Bush's
Top 10 Lies, Exaggerations And 'Obsfucations'
About His Military Service
Bush has made
credibility the central issue of this campaign, and makes almost daily
references to the Vice President’s alleged exaggerations and lack of
truthfulness. But on a subject that could not be more important
for his presidential candidacy, his own military service, the record shows
that George W. Bush has exaggerated and even lied about his service. Bush
took a solemn oath during wartime to serve his country in the Texas Air
National Guard. He did not honor that oath He walked
away. And in this presidential campaign, he has made several
misrepresentations about his service. A number of newspaper
reports and even more accounts on Internet websites, based on Freedom Of
Information Act requests of Bush’s official military record, have
concluded that he completely missed at least one year of service, and may
not have shown up in person for his last year. While those
reports continue to be debated, the following statements by Bush and his
aides are directly contradicted by the current record.
#1
Bush never showed up in Alabama Air National Guard when directly ordered to
do so, after requesting a transfer to work in Alabama.
“I
was there on a temporary assignment and fulfilled my weekends at one period
of time” Bush said during a campaign stop in Tuscaloosa, AL, referring to
his claim that he served in the Alabama National Guard. [Dallas Morning
News, 6/26/00]
"He
specifically recalls pulling duty in Alabama," spokesman Dan Bartlett
said of Bush. "He did his drills." Bartlett said the Republican
governor showed up "several" times while in Alabama, where he
transferred from his Houston Guard unit in 1972 to work for the unsuccessful
Senate campaign of Republican Winton Blount, a friend of Bush's father.
[Washington Post 6/25/00]
The
Truth
Bush
left Houston May 15, 1972 and went to work on a political campaign in
Alabama. His first request for a transfer on May 24 was denied
because the unit was inactive. His second request on September 5
to a different unit was granted. He was issued a direct order to
report on specific days to the base, which he completely ignored. The
order was issued on September 15 to report to then-Lieutenant Colonel
William Turnipseed at Dannelly Air Force base in Montgomery, AL, on the
dates of “7-8 October 0730-1600, and 4-5 November 0730-1600”
His orders, dated Sept. 15, 1972, said: "Lieutenant Bush should report
to Lt. Col. William Turnipseed, DCO, to perform equivalent training."
[Boston Globe 5/23/00] http://www.cis.net/~coldfeet/doc11.gif
· His
Commanding Officer, William Turnipseed, says he did not show up.
"To
my knowledge, he never showed up," Turnipseed said last month. [Boston
Globe 5/23/00] In interviews last week, Turnipseed and his
administrative officer at the time, Kenneth K. Lott, said they had no memory
of Bush ever reporting. ''Had he reported in, I would have had some recall,
and I do not,'' Turnipseed said. ''I had been in Texas, done my flight
training there. If we had had a first lieutenant from Texas, I would have
remembered.'' Turnipseed also reports that the then-squadron operations
officer of the Alabama Guard also has no recollection of having seen
Bush.(The New Republic 10/16/2000)
“Furthermore,
a spokesman for the Alabama National Guard estimates there were 600 to 700
members in the unit Bush was supposed to have served with in 1972. But none
of these men has ever come forward to say he remembers Bush, and Bush has
not named a single one of them.”(The New Republic 10/16/2000)
· There
is no official National Guard record for George W. Bush’s service in
Alabama.
“His
official discharge records do not include any service after May 15 of 1972. Indeed,
Bush's discharge papers list his service and duty station for each of his
first four years in the Air Guard. But there is no record of training listed
after May 1972, and no mention of any service in Alabama. On that discharge
form, Lloyd (Albert Lloyd Jr., a retired colonel who was the Texas Air
Guard's personnel director from 1969 to 1995 and was hired by the Bush
campaign to make sense of the governor's military records) said, ''there
should have been an entry for the period between May 1972 and May 1973.'' Said
Lloyd, ''It appeared he had a bad year. He might have lost
interest, since he knew he was getting out.'' [Boston Globe 5/23/00]
· No
one in the Alabama National Guard ever saw him.
“A
spokesman for the Alabama National Guard estimates there were 600 to 700
members in the unit Bush was supposed to have served with in 1972. But none
of these men has ever come forward to say he remembers Bush, and Bush has
not named a single one of them.” (The New Republic 10/16/2000)
Even
though members of the Alabama Air National Guard have offered $1000 to
anyone who can remember serving with Bush, no one has come forward to
corroborate his service, with the exception of an old girlfriend who says
she remembers him saying he was going, but does not have any other evidence,
essentially making it her word against Bush’s commanding officers’ and a
lack of official documents as noted above.
