Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Worldtraveller · 07-10-2003, 04:48 AM

I have been seeing more and more of this lately. I'm sure it was out there before, but I wasn't paying a lot of attention to politics when I should have, and was wondering what information any of you may have seen regarding GWB's term in the service, back around '68?

I've seen reports that he was AWOL, and his daddy

got him out of going to Vietnam.

A particularly poignant, telling quote I found at this website kinda seems to sum it up.

Quote:

This week, on July 6, George W. Bush turned 57. William White was born the same day in 1946. I mention this because, if you�re old enough, you�d remember that young men were drafted for Vietnam based on a grim lottery � if your birthday was picked out of a hat, you went. I got White�s name off a black wall in Washington. He went to Vietnam when George W went to the Air Guard in Houston. White never came back. Happy birthday, Mr. President.

Any thoughts, or good follow links you can recommend?

Thanks,
Lane

Jacey · 07-10-2003, 06:29 AM

AWOL Bush

jman0904 · 07-10-2003, 01:33 PM

Nice, very nice. Thanks for the link.

Arken · 07-10-2003, 01:45 PM

Seconded. After going through it, I ended up buying a copy of Fortunate Son over at Borders on my lunch break.

Sauron · 07-10-2003, 10:14 PM

It all boils down to this:

http://www.dailycamera.com/bdc/opini...001106,00.html

Quote:

Mr. Bush got a free ride and lots of glory even though he was a bigger coward than Mr. Clinton and a scofflaw to boot. He did not simply avoid the draft by enlisting in the Texas Air National Guard. According to a report by Peabody Award-winning reporter Bill Gallagher, Mr. Bush learned to fly in the National Guard at a taxpayer expense of $1 million, then proceeded to become absent without leave � also known as AWOL � for which many service personnel have received jail sentences. Mr. Bush's official biography shows that he served as a pilot with the Texas Guard from 1968 to 1973. Mr. Bush did not go to Vietnam. According to Mr. Gallagher's and other published reports, Mr. Bush went to weekend meetings at the Fighter-Interceptor Squadron at Ellington Field in Houston from June 1970 until April 1972. Then a funny thing happened.

Mr. Bush went to Alabama to work on the U.S. Senate campaign of one of his father's friends. He continued serving in the National Guard, he says. That may be a lie. It wouldn't be his first and it certainly won't be his last. The records of the Montgomery unit he claims to have joined do not show that he ever served there. His annual effectiveness report, signed by two superiors, said he had not been observed at the unit to which he was assigned.

Javaman · 07-11-2003, 03:13 AM

Bush's behaviour is more akin to "dessertion" rather than "AWOL" but I'm not really sure why that's not pointed out more.

Jacey · 07-11-2003, 06:38 AM

I do take offense to the comment about Clinton's cowardism, he wanted what he felt was an unjust war to end, and followed his "moral compass."

Bush got bennies because he was rich, and would've never had to fight in the first place since he was trained on a plane not used in 'Nam. He never would have gone to combat.

Bad Kitty · 07-11-2003, 07:12 AM

I'm sorry, but I find myself laughing at the idea of Clinton ever having a "moral compass".

That's like saying Bush has a "diverse vocabulary".

Godless Dave · 07-11-2003, 07:19 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jacey
I do take offense to the comment about Clinton's cowardism, he wanted what he felt was an unjust war to end, and followed his "moral compass."

I agree with half of that; like many Americans Clinton felt the Vietnam War was wrong and said so. Our country is better off because of those people.

But the way he joined ROTC to get out of the draft, then dropped out at just the right time, smacks of Clinton sneakiness. When that story first broke he had an innocent explanation, and it could be true, but the man doesn't have a good track record with telling the truth when it comes to preserving his own reputation.

crocodile deathroll · 07-11-2003, 08:08 AM

No way some of the extremist views of some neocons like James Woolsey would win many votes, so they just got the golden opportunity to hijacked the Whitehouse now that a real moron was elected, so at last for the first time they can now easily wrap around their little finger America's foreign policy so they can now fulfill their bellicose agenda.

07-11-2003, 08:08 AM	#10
crocodile deathroll Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Darwin Posts: 1,466	G W Bush a Puppet Moron for the Neocons No way some of the extremist views of some neocons like James Woolsey would win many votes, so they just got the golden opportunity to hijacked the Whitehouse now that a real moron was elected, so at last for the first time they can now easily wrap around their little finger America's foreign policy so they can now fulfill their bellicose agenda.

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07-10-2003, 06:29 AM	#2
Jacey Banned Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: the gulag Posts: 3,043	AWOL Bush

07-10-2003, 01:33 PM	#3
jman0904 Regular Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Oregon, the new Least Religious State in America Posts: 453	Nice, very nice. Thanks for the link.

07-10-2003, 01:45 PM	#4
Arken Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: North Hollywood, CA Posts: 6,303	Seconded. After going through it, I ended up buying a copy of Fortunate Son over at Borders on my lunch break.

07-11-2003, 03:13 AM	#6
Javaman Veteran Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: Nebraska Posts: 1,708	Bush's behaviour is more akin to "dessertion" rather than "AWOL" but I'm not really sure why that's not pointed out more.

07-11-2003, 06:38 AM	#7
Jacey Banned Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: the gulag Posts: 3,043	I do take offense to the comment about Clinton's cowardism, he wanted what he felt was an unjust war to end, and followed his "moral compass." Bush got bennies because he was rich, and would've never had to fight in the first place since he was trained on a plane not used in 'Nam. He never would have gone to combat.

07-11-2003, 07:12 AM	#8
Bad Kitty Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: The South. Posts: 2,122	I'm sorry, but I find myself laughing at the idea of Clinton ever having a "moral compass". That's like saying Bush has a "diverse vocabulary".

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