Bush's Military Past: "The disappearance of Bush's federal payroll records mirror the evidence of Texas records going down the memory hole. According to Lt. Col. Bill Burkett Rtd, of the Texas Air National Guard, in 1997 he heard his superior officer, Major General Daniel James, on the speakerphone with George Bush's chief of staff, Joe Allbaugh, and communications director, Dan Bartlett, arranging the sifting of Bush's military records.
Burkett also claimed that soon after he overheard Assistant Adjutant General Wayne Marty, in discussing the then Governor Bush's records, caution 'make sure there's nothing in there that'll embarrass the governor.' Burkett said he later saw files and photocopies of pay and performance records--and the name on at least one of them was 'Bush, George W., 1LT.'
Another officer, George Conn, originally verified much of Burkett's story. He has since retracted his memories of the specific conversations and events, a retraction that unkind souls have suggested may be due to his current position as a civilian defense contractor in Germany. Although he strongly qualified his retraction by affirming that 'Lt. Col. Burkett is an honorable man and does not lie,' the White House seized upon the quasi retraction to back up its case. "
- posted by geoff @ #