The Champaign Unit of the TANG

[Granite]

Mr. President*, how did you manage to get into the TANG in the first place?

What George W. did, of course, was to secure a rare, open slot in the Texas Air National Guard. He told the commander he wanted to be a fighter pilot because his father was one. Unlike today, the Guard was not a steady source of combat troops for Vietnam. The draft took care of that, though college deferments and loosely acquired medical deferments protected the privileged and influential.

Evidence indicates that Bush did have political help in jumping over a waiting list of about 500 to enter what was called the "champagne unit" of the Texas Guard, joining the sons of Treasury Secretary John Connally and Sen. Lloyd Bentsen. One member of the unit recalls, "Most of us were members of the Houston and River Oaks country clubs."

http://www.indystar.com/articles/6/120278-7476-021.html

[rfranklin]

1. Please refer to it as the "Freedom Fizzy" Unit...

So as to avoid any reference to those damn Frenchies!

[Granite]

2. I wanna be a pilot

'cause my Daddy was one! Do I get ta fly real airoplanes?

Pathetic.

[Onward]

3. I'm joining my country club today

Seriously, I think we (the US) should encourage more stories like this one. This is a core issue, at least recently, in the US, and it will become more important if the draft is imposed here again.

"Not fair," as my 10-year old says. Let's lambaste Bush and all the others who used position and influence to escape the shooting.

[Granite]

4. I agree

This is an issue that needs to be raised. The Bush family (and most Republicans today) were four-square for the war. So why would a family who believed so strongly in America's fight against Communism work so hard to keep their privileged son out of that noble fight? This is the height of hypocrisy, and it needs to be addressed. Someone in another tread said that the chickenhawk angle ought not to be overlooked. I agree - Bush* was a child of privilege who was able to avoid going to Viet Nam because of the influence of his daddy, and spent his "honorable" tour of duty hanging out with his country club friends.

No wonder why he refuses to go to the funerals of the soldiers who were killed in Iraq - he'd have to viscerally confront his own hypocrisy.

[SpaceCatMeetsMars]

5. Right, I posted in another thread about how

my parents and oldest brother were living in constant fear that he would he be drafted and that my other brothers would be too, and how he went to DC to protest the war. They were completely against the war and thought it was a horrible tragedy that young men were dying. They talked about it all the time and were frustrated and powerless. I remember them talking about it constantly and being so relieved when it was over and he didn't get drafted.

That's how middle-class people reacted mostly, and we all know how the poorer people ended up.

So how come Bush isn't getting asked why he didn't go to the war when he supported it? He got to show off and get used as an advertisement for clean-living and THEN go off and ignore his duty without a care in the world.

Meanwhile, poor people get killed and wounded and the middle-class are lucky enough to get by with just worrying themselves sick for several years.

[newyawker99]

6. Hi Onward!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast: