He wasn't AWOL. Its all a lie. I had to spend a lot of time to prove it but here it is:
May 24, 1972 Bush given permission by TX ANG unit to drill in Alabama, so they don't expect him to be at drill in Texas. The transfer is approved on May 26th. There are no drills to attend in June and July because its a non drilling unit that he was approved to go to in writing.
July 21, 1972 Guard renegs on his approval to drill at the 9921 Air Reserve Squadron, leaving Bush in limbo without orders anywhere. Remember he has already been released from the TX ANG so he can't drill there.
Sep 5, 1972 Bush requests duty with the 187th Tac Recon Group, Montgomery, AL because the Guard has not come up with an assignment for him. So during August while in Alabama Bush was looking for a local unit he could possibly join. The Bush request is approved that same day.
Oct 23-25, 1972 Bush drilled with 187th Tac Recon, AL
Nov 11-14, 1972 bush drilled with 187th Tac Recon, AL
Nov. 1972 Blount campaign ends.
Bush returns to TEXAS and over the next month asks for orders to return to the TX ANG starting in January 1973.
He then performs the following drills:
Jan 4-6, 1973
Jan 8-10, 1973
Apr 7-8, 1973
May 01-03, 1973
May 8-10, 1973
May 19-20, 1973
May 22-24, 1973
May 29-31, 1973
Jun 5-7, 1973
Jun 23-24, 1973
Jul 2-3, 1973
Jul 5, 1973
Jul 9-12, 1973
Jul 16-19, 1973
Jul 21-22, 1973
Jul 23-27, 1973
Jul 30, 1973
Thats a total of 50 drill points for FY 1973--you only need 48. Its also 35 drill points for 1973. Notice all the make-up drills to make up for the Guard reneging on the orders to the 9921 unit.
Where is the missing year? There isn't one.
Don't believe the data, see usatoday.com which document every one of his drill participations. Especially see page 16 which lists drills performed and credited and clearly documented for late 1972.
Nobody saw Bush in Alabama? Wrong. Joe LeFevers, a member of the 187th in 1972, said he remembers seeing Bush in unit offices and being told that Bush was in Montgomery to work on Blount's campaign.
"I was going in the orderly room over there one day, and they said, 'This is Lt. Bush,'" LeFevers said Tuesday. "They pointed him out to me ... the reason I remember it is because I associate him with Red Blount."
Released records also show Bush received a Dental Exam on base. |
