Nam War for the sons of the well connected and college graduates.  Like marriage and having children, college was given a deferment only while attending and maintaining passing marks.  They could be drafted, but it seldom occurred.  Single men not attending college were much more likely to be drafted.

Only GW Bush knows what was on his mind during this period.  I sure don't.  Repeating again that I was one of four brothers that escaped the draft by the only means that was respectable.  We enlisted directly into the armed forces.  We have wartime issues with both John Kerry and GW Bush.

I'd prefer to see the Viet Nam era put behind us and get down to the issues of today.  Time is short and there are too many major issues not being discussed.

[federal]

bookmark