Former Dannelly worker: Bush not AWOL

[LostInTheMaise]

http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/news/040216/bush.shtml

Retired Master Sgt. James Copeland does not care so much whether people think President Bush went absent without leave in 1972, but one thing he hears bothers him plenty.

"Maybe the Bush family was well known in Texas, but we didn't know who he was here. He was just another guy in a flight jacket," Copeland said Sunday.

Copeland, who lives in Hartselle, retired from the Air Force on Jan. 31, 1980. He was the disbursement accounting supervisor, a full-time position, for Dannelly Air National Guard Base in Montgomery from Oct. 28, 1971, to Oct. 27, 1975. His office was less than 100 yards from the hangar where Bush performed drills.

Copeland, 65, remembers meeting Bush on two occasions. He does not remember the precise dates. On one occasion, Copeland said, Bush and Lt. Col. John "Bill" Calhoun came to Copeland's office with a question about Bush's pay. Copeland is not sure, but he believes the question had to do with where to mail Bush's checks.

-snip-

[JoFerret]

1. Really convincing

what about the community service?

[lancdem]

2. Hmmm...

Notice the tie to Calhoun.

[aquart]

3. But he never saw him perform the drills?

Because he was just a guy in a jacket?

But he remembers where the nobody wanted his checks sent?

Try again.

[LostInTheMaise]

4. Try again exactly

I'm sure it can be proved that these latest bush-backers are lying through their teeth. How can it be proved that these ex-military hacks are just being paid off by bush to try and clear his deserter status?

[qanda]

5. They're coming out of the woodwork now

All somehow connected to Calhoun. Please give me a break!

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Taeger]

6. Copeland must be nobody

Maybe the Bush family was well known in Texas, but we didn't know who he was here.

Well, if you didn't know who he was, why do you remember if you knew him or not????? Nice self contradiction ASS-HOLE!!!!

But if it IS true, it's nice to know that Bush showed up to see that he was getting paid. Especially since he didn't seem to do any work for it.

Of course, we already established that Calhoun was there at a time when BUSH wasn't. So the person must have just been some OTHER guy in a flight jacket, not Bush.

[koopie57]

16. either this guy is lieing

or he has one of the most fantastic memories ever. Like you said, if Bush was one of the 1,000 men there, no one of significance, why would he remember this one particular soldier asking about his pay? And how convenient is the Calhoun connection? I wish they would make up a lie that takes at least a little bit of effort and imagination to debunk. And I wonder if they seek out these critters and pay them to lie or there are people out there who really think they are helping and will be commended in some way?

[DoYouEverWonder]

8. None of this proves that Bu$h fulfilled his commitment

What happened to Bu$h's military records? Didn't he say he was going to release everything and so far everything that he released proves that he DIDN'T served for the period in question?

Sorry, but the questionable memory of people who claim to have seen Bu$h once or twice certainly won't cut in a court of law.

[LostInTheMaise]

10. Exactly. bush was a deserter until he proves he wasn't

It's about time the press got on the side of the people instead of supporting those that make up stories about interns and Democrats.

Things are looking up!

[Zhade]

40. God, I'm going to HATE myself for this...

I really, really, REALLY don't want to point this out, because he deserves nothing less than a trial for war crimes and lifetime imprisonment in solitary, but -- we're accusing b*sh of desertion. Therefore, the burden of proof is on US.

GOD, I need to take a shower. I can't believe I had to defend this traitor's right to innocence-before-guilt! Yuck.

But, still...we have to uphold our principles for the worst to ensure them for the best.

Now I need a drink. :P

[LiberalFighter]

27. Where are the BASE RECORDS??????

"All Bush would have to do to get proof of his Alabama service is pick up the phone and contact military records," he said. "It seems a little odd that he hasn't done that."

