Debunking The Bush AWOL Story - From The Horse's Mouth

Brig. Gen. Turnipseed | February 6, 2004 | Hon

[Hon]

I just got off the phone about an hour ago with Brig. Gen. William R. Turnipseed. He is the sole source for the four year old story that Bush was AWOL during his National Guard service.

Mr. Turnipseed is very unhappy with the way what he said "casually" four years ago has been twisted by the "Bush haters" (his words) in the media, especially the Boston Globe (who first reported the story) and the New York Times.

In a nutshell here is what happened, according to Turnipseed. Back in 1972 his Alabama National Guard unit received a letter from Bush (who was in the Texas Nation Guard) asking if he while he was in Alabama do some equivalancy training with the Alabama unit.

Turnipseed said that this request was as a matter of routine turned over to his administrative assistant, Lott, who wrote back to Bush, giving him the dates of the next unit drills. Lott told Bush he could report for those dates.

Neither Turnipseed nor Lott can now remember whether Bush appeared for these drills or not. Turnipseed says he himself might not have even been around the base at the time, so he wouldn't know one way or the other. And he says he has always said this.

The points Turnipseed wanted to stress are these: Bush was never ordered to report for duty to his unit. Since Bush was in the Texas National Guard and Turnipseed was in the Alabama National Guard, he couldn't have ordered him even if he had wanted to. But he didn't want to.

He (or his assistant, Lott) simply gave Bush the dates he could report if he wanted to do equivalency training with them. There were no orders given. If he showed up or didn't show up, it wasn't their concern.

Additionally, Turnipseed says that he never once said anything about Bush being "AWOL." He said it isn't even a term used in the National Guard. And anyway, as already noted, Bush's training record was not his concern, but the Texas National Guard's.

He said that since the Texas National Guard gave him an honorable discharge it shows that he fulfilled his training requirements.

Turnipseed said that the media has constantly misrepresented what he said and edited him so as to make Bush look bad.

He also said that he had no idea who Bush was, and that he certainly didn't do him any special favors. Nor would he have.

He said that when he first spoke to the Boston Globe reporter about this four years ago he didn't realize he was talking to a "Bush hater."

Turnipseed is a strong Bush supporter. He said that he has been contacted many times especially recently, by "Bush haters" in the media, who try to get him to say that Bush was AWOL. Once they realize that he won't cooperate they lose interest in talking to him. When they do quote him, they say he is backpedaling--even though he is still saying the same exact thing he told them four years ago.

He has been recently asked to go on with Peter Jennings and NBC's Dateline, but he is concerned that they will edit him in such a way as to misrepresent his story again. I have been in touch with Fox news, in hopes that they will have somebody talk to him and try to present his story fairly.

Bottom line, this whole AWOL story was media spin from the git-go. The Boston Globe reporter simply cherry picked Turnipseed's comments and totally misrepresented him--to make Bush look bad.

And the media are still doing it four years later. They should be ashamed--but they have no shame. They have only their agenda.

[MeekOneGOP]

You bet !

[Robert A Cook PE]

See my comments in #158.

Bush's actual discharge documents credit him with duty in the Alabama ANG.

[wildbill]

Maybe you could get him to write a letter to the Globe, detailing the issue and how his words were spun.

Since they're making an issue out of it, they'd almost have to print it.

[Weimdog]

And why are we supposed to believe you? You just registered 3 days ago.

[Hon]

I don't mean to be speaking for him. (I spoke to him for maybe ten minutes, tops.) But I got the feeling that he has sort of given up on trying to get the truth out. I think he feels that the media spin is already established and that to fight it just gives the story more play.

But as I said, I've told Fox News about it. And others have alerted other outlets. So maybe they can go up against the established story.

But news--especially this kind of news--is a lot like the proverbial toothpaste out of the tube.

[hole_n_one]

The multiple "view documentation" listings was what I was hoping to have access to.

Thanks for the post!

[GailA]

Send it to RUSH, HANNITY and MIKE REAGAN, give them contact numbers to reach Turnipseed. Reagan, Mike
E-mail Address(es):
mike@michaelreagan.com

[P8riot]

bump for later

[Hon]

Le viola!

[GailA]

Here's the most detailed article written on the awol story, by GEORGE GEORGE

[harpo11]

The only thing that is AWOL is the damn liberal media executives who spew and print this dishonest garbage with every intent to harm a great leader and very honorable and effective President who will despite all ridicule and derision fight to keep America Free.

