Associated Press
September 9, 2004
WASHINGTON —
Newly unearthed memos state George W. Bush was suspended from flying for the
Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam war because he failed to meet Guard
standards and failed to take his annual flight physical as required.
The suspension came as Bush was trying to arrange a transfer to
non-flying status with a unit in Alabama so he could work on a political
campaign there.
A memo written a year later referred to one military
official "pushing to sugar coat" Bush's evaluation.
"On this date I
ordered that 1st Lt. Bush be suspended from flight status due to failure to
perform to USAF/TexANG standards and failure to meet annual physical examination
... as ordered," says an Aug. 1, 1972 memo by Lt. Col. Jerry Killian, who is
now dead.
The same memo notes that Bush was trying to transfer to
non-flying status out of state and recommends that the Texas unit fill his
flying slot "with a more seasoned pilot from the list of qualified Vietnam
pilots that have rotated."
The Vie tnam-era documents add details to
the bare-bones explanation of Bush's aides over the years that he was suspended
simply because he decided to skip his flight physical.
The White House
said in February that it had released all records of Bush's service, but one of
Killian's memos stated it was "for record" and another directing Bush to take
the physical exam stated that it was "for 1st Lt. George W. Bush."
"I
can't explain why that wouldn't be in his record, but they were found in Jerry
Killian's personal records," White House communications director Dan Bartlett
told CBS's "60 Minutes II," which first obtained the memos.
Bartlett
said Bush's superiors granted permission to train in Alabama in a non-flying
status and that "many of the documents you have here affirm just that."
A memo dated May 19, 1972, five days after Bush was supposed to have
completed his physical, summarizes a telephone discussion with Bush about how he
"can get out of coming to drill from now through Novem ber." It says Bush was
"told he could do ET for three months or transfer." ET referred to equivalent
training, a procedure for meeting training requirements without attending
regularly scheduled drills.
The same memo says "we talked abut him
getting his flight physical situation fixed" and quotes Bush as saying he would
"do that in Alabama if he stays in a flight status." It also says, I advised
him of our investment in him and his commitment."
Democratic Party
chairman Terry McAuliffe said, "George W. Bush's cover story on his National
Guard service is rapidly unraveling. ... George W. Bush needs to answer why
he regularly mislead the American people about his time in the Guard and who
applied political pressure on his behalf to have his performance reviews
'sugarcoated'"
Bartlett told CBS, "As it says in your own documents,
President Bush talked to the commanders about the fact that he'd be transferring
to a unit ... in Alabama that didn't fly that plane," the F-102, the type Bush
wa s trained in.
Using only last names, one of the newly disclosed
documents points to sharp disagreement among Bush's superiors in Texas over how
to evaluate his performance for the period from mid-1972 through mid-1973.
"Staudt has obviously pressured Hodges more about Bush," Killian wrote
on Aug. 18, 1973. "I'm having trouble running interference and doing my job --
Harris gave me a message today from Grp regarding Bush's OETR and Staudt is
pushing to sugar coat it. Bush wasn't here during rating period and I don't
have any comments from 187th in Alabama. I will not rate." Grp refers to a
military unit and OETR stands for officer efficiency training report.
The memo concludes: "Harris took the call from Grp today. I'll
backdate but won't rate. Harris agrees."
At the time, Walter B.
Staudt was commander of the Texas National Guard; Lt. Col. Bobby Hodges was
one of Bush's superiors in Texas who two years earlier had rated Bush an
outstanding young pilot; and Lt. Col. William D. H arris Jr. was another
superior of Bush's.
Records released this year when Bush's military
service re-emerged as a campaign issue contain no evidence that he showed up for
duty at all for five months in mid-1972 and document only a few occasions later
that year.
Asked about Killian's statement in a memo about the
military's investment in Bush, Bartlett told CBS: "For anybody to try to
interpret or presume they know what somebody who is now dead was thinking in any
of these memos, I think is very difficult to do."