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Bush won’t sue Rather because there is an element of truth. To get into the Air Guard in those times, and to get a pilot’s slot to boot, when let’s face it, Bush was a “D” student who needed tutors, takes major “PULL”. Whether he ever showed up for UTA’s, or showed up drunk, as was claimed, and couldn’t perform...who knows. Or whomever knows, isn’t telling.

George W. Bush made ONE D in college, a 69 in astronomy.

He had better grades in college than either John Kerry or Al Gore.

According to members of his study group at Harvard, W was one of the leaders of the group.

An analysis of Kerry’s Navy aptitude test showed that Bush had a higher IQ than Kerry. who blamed his lackluster performance on drinking.

According to records and the group’s commander, there were several openings when W joined the ANG to fly the F-102, known as one of the most dangerous planes to fly in the AF.

His commander listed him as ‘an excellent pilot.”

Both his commander and his wingman/roommate said W (and the roommate) volunteered for Vietnam, but were turned down due to lack of flying hours, and the fact things were winding down as far as pilots over there.

To get into the Air Guard in those times, and to get a pilot’s slot to boot

To get into the Guard, generally, was not a gimme - but there were exceptions for those who applied for, and qualified for, particular specialties. Especially fighter pilot. Being a pilot trainee in the Guard was, by all reports essentially to be on active duty for a year or more. Because you’re useless until you have a real competency. So getting in as a pilot trainee wasn’t necessarily something it took pull to get. People weren’t lined up around the block applying for that. Besides, you could get killed in an operational accident right there in Texas, without going to combat.
Meanwhile, Kerry was a year earlier than Bush, and it’s not known whether he actually volunteered for active duty. And it’s pretty clear that he got out of Vietnam ASAP.
In any event, by the time the Burkett “memos” are dated, the Air Force was pulling pilots back from Vietnam - leading to a glut of veteran aviators wanting flying time in the Guard, at the very time that the plane Bush was qualified to fly was being phased out of the Guard. At that point Bush was not an asset to the Guard, and the Guard was happy to allow Bush to drop out - which he was happy to do because he wasn’t going to get any flying time.