And, will post it as thread by itself. But, for posterity and immediacy, I am also posting it below.
August 25, 2004--While we all watched the news about the impending attack on Najaf, we also heard the breaking news that an internal investigation by the US Army and Department of Defense would clear all senior commanders from wrong doing in the Abu Ghraib prison case. The logic behind this somewhat dubious finding is that commanders must be left with honor and integrity; for if we find that the leaders actually violated the rules, all hell will break loose concerning discipline within the ranks. This logic implies that the followers are more than dumb--they know no evil, hear no evil and see no evil.
Now think about this paradox. This past February, I was again questioned nationally concerning what I had seen and heard in May and June of 1997 regarding the cleansing of the personal military records of one 1st Lt. George W. Bush. These were specific events that I reported immediately and in a later letter to several state legislators in Texas, including state Senator Gonzalo Barrientos, in June 1998, in which I submitted my firsthand eyewitness account. I was then questioned under oath by five or six Department of Defense lawyers during the first week of January 2002 and I also submitted a sworn affidavit, again repeating the same facts in my civil case of whistleblower retaliation and retribution against me by Col. William Goodwin, Col. Jackie Taliaferro and Col. Archie Meador. Also last February, I did swear, when asked by Chris Mathews on MSNBCs Hardball, the response of the White House and Bush has always been that the 'system' of commanders, clerks and record keepers were remiss.
Yes, Bush's claim was that he was in Alabama as ordered to attend drill and complete his contracted training. Not a single credible witness has answered the calls that included rewards of cash to corroborate his story. During the Friday evening before the Democratic National Convention, the final payroll records from the Denver archives were released; records which erased the last doubt about Bush's non-attendance for training--proof from the massive system of clerks, airmen and commanders all simply said that he was not in Alabama doing what he was ordered to do. Was there a massive conspiracy throughout America against George W. Bush during 1972 in Alabama? Was there a conspiracy that included his unit administrative officer, commander in Alabama, his unit administrator, and his commander at the 111th in Houston?
And did I join that conspiracy in June 1997 to smear his good name when I reported what I had overheard and later again told Bush that his own senior staff was breaking regulations? Also, when I appeared before a state oversight committee where I was subjected--and again in February 2004--to a conjured cover-up and alibi by the chairman of that committee, Republican State Representative Bob Hunter?
The two-part alibi from George W. Bush was that the system was incompetent, including all his commanders, the administrators and even the records processors, and over a longer term, the records custodians and even the microfiche machines. The second part was that a single officer--a mere mortal among the politically powerful, would make up such a story and then tell it consistently on numerous occasions under oath.
And we notice that ever since the last day of the Democratic National Convention, the same logic has been applied. Once again, the logic is that all of the commanders, processors, and boards of officers who dealt with John Kerry's military files were especially incompetent and favored Kerry where they had faulted Bush. That Kerry's files would have been doctored favorably, while Bush's would have been laxly handled and several items, including attendance and pay records, were just forgotten and overlooked.
So the logic is that the systems that we call command and administration within the US government were incompetent and unfair to opposite extremes, rather than fair and reasonable. Those claims absolutely assert that all servicemen; soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines are suspect, including the 27 soldiers, who independently and of their own free will and accord, took America's stance on the Geneva conventions into their own hands at Abu Ghraib.
George W. Bush, you may be the president [sic]. But I know that you lied.
I know from your files that we have now reassembled, the fact that you did not fulfill your oath, taken when you were commissioned to "obey the orders of the officers appointed over you". I know that you not only lied to the American people in 1994, but have lied consistently since then. Mr. Bush, not every serviceman except you is incompetent. When you failed to show up as ordered for duty, they simply recorded the truth. And the truth was, they didn't think you were especially important enough to jeopardize their own careers to cover for your absence by fraudulently counting you as present in any piece of documentation when you clearly were not present.
Now Mr. Bush, we have finally confirmed the truth concerning your failure to complete your minimum satisfactory drill participation in 1972 and 1973. Yes, you did receive an honorable discharge, and, for whatever reason, someone in Texas did cover your "six" on that one. And someone in June of 1997 also tried to cover your "six" by making sure that the counseling statements and other files, which explained the reason you were grounded, did not survive a records scrub.
This is all bad enough, but to continuously lie to the American people for years is outrageous. One can easily see how this "slick Willie" act of falsity could potentially carry over into policy, such as weapons of mass destruction, an attack on Iraq, the price of a prescription drug program, your close insider working relationship with Ken Lay at Enron, or Vice President [sic] Cheney's personal relationships and dealings with Halliburton. Mr. Bush, you've forgotten what the truth is. You have attended so many of your own "closed town hall" meetings, that you've begun to believe the briefing cards of those hand-selected people in attendance.
And you feel able to call all of us lowly soldiers; lowlife National Guardsmen and reservists--some 3,000 of whom left today from Texas for 18 months in Iraq; some 185,000 soldiers, airmen, marines and sailors who have already served in Iraq or Afghanistan--incompetent.
You have labeled an entire generation of veterans who actually did your laundry while you flew, for the time that you actually did your duty; people who cooked your meals; pumped your flight fuel and did your maintenance; people who did your payroll or kept your retirement points files, incompetent. And then you, by actions of your henchmen, would dare to call all of those who supported Kerry's service, people who also pumped the gas, did the laundry, sat on awards boards, the commanders at all levels, whom you say favored John Kerry, while others disfavored you, incompetent.
I clearly understand Mr.Bush. For when you issued your report, clearing your senior leaders of all fault, while casting the aspersions and blame on 27, you sent specific statements as well.
