Posted on 10/02/2004 5:30:38 PM PDT by stockpirate
Winging it with ‘W’ By MICHAEL MILLER Staff Writer, (609) 463-6712, E-Mail
OCEAN CITY - Joseph Tordella is sure President George W. Bush served his country honorably as a member of the Texas Air National Guard.
How does he know? Tordella was Bush's wingman in the F-102 fighter jet.
The former U.S. Air Force pilot trained with Bush in early 1972. This is the year of Bush's military service that, 32 years later, has come under increasing scrutiny by those who claim he shirked his guard duties.
Tordella, 66, said he flew with Bush in March or April of that year. Bush would lose his flying status in August 1972 after he failed to take a required medical exam.
Some critics have accused the president of shirking his military duties later that year while serving with the Alabama Air National Guard. The president's military records neither corroborate nor refute those allegations.
Tordella, now an Ocean City doctor, said he does not know whether Bush attended all the required drills in Alabama. He does not know whether the son of a Texas congressman got any preferential treatment that kept him out of Vietnam.
Nor does any of that matter to him.
"Anyone who volunteers to go into pilot training and flies the 102, you have to admire them for that," he said. "He was serving honorably when I was there."
If anyone had cause to resent someone who would use political influence to avoid combat, it was Tordella. By the time he met Bush in Texas, Tordella was already a seasoned war pilot who had flown transport planes over hot spots in Vietnam.
"People don't realize a lot of guardsmen flew in combat zones, whether it was part-time or full-time, short periods or long," he said. "Yeah, it was a dangerous area. I lost a lot of friends."
Tordella is a Republican supporter. He contributed $1,200 this year to U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo, R-2nd, according to campaign finance records.
Tordella is Cape May County's medical director. He oversees the county's outpatient services and its public nursing home. He sold his private practice in Ocean City but still gives flight physicals to commercial and private pilots. And he and his wife, who is also a pilot, fly their own plane out of Ocean City Municipal Airport.
In 1972, he was transferred from New York to Texas to learn how to fly to the F-102 fighter. Tordella was eight years Bush's senior when he arrived at Ellington Air Force Base. A captain at the time, Tordella also outranked Bush. But Bush commanded his respect as the experienced pilot, having flown the F-102 for more than two years by then.
"That counts more than anything to pilots," he said.
Tordella recalled Bush as a young man as confident and full of swagger at the time as many other pilots he knew. His self-assurance was deserved, Tordella said.
"He was good. I don't care who your father is," he said. "When you're flying a few feet away from a guy, either he's smooth or he's not."
And Bush, Tordella said, was as smooth as a satin pillow.
The training missions consisted of flying the one-seater fighter planes in mock combat over wide areas that included the Gulf of Mexico. The planes were designed to intercept and shoot down enemy aircraft in all weather.
"It took great precision. You were performing maneuvers where you were upside down and pulling high G-forces," he said. "Things you'd see in 'Top Gun.'"
The F-102A, nicknamed the Delta Dagger, was a difficult plane to master, he said.
"I thought it was a very challenging aircraft. You had to be careful with it or you could get hurt very easily," he said.
Tordella remembered working with Bush on the ground, too.
"He was a regular guy. I didn't know his dad was a congressman at the time," he said. "He wasn't really cocky, but he was confident. I can see how he makes his judgments now."
Later, Tordella worked as a commercial airline pilot before he started his own practice in Ocean City.
Some people have criticized Bush for serving in the Air National Guard in Texas when many other men his age were fighting in Vietnam. But Tordella said any National Guard unit, including Bush's, could have been called to active duty.
"You never knew if you'd be sent to Vietnam. The luck of the draw was a lot of it," he said. "When I was younger, I didn't know what unit to join. You just did it. I was an Air Force pilot. Any Air Force pilot, including President Bush, felt the same way."
This man served with GWB in Texas Air National Guard..
PING
Bump to read later.
Bump to the top.
Well if he wasn't in the "same" plane did he really serve with him? *sarcasm off*
How could this guy possibly know anything.......he was not even in the same plane......sheesh. These people think they can say anything and get away with it. *smirk* McAuliff impersonation ended.
Having been there -- and done that, you really get to know your wingman.
When clipping along at 600kts at 30k -- and only 12' apart, one does get to trust his buddy. One hiccup -- and your ass is spread all over the landscape. Simple as that. *S*
Go "W" !!
What did you fly?
F-8 Driver
F-102 Delta Dagger
And I bet he's told them all, "Sorry, I'll be on FoxNews the rest of the week!" ;)
I might have missed this, but I don't recall any news reports stating how much money Del Sandusky or Jim Rassman have contributed to anyone's campaign.
I wonder how many knew of John Kerry's manicure before they answered that question?
Don't know, but I'm sure that Kerry's been contributing to them!
So how can a reasonable person vote for someone who is by far the weaker man??
John
Most of the polls are juiced, they poll more dimwits than republicans percentage wise, so it cooks the results and makesit appear the race is closer than it is.
Scooters. Did you know Jim Taylor...or Jim Ryan?
I served with both of them in Det charlie...fragging Alfa's...in '66-67?
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