“You were never formally offered any kind of accommodation to West Point, is that correct?”
“Right I was just told that would be very easy for me.”
“So that should have been a little clearer on page 57 of your book, is that correct?”
“I guess it could have been more clarify....I told it as I understood it.”
Operative word — “Formally”. Used more than once by BOR.
If I were a military leader during Vietnam and met a kid as sharp as Ben, who had clearly excelled far beyond his peers in ROTC, I too would have told him that he’s just the kind of kid the service academies are looking for. And if the kid went home and told his parents that he was offered a “scholarship” to a service academy based on our conversation, I would tell the parents that’s not exactly true, there is a formal process involved — but I would reiterate that their son is just the kind of candidate the service academies look for.
And it’s totally believable that any of a number of military leaders, from his ROTC commander, to Medal of Honor heroes, to General Westmoreland would have also told him so.
By the way BOR was wrong in his interview of Dr. Carson — congressmen do not “appoint” cadets to West Point. They nominate them, as part of the appointment process. He was quick to lecture Dr. Carson on the process, but got it wrong himself. BOR never called Dr. Carson a liar (like he did to George Will) and never established the claims made by Politico, or taken up by the MSM.
But you prefer to be an active participant in the smear campaign, for reasons unknown (and I’m being charitable).
He obviously didn’t intend to imply being formally accepted to West Point and promised a scholarship on the basis of a single conversation without having ever applied. The NYT interview made it clear for anyone that didn’t get the process that it was an informal offer.