Memos say “Bush pushed for move” May Have Been ForgedSo What? They're Not Needed

Memos say Bush pushed for move:
"National Guard service in question"

When President Bush was a lieutenant in the Texas Air National Guard, an official complained that Bush was "talking to someone upstairs" in his bid for transfer to duty in Alabama to work on the campaign of a family friend, documents released late Wednesday by the White House show.

The unsigned memo on May 19, 1972, outlined a "phone call from Bush," who was discussing how to "get out of coming to drill now through November." Bush, who had trained to fly fighter jets for the Guard in Texas and served stateside during the Vietnam War, insisted on seeking a transfer to Alabama any way possible, the memo writer said, because he is "working on another campaign for his dad."

The late-night release of the memos added another layer of complexity and intrigue to the renewed examination of Bush's time in the National Guard in the Vietnam era, the war from more than 30 years ago that has taken an unexpectedly prominent role in this presidential campaign. Bush's challenger, Democrat John Kerry, has been forced to defend his combat service in Vietnam, where he received several awards for heroism.

The release of the documents comes seven months after the White House disclosed what it said was an exhaustive list of the president's National Guard records. The documents were released two hours after CBS News raised new questions during a prime-time broadcast about whether Bush was awarded a coveted slot out of favoritism.

In the May 1972 memo, the author also said that Bush was told he would need written approval for a transfer.

A second memo, signed by Lt. Col. Jerry Killian on Aug. 1, 1972, showed that Bush was ordered suspended from flight status for failure to perform to Air Force and Guard standards and failure to meet an annual physical exam as required. Bush's transfer to an Air Reserve Squadron was recommended, but not allowed, this memo reported. Bush "has made no attempt to meet his training certification or flight physical," the colonel wrote. Bush wanted to transfer to a non-flying unit. Killian recommended that the unit fill Bush's slot with "a more seasoned pilot" from a list of Vietnam pilots who rotated out.

Bush was told he would need a flight physical, the May document shows. Bush replied that he would get that in Alabama.

The next year, in August 1973, an unnamed official wrote, "I'm having trouble running interference and doing my job," noting that Bush was not present for his pilot rating and as such he would not rate Bush.

This Aug. 18, 1973, memo was titled "CYA"--which could have been meant as an abbreviation for a slang term meaning cover your behind.…

So What?

The following analysis of President Bush’s ("Bush") military records and the controlling legal authorities shows the following beyond any reasonable doubt:

• The pay records released by the White House this past winter prove Bush received unauthorized, i.e., fraudulent, payments for inactive duty training, even if he did show up for duty.
• The memorandum from Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Albert C. Lloyd, who affirmed for the White House that Bush met his retention/retirement year point requirement, is an obfuscation, or outright deception, that disregarded Bush’s failure to meet the statutory and regulatory fiscal year satisfactory participation requirement.
• Bush’s superiors in the Texas Air National Guard failed to take required regulatory actions when Bushed missed required training and failed to take his flight physical.
• Despite seemingly laudatory comments, Bush’s May 1972 officer performance report was a clear and unmistakable indication that his performance had declined from the annual 1971 report. The report was the kiss of death before he left for Alabama that year.
• Bush did not meet the requirements for satisfactory participation from 1972 to 1973.

A critical analysis of records released by the White House and Dept. of Defense show that:

In the final analysis, the record clearly and convincingly proves he did not fulfill the obligation he incurred when he enlisted in the Air National Guard and completed his pilot training, despite his honorable discharge.

He clearly shirked the duty he undertook in 1968 upon enlistment and in 1969 upon completion of his flight training at Moody AF Base.

Less than two years after Bush won his solo wings, he walked away from his duty to serve as a fighter pilot while troops were still dying in Vietnam.

Moreover, he received fraudulent payments for INACDUTRA.

We have not yet heard a satisfactory explanation by the President for his abandoning a profession he purportedly loved passionately.

He, therefore, must four-square his past public statements about his performance with the official record and must explain why he prematurely abandoned a commitment to serve his Nation in the TXANG during another war to pursue personal goals.

As a self-proclaimed "wartime president," this President owes the U.S. public, especially the military and veterans, no less.

He certainly cannot rely on his military record to answer these questions.

see President George W. Bush’s Military Service: A Critical Analysis
at http://www.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/opinion/lechliter.pdf

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/specials/elections/chi-0409090296sep09,1,5468228.story?coll=chi-news-hed