Bush’s Military Service
Recently United States Senator Max
Cleland challenged George Bush’s service within the National Guard. Senator Cleland revived the discussion of Bush’s
non-service speculation as no documents have been found to show he reported
for duty as ordered in Alabama
in 1972. Nebraska Sen. Bob Kerrey also
stated, “it's a matter of character that Bush avoided duty overseas by joining
the Texas Air National Guard.”(1)
The Washington Post writes, “It
was May 27, 1968, at the
height of the Vietnam War. Bush was 12 days away from losing his student deferment
from the draft at a time when Americans were dying in combat at the rate of
350 a week. The unit Bush wanted to join offered him the chance to fulfill
his military commitment at a base in Texas.
It was seen as an escape route from Vietnam
by many men his age, and usually had a long waiting list.” Through political connections, Bush was able
to grab one of four available slots for the year.(2)
The Bush White House has cut funds
for veterans(3)
at the same time they are attacking the patriotism of leaders
like Max Cleland.(4) In order to undermine the credibility of Cleland,
political allies of the Bush Administration stated, ”Cleland lost three limbs
in an accident during a routine noncombatant mission where he was about to
drink beer with friends.” Distorting
the truth has become an art form for friends of Bush. In reality “Cleland lost two legs and an arm
in Vietnam
when a grenade accidentally detonated after he and another soldier jumped
off a helicopter in a combat zone.”(5) Interestingly enough, comments like these are
what motivated Senator Kerry’s wife to remove herself from the Republican
Party.
Contrast these events with Senator
Kerry’s: “I signed up for the Navy right out of college – 1966. I had a sense
of responsibility to serve -- Lyndon Johnson had asked for more troops and
I thought I'd be a part of that. I also very specifically remember not wanting
to go to grad school just to avoid serving, I wanted to one day go to grad
school on my own terms instead.”(6)
Instead of flying dangerous missions from Texas
to Florida as did Bush, Kerry
spent time cruising South Pacific. “I think anyone who has been in combat
believes at some point they're not going to make it - there's a moment when
you're knocked out or you feel a bullet cut through your flesh - or you spot
an ambush.”(7)
Here is a man who voluntarily responded to the government’s need for
soldiers yet all we discuss is His protesting of the war.
It should be remembered that if anybody has the right to question motives,
it should be the man who put his life in jeopardy for the cause.
"Funny, isn't it? When Bill
Clinton was running against Republican war veterans in 1992 and 1996, the
most important thing to GOP propagandists and politicians was that Clinton
didn't fight in Vietnam.
Now that Republican candidates who didn't fight in Vietnam face a Democrat
who did -- and was awarded the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and three Purple
Hearts while he was there -- the Republican machine wants to change the subject."(8)
Americans fall into the trap
identifying President Bush as the only
individual who could wage the war on terror.
The destruction of the trade towers and thousands of lives lost
continues to pull at my emotions as I read various accounts. After the tragedy of 9-11 incredible
bipartisan support was felt throughout the nation. Every complaint against the current
administration was forgotten and the President was given a chance to
shine. Sometimes I wonder if a president
who perhaps had experienced the stresses of war would have been quicker to
respond then trying to figure out what happened next in a children's book. Molly Ivins, a savvy Texas
political reporter, commented that Bush has no foreign policy experience whatsoever
and is completely stymied by the entire perception. Can you imagine if John McCain or Bob Dole
were president? What about Max Cleland
or John Kerry?
[i]
http://www.floridatoday.com/news/local/stories/2000/nov/loc110500pols.htm
[ii] George
Lardner Jr. At Height of Vietnam,
Bush Picks Guard. The Washington
Post. July 28, 1999.
[iii]
http://www.kintera.org/AccountTempFiles/cf/%7bE9245FE4-9A2B-43C7-A521-5D6FF2E06E03%7d/bushtroops.htm
[iv] http://chuckcurrie.blogs.com/chuck_currie/2004/02/max_cleland_des.html
[v]
http://chuckcurrie.blogs.com/chuck_currie/2004/02/max_cleland_des.html
[viii] E. J.
Dionne Jr. Stooping Low to Smear Kerry. Washington
Post. April 27, 2004