So I finally went and looked into the Bush-was-AWOL claim. Here are at the documents that were obtained through the Freedom of Information Act.
They're not very inspiring. No official reprimands for failure to show up at his duty station. No court-martial documents where Bush is charged with desertion or AWOL (both, we are reminded, are crimes under the Uniform Code of Military Justice). Ultimately Bush is honorably discharged and goes on to business school.
Cecil Adams is no rightie, and he sums it up nicely:
Bush's enemies say all this proves he was a cowardly deserter. Nonsense. He was a pampered rich kid who took advantage.Exactly. I'd expect similar gaps in the records of any other privileged kid who got out of the war by going into the reserves.