Nation Magazine "Bush's Military Past"

[Joanne98]

Bush's Military Past
by Ian Williams

This article was adapted from Williams's new book, Deserter: George W. Bush's War on Military Families, Veterans, and His Past
Even allowing for the usual military-bureaucratic incompetence, records relating to George W. Bush's National Guard Service have a suspiciously low survival rate, so there has been understandable incredulity about the recent revelation that a crucial quarter's pay records from 1972 did not survive the Pentagon's alleged attempt to transfer the microfilm to a more durable medium. That incredulity was enhanced rather than allayed when they eventually were discovered behind whichever filing cabinet they had been dropped.

At issue is whether Bush was, technically at least, a deserter in his fourth year of National Guard service, when he requested a transfer to Guard duties in Alabama so he could assist a Republican senatorial campaign there.


Bush asserts that he turned up and did his duty. However, no one on the base remembers seeing him, including the commanding officer and several other officers who say they were actively looking to network with the hot-shot Texan with the influential father--but waited in vain.

The paper record does show that he was ordered to report for a flight medical exam in July 1972, but that Bush "failed to accomplish" it, and that in September he was ordered to report for an inquiry into why he had not passed. His memories of these momentous events which grounded him and made

http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20040816&s=williams

[Miss Authoritiva]

1. Please post link. Thanks.

n/t

[Joanne98]

2. Here ya go

Good article. It brings up the drug thingy.

[Sporadicus]

3. Great Reading, But Nothing New Here

Still, I'm glad to see this story make the rounds of progressive media once again - if for no other reason to stand out in stark contrast to John Kerry's record and the blatant attempts to smear him.

[Miss Authoritiva]

4. Time to release the full medical records -- and the inquiry transcripts.

"The paper record does show that he was ordered to report for a flight medical exam in July 1972, but that Bush "failed to accomplish" it, and that in September he was ordered to report for an inquiry into why he had not passed. His memories of these momentous events which grounded him and made him unfit for flight duties seem very hazy."

No shame indeed. You'd think someone with such "iffy" military records would absolutely stomp down on the Swift Boat Veterans clown posse -- but no.

Styrofoam brain, junkie soul, steel titanium balls...

[Bolo Boffin]

5. Hey, I'm in this article!

Cool. But I'm strictly small potatoes. This is a great entry level article into some of these issues. For the real meat, you want to check out Paul Lukisiak.

http://www.glcq.com/bush_at_arpc1.htm

He's really got Bush's number, and articles like Williams' can help whet the appetite for Lukisiak's stellar work.