Article...Bush wears commander suit best
By Charley Reese
orlandosentinel.com
Published in The Orlando Sentinel on November 05, 2000
Thought you might like to read what George W. Bush's flight instructor thinks of him.
In a letter posted on a veterans-for-Bush Internet site, retired U.S. Air Force Col. Thomas G. Lockhart wrote:
"I can give you some personal observations upon which I base my opinion of Governor Bush. George W. Bush arrived at Moody AFB, Georgia, for undergraduate pilot training in 1968 as a member of the Texas Air National Guard. I was assigned as one of his instructor pilots. The atmosphere at this training base was somber and dead serious, as the student pilots were all either going to Vietnam or subject to being called up for combat duty as a member of a guard or reserve unit.
"George W. Bush put himself totally into the task of becoming the best aviator in the class. His unit flew Century Series jet fighters, which required the best pilots. There was no room for error as these airplanes were unforgiving and the price for a mistake was often the pilot's life.
"George W. Bush appeared to have that fighter pilot attitude from our first meeting. . . . He was extremely competitive and eager to learn everything about his machine and the enemy's tactics. He was quick to pick up the flying skills necessary to maneuver an aircraft into a position to shoot down an enemy aircraft.
"Being a fighter pilot is truly like being a modern-day gladiator. When two jet fighters meet in combat, there is usually only one survivor. The traits which, I believe, made George W. Bush a good fighter pilot and would also make a good president are: leadership, stamina, sincerity and integrity. My personal bottom line used to be, `Would you follow this person into combat?' Well, I'm a bit old now for combat, but I respect George W. Bush's leadership abilities and I would follow him anywhere."
I would rather have the endorsement of a combat veteran than of Whoopi Goldberg or Alex Baldwin. By the way, Baldwin, an obnoxious brat in a man's body, has threatened to leave the country if George W. is elected. There's another good reason to vote for Bush.
I would also like to clear up some confusion. People who in those days joined the guard or reserve were not draft-dodgers. Every male had a six-year military obligation that the government allowed you to meet with a combination of active and reserve duty. Once you raised your hand to join a guard or reserve unit, your destiny was out of your control. If the Pentagon decided to activate your unit, you went active duty, and there was no choice in the matter. These men were not evading military service. They were doing their duty in an honorable manner that caused the least disruption to their private lives. Under the existing law, that was their right.
Draft-dodgers, such as Bill Clinton, never served one day and evaded their military obligation entirely. People like him who avoided all forms of service are true draft-dodgers. And with Clinton as commander in chief for nearly eight years, it's no surprise that the American military is fast approaching a crisis situation. The Washington Times recently reported that large numbers of lieutenant colonels and colonels are declining offers of command.
This is unheard of, as command is the prize every professional in the officer corps seeks.
People in close touch with friends still on active duty say that if Al Gore is elected, there will be huge numbers of young officers resigning their commissions.
They are fed up with cutbacks, with ammunition and spare-parts shortages and with ridiculous deployments on peacekeeping missions. They need a commander in chief like George Bush, who has promised to correct the problems.
Charley Reese
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