Posted on 09/14/2004 3:50:57 PM PDT by ambrose
XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX TUE SEP 14, 2004 17:48:35 ET XXXXX
TEXAS GUARD SECRETARY SURFACES: SAYS CBS DOCS 'FORGERIES', BUT STANDS BY ACCUSATIONS AGAINST BUSH
The DRUDGE REPORT has found Lt. Col. Jerry Killian's former secretary who claims that the Texas Air National Guard documents offered by CBS in its 60 MINUTES II report filed by Dan Rather last week are indeed 'forgeries'.
"I did not type these particular memos. I typed memos like these," Knox told the DRUDGE REPORT from her home in Houston.
"I typed memos that had this information in them, but I did not type these memos. There are terms in these memos that are not Guard terms but that are Army terms. They use the word 'Billets'. I think they were using that to refer to the slot. That would be a non-flying slot the way we would use it. And the style... they are sloppy looking."
But Marion Carr Knox stands by the accusations contained in the allegedly fraudulent documents that Bush skirted a medical and flight exam without suffering institutional repercussions.
"The information in these memos is correct -- like Killian's dealing with the problems."
"It was General Staudt, not then Lt. Colonel Hodges [who succeeded Staudt], that was putting on the pressure to whitewash Bush. For instance he didnt take his flight examination or his physical. And the pilots had to take them by their birthdays. Once in a while there would be a reason why a pilot would miss these things because some of them were commercial pilots. But they had to make arrangements to take their exams."
Knox speculated as to how she thought the forgeries were created saying, "My guess is that someone in the outfit got hold of the real ones and discussed it with a former Army person."
Knox worked for the Guard from 1957 until she retired in 1979, and she was Lt. Col. Killian's secretary during the time President Bush served in Texas.
Contacted by the DRUDGE REPORT, Lt. Col. Killian's son Gary, who also served in the unit during the same period, responded: "I know Marion Carr. I remember her as a sweet lady who reminded me then of a dear aunt."
"But if Staudt had put pressure on my dad, there would have been a blow-up -- instantly. It was one of the reasons they got along so well. They had a mutual respect for one another."
"As has been pointed out by so many others, then Col Staudt had been out of the unit for 18 months. And I stand by my previous comments regarding my dad's admiration for Lt. Bush and his regard for him as an officer and pilot -- which was exemplary."
Knox told the DRUDGE REPORT that she did not vote for Bush in 2000 because he is 'unqualified' for the job, and does not intend to vote for him in 2004, either.
"Bush was not the only person of privilege who had a spot in the Guard. Senator [Lloyd] Bensen's nephew was in headquarters. There was a big jewelery store, Gordons. Their son was in the Guard. The owner of Batelstein's, a posh department store in the area, his son was in. The other kids couldn't get in like that. Hugh Roy Cullen's grandson was also in. He was a big oil man."
Knox, however, did have some kind words about then Lt. Bush.
"[Bush] was always pleasant and gentlemanly to me," she said. "I never noticed him not being respectful. I thought he was a nice young man and that he must have had very nice parents to produce a son as nice as he seemed to be."
Knox has been following the story since last week when the 60 MINUTES II broadcast aired, and on Friday she contacted the HOUSTON CHRONICLE wanting to tell her side of the story. Since then the DALLAS MORNING NEWS has also contacted her.
"What really hecked me off was when it was somebody on TV, associated with the White House, who said that all of this information was lies. And I got excited at the time because I knew that I had typed documents with this information because a person like Bush stood out from the others -- because of his association with his father."
Asked about reports that Lt. Col. Killian's wife and son saying he didn't type, Knox stated, "He didn't need to. He had me."
Knox explains that the August 18, 1973 date typed on one of the "forged" documents proves that they were faked. Group Commander Staudt, who allegedly had been putting pressure on Killian, retired in 1972.
To the best of her recollection, Knox explains that Staudt must have put pressure on Killian in 1972 -- the year he retired.
