XPost: calgary.general, can.general, can.politics 
 XPost: edm.general 
 From: shhh@donttell.org 
  
 In  John Fleming  wrote: 
 > On 16 Jan 2005 13:40:28 -0800, while chained to a desk in the 
 > scriptorium, bcpg@canada.com wrote: 
 > 
 >> $"Press your nose and make a buzzer sound" Glen 
 >> $ 
 >> $The question was: "How many Presidents have fought in combat in the 
 >> $last 200 years?" 
 >> $. 
 >> $The answer is still "zero". No Presidents have *ever* been in combat. 
 > 
 > Maybe not while sitting *in* the oval office as President of the US. 
 > However, as Glen does point out, many have served their country in a 
 > military capacity at some point during their careers.  This can 
 > include time in a theatre of combat operations. 
  
 However, many a President and member of Congress has invented military 
 careers for themselves. There is the famous case of President Kennedy, 
 who many believe was a war hero while commanding a PT boat in the 
 Pacific during WWII. Recently, there has been doubts cast on that tale. 
 Kennedy did command the PT boat as it was supposed to be a low potential 
 for combat opperation. However, when Kennedy's boat was lost, the tale 
 emerged about how he saved two crew members. It was revealled years 
 later that it was two other crew members who did the rescue work, while 
 Kennedy was incapacitated. It was Kennedy's father who helped created 
 the story about his son's heroics as a means to build a political career 
 for him. And, it is believed, he bought the silence of all who survived 
 PT 109, so as to make sure that there would be no complications for his 
 son later on. 
  
  
 > 
 > To only consider years of military service spent while the president 
 > was the occupant of the oval office is plain deceptive. 
  
 But it is amazing how many do. Thedore Roosevelt fancied himself a 
 warrior while he was Sec. of War; however, even though he formed a 
 cavalry unit famously called the "Rough Riders" and, supposedly, took 
 San Juan Hill, with Roosevelt leading the charge, there is considerable 
 doubt Roosevelt ever lead any charge. There is an account that the Rough 
 Riders took the hill only after the Spanish gave it up without a fight. 
 Some charge, I'm sure. In times of war, Presidents often declare 
 themselves to be warriors, though they rarely understand the 
 circumstances of the conflicts they oversee. 
  
 The Younger Geo. Bush does seems to believe, like Presidents before him, 
 that because he was around during a war, or wears a uniform ocassionally, 
 he is a warrior whilst only projecting the image of a warrior. And being 
 emboldened by the screwups at CBS News, he may believe that he actually 
 had a military career after all. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 e 
 > 
  
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