Dallas man who exposed fake Vietnam records honored by Army

[Judi Lynn]

Dallas man who exposed fake Vietnam records honored by Army
December 2, 2003

DALLAS- A North Texas man's discovery that more than 1,200 people either lied about or exaggerated their claims of serving in the Vietnam War has earned him a military honor.

B.G. "Jug" Burkett on Monday received the military branch's Distinguished Civilian Service Award. Former President George H.W. Bush presented the award to Burkett during a brief ceremony at the Bush Library in College Station.

The award from the secretary of the Army cited Burkett's "unique and important contribution in properly honoring our veterans of the Vietnam War."

Burkett was nominated for the award more than a year ago by John W. Nicholson, an undersecretary at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, who said Burkett overcame huge obstacles to get his story out. (snip/...)

http://www.texaswest.com/sast/home/article/0,1897,SAST_4943_2471651,00.html

[ConcernedCanuk]

1. so - hmm - who gets the award re Iraq in 30-some years ?

. . From the article:

"He exposed a mass distortion of history that cost taxpayers billions of dollars"

/snip/

Why am I thinking "Junior" ??

Back to the article:

Burkett started his own research to find out who fought in Vietnam and to debunk some of the myths about Vietnam veterans. Through the work, he exposed more than 1,200 people, including politicians and entertainers, who had tried to capitalize on bogus or inflated war records.

/snip/

"who had tried to capitalize on bogus or inflated war records.
"

Why am I thinking Cowboy from Crawford ??

Just a Cynical Canuk Observation

[absolutezero]

2. i was thinking the same thing

i'll bet bush is on that list someplace

[T Bone]

7. No he is getting the award because of whom he left OFF the list

The award now makes him an 'expert'. And if the expert leaves Bush off his list, then who are we to argue with an expert. Got it ?

[0007]

3. Kind of like poopy Bush who lied about his war connected,

cowardness that caused a few deaths and was decorated as a hero.

The witnesses to this fact are still alive.

[Ernesto]

8. 0007 you ROCK

I thought that I was the only one that is upset about the eye- witness story of poppy's outrageous act of cowardice... Ol' poppy was a great example for the "bush family tradition" (lying).

[IMayBeWrongBut]

9. Is there a link to this

Is there a link to this eye witness account of Bush sr.'s cowadice? I want to read it now...

[izzie]

4. I am too old to even think the country has not gone Mad.

n/t

[UpInArms]

5. I wonder if

this is the same person as the one cited in Palast's article?

http://www.gregpalast.com/detail.cfm?artid=232&row=0

But what the heck, Bush’s supporters respond that the man did at least he ‘serve his country’ in the Air Guard. Or did he? Questions have been raised over the years about whether the younger George, having nailed the cushy pilot seat, failed to report for duty. On camera, I spoke with Texas cattle rancher Bill Burkett, formerly a Lieutenant Colonel in the air guard. Seems that Burkett was in the office of the Guard’s Adjutant General when a call came in from then-Governor George W. Bush’s office. As is normal procedure, the call was put on the speaker box, but the request was not so normal. The Governor’s office was sending over an official biographer … and the Governor’s minions wanted to make sure the files did not contain not-so-heroic info. Burkett told me:



“I was in the General’s office, General Daniel James …. He gets a telephone
call from Joe Albaugh, who was the Governor’s chief of staff, and Dan Bartlett … on the voice box … and they wanted General James to assemble all of the Governor’s files, that was going to write a book…. But Joe told General James, ‘Make sure there’s not anything in there that’ll embarrass the Governor.’”



And there wouldn’t be. Burkett asked if the general’s staff really intended to
purge the files; and sure enough, as evidence of the affirmative reply, he was shown the piles of pay and pension records in the garbage pails destined for the shredders. Colonel Burkett did not run off with those files so we can only conclude this: the only evidence that Bush showed up for duty during the war is now missing. Military pay records are public records – and now they are conveniently unavailable.

...more...

if it is the same person, he also wrote this

http://www.veteransforpeace.org/what_do_you_say_032203.htm

and here is his bio

Lt. Col. Bill Burkett completed 28 years of decorated service and was medically retired from the US Army National Guard in 1998 after suffering meningoencephalitis on return from an assignment in Panama. From 1995 until his illness, Burkett served as State Plans Officer for the Texas Army National Guard and Governor George W. Bush. After refusing to follow direct orders involving falsifying readiness reports, Burkett sought "whistleblower" status for reports involving anti-Semitic activity; personnel fraud; readiness fraud and the alteration of the personal military file of Governor George W. Bush. Lt. Col. Burkett is currently the plaintiff in his appeal to the US Supreme Court in the case of Burkett v. Goodwin, Taliaferro, Meador, et al, in regard to the retaliation against him following breaking the Bush records issue. Lt. Col Burkett served as a War Plans Officer during Operation Desert Storm and functioned as a senior trainer in conducting simulations exercises for deploying troops.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

6. That is the exact same guy...

...I guess they worked out a deal of some sort.

Then again, Poppy also gave an award to Ted Kennedy....maybe he's sending another disapproving signal to Junior.