"If my father was going to type a CYA memo, which he didn't," Gary Killian responded. "He would have typed it himself because he wouldn't have wanted anyone to see it. But it's academic because Colonel Staudt had been out of the unit for 18 months -- as is well documented."
Contacted at his office in Bartlett, Texas, former Major Dean Roome, who served with Lt. Bush, responded to the latest information.
"If the memos are fraudulent, then why were they generated? Roome asked.
"Marion Carr Knox is validating what the rest of us are saying. She says once in a while a pilot would miss a physical because some of them were commercial pilots. I was also a commercial pilot with Continental Airlines. The clinic did not just open up for us to take a personal physical. The Flight Surgeons had to be there along with a full complement of medical personnel. We took our physical during the Uniformed Training Assembly (UTA) just like everyone else."
"The 'former Army person' she references is the person we believe may have created the fraudulent documents in an effort to injure President Bush. He has his own agenda and I doubt that he has any 'real ones' [documents].
Ms. Knox states emphatically that she is not acting for political motives, and has no formal relationship with any political party. She says she just wants to set the record straight.
Developing...
Yes,..but, I rather (no pun intended here) like the way this is playing out. I hope it continues for another 5-6 weeks.
Documents of this nature eventually find that round circular file that sits next to peoples desks when no longer relevant.
but my money is on Rathers' Democratic operative daughter as the conduit to CBS.
Operative daughter? You mean Mary Mapes knows the source? I'd say yes on her too.
Actually, I lied. I figure every college student had to do one term paper on Hamlet. Even if you were a biology major.
We're even.
So they handed her discrepancies and told her to read them over the phone?
Must be a Travis County Democrat - she isn't advancing their cause, just raising more questions.
I'm being lazy so I didn't read every post but what is Miss Knox's first name?
We have the unvarnished word of a 'brand new troll'(2 days since birth), so everyone can be sure he,she,it knows the facts of the matter--may even know Knox herself----that settles it all, just move on folks, nothing here
I thought the missing physical was the year the memo's were dated. Why would Stuadt be whitewashing a physical that was taken timely ?
Gut feeling = this is the lady who wrote the memo's. My guess is her story won't hold up under scrutiny.
Ms. Knox sounds like a PO'ed old lady who doesnt want to have sloppy forged memos attributed to her watch!
they've already blown it, they should have done it in reverse to achieve what you are saying - now that they have released phony documents first, the story is dead, even if she does come forward now with her story.
The lady is, I am afraid, a liar.
I think the only important fact this lady stated was "they are forged." Anything else she stated is simply her opinion.
The bottom line is a felony was commited. Now who commited it? And since it is a felony isn't the fact CBS News is perpetuating a felony they are seriously violating code of ethics of journalism?
The important thing here is CBS News is finished. Dan Rather is finished and by association John Kerry is finished (well he's been finished but now he's extra well done)
I remember very clearly what I was typing 32 years ago!
Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country.
And how fitting it now is!!!
We may have stumbled on to a good rally cry for the cause to crush the rather biased media! Seems appropo.
Vietnam is a one-way train running into hell for the Dems, and every minute we spend talking about Kerry's Vietnam service or Bush's TANG assignments is another tick on the old Kerry deathclock.
Ahhh....the perfect result.....Dan Rather is right in that he had the story right and Freepers are right in that Dan was using forgeries to turn previously discussed and discredited information into "news."
Somehow, this just smells too "perfect" if you ask me.
Guess what? It's not an Army term with that meaning, but I think it is a Navy term. I believe I saw it used in connection with Kerry's cushy job with the Admiral.
The lady is attempting to validate the fact and refute the document at the same time. Probably a Kerry fan with ties to the campaign and/or the DNC>
Im ill...my head and eyes hurt...and Im having trouble concentrating.....is Knox saying, she had typed CYA's memos for the LTC in the past...not just about Bush but other subjects/people?
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