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Bush did serve well in the National Guard
Mobile Register ^ | February 24, 2004

Posted on 09/12/2004 6:26:04 PM PDT by ambrose

Bush did serve well in the National Guard

Tuesday, February 24, 2004

Foul-ups abounded on all sides of the recent tempest about President George W. Bush's National Guard service three decades ago, but the most inexcusable error was that anybody ever treated it as more than a small story.

Mr. Bush did his duty. Case closed.

Of course, in the modern-day mindset of pack journalism and 24-hour cable-news hype -- combined, too, with liberal leanings among the on-air networks -- it should have been predictable that the case would not be treated as closed until the White House gave irrefutable evidence to shut it.

What left the case unlatched was a combination of presidential arrogance with a failure to admit even the slightest bit of laxity on Mr. Bush's part during the last year or so of his service.

It would have been so easy, and so accurate, for Mr. Bush to say: Look, I vastly exceeded my service requirements for four years, and then I moved to Alabama, showed up most of the time, but probably missed a few. The plane I was trained to fly was being phased out; they had no real use for me anymore. But when I got back to Texas, I served a bunch of extra days to make up for the ones I missed in Alabama, and was honorably discharged. I should not have skipped any duty in Alabama, but I served extra days both before and after to make up for it.

When all the proverbial smoke cleared, that's exactly what happened.

As reported by Byron York of National Review, not only was the younger Bush a faithful Guardsman, but he was an enthusiastic and highly skilled one for his first four years. He performed six weeks of full-time basic training, 53 weeks full-time of flight training, 21 weeks full-time of fighter interceptor training, much of which was so dangerous that some half-dozen pilots died in accidents.

Lt. Bush is an exceptional fighter pilot and officer, wrote one officer in a 1972 evaluation, typical of a number of similar reviews. Another called him a natural leader whom his contemporaries look to for leadership.

Not only that, but another officer now has reported that Mr. Bush once volunteered for duty in Vietnam, but was turned down because no more pilots were needed at the time.

Of course, it also has by now been widely reported that a credible witness, Alabamian John Calhoun, has said he remembers Guardsman Bush showing up for duty a number of times in Alabama. And, as reiterated in a Sunday story in the Register, retired Brig. Gen. William R. Turnipseed has long said that he would not necessarily have known if Mr. Bush was there.

If he'd been an Alabama senator's son or a pro football player or maybe Huey Long's son, but the son of the United Nations representative? Mr. Turnipseed said. I'm confident I didn't know who Bush senior was in 1972 -- and so he would not have known whether the young Bush, a pilot without a plane, showed up for office duties back then.

Likewise, Gen. Turnipseed told National Review that he long ago told reporters that there's a good possibility that Bush showed up. But, he said of the national press corps, They don't understand the Guard, they don't want to understand the Guard, and they hate Bush.

Thus, he said, his remarks about not remembering the young Bush were taken out of context.

Now it's time to move on to stories that have relevance in 2004, as our country continues an ever-dangerous war against terrorists intent on killing Americans.


TOPICS: Editorial; Politics/Elections; US: Alabama
KEYWORDS: ltbush; tang

1 posted on 09/12/2004 6:26:05 PM PDT by ambrose
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To: ambrose

Maybe, but all this was written before Dan Rather uncovered EXCLUSIVE, NEW, BLOCKBUSTER evidence.

Blockbuster is a trademark of ViaCom Incorporated.


2 posted on 09/12/2004 6:28:00 PM PDT by VisualizeSmallerGovernment (Question Liberal Authority)
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To: ambrose

Pinging Dan Rather.


3 posted on 09/12/2004 6:28:36 PM PDT by Texas Eagle (If it wasn't for double-standards, Liberals would have no standards at all)
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To: ambrose

I believe I heard Rush Limbaugh talking about this last week. National Guardsmen had to acquire a certain number of points each year (50?). Lieutenant Bush exceeded his obligations.


4 posted on 09/12/2004 6:41:57 PM PDT by kddid (Find good in bad.)
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To: VisualizeSmallerGovernment
Dan Rather uncovered EXCLUSIVE, NEW, BLOCKBUSTER evidence.

Blockbuster is a trademark of ViaCom Incorporated.

Yep.

