White House Defends Bush’s Military Service

Re “White House Counters Attack on Bush’s Military Service,” Feb. 4: I love the fact that the White House immediately cries foul, using words like “outrageous” and “despicable” to describe those who might question the president’s honesty. Wednesday the issue was his Air National Guard service. Tuesday it was the presence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The day before that ... well, just look at that day’s issue of The Times.

Anyone familiar with National Guard duty knows that where there was service, there is a record of it. In 2000, the Bush campaign could have ended speculation by producing said records, but there were none to be found. I would bet the amount of the U.S. deficit that Bush’s honorable discharge from the Guard is not a product of time served but of his very well-connected, privileged upbringing.

Joseph Bua

Fountain Valley

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White House officials may call the accusations of Bush being AWOL “outrageous and baseless” and many other adjectives, but they never call them untrue. No matter what else is said about Bush’s military service, it is crystal clear that he was given preferential treatment that went beyond enrolling him in the National Guard because of his father’s powerful position. It looks like Bush’s honorable discharge was another perk of legacy.

Andrew Kohut, a public opinion expert and director of the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, suggested that this subject is irrelevant to people because Bush has served as president.

As commander in chief, Bush has sent more service people to their deaths than in any conflict since the one in Vietnam, which he avoided so adroitly. Over 500 service people have been killed in Iraq (with more dying afterward in hospitals here and abroad), plus many thousands maimed (a statistic they are trying desperately to hide).

It now appears that the imminent threat of nuclear and chemical war was nonexistent, and Iraq was not a threat to the U.S. Bush played a stupid game of costuming himself in a flight suit and flying onto an aircraft carrier to stand in front of a “mission accomplished” sign that was paid for and put in place by his staff.

I think any questions about his fitness to lead our troops are very appropriate.

Justeen Ward

Van Nuys

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I cannot understand why anyone would criticize Bush’s military record. While it is true that he chose not to join others who were dying in Vietnam, no one dared attack Texas when he was a member of the Texas Air National Guard. He should be proud of the way he defended the state.

Joe Woods

Los Angeles