Do These Documents Shed any Light on Bush's Service?

This document was received by Marty Heldt in response to his Freedom of Information Act request (page 1, page 2) of July 13, 2000. (Curiously, it was apparently NOT received by Walter Robinson of the Boston Globe in response to a 1999 FOIA request.)

There is no telling when or why it was made a part of Bush's military records:

• No specific dates of service are indicated
• It has no identifying information other than a "W"
• It is not even clear what year this document is from.

Would anyone consider this "proof" of anything?

Now, let's look at a second version of that same document. This document (with handwriting) was NOT sent in response to FOIA requests, either by Marty Heldt or Walter Robinson of the Boston Globe. It was first published by George Magazine in a special online feature on October 10, 2000. Where it came from, no one is sure. George Magazine touted this as a key piece of "evidence" of Bush's military service in 1972 and 1973.

An archive of the George Magazine article can be found here. The document below was originally located on their web at http://www2.georgemag.com/images/documents/doc13a.gif but is no longer there; George Magazine has ceased operations. That article was thoroughly refuted shortly after it was published; George Magazine never issued a response.

TomPaine.com also took a look at the George Magazine article..."MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS: Bush's Military Record Under Scrutiny" (10/21/00). Excerpt:

"But it's important to note that before Bush decided to run for president, none of the three documents that form the pillars of George's case were in Bush's files, according to undisputed reports in the Boston Globe."

So who exactly was given the opportunity to make changes to Bush's file, and when?

Alas, this document raises more questions than it answers.

• It also contains no identifying information other than a "W," and no specific dates.
• If Bush actually served those days in 1972 and 1973, where did he serve them? General Turnipseed in Alabama says Bush did not report to him as ordered, and Bush's supervising pilots at the Texas ANG (Lieutenant Colonels Killian and Harris) had him "not observed" from 5/1/72 to 4/30/73. (Page One, Page Two of Annual Officer Effectiveness Report.) On both documents, ARF = Air Reserve Force? Is there no Texas ANG record of days served?
• Whose handwriting is that? (Al Lloyd?) When were those notations made, and how did this 'annotated' document become an official part of Bush's military records?
• What responsible journalist would accept this document as evidence of anything at all?

And now in February 2004, the document below surfaces. It appears to be an untorn version of the documents above.

Let's also note that Bush's Chronological Listing of Service (displayed below) shows 22 days AD/ACDUTRA (Active Duty/ACtive DUty TRAining) as of May 26, 1972 (third line from the bottom)...and no other service whatsoever before his October 1, 1973 "transfer" to a Denver unit.