I'm sure Dan Rather, and Michael Moore, and John Kerry, for that matter, will all apologize now. http://www.volunteertv.com/Global/story.asp?S=2346701 -- Retired Colonel: Bush Volunteered for Vietnam A retired National Guard officer now living in East Tennessee is weighing into the debate over President Bush's service record. Volunteer TV's Eric Waddell says the man who swore then-Lieutenant George Bush into the Air National Guard, is rising to the President's defense from his Blount County home. Retired Colonel Ed Morrisey served in the Air National Guard and is familiar with the President's record since the beginning of his service. Opposite a portrayal of a soldier not performing his duty he describes a flyer, near the top of his class. Retired Colonel Morrisey has trained, developed and commanded lots of soldiers over a distinguished career. He also swore in one very notable officer. "George W. went to pilot training, seated well, being selected to be a fighter pilot, which is at the top of the line in the Air Force selection process. Came back to train in the F-102 at Ellington. He stood alert like anyone else," says Colonel Morrisey. According to Morrisey, then-Lieutenant Bush more than fulfilled his guard requirements. Morrisey says in the six years the President served he never failed to meet participation point requirements. "Bush averaged 176 per year. In no year did he have less that 50," says Morrisey. "He was rated by his commander, Col. Maurice Udell in the top 5 of his pilots." One of the criticisms leveled at the President is that he sought guard service to keep him from serving in Vietnam. Morrisey says, "not so." "The Air Force, in their ultimate wisdom, assembled a group of 102's and took them to Southeast Asia. Bush volunteered to go. But he needed to have 500 [flight] hours, but he only had just over 300 hours so he wasn't eligible to go,” Morrisey recalls. Despite that, Lieutenant Bush stayed busy. "He flew in active air defense missions, training missions. Day, night, regardless of inclement weather," Morrisey says. Colonel Morrisey assured us that to the best of his knowledge Lieutenant Bush was treated like any other officer in the Texas Air National Guard. Morrisey says he considers himself to be more of a Libertarian than Republican or Democrat. Nonetheless, Morrisey says he is voting for George Bush come election day.
Oh dear. How many times can we recast history... George Bush did not want to go to Vietnam. This makes him not unlike countless others (including Bill Clinton, Dick Chaney and more) who did what they could to avoid getting their backsides shot at. To me..it makes not a whit of difference. Draw your own conclusions if you like. But remember...Vietnam wasn't quite the drape yourself in the flag all uniting quest back then that we make it out to be now. John Kerry did go. Did get his backside shot at. Applied to get out as soon as he could, and then protested the war (again...some of us think that was a good thing...speaking out against what you see as unjust -- sort of an 'american' thing to do...free speach, influencing govenment policy and all that). Perhaps his campaign has overplayed the hero-worship bit for his role in a war that he later called a crime, but its time to move on from that now. We all know more about each of those men's activities in the late 60's early 70's than we probably need to know. Can we agree we've pretty much nailed this one bit of the campaign with a sledgehammer?? I'm calling the question... Next item on the agenda, please...
damn! even newsweek covered this- odd how it's been absent from the front page of the nytimes, which has given such prominent, above-the-fold positioning to guard stories that paint bush in a negative light. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4271922/ -- The standard rap against Bush is that he was ducking combat by joining the Guard. Actually, the Texas Air Guard had a program called Palace Alert that allowed pilots to volunteer for flight time in Vietnam. Three of Bush's fellow pilots—Udell, Woodfin and Fred Bradley—recalled to NEWSWEEK that Bush inquired with the base commander about signing up for Palace Alert. He was told no; he had too few flying hours at the time and his plane, the F-102, was by then deemed obsolete for air combat.
Was this before or after GWB failed to take his physical? And didn't GWB initially pick a plane (F-102) that was guaranteed not to see combat action?
dunno, but it looks like that w/ the palace program the airforce at least explored the potential of the idea.
He had an opportunity to volunteer to go to Vietnam before he got ushered into the Guard. Volunteering after, especially once knowing you're ineligible, is pretty much a non-point.
If this is true, then why didn't Bush ever say that in interviews? All he has said was that he would have gone had his group been called up. Further, he has said he didn't believe in the Vietnam war.
Maybe he was so heart-broken after not having being able to serve in Viet Nam that is why he failed to take his physical and had his flight priviledges revoked.
Last time I checked Clinton wasn't running for any office. But I agree with bnb. Its time to move on.
I disagree in some ways. It should not be the CENTER PIECE of an election. It does matter whether or not someone who is running the country cared enough about his country, for one reason or another, to volunteer his time and life to protect/serve it. It matters, but not as much as it's being forced to be in this election.
Once again you guys don't get it. The whole Vietnam thing wouldn't be a huge deal if Kerry hadn't spent the first half of his campaign with Vietnam as the centerpiece. Once he saw the firestorm he tried to get out, but the media ran with it. The difference is Bush never used his military service as the centerpiece and Kerry did, which is why it has become relevant for Kerry. The anti-Bush crowd saw what happened to Kerry and wanted to turn it against Bush and what we have now is both parties acting like children in a game of he said, she said. Both parties need to just come out and say "I believe the other candidate has served his country respectfully." Oh wait...Bush already did that Once both candidates say it, I predict it will become a non-issue
Kerry has consistently said that he thinks Bush served honorably as well. Do you ever do any reading of anything other than the RNC distortions and lies?
