Originally posted by BP:
Originally posted by Dan Nixon:

What do you KNOW of Bush's avoiding being sent to battle vs compelled to serve? I certainly do not know...



then i suggest you do some research. even though he volunteered, how bush got into the texas national guard as quickly as he did is still a mystery. i'm sure having a congressman father and friends of the family in high places in the texan beauracracy didn't hurt. but i'm sure that to most people who don't know it's just a coincedence.

STILL A MYSTERY....correct.

Originally posted by Dan Nixon:

However, a privileged person to the degree Bush was could have fully AVOIDED military service period.



that would look pretty bad when your dad is a famed fighter pilot. i'm sure avoiding service all together was not an option.


......Correct

Originally posted by Dan Nixon:

Bush was trained as an F-104 fighter pilot, noted to be one of the hardest jets to fly..



hmm. i thought it was an f-102. a jet that apparently was being phased out of service (i think even recalled) by the time bush would have been eligible to go to veitnam.

Correct, my bad F-102. Same difference really for this discussion.

Originally posted by Dan Nixon:
This is dangerous work, just the training...NOT for gutless punks looking for an "easy" way out.



i agree. however i still hold the position that a pilot serving in vietnam is facing a much more dangerous job than a pilot stationed at home. keep in mind these people are attacking kerry's service...it's a lose situation in my book to begin comparing it to kerry's since he faced a tougher situation.

Correct..we discussed this before. Being a fighter pilot stateside is dangerous, being a fighter pilot in combat is MORE dangerous. I did not compare with Kerry.. I point out that Bush's service carried risk in its own right. If I were to compare, it was more risk that the majority of Kerry's naval service on a carrier support ship, less than his brief service on swift boats...fair?

Originally posted by Dan Nixon:
He has brought this attack by other swift boat vets who knew him and what really happened



i may be wrong but these people didn't even serve under his command or on any of his boats! how can they know what happened?



One served under him, the rest were based together, and ran boats within close visual range as I understand. I would think they would see a fair amount and get a good feel for the guy. Others formed a different, and favorable oppinion. Probably some truth on both sides...

1999 Amazon Green SVT Contour (#554/2760) "People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use." -Soren Kierkegaard (as posted by Jato)