On 23 Apr 2008 14:23:01 -0500, "Dave" wrote:

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"Frank Boettcher" wrote in message
news
Doug, as one who was there I'll offer some additional information
regarding this subject.

Don't confuse them with facts, Frank. You're challenging an article of
faith.

Not attempting to confuse, Dave. I met Doug and family on his ICW
loop and he is an intelligent and likable person. I'm simply offering
a perspective based on living through the times.

I'm not defending Bush. The use of influence to change position on a
national guard list was commonplace, so if it happened it would not
surprise me because I know others, locally, who took advantage of the
same thing. Individuals with a whole lot less stroke than the Bush
family. So his "crime" was to accept the outcome.

It was not time of fairness. If you were poor, could not afford to
continue education past high school, had no influence, could not trick
the system by taking drugs to fail the physical, you were drafted or
you joined, or you fled the country, plain and simple. Then the
lottery, then the elimination of the draft.

My comments on the "winding down" of the war are as I observed them.
Many combat pilots were coming back and the slots in guard units were
coveted, and they deserved them. If you didn't want to stay in, no
one was going to chain you to the post.

Frank