· Even
the Bush campaign claims that he only showed up on a single day in November
and made up missed weekends, not contesting the fact that he defied direct
orders to appear on the dates stated above.
“National
Guard records provided by the Guard and by the Bush campaign indicate he did
serve on Nov. 29, 1972, after the election. These records also show a gap in
service from that time to the previous May. Mr. Bush says he made up for the
lost time in subsequent months, and guard records show he received credit
for having performed all the required service.” [NYT 7/22/00]
The
evidence to support Bush’s service on November 29, 1972 is highly suspect
for the following reasons:
- The
document offered to dispute the claim by his commanding officers in Alabama
is a single torn document that does not have Bush’s name on it, is undated
and unsigned. The document was “discovered” in 1998 by the man Bush
hired to investigate his record, Al Loyd, and added to the official record.
This late addition to the official record also raises additional chain of
command issues.
- There
are two different versions of the document. The one ‘discovered’ by Mr.
Loyd and given to George Magazine has handwritten annotations. The other
version came from Mr. Bush’s official record through a FOIA request by
Martin Heldt. http://www.cis.net/~coldfeet/doc99.gif The
FOIA version did not have any annotations.
- The
document comes from the Texas National Guard Archives according to the
numbering in the right hand corner of the document, even though duty reports
were localized at the time, meaning his service in Alabama would not have
been recorded by the Texas Air National Guard.
#2 Bush
didn’t return to Ellington Air Force Base after his temporary transfer as
required.
A
Bush spokesman, Dan Bartlett, said after talking with the governor that Bush
recalls performing some duty in Alabama and ''recalls coming back to Houston
and doing [Guard] duty, though he does not recall if it was on a consistent
basis.''
Noting
that Bush, by that point, was no longer flying, Bartlett added, ''It's
possible his presence and role became secondary.'' [Boston Globe 5/23/00]
The
Truth
· According
to his annual evaluation by his commanding officers, he may have been in
Houston but he was not at the base.
“Cleared this
base 15 May 1972” According to Lieutenant Colonel William Harris Jr. and
Lieutenant Colonel Jerry Killian in Bush’s annual evaluation , Ellis Air
Force Base, Houston. The report makes clear that Bush had
“not been observed ” at his Texas unit “during the period of this
report” – May 1972-April 1973.” [Boston Globe 5/23/00]
· Even
his commanding officer, whom he called a “friend” did not know where he
was.
“Asked
about that declaration, campaign spokesman Bartlett said Bush told him that
since he was no longer flying, he was doing ''odds and ends'' under
different supervisors whose names he could not recall. But retired colonel
Martin, the unit's former administrative officer, said he too thought Bush
had been in Alabama for that entire year. Harris and Killian, he said, would
have known if Bush returned to duty at Ellington. And Bush, in his
autobiography, identifies the late colonel Killian as a friend, making it
even more likely that Killian knew where Bush was.” [Boston Globe 5/23/00]
#3 He
quit flying in Texas because his plane was replaced.
In
his autobiography, Mr. Bush explains that when he applied to Harvard
Business School in 1972, “I was almost finished with my commitment in the
Air National Guard, and was no longer flying because the F102 jet I has
trained in was being replaced by a different fighter.”
The Truth
· “His
unit continued to fly the F-102 until 1974 [Boston Globe 5/23/00] “If he
had come back to Houston, I would have kept him flying the 102 until he got
out” said retired Major Bobby W. Hodges, “But I don’t remember him
coming back at all”’.
· “Lieutenant
Bush, to be sure, had gone off flying status when he went to Alabama. But
had he returned to his unit in November 1972, there would have been no
barrier to him flying again, except passing a flight physical. Although the
F-102 was being phased out, his unit's records show that Guard pilots logged
thousands of hours in the F-102 in 1973.”[Boston Globe 5/23/00]
· His
commitment was through May of 1974. (An exaggeration?)
#4 He
wasn’t flying in Alabama because they had different planes.
On
June 26th this
report appeared in the Dallas Morning News. “Campaigning Friday in
Tuscaloosa, Ala., Bush was asked about his 1972 service in that state.
"I was there on a temporary assignment and fulfilled my weekends at one
period of time," he said. "I made up some missed weekends."
"I can't remember what I did, but I wasn't flying because they didn't
have the same airplanes. I fulfilled my obligations."
