Posted on 01/27/2006 10:21:06 AM PST by LK44-40
Diane Rehm vigorously disputed on her radio program on Friday that George Bush had ever volunteered to serve in Viet Nam.
Rehm's guest, conservative journalist Fred Barnes, mentioned the familiar assertion that at one point during his Air Guard service, the President did volunteer to go to Viet Nam, an offer that was not accepted.
Rehm responded with incredulity saying that she had never heard such a claim. Some of her callers -- typically left wing -- joined in her scornful dismissal of any such notion. The matter was left with the agreement that Barnes would research the matter and call back into the show on Monday.
The Diane Rehm Show is produced by WAMU in Washington and is widely heard on public radio stations.
Rehm is an old, arrogant, "superior" lefty. It is infuriating to listen to her show in which she softballs all the Bolsheviks (aka Democrats), and tears apart the patriots.
I had heard of Bush volunteering for Vietnam and being turned down because the type of airplane he flew was not used there, but I've never heard of dianne rehm, and apparently she doesn't do much research for her show.
From the responses here, I gather that it not an ~established~ fact. Will be interesting to see what Barnes comes up with.
As I recall reading, while in the TANG, Bush said he "looked into it" but wasn't qualified because of insufficient flight time. My interpretation is that he didn't actually volunteer but checked to see if he would qualify first.
There was a program that allowed Air NG pilots to volunteer for Vietnam. A group of names were placed on a list, and certain numbers were selected. GWB wanted to be placed on the list but was rejected because he did not have enough air time. By the time he qualified, the war was drawing down.
After Bubba Klintoon and Jenjis John Skerry got a complete pass from the usual suspects on their Vietnam service actions, all these people can just shut up with their stories about what anybody else did. Not only did they not care about Bubba and Jean Francois, it is getting to be ancient history going on 40-50 years on.
Would speculate that the station is in liberal leftist Seattle or at least somewhere in King County, right?
Should have been "air to ground" in my above, not "air to group".
The F-102 carried 2.75" FFARs in tubes that were part of its weapons-bay doors. In Vietnam these were used on several occasions to conduct ground strikes, with some success.
LK44-40
Since Nov 23, 2005
If so this is pretty lame. Sounds like the caller that Rush just had on claiming that "Georgy" new about the impending attack on the WTC more than a month before it happened. It was a flat statement of fact.
Could it be that a new seminar was just held?
And, yes, both George Bush's fellow pilots and the surviving commanders of the TANG unit have stated that Bush volunteered for the program testing the effectiveness in Vietnam of the type of plane he was flying (I believe it was for the "SANDY" ground support role), but that he didn't have enough flight hours and the program was canceled before he did get enough hours.
I heard that account also.
I heard he was turned down because the plane he was qualified in was being phased out and he wasn't trained in the fighters being used in 'Nam at the time.
Yes, that would be fascinating.
Diane Rehm should take a long walk off a short pier. She is a whining, complaining socialist who thinks she knows just about everything. If you don't believe that, just ask her. Ole Diane will tell you right away.
My God, she is a PITA. Her audience is also the size of a pinhead.
Dubya is just jealous because he never got to spend Christmas in Cambodia. :o)~
She, too should have hung up her jock a LONG time ago.
Bush flew the F102 which was an interceptor, not the type of plane normally flown in Viet Nam. At one point they did organize a squadron called the "Palace Guard" which would be used to experiment with a new use of aircraft in Viet Nam. Bush volunteered for the squadron but was turned down in favor of more experienced pilots. The use of the squadron was relatively unsuccessful and short lived.
This was really Bush's only opportunity to volunteer for Viet Nam without going through the process of qualifying on a different aircraft. It is important to remember that at the time we were involved in the "Cold War" and more military in that time frame served Cold War duties than served in Nam. The F102 was one of the most dangerous aircraft to fly at that time, combat or not, and was vital to our air defense against strategic bombers. Bush served his country in a vital capacity and should be commended for it.
Once this gets out, there's no way Shrub will be re-elected.
W-AMU, is one of two NPR stations in DC.
Long established that he did. I'm surprised Barnes didn't remember the name Palace Alert.
Nevertheless, we have established that the F-102 was serving in combat in Vietnam at the time Bush enlisted to become an F-102 pilot. In fact, pilots from the 147th FIG of the Texas ANG were routinely rotated to Vietnam for combat duty under a program called "Palace Alert" from 1968 to 1970. Palace Alert was an Air Force program that sent qualified F-102 pilots from the ANG to bases in Europe or southeast Asia for periods of three to six months for frontline duty. Fred Bradley, a friend of Bush's who was also serving in the Texas ANG, reported that he and Bush inquired about participating in the Palace Alert program. However, the two were told by a superior, MAJ Maurice Udell, that they were not yet qualified since they were still in training and did not have the 500 hours of flight experience required. Furthermore, ANG veteran COL William Campenni, who was a fellow pilot in the 111th FIS at the time, told the Washington Times that Palace Alert was winding down and not accepting new applicants.
One of many sources.
Owl_Eagle
(If what I just wrote makes you sad or angry,
She sounds like it is her intent to expire during live broadcast.
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