Bush's Guard Service and the Right Wing's 60 Minutes Mythology
by Salvador Peralta
published by The Progressive Trail
Bush's Guard Service and the Right Wing's 60 Minutes Mythology
On Wednesday of this week, CBS's 60 Minutes aired a segment which shed some light on President Bush's failure to fulfill his military obligations to the Texas Air National Guard. 60 Minutes Later, the Right Wing punditry started to respond...
The documentation that 60 Minutes used as the basis for their story included the following:
A memo ordering Bush to take a physical
A memo discussing "options of how Bush can get out of coming to drill from now through November." And that due to other commitments "he may not have time."
A document suspending Bush for "failure to perform to U.S. Air Force/Texas Air National Guard standards and for failure to take his annual physical as ordered."
A memo from Bush's squadron commander where "he is being pressured by higher-ups to give the young pilot a favorable yearly evaluation; to, in effect, sugarcoat his review. He refuses, saying, 'I'm having trouble running interference and doing my job.'"
Within hours of the airing of the 60 Minutes segment, a user named "Buckhead" posted to the FreeRepublic.com web site asserting that proportionally-spaced fonts were not common in 1972, and that the 60 Minutes story was a forgery.
This post was picked up on the blog LittleGreenFootballs.com, and went from there to the CyberSpace News Service where it spread via the drudgereport from whence it was sucked into the right wing press outlets such as Fox news and the Weekly Standard as gospel before finally making it's finally into the mainstream media including the AP, LA Times, and Washington Post.
Holding aside the journalistic credibility of the original sources for this story, "littegreenfootballs.com" and "Buckhead", a cursory glance at the facts of the matter show that the entire right wing line is built on a foundation of decepton. The general line of the right wing attack machine is as follows:
Don't deny the story outright. Just raise the possibility that the documents *might* be faked. This gives partisans something to latch onto and a talking point to start regurgitating in the right wing press. Repeat the lie often enough and some people will regard it as the truth.
Of course, that only works if people don't take the time to debunk the lies. So with that in mind, let's deconstruct the four major planks of the right wing's attack on the 60 Minutes Story:
1. Times New Roman Fonts did not exist in 1972
The Times New Roman font was developed in 1931 by Stanley Morison, Typographical Advisor to the Monotype Corporation who adapted the font to the IBM selectric Typewriter in 1947.
2. Documents back then didn't have superscripted 'th' characters
Superscripted fonts appear on other documents in Bush's flight school record, and had been available on IBM electric typewriters since 1947.
3. The document used proportional spacing which was not available in 1972
Proportional spacing had been available on typewriters since 1941. Press advertisements dating back to 1952 and 1953 suggest that the feature was widely available, and was even used on Richard Nixon's resignation letter in 1974.
4. The document used curlycue apostrophes which did not exist on typewriters in 1972.
Print advertisements for the IBM Exectuive typewriter show that curlycue apostrophes were used as early as 1953.
Proof that the air force was using typewriters capable of producing documents as early as 1966 can be found here.
The story is a cautionary tale about the effectiveness of the right wing smear machine at obfuscating facts and using outright lies to manipulate the public and to punish those who attempt to hold President Bush accountable for his actions.
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Air Force Data Systems Design Center (AFDSDC)
Chronology
1 January – 31 December 1969
Date
Event
690100
The Control Room of the Field Assistance Branch began 24-hour, seven day a week operation.
690100
System Advisory Notices (SANs) were initiated to respond to significant system problems for which an immediate permanent fix was not available.
690106
The mobile supply computer system was deployed to its forward operating base (Clark Air Base, Philippines).
690126
The functions of the Implementation/Conversion Branch were transferred from the Directorate of Integration.
690200
The Comptroller Services Division introduced a monthly Management Summary.
690200
The UNIVAC 1050-II system for Clothing Division, Air Force Stock Fund was implemented at Lackland AFB, Texas.
690205
The necessary modifications of the Manpower Allocation and Accounting System (MAAS) were identified by the working group.
690300
Implementation of the Ammunition Reporting Management System (ARMS) began.
690300
Redesign of the Burroughs B3500 Program Distribution and Control System was completed.
690300
Complete conversion and first payroll under the Burroughs B3500 system was successfully processed at Langley AFB, Virginia.
690300
HQ USAF recommended that 82,000 square feet of space in the Forrestal Building be diverted to the Air Force Data Systems Design Center (AFDSDC).
Date Event
690304
The Commander of the District of Columbia Air National Guard formally requested that the Air Force Data Systems Design Center (AFDSDC) vacate space occupied in Building 3252, Andrews AFB, Maryland, by 1 May 1969.
690312
The first Honeywell H800 program was completed.
690324
The Directorate of Telecommunications-Electronics completed a feasibility study, Total System Integration through Computer-to-Computer Interface that described alternate methods of interfacing Burroughs B3500 and UNIVAC U-1050-II computers with the Automatic Digital Network (AUTODIN).
690400
A Service Test was completed for the International Business Machines (IBM) “Selectric” typewriter and Magnetic Tape “Selectric” Composer.