[Wickerman]

9. How is that a grown Lt always needed to be led around by a Lite Col?

Sorry, that stuff doesn't happened in the military. As a Jr officer they expect you to be able to show some leadership and find your own way about. First Copeland helped him find a Doc, next it was to find out where to mail the check. Gee, sounds like someone being mustered out for some kind of discipline problem.


and that crap about no one hanging with Bush* because he was Republican? Sorry, politics weren't so divisive in 1972 that a couple of officers wouldn't have had a few beers. Maybe if the boy king was an asshole... :think:

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[papau]

14. sounds like someone being mustered out for some kind of discipline problem

that is the way I read it

followed by a fix by Daddy

and a Ch 15 that somehow is lost.

but we know the military keeps lousy records

:-)

[Jackpine Radical]

30. A quibble--

I think you mean an Article 15, not a chapter 15.

[papau]

34. Sorry - Article 15 is what I meant ! :-)

:-)

[oneighty]

15. Yes indeed

even a lowly seaman apprentice in the Navy is expected to find his way around the base, ship, whatever. This is more BS, or Bush* really is stupid.

180

[NNN0LHI]

12. Mr. Copeland still says something doesn't add up here

>>>While Copeland said he thinks claims that Bush was AWOL are baseless, he said one thing puzzles him.

"All Bush would have to do to get proof of his Alabama service is pick up the phone and contact military records," he said. "It seems a little odd that he hasn't done that."

Copeland also is puzzled by dental records that Bush produced as evidence of his duties at Dannelly.

"We had no dentist at Dannelly Field," Copeland said. "The only dentists were at Maxwell (Air Force Base)."<<<

[Zhade]

44. Kick and a big red flag.

Reposted this line from your post, just in case anyone overlooked it in this thread:

Copeland also is puzzled by dental records that Bush produced as evidence of his duties at Dannelly.

"We had no dentist at Dannelly Field," Copeland said. "The only dentists were at Maxwell (Air Force Base)."

[SpiralHawk]

13. Where to the mail the checks

Smirky's big concern.

Here's the address he gave:

Snidely Q. Coke Dealer, Inc.
666 Back Alley Lane
Privilige City

[patmacsf]

17. How unbelievable is that ......

The guy forgets that at the time, Bush's daddy wasn't just a name in Texas, he was The United State's Ambassador to the United Nations. This crock of s**t doesn't even pass the laugh test. "We were just a bunch of good ol' boys from Alabamy, awww shucks we don't nothing about no United Nations."

It's so true, if Ken Starr were investigating this about a Democratic president, Calhoun and this moron would have been run through the wringer and threatened with imprisonment for making false statements to a law enforcement official unless they testified against someone they wanted to put in jail .... I weep for America.

[nini]

18. If he was there why would they have to mail the checks?

or is that how it works in the military?

[gimme a break]

39. When my Hubby was still in the reserves

his checks were mailed to us. We lived an hour or so from the base in a different state. I believe all the checks are mailed so that you don't have to wait for your next drill date to get paid. He was Navy, but I assume all the branches would do it the same way.

[nadinbrzezinski]

19. hmm perculiar

so he had dentistry work done by a non existent dentist?

This does not add up, at all

[LiberalFighter]

25. He had his dentist flown in?

So who is the dentist that did the dental work?

[LiberalFighter]

20. Mail the checks?

Wouldn't they have orders and have all the necessary info in those orders to process him?

By the way... the Houston payroll records had him living at 2910 Westheimer Houston TX 77006

How difficult was that??

[TacticalPeek]

33. Mailed? IIRC, Shrub's story requires that he was paid direct from Houston.

We need some Finance guys to find the real dope in the 400 pages, and nail this down, or xfoot it, or whatever. Smoke it.

Are all 4XX pages posted somewhere?

[LiberalFighter]

37. President Bush's military records @ USA Today

http://www.usatoday.com/news/2004-02-14-bush-docs.htm

They don't have his Performance Records uploaded at the site.

[LiberalFighter]

21. Can we believe this??

The other time Copeland remembers meeting Bush was at the base canteen. Bush was there drinking coffee or a soft drink, Copeland said.

[tedzbear]

28. Why would he remember that, if he didn't know who Bush was at the time?

Was * that cute in uniform???


Muhahahahahaha! What about the other 1,000 men who visited the canteen? Can you remember them too? What a liar!


:kick:

[LiberalFighter]

38. Copeland... Name all 1,000 men at the base!!

[acmavm]

22. I'll bet this guy will be getting a check in the mail soon, from the Bush*

election campaign.

