Home>News Center>World
         
 

White House made public Bush's war record
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-02-11 14:55

The White House, trying to end doubts about U.S. President Bush's Viet Nam-era military record, released documents Tuesday that it said proved he had "met his requirements" in the Texas Air National Guard despite long, unexplained gaps in his service.

White House made public Bush's war record
George W. Bush is shown during his time in the Texas Air National Guard, 1968-73, in this undated photo. [AP Photo]
"These documents outline the days on which he was paid. That means he served," said Bush spokesman Scott McClellan. However, Democrats were dismissive of the newly released records.

"The handful of documents released today by the White House creates more questions than answers," said Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe.

McAuliffe had helped reignite the story earlier this month when he charged Bush had gone "AWOL." With Viet Nam War veteran John Kerry emerging as the Democratic presidential front-runner, Democrats have been trying to stoke longstanding questions about Bush's service in the Guard during the war.

Bush joined in 1968, and spent most of his service time based near Houston. But in May 1972 he requested and received a temporary assignment with the Alabama National Guard so he could serve as political director on the Senate campaign of Winton "Red" Blount, a family friend. Bush says he recalls showing up for drills in Alabama, but his supporters have struggled to prove it.

Bush was not paid for any service during a five-month period in 1972, from May through September, according to the records released with Bush's approval Tuesday.

He was paid for two days in October and four days in November and none in December 1972. He was not paid for February or March 1973. The records do not indicate what duty Bush performed or where he was.

Nevertheless, spokesman McClellan repeatedly held up the 13-page packet his office had released, and he declared in his televised briefing, "I think these documents show that he fulfilled his duties."

At the same time, White House officials were careful to stop short of claiming that the records proved definitively that Bush had shown up for all the Guard duties he was expected to.

Indeed, the payroll documents and annual service "point summaries" could throw new fuel onto a story the White House wants to quench this election year.

McClellan expressed a note of frustration at the persistent questions on the matter. "It just kind of amazes me that some will now say they want more information after the payroll records and the point summaries have all been released."

"Now people are trying to move the goal post even more," he said, adding that White House officials smelled politics. "It's just really a shame that people are continuing to bring this up."

Kerry stayed silent on the subject Tuesday.

"I just don't have any comment on it," he told reporters between campaign stops in Tennessee and Virginia. "It's not an issue that I chose to create. It's not my record that's at issue and I don't have any questions about it."

But Kerry has not answered Republicans' urging that he condemn criticism like the McAuliffe "AWOL" remarks. On the stump, he opens his appearances by saluting his audiences — a reminder of his military service and three Purple Hearts.

While Kerry surrounds himself with fellow veterans on the campaign trail, the White House has not been able to produce fellow guardsmen who could testify that Bush attended meetings and drills. "Obviously we would have made people available" if they had been found, McClellan said.

Retired Brig. Gen. William Turnipseed was a commander at the base Bush was assigned to and has previously said he never saw Bush appear for duty. But he said on Tuesday he wasn't sure whether he was on the base at the same time as Bush.

Moreover, he said, "in 1972, I didn't even know he was supposed to come. I didn't know that until 2000," he said. "I'm not saying that he wasn't there. If he said he was there, I believe it. I don't remember seeing him."

Turnipseed said last week he donated money to the Republican National Committee last year, and said he is a Bush supporter.

Retired Army Col. Dan Smith, a 26-year military veteran, questioned the usefulness of the latest information released by the White House.

"Pay records don't mean anything except that you're in or you're out," said Smith. "It doesn't necessarily reflect what duty you've actually performed because pay records simply record your unit of assignment and then all of your pay and benefits per pay period."

Lt. Col. Scott Gorske, a 23-year Guardsman with experience in personnel issues, said there is no requirement for National Guard members to drill every month. They are required to train a certain amount of time each year. It appears Bush met that requirement, said Gorske, who reviewed the documents.

A memo written by retired Lt. Col. Albert Lloyd Jr. at the request of the White House said a review of Bush's records showed that he had "satisfactory years" for the period of 1972-73 and 1973-74 "which proves that he completed his military obligation in a satisfactory manner."



USS Park Royal crew await for Rice
Coffin of Milosevic flew to Belgrade
Kidnapping spree in Gaza Strip
 
  Today's Top News     Top World News
 

Australia, US, Japan praise China for Asia engagement

 

   
 

Banker: China doing its best on flexible yuan

 

   
 

Hopes high for oil pipeline deal

 

   
 

Possibilities of bird flu outbreaks reduced

 

   
 

Milosevic buried after emotional farewell

 

   
 

China considers trade contracts in India

 

   
  Journalist's alleged killers held in Iraq
   
  No poisons found in Milosevic's body
   
  US, Britain, France upbeat on Iran agreement
   
  Fatah officials call for Abbas to resign
   
  Sectarian violence increases in Iraq
   
  US support for troops in Iraq hits new low
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
  Related Stories  
   
Bush: Arms 'we thought' were in Iraq not found
   
Bush: 'I expected to find the weapons'
   
Blix says Bush, Blair insincere salesmen on Iraq
   
Gore: Bush 'betrayed us' in Iraq war
   
Bush firing shots at chief rival John Kerry
Manufacturers, Exporters, Wholesalers - Global trade starts here.
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: 亚洲最大中文字幕| 国产色无码精品视频国产| 亚洲最大免费视频网| 虎白女粉嫩尤物福利视频| 嫩草影院在线观看精品视频| 久久亚洲av无码精品色午夜| 欧美性色黄在线视频| 亚洲视频免费看| 精品国产v无码大片在线看| 国产三级精品在线观看| 91啦在线视频| 最近的中文字幕视频完整| 亚洲自拍欧美综合| 精品国偷自产在线视频99| 国产亚洲成AV人片在线观看| 国产精品久久久久久麻豆一区| 国产精品日本一区二区在线播放| 99精品视频在线观看免费播放| 巨r精灵催眠动漫无删减| 丰满老熟妇好大bbbbb| 日韩一区二区三区北条麻妃| 亚洲av无码一区二区三区dv| 欧美成人看片一区二区三区| 亚洲第一区se| 狠狠干2020| 免费不卡中文字幕在线| 精品人妻少妇一区二区| 国产90后美女露脸在线观看| 青娱乐欧美视频| 国产在线精品一区二区在线看| 99久久精品国产一区二区蜜芽| 少妇精品久久久一区二区三区| 中文字幕丰满乱码| 无码人妻精一区二区三区| 久久久综合香蕉尹人综合网 | 欧美精品blacked中文字幕| 国产一级生活片| 青青青国产免费一夜七次郎| 国产在线精品二区韩国演艺界| 国产精品嫩草影院人体模特| 国产普通话对白刺激|