Subject: Why did Bush join the national guard?
From: "Pete"
Date: 9/5/2004 11:05 PM Pacific Standard Time
Message-id:


"ArtKramr" wrote


Good question that deserves a serious answer. I was in my senior year at
Abraham Lincoln High School in New York. We were visited by recruiting
officers
from the Air Corps,, The Navy and the Marines. They made extensive
presentations about just what it would be like to join their services.
They had
combat veterans back from action address us and tell us how much we were
needed
and what it would be like to serve with them. I was taken by two
presentations;
the Army AIr Corps and the Navy V5 program which was naval aviation. I
opted
for the Air Corps. I had to take a lot of tests; written oral and physical
Upon
passing all of them I was informed that I was accepted as an AIr Corps
Cadet
candidate and would be called up after my high school graduation. I was
interested in the Naval aviation program almost as much as the AAC
presntaion
but since I could only shoose one I took the Army Air corps. As the term
came
to an end I anxiously awaited my graduation and my call up into the Air
Cadet
program. But I had one overiding fear. I was afraid the war would end
before I
got there. It didn't. But I never for one moment considered joining the
reserve. I really wanted ot go to war, not avoid it.But i was very
young.But
the rest of the guys in my HS class flet just as I did. And of all of us
that
chose the Army AIr Corps from that class, I was the only surivor.

Here's a question, Art.

If joining the Reserve was your best (maybe only) shot at an aircrew slot,
would you have done it?
Or would your desire to "go to war" overrided that, and you would have
instead have volunteered for the infantry?

Pete


The "reserve" means held back. Back then it was a disgrace to join the reserve.
Kids were leaving school and coming back in Marine, Army and Navy uniforms and
we all wanted to go. I wanted to also but after the represent of the ArmyAir
Corps addressed us my mind was made up. I wwanted to fly. And there was a song
popular at that time. It went " Zoot suits and parachutes and wings of silver
too. He'll buzz the clouds as his daddy used to do" I was hooked by the Air
Corp I was afraid I couldn't pass the exams but I was good at math and physics
and passed easily. The physical was no problem since I was on the track and
football teams and in good shape. Next thing I knew I was 10,000 feet over the
Rhine in heavy flak fields doing what I was trained to do. And I'm still here
to tell about it.





Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer