TitanTiger 21,584 Posted February 13, 2004 Share Posted February 13, 2004 Bush Orders Release of Military RecordsFriday, February 13, 2004 Associated Press WASHINGTON  — President Bush ordered the release of all of his Vietnam-era military records Friday to counter Democrats' suggestions that he shirked his duty in the Texas Air National Guard (search). Hundreds of pages of documents detailed Bush's service in the Guard in Texas and his temporary duty in Alabama while working on a political campaign there in the early 1970s. Democrats have questioned whether Bush ever showed up for duty in Alabama. "The president felt everything should be made available to the public," the White House press secretary said. "There were some who sought to leave a wrong impression that there was something to hide when there is not." Bush's service record has been an issue in each of his presidential campaigns and resurfaced this year when Terry McAuliffe (search), chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said Bush had been AWOL -- absent without leave -- during his time in Alabama. Democrats hope to capitalize on the issue and undermine Bush's election strength on national security issues by contrasting his service in the Guard, where he was a pilot who did not see combat, with that of Sen. John Kerry, the decorated Vietnam War veteran who is the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination. Bush enlisted in the Texas Air National Guard at Ellington Air Force Base on May 27, 1968. The last day he was paid for Guard duty was July 30, 1973. He was placed on inactive Guard duty six months before his commitment at his request because he was starting Harvard Business School. He was honorably discharged. While he performed most of his service in Texas, Bush transferred to an Alabama guard unit in 1972 because he was working as the political director for the Senate campaign of Winton Blount, a Bush family friend. White House officials say Bush recalls serving both in Texas and Alabama. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the White House provided a dental record and payroll information from his file. The pay records show Bush, who was a 1st lieutenant, was paid for 25 days of service between May 1972 and May 1973, the year Democrats have been questioning. The pay records, however, do not say what Bush did to receive pay, or where he did it. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,111396,00.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TitanTiger 21,584 Posted February 13, 2004 Author Share Posted February 13, 2004 Furthermore... ...On Friday, a retired officer with the Alabama Air National Guard told CNN that he witnessed Bush serving his weekend duty in 1972 -- an account that could be significant given the persistent Democratic questions. Speaking on the phone Friday from Daytona Beach, Florida, John B. "Bill" Calhoun said he commanded Bush and that Bush attended four to six weekend drills at Dannelly Field in Montgomery. He said Bush was with the 187th Tactical Reconnaissance Group in Alabama in 1972. The drills consisted of eight-hour days on Saturday and Sunday, Calhoun said. When Bush first arrived, he said he was living in Montgomery, Alabama, working on the Senate campaign, Calhoun said. Calhoun said he learned from another person that Bush was the son of George H. W. Bush, who at that time was U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Calhoun said he asked the younger Bush if he planned to pursue a political career, and he said, "I don't know, probably." Calhoun said he does not have any photographs or documents to prove Bush showed up for duty, but his ex-wife, Patsy Burks, said she remembered Calhoun's account. "Bill did come home [from the base] and told me that Bush was there," she said "I think what stuck in my head was that he was helping on the Senate campaign." "What I do know about Bill is that whatever he says is the truth," she added. "This issue came up in the 2000 election. ... Bill did mention in 2000 that he contacted someone and said, 'If you need me to come forward, I will.' And they said, 'We're hoping that won't be necessary.'" http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/02/13/...ords/index.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarolinaTiger 0 Posted February 13, 2004 Share Posted February 13, 2004 oh no. this is just terrible. how can he do this! if only he had done this earlier, we could have saved all those countless hours discussing this! bush knew bush knew bush knew he had served! how can he do this! this is just terrible. oh no. now we may have to discuss issues or something like that. how could he do this to us. it's all bush's fault. ct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TitanTiger 21,584 Posted February 13, 2004 Author Share Posted February 13, 2004 Kinda makes you wonder if he held out just to make the Dems froth at the mouth for a while only to look bad in the end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarolinaTiger 0 Posted February 13, 2004 Share Posted February 13, 2004 well, who knows what his records will (or won't) reveal...and i'm sure nothing in there will satisfy those who wish him to be not re-elected. take one smoking gun topic off the table, and they'll produce another.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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