Reply #223: JEEZ! Look at what's going on in the damn thing!

[Walt Starr]

George H.W. Bush is pinning lieutenant bars on him for criminies sake! He was commissioned on September 4, 1968. That photograph is far easier to date than the first.

In the first, he is wearing pilot's wings. George W. Bush became a qualified pilot effective on November 26, 1969 according to orders included in this document packet:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/bushdocs/11-2_2004_Personnel_File.pdf

Assuming Bush was at least legitimately wearing his pilot's wings, the photograph would have been taken after earning the wings. The photograph lists Mr. Bush as a Second Lieutenant (2LT). Assuming he didn't demote himself for the photograph, that means the photograph was taken prior to November 7, 1970.

So we have a narrow window where the photograph was taken. If we assume he would have no qualms about wearing pilot's wings when he had not earned them, then the window broadens back to September 4, 1968. Sine we see his hair was much shorter in the other picture where he had his lieutenant bars pinned on jhis should, we have to push it up a few weeks at least.