Dan Rather and the forged letter

You obviously got leave. So? (Well, you did, right?)

There is no evidence that Bush ever even showed up at all after his transfer to Alabama, or intended to but couldn’t for some reason, or had leave to blow off his duty, or even claimed he had leave - just that he got a discharge, as any rich and connected kid would have done.

If your position is “Well, under the UCMJ that’s not *legally, technically * AWOL, therefore it didn’t technically, legally become desertion when the 30 days ran out”, well, you’re welcome to it.

Are you listening? No I didn’t. No one in the guard gets leave. On active duty you get 2.5 days of leave a year. In the guard you don’t accrue leave. It is a concept that does not exist in the guard unless you are activated. You can’t be absent without something you can’t get in the first place.

If you are going to use specific legal terms for specific actions which fall under very specific laws and circumstances then you should actually learn what they mean or you are just speaking out your ass.

I have never defended Bush’s military service. It wasn’t much. But his service and the discharge he got is similar to what I have seen many others do over the years (and I don’t know too many rich kids). It’s nothing to be particularly proud of but it is nothing to be crucified for. I just can’t stand people throwing around terms like desertion when they have know idea what they are talking about. Sorry I forgot this was GD. Bush is teh ev1l! Better?

Sigh … you had “permission” not to show up for duty, then. Bush did not. There would seem to be a difference in substance, whatever word you choose to use for it, would there not?

As for the rest of that post, I did say you’re welcome to that argument. It obviously gives you comfort, something to hold onto.

When you are talking about legal definitions you can’t just make shit up. If that gives you comfort go ahead. You are still wrong. So much for fighting ignorance. Or the ignorant.

Like I said why do I even try?

Setting aside the technical definition of “desertion”, it seems too grand a word for the trivial burden young Lt. Bush couldn’t be bothered with. “Playing hooky” seems about right, considering the strategic significance of his contribution.

Pretty much.

Not to mention that the cite given, above, to back up the charge of desertion said:

Are you actually missing the point, or simply carefully steering around it? :dubious: