Fortunate Son, by J. H. Hatfield: on Homeland Security

Dan Quayle: 1969: "Phone calls were made" to avoid Vietnam service

Media asserted that Bush's running mate, Sen. Dan Quayle, the heir of a newspaper fortune, had used the influence of either his wealthy publishing family or political friends to gain a slot in the Indiana National Guard in 1969 as a means of avoiding the draft.

Bush's campaign chairman admitted that Quayle "was assisted by his family" in joining the Guard; George W., in an attempt at damage control, suggested it was enough that Quayle had not fled to Canada.

Quayle finally met the press and said that he "let a number of people know" that he wanted to "get into the National Guard. Phone calls were made; I don't know the specifics of that." Although he had worked for the Indiana governor, Quayle stated that he was "almost certain the governor was not involved" in securing a slot for him in the National Guard. However, the senator did acknowledge that a family friend who was a former commander of the Indiana National Guard more than likely interceded on his behalf.

Source: Fortunate Son, by J.H.Hatfield, p. 40-41 Aug 17, 1999

George Bush Sr.: Claims he objected to Iran-Contra; Reagan says he did not

The Iran-Contra scandal mired the Reagan/Bush administration in its most serious controversy. Both the credibility of the president and the political prospects of his vice president had been damaged with the continuing revelations about the administration's covert arms dealings with Iran and the stunning news that money from those transactions was channeled to the Contra rebels fighting communism in Nicaragua.

The problem for Bush went beyond his role as Reagan's loyal cheerleader and would-be successor. Bush was a former CIA director and a member of the National Security Council; it was the council's staff that carried out the arms deals and the funneling of money to the Contras. The worst case scenario occurred, however, after Reagan told the press that Bush raised no objections to arms shipments to Iran, an assertion that was in direct conflict with Bush's contention that he had expressed "certain reservations" about "certain aspects" of the dealings with Iran.

Source: Fortunate Son, by J.H.Hatfield, p. 76 Aug 17, 1999

George W. Bush: 1968: Choice was avoid draft or sign up; I signed up

Numerous questions remain as to whether then-Congressman Bush used improper influence to obtain a coveted slot in the military reserve for his son that allowed him to remain stateside during the war. George W.'s official and oft-repeated version is that he "heard there were pilot slots open" at a unit of the Texas Air National Guard at Ellington Air Force Base, and simply "signed up to fly a single-seat F-102 Interceptor," which provided him with a deferment. "Your options either were to avoid the draft or sign up," Bush acknowledged, "and I signed up."

Before enlisting, Bush took the Air Force Officers Qualification test. While scoring 25% for pilot aptitude on the screening test--"about as low as you could get and be accepted"--Bush scored 95% in the "officer quality" section.

His Guard application form asked for "background qualifications of value to the Air Force." Bush wrote "None." On whether he was interested in an overseas assignment, Bush checked the box that said: "do not volunteer."

Source: Fortunate Son, by J.H.Hatfield, p. 38-39 Aug 17, 1999

Ross Perot: 1980s: Traveled to Vietnam in violation of the Logan Act

During the Reagan administration Perot traveled to Vietnam in violation of the Logan Act on a personal mission to locate 39 American POWs allegedly performing slave labor in Southeast Asia. When he returned empty-handed, Reagan refused to meet with him and pawned him off on his loyal vice president. Perot suggested that he might offer to buy all of Cam Ranh Bay as a form of ransom, or attempt to pay $1 million for each returned prisoner. Bush rejected both ideas. "Well, George, I go in looking for prisoners, but I spend all my time discovering the government has been moving drugs around the world and is involved in illegal arms deals," Perot alleged. "I can't get at the prisoners because of the corruption among our own covert people." He told the vice president that other officials around him were not corrupt but merely incompetent. Source: Fortunate Son, by J.H.Hatfield, p.109 Aug 17, 1999

The above quotations are from Fortunate Son George W. Bush and the Making of an American President by J. H. Hatfield. Click here for definitions & background information on Homeland Security. Click here for other issues (main summary page). Click here for more quotes by George W. Bush on Homeland Security. Click here for more quotes by George Bush Sr. on Homeland Security.
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