Former Dannelly worker: Bush not AWOL

Daily Decatur News ^ | FEBRUARY 16, 2004 | Eric Fleischauer

[finnman69]

Former Dannelly worker: Bush not AWOL

By Eric Fleischauer DAILY Staff Writer eric@decaturdaily.com · 340-2435

Retired Master Sgt. James Copeland does not care so much whether people think President Bush went absent without leave in 1972, but one thing he hears bothers him plenty.

"Maybe the Bush family was well known in Texas, but we didn't know who he was here. He was just another guy in a flight jacket," Copeland said Sunday.

Copeland, who lives in Hartselle, retired from the Air Force on Jan. 31, 1980. He was the disbursement accounting supervisor, a full-time position, for Dannelly Air National Guard Base in Montgomery from Oct. 28, 1971, to Oct. 27, 1975. His office was less than 100 yards from the hangar where Bush performed drills.

Rumors say Bush went AWOL while assisting Winton "Red" Blount in an unsuccessful campaign for U.S. Senate focus on 1972 and 1973.

Copeland, 65, remembers meeting Bush on two occasions. He does not remember the precise dates. On one occasion, Copeland said, Bush and Lt. Col. John "Bill" Calhoun came to Copeland's office with a question about Bush's pay. Copeland is not sure, but he believes the question had to do with where to mail Bush's checks.

Bush was never a member of the Alabama National Guard, he just did his drills here. For that reason, Copeland thinks he referred the pay question to the paymaster for the Texas National Guard.

[aft_lizard]

You actually got the wrong date for the article, its from, Febuary 16.

[Sir Gawain]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1214283/posts

[Texas Eagle]

Wouldn't it be grand if Sen. Spitball's efforts to aggrandize his own meager military experience only served to enrich President Bush's?

[Jim_Curtis]

I think Kerry just wants the words "Bush" and "AWOL" appearing in the same sentence. They are trying to solidify the borderline retarded vote and although they don't think their lies will win votes, they feel that they can equalize negatives about Kerry's service by planting seeds of doubt about Bush's service.

"Bush", "AWOL" and "debunked" plants in their minds only a 66.6% effect of Bush AWOLness. Much better for them than 0% of never having made the accusation.

When you were reading Dale Carnegie, they were studying the minds of the 85-95 IQ types for the purpose of influencing elections. They have a room full of drooling retards somewhere that they run this stuff by and measure its influence.

[John Valentine]

By "room full of drooling retards somewhere that they run this stuff by and measure its influence" I assume you are talking about a Democrat target focus group.

[camboianchristmas]

IQ of 85-95 is retard range? Damn, I knew there was something wrong with me when I graduated high school at the age of 26. lol

[Jim_Curtis]

By "room full of drooling retards somewhere that they run this stuff by and measure its influence" I assume you are talking about a Democrat target focus group.

At least as many undecideds.

[camboianchristmas]

Remember the dems are the ones to maintain that minorities are too stupid to know how to vote so they need to send people in their with them to make sure they vote right or should I say left.

[igoramus987]

Wouldn't it be grand if Sen. Spitball's efforts to aggrandize his own meager military experience only served to enrich President Bush's?

Didn't everyone know that Bush was on Active Duty FULL TIME for his first 2 years of service. They will now. :-)

Also I would be interested to find out whether Bush served more days than Kerry or not.

[Rik0Shay]

Last time I checked I.Q. of 100 is the median or mean. I never could keep them straight. 50% above and 50% below.

[freeplancer]

I thought Al Donnally won the Washington state Governors race, because his younger brother discovered voter fraud by the incumbent Governor.

[Texas Eagle]

Damn, I knew there was something wrong with me when I graduated high school at the age of 26.

We have a town nearby where you would be considered an overachiever.

[CyberAnt]

And .. according to our own Pukin Dog, Bush would have been in the regular USAF for basic and flight training before being allowed to fly with the ANG.

The DNC's latest charge is bogus to the MAX!!

[Mad Dog Charlie]

Isn't some lib web site offering a reward to anyone that could confirm they saw GW in on duty in Alabama.

[AmericaUnited]

GET THIS GUY THE REWARD MONEY, ASAP!!!