[Rhodes22-list] Bush's Service Record

[Wally Buck]

Ahoy Brad! Good to see you back. I hope you getting some time at the helm of 
your S???? (can't remember model).

I think Kerry is barking up the wrong tree going after Bush's guard record 
but I must correct one point. Swift boat duty was not safe duty when Kerry 
served. The only reason I know this is we lived in Navy officer quarters in 
Pearl City Hawaii during that time. One of my neighbor/school mates fathers 
served on a swift boat. They were nailed by enemy fire and their boat was 
destroyed. There were several wounded including my friends dad. His wounds 
were so severe he was discharged and they were sent back state side.

I have had recent discussions with my father (retired Navy Captain) asking 
him if he knew Kerry or anyone who served with Kerry. He did not so he 
wouldn't comment on Kerry's time in the Navy. He will freely admit that this 
was dangerous duty before, during, and after the time Kerry served. He 
despises Kerry for his comments made while protesting the war though.

I think both sides are guilty of a bunch of spin. This is just another 
example. It is a shame both our choices don't offer much for me to get 
excited about. Kerry has really hurt his chances by making his time in Viet 
Nam such a big issue.

Fair winds,

Wally


>From: brad haslett <flybrad at yahoo.com>
>Reply-To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>To: rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org
>Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Bush's Service Record
>Date: Sun, 12 Sep 2004 18:46:49 -0700 (PDT)
>
>OK boys and girls, I just sent Ed Kroposki an e-mail a
>few days ago explaining why I didn't want to rejoin
>the list but I've been following the thread anyway and
>I just can't take it anymore.  You're talking bad
>about my man W and some things just need to be said.
>
>Hello old friends!
>
>I never spent a single day in the service but I've
>been working in a para-military organization for
>twenty years with over 80% of my co-workers
>ex-military and about 30% currently in the national
>guard or reserve.
>
>Here's the poop (and my spin) on guard pilots.  Some
>join to keep scoring points to retirement after
>leaving active service, while others make an almost
>full time job out of it, and some airline pilots use
>it as a back-up to protect themselves from a cyclical
>industry (like post 9/11).  Guard members are required
>to earn a minimum number of points per year to meet
>their requirements and have a great deal of leeway,
>within limits, about the spacing of their appearances.
>  When the manning requirements are light the "guard
>bums", guys who are basically making a full time job
>of it, do the heaving lifting while those looking for
>minimum participation participate minmaly.
>
>During the Vietnam era, Guard or reserve duty was a
>way of postponing or better yet, avoiding a trip to
>the jungle.  That is precisely why John Kerry joined
>the Navy reserves after his draft board refused his
>request for a student referral to study in Paris for a
>year.  At the time Kerry volunteered for swift-boat
>duty, swift boats were considered "safe" duty.  That
>changed later on but I digress.
>
>Bush flew an F102 which was a very "nasty" airplane
>without being shot at.  In the 1971-72 time frame,
>Vietnam was winding down and there was a surplus of
>pilots in the Air Force.  Any Guard unit could get all
>the missions completed they needed with returning
>Vietnam pilots and those desiring minimum flying
>(perhaps Bush) could do so.
>
>I'm attaching part of an e-mail that a friend from
>work sent me yesterday.  I can promise you I've done
>my homework on the above statements but can only trust
>in the accuracy of the following.  It comes from
>someone I've known and trusted for 20 years and based
>on my relationship with the source, I give it a 99.99%
>confidence rating.
>
>---------------------------------------------
>
>  Hopefully by now you have all heard about this story.
>  Facing
>plummeting
> > poll numbers, the Kerry campaign decided to revisit
>the Bush-National
>Guard
> > records.  In previous months, Kerry's people had
>tried to drum up a
>story
> > about this.  ALL of the evidence shows that Bush
>completed more than
>6
> > years worth of service (not night and weekend stuff
>but FULL TIME
>service)
> > in the Guard in less than 6 years.  He served
>overtime for four years
> > before he asked to take some time off to run a
>campaign.  The
>majority of
> > his records showed him to be an above average pilot
>and an average
>student.
> > He later pursued an advanced business degree after
>receiving an
>honorable
> > discharge from service.
> >
> > Kerry has been trying to make an issue out of a
>missed physical and
>dentist
> > appointment.  No one cared.  It backfired.  Then
>came the big bounce
>in
> > Bush's poll numbers.  Kerry, in desperation, went
>back to Guard
>records.
> > By this time, the story has been tried at least 4
>times on the
>American
> > voting public.  But the press was more than willing
>to go along again
>if
>it
> > could help Kerry
>
>---------------------------------------------------
>
>Hope that clears it up for you.  (YEAH RIGHT!)
>
>Brad Haslett
>"CorsShen"
> >
>
>
>
>
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