RC> Hello Bob!

 RC> 26 Apr 07 16:18, you wrote to me:

 RC>>> At least he served a full tour, unlike Otto.

 BK>>  Lots of people get hurt and never serve a full tour. Some even
 BK>>  die. Bob Dole spent less time in combat than Kerry did.

 RC> In the current sphere of this line of political debate, the
 RC> military service of Gore

 Gore served, and went to Vietnam. Bush didn't even serve in the
 regular AF and he didn't even show up for all his duty in the
 reserves.

 RC> and the lack of any for Clinton,

 Clinton's lack of service was something the right tried to make
 a big deal out of, which is the only reason Bush's failure to
 even complete his service became an issue. Before that nobody
 cared one way or the other.

 RC> werent topics the Democrats wanted to discuss.

 Why would they not want to talk about Gore? He served. Which is
 more than Cheney or Bush can claim.

 RC> Come 2004, Kerry's was all they wanted to talk about.

 Kerry was a decorated combat vet, Bush never showed up for much
 of his obligation. Bush admitted he could have gone to Vietnam,
 he chose not to. Kerry volunteered.

 RC>>> After all, in 23 days, Otto became an A-10 Weapons mechanic.

 BK>>  I don't recall him ever saying that. When did he?

 RC> He said it a number of years ago in the WHAT'S_HOT! echo to
 RC> a Raymond Yates.

 No, he said he worked on A-10s. As Hulett reposted in this echo
 a few days ago. Any beginning trainee, or even a PATS waiting
 for tech school could be out on the flight line working on
 A-10s, even if it was only greasing, or wiping down, under
 supervision.

 RC> Ray and Sauer were discussing the A-10, they were
 RC> discussing the caliber of its ammo round and the color the
 RC> aircraft was painted.

 Yep, Hulett reposted it.

 RC> Sauer corrected Ray on those points and decided to qualify
 RC> it by closing the message off with this:

 RC> "P.S. I worked on A-10's when I was in the air Force"

 Notice, you quoted it yourself. Not a mechanic, just working on
 them. Like I said, any PATS or beginning trainee could do that.

 RC> It was an embellishment Sauer tossed in, whilst He was
 RC> correct on the trivia (ammo caliber and paint color),
 RC> unknown to Sauer, Ray was quite the military expert
 RC> himself, working for military intelligence out of the
 RC> pentagon.

 Which doesn't mean he knows a thing about A-10 mechanic schools.

 RC> I have a colleague, who held the same job that Sauer was
 RC> going to be trained for, only for the F-16, I related the
 RC> boast to this colleague, I also related this story to my
 RC> brother who also served in the USAF. The input I received
 RC> was that the training required would have taken a lot
 RC> longer than the 23 days Sauer was destined to have left in
 RC> the service.

 Yep. But while waiting for tech school, PATS status, he would be
 assigned *SOMETHING* to do. Which could well be out on the
 flight line cleaning dead birds off the plane. Or, assembling
 machine gun belts. Or in this case 30 mm ammo belts. Low skilled
 work. The did *NOT* let them sit around doing nothing, and they
 can only water the lawns so many times. You could have a lot of
 PATS in a tech school.

 RC> The embellishment is what got Sauer in trouble, his facts
 RC> were right, he didnt need to try to impress anyone.

 Working on A-10s impresses anyone? Some people have a low
 threshold for impression.

 RC>>> The try to liken Kerry to being a Pappy Boyington.

 BK>>  Kerry won the silver star and the bronze star with V. If you
 BK>>  read his silver star citation, signed by Admiral Zumwalt, it's
 BK>>  pretty impressive.

 RC> and then he threw his medals over a fence.

 I read it was his ribbons. So what? The battles he fought in
 were not erased because he threw anything over any fence.

 RC>>> Why does this surprise you?

 BK>>  It surprises me that you are joining in trivializing the service
 BK>>  of combat vets. At least you are not trashing it like Hulett
 BK>>  did.

 RC> I dont think I have trivialized your service, you had an
 RC> important job, but dont elevate yourself up, you were just
 RC> one spoke of a bigger wheel.

 I believe the term I used was a cog. And I did not elevate
 myself, I gave the facts. As you have seen, Hulett specifically
 trashed Kerry's service, with false statements about how he got
 the medals he earned in combat.


BOB KLAHN bob.klahn{at}sev.org   http://home.toltbbs.com/bobklahn

... Mary had a little lamb...the doctor was shocked.
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