In his autobiography, Bush calls Jerry Killian a friend

[Awsi Dooger]

Killian, who died in 1984, was Bush's squadron leader and wrote the damning memos discovered by 60 Minutes II. Here is a paragraph from the Boston Globe AWOL series from 2000:

"But retired colonel Martin, the unit's former administrative officer, said he too thought Bush had been in Alabama for that entire year. Harris and Killian, he said, would have known if Bush returned to duty at Ellington. And Bush, in his autobiography, identifies the late colonel Killian as a friend, making it even more likely that Killian knew where Bush was."

http://awol.gq.nu/AWOL_Globe%20series.htm

From the 60 Minutes II program tonight:

"But 60 Minutes has obtained a number of documents we are told were taken from Col. Killian's personal file. Among them, a never-before-seen memorandum from May 1972, where Killian writes that Lt. Bush called him to talk about "how he can get out of coming to drill from now through November."

Lt. Bush tells his commander "he is working on a campaign in Alabama…. and may not have time to take his physical." Killian adds that he thinks Lt. Bush has gone over his head, and is "talking to someone upstairs."

"In a memo from Aug. 18, 1973, Col. Killian says Col. Buck Staudt, the man in charge of the Texas Air National Guard, is putting on pressure to "sugar coat" the evaluation of Lt. Bush. Staudt, a longtime supporter of the Bush family, would not do an interview for this broadcast.

The memo continues, with Killian saying, "I’m having trouble running interference and doing my job."

[blm]

1. When he wrote his autobio, Bush didn't know those reports existed

and felt free to lie his ass off since Killian was dead.

[Awsi Dooger]

2. I think Bush actually told the truth for a change

If he did consider Killian a friend, the more unlikely there were condemning memos from Killian's hand. As you imply, he undoubtedly thought Killian blew off the absence at the time, and the subject would become as dead as Killian himself.

My point in this thread is a friend would be severely unlikely to make up or negatively exaggerate about Bush, especially in a military memo and as serious as disobeying orders. Makes me think Bush's service was even more of an AWOL disgrace than any of us believe.