The truth about President George W. Bush and his military service, as remembered by his wingmen who trained with him at Moody Air Force Base and served with him in the 147th Fighter Interceptor Group of the Texas Air National Guard, AWOL, F-102, Alabama Air National Guard

LT. COLONEL BENNY WHITE
Student Pilot in George W. Bush's Class 70-04

REMEMBERING GEORGE W. BUSH . . .
I went to USAF Pilot Training with George W. Bush at Moody AFB in 1969. He was in the National Guard and I was a Marine. We were both serving our country.
After flight school George went to Texas and flew with the Air National Guard. I went to Vietnam and flew 250 combat missions over North and South Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. I was shot at on almost every mission by missiles and anti-aircraft fire. I was serving my country and so was George Bush.

Very few people who were in the military during the Vietnam era actually went into Vietnam and fewer still were in actual combat and fewer still were digging foxholes and crawling around through the jungles with a knife in their teeth and a bandolier of ammunition wrapped around their body. No matter what job we had, we were serving our country. We weren't avoiding the draft and we didn't escape the draft to go to school in England and we weren't protesting before Congress or in the streets of our cities. We were serving our country.

Returning from Vietnam, I joined the Arizona Air National Guard. For fourteen years I trained Guardsmen, Reservists, active duty Air Force, Navy and Army pilots to fight wars and win them. I helped develop many of the weapons, tactics, and machines that our military uses today to win wars and protect our nation. I am proud of my service in the National Guard and I don't have adequate words to tell you how proud I am of the young men and women I served with and those who are still serving our nation so bravely.

There are a number of ways for members of the National Guard and Reserves to fulfill their military obligations. President Bush served our country in the Air National Guard and was honorably discharged. I finished my tour and was honorably discharged in 1988.

I am an old fighter pilot now. I watch TV, read the papers and wish I could help our young men and women finish their missions and come home safely. My President is still working every day, serving our nation, trying to make this a safer world.