Viet Nam is over. Long over. We live today. Our battle today is against tyrannical radical fanatical murdering terrorists who live solely to die.

[ThomasPaine2000]

I am so sick and tired of all the ignorance spewing forth in this matter. Turnipseed is correct, "AWOL" is NOT a term used in the Air Guard, (Traditional Guardsmen are NOT granted LEAVE), The correct term for an unexcused absence from a Unit Training Assembly (UTA)is Non-Participation. Members may perform Equivalent Training (EQT) with another Unit with their Commanders approval, which was normally delegated to the members immediate supervisor. Even if a Traditional Gurdsmen has missed UTA's during the year, they can still make them up. They could be made-up, with pay, during the fiscal quarter. They could be made-up with out pay, retirement points only, any time during the fiscal year. I believe this what Pres Bush did when he returned to Ellington Field.
I am a retired Chief Master Sergeant with the Texas Ar National, and with 23 years with the TxANG and 8 years active Air Force and I am a little familiar with the process.

[EternalVigilance]

Great questions.

I bet FReepers can find out...

[Hon]

You have in fact stated what he told me almost word for word at one point. I didn't record the conversation, just put some words down on a pad once it took this turn.

But he kept emphasizing how the media folks who were reporting this just didn't understand how the National Guard worked, and they weren't particularly interested in learning either.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Yes!

On a different form no less!

There is the same ANG-A 158 duty reference: in the same order.

Right between the two TX ANG assignments.

It proves that the first document was NOT a "typo" or "error." It was no fluke.

Both show full credit given for duty that year in Alabama.

[Sloth]

Great work, Hon! Thanks for posting this.

[Robert A Cook PE]

In act, after you add all of Bush's active duty days together, you come very, very close to the amount of time that Kerry actually served.

Especially considering that Kerry requested an EARLY DISCHARGE from his "admiral aide" position to run for Congress!

After leaving his first ship months early to get transferred to "easy" duty off-shore in swift boats.

Then leaving the swift boat duty after only a few weeks duty when they began fighting inshore on the rivers. Kerry got administratively transferred home (after viciously complaining to both Abrams and Zumwalt) because he claimed (on an unwritten technicality!) that he could demand to leave Vietnam because of 3 "non-treated", minor wounds.

[WildWeasel]

Thank you Hon for Turnipseed's true story on this issue. The Globe story was a hatchet job that Bush haters twisted even more. You post was truly one of the best I've read in a long time on Free Republic.

I hope the truth is broadcast and / or published by those in the media who will report it accurately.

[Hon]

1966
_________________________________________________________

Graduates from Yale.


February 18: Kerry enlists in the US Navy.

October 19: Kerry is ordered into active duty.

December 16: Kerry receives his Navy commission, a few days after his 23rd birthday.

1967
_________________________________________________________

Kerry spends the year in military training.


December: Kerry begins his first tour of duty, serving on the guided-missile frigate USS Gridley.

1968
_________________________________________________________

February: With Kerry aboard, the Gridley sails into war to patrol the coast of Vietnam. He never came into contact with the enemy during this time.


June 6: Kerry's first tour ends as the Gridley returns home.

December: Begins second tour of duty as the skipper of swift boat No. 44, patrolling the Mekong Delta in southern Vietnam.

1969
_________________________________________________________

February 28: Kerry shoots and kills a Viet Cong guerilla who was threatening the lives of Kerry's crew. He received the Silver Star for his action.


April: Kerry ends his second and final tour in Vietnam.

1970
_________________________________________________________

January 3: Discharged from the Navy.

February: Kerry gives up on his first bid for office as a protest candidate in the race for the Third Congressional district.

http://www.boston.com/globe/nation/packages/kerry/timeline.htm

Also Kerry's tours in VN were quite short by normal standards. His first was three months. His second three and a half months.

And as you say, he got of out the Navy early to run for Congress. But in fact, he didn't run. He didn't even enter the primaries.

[ThomasPaine2000]

ANG-A 158, 16 Oct 73, is the Special Orders number and date of orders, Honorably Discharging Lt Bush from the Texas Air National Guard issued by HQ TxANG, Camp Mabry, Austin, TX and the authority for Ellington Field to publish the NGB Form 22. NGB Form 22 is the Guard equivalent to the DD214 for Active duty.