The Truth
· He
was no longer flying because he had been suspended in August of 1972 for
failure to “accomplish” a required medical exam. [Boston Globe, 5/23/00]
(Suspension document at http://www.cis.net/~coldfeet/grounded.gif)
· Bush
was suspended from flying on August 1, 1972, prior to his request for the
transfer to the187th at Montgomery Alabama, September 5, 1972. Bush
did not receive permission until September 15, which was close to six weeks
after his suspension from flying.
· Another
question is raised by the fact that he cannot remember what he did for the
Air National Guard in Alabama, despite the fact that 28 years later he still
remembers the specifics of his work there on the campaign of William Blount
as cited in a July 22, 2000 New York Times article. “In an interview 28
years later, Mr. Bush remembered the numbers. "We all teamed together
and helped Red get about 36 percent of the vote," he said with a short
laugh, "in spite of the fact that Nixon had gotten 72 percent of the
vote. The ticket-splitting was phenomenal."”
#5 Three
different stories on why he was suspended.
Story
#1) "Bush's
campaign aides have said he did not take the physical because he was in
Alabama and his personal physician was in Houston." [Boston Globe
5/23/00].
The Truth
· In
fact as the Boston Globe goes on to state "flight physicals can be
administered only by certified Air Force flight surgeons, and some were
assigned at the time to Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, where Bush was
living."
Story
#2) Then in June, campaign officials told the London Times Bush did not
technically need to take his flight physical. "As he was not flying,
there was no reason for him to take the flight physical exam,"
according to campaign spokesman Don Bartlett.
· Any
suggestion that he had simply decided to “give up flying” prior to his
suspension, with two years remaining on his commitment and nearly one
million dollars (in real terms) invested in his training is not plausible. It
is not up to an Air National Guard pilot to decide whether or not he
“intends” to fly.
· “If
he had come back to Houston, I would have kept him flying the 102 until he
got out” said retired Major Bobby W. Hodges [Boston Glove 5/23/00]
Story
#3) In the same article, Bush campaign spokesman Dan Bartlett told the
newspaper that Bush was aware back then that he would be suspended for
missing his medical exam, but had no choice because he had applied for a
transfer from Houston to Alabama and his paperwork hadn't caught up with
him. "It was just a question of following the bureaucratic procedure of
the time," Bartlett said. "He knew the suspension would have to
take place."
· The
exam was required to be completed in the three months preceding his
birthday, July 6, 1972. A three month window seems adequate to avoid being
suspended from flying.
So
which is it: his family physician, he didn’t have to take the exam, or a
bureaucratic snafu?
#6 Bush
denied strings were pulled to get him in the Texas Air National Guard.
“I
can just tell you, from my perspective, I never asked for, I don't believe I
received special treatment," Bush told reporters.” [DMN 9/08/99]
The
Truth
· “Former
Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes confirmed Monday that he recommended Gov. George W. Bush
for a slot in the Texas Air National Guard during the height of the Vietnam
War, at the request of a Bush family friend. Mr. Barnes' account came in a
written statement that was released after he testified in a deposition
stemming from a federal lawsuit.’ [DMN 9/28/99]
· “The
statement by Mr. Barnes also confirmed that he met a year ago with a top
Bush adviser to discuss the Guard matter. As reported in The
News, Mr. Bush sent a note thanking Mr. Barnes
for his help in rebutting rumors that Mr. Bush's father helped his son find
a Guard slot, the statement confirmed.” [DMN 9/08/99]
· "Mr.
Barnes was contacted by [Houston businessman] Sid Adger and asked to
recommend George W. Bush for a pilot position with the Air National
Guard," Mr. Barnes' statement said. "Barnes called Gen. [James]
Rose and did so." [DMN 9/28/00]
"No
Bush ever asked Sid Adger to help," the governor said.[DMN 9/28/00]
· “A
spokeswoman for former President George Bush confirmed the elder Bush's
friendship with Mr. Adger but said he was "almost positive" he
never talked to Mr. Adger - or anyone else - about getting his son into the
Guard. "He said he is fairly certain - I mean he doesn't remember
everything that happened in the 1960s - but he said he and Sid Adger never,
ever talked about George W. and the Texas Air National Guard," said
Jean Becker, a spokeswoman for the former president. "President Bush
knew Sid Adger well," Ms. Becker said. "He loved him."’ [DMN
9/08/99]
· “When
Bush was admitted into the Guard in 1968, 100,000 other men were on waiting
lists around the country, hoping to win admission to similar units. The
Guard was popular because those units were rarely sent to Vietnam.” [LAT
7/4/99]
#7 Bush
said the Texas Air National Guard was short on pilots.
