The American Spectator

Reader Mail

(Page 7 of 12)

2. The PO box number for Headquarters, Texas National Guard is Box 5218. The box number listed in the so-called Bush memo looks fake to me. The Texas Air National Guard and the Texas Army Nation Guard uses the same PO box number and mail is routed to the appropriate office via office symbol (i.e. AGTX-FTM would equal Adjutant General's Office Full-Time Manning, AGTX-E equals Directorate of Facilities and Engineering). Air National Guard Headquarters has a distinct office symbol, but shares a PO box number. At least that was the way I experienced it from 1976 through 2000 as both a week-end and full-time member of the Texas Army National Guard.

3. Many of the literary conventions in the letter do not meet military standards. For example, dates are rendered 1 May 71 not 01 May 71. First Lieutenant is rendered 1LT not 1st LT. Commanders sign off on a signature block that reads Commanding, not Commander.

p>The whole thing looks and smells like a crude forgery. Gunga Dan needs to retire in shame. br> -- Michael McClain br> Major (retired) br> Texas Army National Guard /p>

As a wife and mother to military personnel, I in my "inexpert eye" was struck by two things, when viewing the documents concerning 1Lt. George Bush as displayed on television:

1. I used an IBM Selectric typewriter in 1974 at a junior college, with a 'ball' instead of keys, the same kind of typewriter that supposedly was used to type the memo regarding George Bush's service in the National Guard. It took a whole semester to learn how to center the title as shown on the memo, and also how to set margins as shown in the memos. I have a problem believing a person who didn't type could set up the format for this, let alone someone who was a career military person.

2. The address as a 'P.O. Box' also struck me as odd. In the military papers that I ever saw, the use of a P.O. Box would be unusual for a military address, and using on a memo even more unusual. They would use 'Box' with a number following, not a U.S. Postal address. As my son was an adman for years in the military, I checked with him, and he concurred that using 'P.O. Box' would have been unusual.

p>I hate to give information for future document forgers, but the document as shown on television does look a little suspicious to little ol' me... how come it escaped the notice of Dan Rather and CBS producers? br> -- Margaret Turner br> Avoca, Michigan

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