charles hill wrote:
> On Fri, 10 Sep 2004 19:51:25 +0000, libs stink wrote:
>
>
> George Bush is a coward just like his daddy.

"Bush Volunteered for Vietnam"
WVLT 8, Knoxville TN  | 9/24/04 | Eric Waddell

A retired National Guard officer now living in East Tennessee is
weighing into the debate over President Bush's service record.

Volunteer TV's Eric Waddell says the man who swore then-Lieutenant
George Bush into the Air National Guard, is rising to the President's
defense from his Blount County home.

Retired Colonel Ed Morrisey served in the Air National Guard and is
familiar with the President's record since the beginning of his service.

Opposite a portrayal of a soldier not performing his duty he describes a
flyer, near the top of his class.

Retired Colonel Morrisey has trained, developed and commanded lots of
soldiers over a distinguished career.

He also swore in one very notable officer.

"George W. went to pilot training, seated well, being selected to be a
fighter pilot, which is at the top of the line in the Air Force
selection process. Came back to train in the F-102 at Ellington. He
stood alert like anyone else," says Colonel Morrisey.

According to Morrisey, then-Lieutenant Bush more than fulfilled his
guard requirements.

Morrisey says in the six years the President served he never failed to
meet participation point requirements.

"Bush averaged 176 per year. In no year did he have less that 50," says
Morrisey. "He was rated by his commander, Col. Maurice Udell in the top
5 of his pilots."

One of the criticisms leveled at the President is that he sought guard
service to keep him from serving in Vietnam.

Morrisey says, "not so."

"The Air Force, in their ultimate wisdom, assembled a group of 102's and
took them to Southeast Asia. Bush volunteered to go. But he needed to
have 500 [flight] hours, but he only had just over 300 hours so he
wasn't eligible to go,” Morrisey recalls.

Despite that, Lieutenant Bush stayed busy.

"He flew in active air defense missions, training missions. Day, night,
regardless of inclement weather," Morrisey says.

Colonel Morrisey assured us that to the best of his knowledge Lieutenant
Bush was treated like any other officer in the Texas Air National Guard.

Morrisey says he considers himself to be more of a Libertarian than
Republican or Democrat. Nonetheless, Morrisey says he is voting for
George Bush come election day.

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