690400
The Air Force Data Systems Design Center (AFDSDC) was directed by HQ USAF to occupy 79,000 square feet of administrative space in the James Forrestal Building at 10th and Independence Avenues in Washington, D.C.
690400
A new Burroughs B3500 Accounting and Finance Materiel Output Processing System was implemented at Langley AFB, Virginia.
690400
Evaluation of the Burroughs B3500 General Accounting and Finance System (GAFS) was completed at Langley AFB, Virginia.
690409
Approval to purchase additional reproduction equipment was received.
690500
A package requesting 658 additional spaces was forwarded to HQ USAF.
690500
A draft of the Five Year Master Plan was submitted to the Commander of the Air Force Data Systems Design Center (AFDSDC).
Date Event
690519
The Base Flight Management System was transferred from the Directorate of Programs and Resources to the Directorate of Logistics Systems.
690600
The Difficulty Report (DIREP) Status Report was changed from a weekly to a semi-monthly publication.
690600
The integration of the Financial Accounting System and the Medical Materiel Management System (MMMS, for the Burroughs B3500) was completed This was the first B3500 system integrating two functional areas.
690616
16-20 June – The Air Force Data Systems Design Center (AFDSDC), Air Training Command (ATC), HQ USAF and ESD conducted the third and final test of the Computer Assisted Instruction System.
690621
Two million pages of documentation were distributed directly to and through the airmail terminal, National Airport, Washington, D.C.
690711
Colonel Jack M. MacGregor was assigned to duty as Vice Commander, Air Force Data Systems Design Center (AFDSDC), having transferred from the position of Comptroller, Air Force Academy.
690801
Colonel Jack M. MacGregor was appointed Commander of the Air Force Data Systems Design Center (AFDSDC), vice Brigadier General Vernon R. Turner.
690801
Colonel Robert A. Bass was appointed Vice Commander of the Air Force Data Systems Design Center (AFDSDC).
690806
A proposal was made to the HQ USAF Director of Administration (AFDASH) that Suitland Hall be rehabilitated to accommodate the Air Force Data Systems Design Center (AFDSDC) computers.
690825
The Air Force Data Systems Design Center (AFDSDC) “Five Year Master Plan” was formalized and published.
Date Event
690900
The Air Force Data Automation Panel was briefed on the Air Force Data Systems Design Center (AFDSDC) workload, manpower requirements and need for a system of priorities and controls over Air Staff work assignments made to the Center.
690922
The HQ USAF Directorate of Data Automation (AFADAC) was informed of problems associated with inadequate support of Burroughs Corporation at Air Force Data Systems Design Center (AFDSDC) and the Phase II Program.
690923
The Chief of Staff of the USAF announced that delivery of the Burroughs B3500 computers was suspended for the period 1 October 1969 through 31 January 1970.
690923
A plan for optimization of Phase II Systems from 1 October 1969 through 31 January 1970 was presented to the HQ USAF Directorate of Data Automation (AFADA).
691000
The Control Room for the UNIVAC 1050-II system was moved from Bolling AFB, D.C., to Suitland Hall, Maryland.
691000
HQ USAF Directorate of Maintenance Engineering (AFSME) was briefed on Maintenance Management and Information Control System (MMICS) problems and rescheduling approved.
691100
Relocation of Air Force Data Systems Design Center (AFDSDC) offices from Suitland Hall, Maryland, to the Forrestal Building in Washington, D.C., was completed.
691113
Assistance of the HQ USAF Directorate of Data Automation (AFADA) was requested in securing an adequate facility for the Air Force Data Systems Design Center (AFDSDC).
691119
The HQ USAF Directorate of Civil Engineering (AFOCE) advised that Office of Secretary of Defense (OSD) was making a facility study of the National Capital Region and that Air Force Data Systems Design Center (AFDSDC) facility requirements would be considered.
691121
“Air Staff Day” was held. Visitors were briefed on the Air Force Data Systems Design Center (AFDSDC) mission and operations.
Date Event
691121
Request was made to the HQ USAF Directorate of Manpower and Organization (AFOMO) for assistance in validating the Air Force Data Systems Design Center (AFDSDC) “Second Round Manpower” submission.
691124
The Air Force Data Systems Design Center (AFDSDC) Commander placed a “freeze” on personnel and internal reorganization actions.
691200
The Department of Defense (DOD) Appropriations Bill was signed into law and Air Force Data Systems Design Center (AFDSDC) operating budget approved.
691204
The HQ USAF Directorate of Manpower and Organization (AFOMO) response to the Air Force Data Systems Design Center (AFDSDC) “Second Round Manpower’ submission was received.
691208
The HQ USAF Directorate of Civil Engineering (AFOCE) advised that the project to move the Air Force Data Systems Design Center (AFDSDC) computers to Suitland Hall, Maryland, was being deferred.
691212
The Comptroller of the Air Force (AFAAC) was provided a status report on Air Force Data Systems Design Center (AFDSDC) problems and actions being taken.
691212
Air Staff agencies were advised of actions taken by the Air Force Data Systems Design Center (AFDSDC) Commander to re-appraise workload, realign resources and “freeze” all new development work.
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