Memphis Flyer :: Issue 781 :: BUSH A NO-SHOW AT ALABAMA BASE, SAYS MEMPHIAN
Two members of the Air National Guard unit that President George W. Bush allegedly served with as a young Guard flyer in 1972 had been told to expect him and were on the lookout for him. He never showed, however; of that both Bob Mintz and Paul Bishop are certain.
The question of Bush’s presence in 1972 at Dannelly Air National Guard base in Montgomery, Alabama — or the lack of it — has become an issue in the 2004 presidential campaign.
Recalls Memphian Mintz, now 62: ”I remember that I heard someone was coming to drill with us from Texas. And it was implied that it was somebody with political influence. I was a young bachelor then. I was looking for somebody to prowl around with.”
But, says Mintz, that ”somebody” — better known to the world now as the president of the United States — never showed up at Dannelly in 1972. Nor in 1973, nor at any time that Mintz, a FedEx pilot now and an Eastern Airlines pilot then, when he was a reserve first lieutenant at Dannelly, can remember.
”And I was looking for him,” repeated Mintz ….
Now we have airmen from Alabama who don’t remember Bush and campaign workers who do. mjh
Associates have differing memories of Bush’s Alabama stay By JAY REEVES, Associated Press Writer
Contrasting images emerged Thursday of President Bush during his time in Alabama 32 years ago: One of a hardworking campaigner who did his National Guard duty, the other a hard-drinking partier who didn’t care about the military. …
But a relative of Blount recalled Bush as a heavy drinker who was more interested in talking about his alcohol consumption than discussing his service with the Guard.
“He wouldn’t come in until midday usually,” said C. Murphy Archibald, Blount’s nephew and an attorney in Charlotte, N.C. “He didn’t seem to have any particular political interest in the campaign.”
Blount lost badly to Democratic incumbent John Sparkman, and Blount’s son, Thomas Blount, said Bush “got pretty drunk” the night of the vote. Thomas Blount described the president-to-be as “personable,” but with a swagger. …
Sullivan, a former Republican national committeewoman, said Bush sometimes wore his military uniform and talked about serving with the Air National Guard.
Some within the Alabama Guard were resentful because Bush was from Texas and was spending only the minimum amount of required time on duty, said Sullivan. “It was just some idiots,” said Sullivan.
Mad about rumors surrounding Bush, whose father was U.N. ambassador at the time, Sullivan said she called a Guard commander to explain that Bush was doing all he could while working on the campaign. …
Archibald, who served as an Army lieutenant in Vietnam, said he tried to talk with Bush about the military when he learned he was in the Air National Guard. But Bush didn’t seem interested, he said. …
Recalling the 1972 campaign, he said Bush seemed to enjoy talking about was the amount of beer he had drunk the night before. Archibald said he found that unseemly in a 26-year-old working on a statewide campaign.