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Mr. Luddite

On 11/7/2015 8:17 AM, Justan Olphart wrote:
On 11/7/2015 2:12 AM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 11/6/2015 5:40 PM, Califbill wrote:
John H. wrote:
On Fri, 6 Nov 2015 10:45:25 -0800 (PST), wrote:

On Friday, November 6, 2015 at 1:18:49 PM UTC-5, Mr. Luddite wrote:
Outed regarding his claimed appointment to West Point.
That's the end of his political ambitions, assuming he
ever had any.

He's mis-remembering something that happened 46 years ago, and/or
using
sloppy language to describer it. From what I've read, it's likely
that
he did meet General Westmoreland, and they did discuss West Point.
Carson never applied, so the appointment was never granted.
Perhaps he
had the impression that it was a given?

Almost as bad as claiming to have flown into Bosnia under
heavy sniper fire.

But that didn't end that particular career, did it?

If Westmoreland said he could get Carson into West Point, then Carson
could have
gotten into West Point. Carson probably didn't know at the time that
there is no such
thing as a 'full paid scholarship' to West Point, but I can imagine
Westmoreland
using such a term. Cadets do not pay to attend USMA, but are, in
fact, paid a salary
while there. They do incur a five year obligation to the military (at
least it was
five years when I was in the military).

It's very easy to be confused about entrance requirements to USMA. As
a young PFC, my
lieutenant urged me to apply, which I did. I went before a board of
the company
officers, a board of battalion officers, and then went to the board
at the brigade
level. When I walked in the personnel staff NCO at the brigade HQ
happened to look at
my hand. He then looked up and said, "Are you married?" No one had
asked that
question or noticed the ring. When I told him I was, he was shocked.
Of course he
cancelled that board and let the full colonel presiding know about
the boo-boo.

Was I offered a scholarship? No. But I was told by several officers
that I could get
into the academy.

**** happens.

Now some liberal can make a lot of hay from my story, just as they
are Ben Carson's
story.
--

Ban idiots, not guns!

Different ways of getting to military academy. I was a 2nd alternate
for
my congressman. He had come competitive exams for his appointments. I
would have had to have both the primary and the 1st alternate fail
somehow
to have got the appointment.

The problem with Carson's story is that all references to Westmoreland
being involved have now disappeared from his account of what happened.
In a book he claims it was Westmoreland who said he could get a
"scholarship". His most recent story (last night) was that he can't
remember who the people were who offered him the scholarship.

"can't remember"? He must have caught that disease from Hillary.

In his defense, it was 50 years ago. But still, if it was General
Westmoreland who personally offered the "scholarship" as described in
Carson's book, you would think he'd remember it. Instead, he now refers
to a "group" of people and can't remember who they were.