Of those 27, it isn't hard to figure out that the active duty folks are given non-judicial punishment and quietly taken care of. But the "reservists'--the part-timers cast into duty with the least amount of training, are referred for judicial proceedings with far greater latitudes for punishment.
Mr. Bush, once again, your policies reflect your attitude about service. As I learned throughout my 28-year career, in senior military courses including the Command and General Staff College, a commander establishes his own operational profile by actions, not words.
And your command profile, Mr. Bush, is that the grunts are like beetles and snails to you. You talk a good line, but they are always at fault for your problems. It was that way when you flew at the 111th. They caused you to quit coming to drill and obeying orders because they just couldn't get it right on your pay and attendance records. You learned how incompetent they were in March of 2000 when you discovered and released accusations that John McCain had lost his mind while "serving" as a prisoner of war. And then, once John Kerry was nominated as your opponent, you discovered and turned over to your financiers (just like the Wyly brothers from 2000), Bob J. Perry and others, the information that John Kerry was favored and awarded medals for service that you never even saw.
Your command profile, sir, is that you are a liar.
While in uniform I saluted every president since Lyndon Baines Johnson, whether I agreed with him or not. And while you were my governor, I saluted you as well. I saluted the position of authority and followed all lawful orders by those appointed over me.
Mr. Bush, in 28 years as an enlisted man, an officer, a commander and a member of the staff team, I never missed a drill that I didn't make up. But then again, I was never given that opportunity. It was an order.
I never missed a training period, and never got out of anything early, even though I, too, was in school. I missed Father's Day for 17 straight years while on National Guard duty. I missed the birthdays of my children and my wife. I missed our anniversary. I missed making payrolls as a boss. The water heater or the washer would always go out while I was at annual training, or the kids would have a major accident. But I was never excused to even attend to my family.
But, Mr. Bush, I wasn't special, and neither were any of the men or women who served under me or with me.
Sir, I have a much higher opinion of their work; their value and their service than you. I know they made a few mistakes, but they didn't go out on their own and violate the Geneva Conventions at Abu Ghraib. They didn't go out on their own and fabricate awards for John Kerry. And they didn't go out on their own and destroy your military service.
I will close, Mr. Bush, with this true story, but leave the name out for his protection. I was a platoon leader at the time when a young man came before my desk for not showing up for drill. We were at war, Mr. Bush. You know, the one in Vietnam.
He was a nice young man; very connected within our community. In fact, his dad was head of the draft board. He was also a student friend of mine. But he was a specialist four and I was his platoon leader at that time. He reported properly, but had this smile in the corner of his eye. Once I had told him "parade rest," I asked him why he found it difficult to show up for drill the morning before.
He said, "Sir, I overslept."
I replied, "Specialist, do you not own an alarm clock?"
He replied, "Yes sir, but we got in kinda' late last night. You know?"
"Specialist, did you sleep alone?"
"No sir. I mean, sir, no I didn't and that's part of the reason I was late."
"Are you saying that she couldn't wake you up? It was a 'She' wasn't it specialist?"
"Sir, okay (and the smile disappeared from the corner of his eye and replacing it was a touch of anger that a 'friend' would corner him like this) I get it. I was late."
"Specialist, what time did you get here?"
"I don't know sir, about 2, I think."
"Wrong specialist, you didn't get here until this morning. Do you think I don't know what the hell goes on around here? Are you saying I'm not responsible for being a good leader and being responsible for the truth? You arrived on time this morning and just thought no one would know, and if they did, they'd look the other way.
"Specialist, you may be my friend outside of uniform, but that doesn't buy you any extra credit when in uniform. So you'll understand that I'm referring you for charges under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, non-judicial punishment. You will meet right now with the platoon sergeant and he will apprise you of your rights for trial by court-martial under judicial punishment. I order you to report before me at 15:30 this afternoon to apprise me of your decision. Do you understand me, Specialist _________?"
"Yes, sir."
"Dismissed", I said. The young man who had been called to attention before I told him of my impending actions, saluted, did an about face and left the area.
This failure cost him to forfeit two days pay, make up the day that he had missed and a reduction in rank to private first class.
That specialist was a rich boy and a local favorite son. He had money, influence and drove a GTO. And he never missed another guard drill. He fulfilled every day of his six-year hitch and became a state Senator and CEO of a major corporation. And he's a Republican, just like you.
And when I saw him at our 25th college reunion, he told me that he remained mad at me for nearly three years after that. But looking back, he was mad because I had embarrassed him by making him face his own responsibility. He didn't thank me in front of anyone else. But one-on-one, he thanked me.
Mr. Bush, the National Guard, the reserves, the army, navy, air force and marines are made up of the same people you see on the streets every day, and they're not all Republicans. Most of them were born at night. It just wasn't last night.
Lt. Col. BIll Burkett is a decorated Vietnam era veteran who served 28 years in senior command and staff positions within the US Army and Army National Guard. While serving on the National Guard staff for then Governor George W. Bush, Burkett broke ranks and exposed an ongoing scam of reporting over 1,700 soldiers as present (Ghost Soldiers- USA Today, 2001) and fraudulent readiness reporting (USA Today) as well as the shredding of George W. Bush's own military service files. Burkett was one of five subjects in James Moore's book, "Bush's War for ReElection," and one of the sources for information in the Michael Moore's film "Farenheit 911." He is decorated soldier and recognized military process expert. Source: http://www.onlinejournal.com/Commentary/082504Burkett/082504burkett.html, Accessed September 16, 2004 13:08.
I will post this as a thread by itself (that is, if someone hasn't already done so).
