This jab at president doesn’t fly

IT IS very difficult to express how much a comment irks me as did the statement in Patrick Goldstein’s column [“The ‘W.’ Script Pits 41 vs. 43,” June 28] that George W. Bush “ducked out of military service.” Excuse me, but he joined and trained and qualified as a jet pilot in the Texas Air National Guard and was subject to being called up to active duty at any time. In fact, during this period, more that 10,000 Air National Guard members across the country, including pilots, were called to duty in Vietnam.

Goldstein’s comment only serves to denigrate the many men and women of the National Guard and other military reserve units who are now serving combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as other support missions around the world.

Gary Stevens

West Hills