"They
were looking for pilots, and I was honored to serve.", Governor Bush
told the Dallas Morning News. [DMN9/08/99]
The
Truth
· “But
Tom Hail, a historian for the Texas Air National Guard, said that records do
not show a pilot shortage in the Guard squadron at the time. Hail, who
reviewed the unit's personnel records for a special Guard museum display on
Gov. Bush's service, said Bush's unit had 27 pilots at the time he began
applying. While that number was two short of its authorized strength, the
unit had two other pilots who were in training and another awaiting a
transfer. There was no apparent need to fast-track applicants, he said.”
[LAT 7/4/99]
· “The
Texas Air Guard had about 900 slots for pilots, air and ground crew members,
supervisors, technicians and support staff. Sgt. Donald Dean Barnhart, who
still serves in the Guard, said that he kept a waiting list of about 150
applicants' names. He said it took up to a year and a half for one name to
move to the top of the list. "Quite a few gentlemen were
wanting to get in," he recalled. For Bush, there was no
wait. He met with commander Staudt in his Houston office and made his
application--all before his graduation in June.” [LAT, 7/4/99]
“Beckwith,
Bush's spokesman, painted a different picture. He said that the Guard needed
pilots at the time and Bush was available. "A lot of people weren't
qualified" or willing to fly, he said, so special commissions were
offered to those willing to undergo the extra training required.”
[LAT
7/4/99]
· “But
Shoemake, who also served as a chief of personnel in the Texas Guard from
1972 to 1980, remembers no pilot shortage. "We had so many people
coming in who were super-qualified," he said.” [LAT 7/4/99]
· “Records
from his [Bush’s] military file show that in January 1968, after inquiring
about Guard admission, Mr. Bush went to an Air Force recruiting office near
Yale, where he took and passed the test required by the Air Force for pilot
trainees. His score on the pilot aptitude section, one of five on the test,
was in the 25th percentile, the lowest allowed for would-be fliers.”
[7/4/99]
#8
There was no special deal when he received a direct appointment to second
lieutenant right after basic training, with no qualifications.
“Officials
in Bush's presidential campaign denied last week that he was treated
differently from other recruits. "Our information is there was
absolutely no special deal," said spokesman David Beckwith.” [LAT
7/4/99]
“He
[Commander Staudt] recommended Bush for a direct appointment--a special
process that would allow the young recruit to become a second lieutenant
right out of basic training without having to go through the rigors of
officer candidate school. The process also cleared the way for a slot in
pilot training school.” [LAT, 7/4/99]
The
Truth
· “But
Charles C. Shoemake, an Air Force veteran who later joined the Texas Air
National Guard, eventually retiring as a full colonel, said that direct
appointments were rare and hard to get, and required extensive credentials.
"I went from master sergeant to first lieutenant based on my three
years in college and 15 years as a noncommissioned officer. Then I got
considered for a direct appointment." Even then, he said, "I
didn't know whether I was going to get into pilot training."” [LAT
7/4/99]
· “As
for a direct commission for someone of Bush's limited qualifications, Hail
said, "I've never heard of that. Generally they did that for doctors
only, mostly because we needed extra flight surgeons."” [LAT 7/4/99]
#9 As
evidence he wasn't dodging combat, Mr. Bush has pointed to his efforts to
try to volunteer for a program that rotated Guard pilots to Vietnam,
although he wasn't called. [DMN 7/4/99]
The
Truth
· “Mr.
Bush's application for the Guard included a box to be checked specifying
whether he did or did not volunteer for overseas duty. His includes a check
mark in the box not wanting to volunteer for such an assignment.” [DMN
7/4/99]
#10 In
Bush’s 1999 autobiography, A Charge to Keep, Mr. Bush says that after
completing flight training in June 1970, “I continued flying
with my unit for the next several years”.
The
Truth
· “But
22 months after finishing his training, and with two years left on his
six-year commitment, Bush gave up flying - for good, it would turn out”.
[Boston Globe, 5/23/00]
Several
Years or 22 months – an exaggeration? Perhaps, the bigger
question is why did he quit flying?
*
The New York Times reports that Bush has had problems articulating words
recently, using "terriers" instead of "tariffs and trade
barriers," "obsfucate" in place of "obfuscate," and
"post-cold world" rather than "post-Cold War world." [Bruni,
New York Times, 1/8/00]
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