Also, "NEW" means "FRESHLY-FORGED -- on a computer"

And "EXCLUSIVE" means "We were the ONLY dumb@$$es stupid enough to run with this forged crap -- and then defend it..."

5 posted on 09/12/2004 6:43:48 PM PDT by TXnMA (FR Rox!!!)
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To: ambrose

But, he did say all that time and again. It simply never gets reported.


6 posted on 09/12/2004 6:44:33 PM PDT by WVNan
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To: ambrose

I would like to see all these idiots who claim Bush dodged Vietnam strap themselves into a F-102 for over 300 hours flight time.

The F-102 had a high accident per flight hour rate. Perhaps after a few Dan Rathers and Peter Jennings die or bail out, then they would shut up.


7 posted on 09/12/2004 6:45:40 PM PDT by Dont_Tread_On_Me_888 (John Kerry--three fake Purple Hearts. George Bush--one real heart of gold.)
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To: Dont_Tread_On_Me_888

The F-102 was very dangerous. The engineers who designed that thing really dropped the ball.

Under powered at the mid. Knowing what is known now about that aircraft....I wouldn't want to sit in the thing if it was just in a museum.

My luck..the stick would malfunction and go through my chest.


8 posted on 09/12/2004 7:05:39 PM PDT by ArmyBratproud
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To: ambrose
E-Mail this story AND links to the media today.

John Kerry directly contributed to the lies of the anti war movement AND caused deaths and injuries
to US Military serving in Vietnam AND
directly caused deaths from injuries at home AND countless suicides because of his false testimony.

John Kerry is not fit to be elected dog catcher let alone President of the United States.
ANYONE who votes for Kerry AFTER knowing this data
is guilty of covering up John Kerry's war crimes!


John Kerry, director of the Vietnam Veterans against the War,
testified before special session the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
April 22, 1971

KERRY GAVE TESTIMONY BASED UPON FALSE INFORMATION
THAT KERRY KNEW AHEAD OF TIME TO BE FALSE!




September 6, 2004 -- **BREAKING** In Yesterday's Lies: Steve Pitkin and the Winter Soldiers, Scott Swett tells the story of a former VVAW member and participant in the Winter Soldier Investigation who states that John Kerry and others pressured him to give false testimony about American atrocities in Vietnam. After more than 33 years, Pitkin is the first Winter Soldier "witness" to file a legal affadavit regarding that event...

My name is Steve Pitkin, age 20, from Baltimore. I served with the 9th Division from May of '69 until I was airvaced in July of '69. I'll testify about the beating of civilians and enemy personnel, destruction of villages, indiscriminate use of artillery, the general racism and the attitude of the American GI toward the Vietnamese. I will also talk about some of the problems of the GIs toward one another and the hassle with officers.

-- Steve Pitkin, Winter Soldier Investigation, February 1, 1971.


E-Mail and/or fax these url's to EVERYONE ASAP! Kerry MUST be exposed NOW!
PUT PRESSURE ON THE MEDIA TO COVER THIS BEFORE NOV 2nd

Steve Pitkin Story


http://ice.he.net/~freepnet/kerry/staticpages/index.php?page=YesterdaysLies1

Steve Pitkin Affadavit, August 31, 2004


http://ice.he.net/~freepnet/kerry/staticpages/index.php?page=PitkinAff

Steve Pitkin DD-214


http://ice.he.net/~freepnet/kerry/graphics/PitkinDD214.jpg

Steve Pitkin WSI testimony


http://ice.he.net/~freepnet/kerry/staticpages/index.php?page=PitkinWSI

Steve Pitkin WSI video clips -- February 1, 1971 (4:16, 1.6MB)


http://www.wintersoldier.com/video/pitkin2.wmv

John F. Kerry
Timeline of a traitor.
Click Here


http://www.archive-news.net/Kerry/JK_timeline.html


Guide to Local Media
Locate media in your zip code, gives you links to YOUR local media with phone, e-mail etc info.

Free Internet Fax Service
Free E-Mail to Fax from your computer, just fill in form on page , they do the rest.
Make sure you enter fax # like this 12025551212 (no spaces or -)


Is the number you want them to SEND FREE FAX covered?