[LiberalFighter]

23. Who learned ethical and honesty from whom?

(snip)
Calhoun told The Associated Press last week that he saw Bush every drill time, which was one weekend each month.

Not only was Calhoun in a position to know of Bush's service, Copeland said, but Calhoun "was an ethical and honest officer."
(snip)

Every drill time?? One weekend each month?? Which weekends? The weekends seem to be at ODD times of the month.
Oct 1972 4th Saturday
Nov 1972 2nd Saturday
Jan 1972 1st Saturday

Ethical and Honesty??? This Calhoun's ethics and honesty should be interesting to challenge.

[LiberalFighter]

24. F-106??

I thought bush trained on F-102's Specifically F-102A's!!!!

(snip)
Copeland said Bush trained on an F-106 fighter plane in Texas, so he was not qualified to fly the planes at Dannelly. Dannelly had F-84 Thunderjets and, later, F-4 Phantoms.
(snip)

Should these ethical and honest men know the difference between an F-102 and an F-106?

[rppper]

46. f-102"s and f-106's look alike, but there is no mistaking....

an f-84 or an f-4 for either of the two....



the f-106 is an improved version of the f-102...here are the f-84 and the f-4.....

[PragMantisT]

26. Favorite Repub phrases

5: What the president meant to say...
4: They hate us because of our freedom
3: I'm sorry senator, I have no recollection of that event
2: I refuse to answer on the grounds that I might tend to incriminate myself

And the new #1: I'm not sure when, but I know I saw him there.

[pinniped]

36. #2:

I don't recall W da DUMMY showing up but that doesn't mean he wasn't there serving alongside the other 100,000 people in my unit.

[tedzbear]

29. These pilots don't remember him at all and they were expecting him...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=361178


These guys knew who he was and his "family connections" very well. That's why they were looking for him to show up and that's why they remember him 30 years later.

:kick:

[pinniped]

35. Those pilots were flying two-seat trainers and they never bothered...

to see who was sitting behind them. Had they looked they would've seen it was W da DUMMY!

[mountainvue]

31. He saw him twice?

Out of a year? Okay. I'm convinced now.:eyes:

[Auntie Bush]

32. Two bits they are all Republicans. Ain't that a coincidence?

[Mithras61]

41. IIRC, * was paid for exactly 9 days...

during the time he was supposedly at Dannelly. If this cracker were to actually recall *, it's far more likely that it was because he wanted to know how * only did 9 days of service and didn't get busted for AWOL * desertion...

[ewagner]

42. Pay records weren't transferred?

In-processing and out-processing procedures ALWAYS included a visit to Finance to arrange for or personally carry (in a cardboard tube IIRC) your pay records to go to your next base.

[fob]

43. I have quick whatfer?

There was a story where someone, Gen Turnipseed maybe, said bush* was never officially part of the Alabama NG and as such it was not ANG's responsibility to keep track of him. That seems to be a pretty fair reading of the info so far presented. The question seems to have been turned to "proving" bush "served" in Alabama. My question is, Isn't "proof" of "serving" in ANG evidence of his AWOL/Desertion of TANG? Is that possible?

If you are SUPPOSED to be at TANG, and you show up at ANG instead, shouldn't TANG consider you AWOL(with appropriate time limits exceeded)

[kayell]

45. If he was wearing a flight jacket, and so close to the hanger, WHY didn't

these guys ever see the Texas Souffle? http://www.memphisflyer.com/content.asp?ID=2834&onthefly=1

They were looking for him. There were only 25 to 30 flyers at Dannelley. Have the news media hunted down all that are left?

So far the Texas Souffle seems to have breezed on and off base (according to his most biased supporters) like a whiff of hot air, there for a paycheck, there for some teeth work with an invisible dentist, and WHIFF, gone again.

[NoKingGeorge]

47. Paychecks sent to address where he did community service?

If there are only nine dates shown for '72-73 maybe the other paydates were showing his pay checks sent to Houston(?) where he did community service? How about Bath's records. He was dummy's partner maybe he was caught in the same bust and got the same community service deal...