Complete list of areas they SEND FREE FAXES to

Kerry's disrespect in 1971 to USA Symbols Video

Windows Media .......... Real Player .......... Quick Time .......... AOL

Ramsey Clark to Join Panel for Saddam’s Defense
arabnews press release 25 August 2004

NOTE :
Ramsey Clark is pictured below with Kerry and
Vietnam phony vet Al Hubbard
Who was head of the
Vietnam Veterans Against the War movement.



Al Hubbard Sgt., 22 Troop Carrier Squadron Aug. ’65-June ’66
- Al Hubbard, proven fraud who never set foot in Viet Nam.
The only Vietnamese he ever met was
when he was collaborating with the North Vietnamese in Paris
on the American Communist Party's nickel.

John Kerry's explanation:
"He (Hubbard) simply exaggarated his particular position.
But nobody knew it at the time. And those things happen."

Free online version of
Kerry's "The New Soldier"
You can read it online right now.

Kerry hopes everyone
in the USA gets this book!


NEW:
“Without question,
we were held captive longer
because of the anti-war people,
the Kerrys, the Fondas and Haydens,
the names we knew over there -
they encouraged the enemy to hang on.”
Excerpt from “Stolen Honor” website
- Leo Thorsness
Former Vietnam POW
CLICK HERE


Jane Fonda tells the student audience at the Michigan State University in 1969:

"I would think that if you understood what communism was, you would hope,
you would pray on your knees, that we would someday become communist."


Joe Moore, Can Tho Airfield 550th Signal Company


Copy and paste the links to everyone you know.

Steve Pitkin Affadavit, August 31, 2004

http://ice.he.net/~freepnet/kerry/staticpages/index.php?page=PitkinAff

John F. Kerry Timeline of a traitor

http://www.archive-news.net/Kerry/JK_timeline.html

Kerry's disrespect in 1971
to USA Symbols Video

Windows Media
http://swift3.he.net/~swift3/medals.wmv

Real Player
http://swift3.he.net/~swift3/medals.rm

Quick Time
http://swift3.he.net/~swift3/medals.mov

AOL
http://swift3.he.net/~swift3/medals.mpg

Send this url for the online "The New Soldier" version

http://ejsmithweb.com/fr/newsoldier/

Send this url for the Stolen Honor website

http://www.stolenhonor.com/




9 posted on 09/12/2004 7:10:18 PM PDT by 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub (MAKE SURE YOUR YOU ARE CURRENTLY REGISTERED AND VOTE Nov 2nd!)
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To: ArmyBratproud

Two of the most beautiful aircraft at the time and very futuristic for the technology of the day were the F-102 and the F-104.

Both had higher accident rates than other century series fighters.

George Bush faced far greater danger in the flight hours he accumulated than Kerry ever did in his three months in Nam.


10 posted on 09/12/2004 7:10:29 PM PDT by Dont_Tread_On_Me_888 (John Kerry--three fake Purple Hearts. George Bush--one real heart of gold.)
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To: Dont_Tread_On_Me_888

< George Bush faced far greater danger in the flight hours he accumulated than Kerry ever did in his three months in Nam. >

Affirmative on that. And Bush, unlike Kerry in Vietnam, was not a danger to others in his unit.


11 posted on 09/12/2004 7:28:23 PM PDT by mtntop3 ("He who must know before he believes will never come to full knowledge.")
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To: ambrose

I think the Bush campaign has stayed away from this because the President is modest about his service and because they were afraid of screwing up and making the President look like John "I'm the world's greatest warrior" Kerry. I think they've made a wise choice. That said, it appears from all the evidence that the President was a first-class aviator and dedicated officer who volunteered to go to Vietnam. He should be proud of that service.


12 posted on 09/12/2004 10:47:08 PM PDT by Mr. Silverback (If the Cambodia "lie" 100% discredits John O'Neill, what do 50 Cambodia lies do for Kerry?)
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To: ambrose

If you wanted to goof off by going into the National Guard, you wouldn't become a fighter pilot. It is one of the most demanding, intense, and dangerous military jobs there is, even in peacetime. To qualify requires that you spend a long time on active duty just to complete the training, and it is simply a slander to imply that President Bush was anything but honorable in terms of his National Guard service as a highly qualified fighter pilot in those obsolescing F-102 interceptors, which George Bush volunteered to fly in Vietnam as part of the Palace Alert program.


13 posted on 09/13/2004 6:39:15 PM PDT by DMZFrank
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