How to spot a phony... send this to every journalist you can think of

[SoCalDem]

http://www.journalism.org/resources/tools/ethics/wartime/phony.asp

This is about heroes & pows, but the technique for outing is the same.. Our sorry-assed journos need all the help they can get :)

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a snippet..


Spotting a Phony War Hero or POW

Ed Offley, from his book Pen & Sword

The veteran you are about to interview claims to have been a prisoner of war. Or that he received the Medal of Honor. Or holds other high awards and decorations. Or that he was involved in secret assassination missions behind the lines. Or that he retired with the rank of colonel or general.

How can you determine whether any of this is true, including his status as a veteran?
There is a simple three-step process you can follow.

Require a full set of identification papers and military documents before you agree to the interview. Many phony veterans merely make up their biographies from thin air, but others have been known to forge documents and even to commit "identity theft" of actual paws or veterans. So it is necessary not only to check out the interviewee's claims but to compare his documentation against that of the military archives.

You should begin by informing the veteran that because all too many phony veterans have deceived the news media in recent years about their wartime experiences, it is a sad necessity that you have to confirm the veteran's identity and his official records before you may proceed. To do that you need to obtain a transcript of military service from the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Mo. - the component of the National Archives that handles all military personnel records.

You should insist on the following: A copy of his birth certificate or passport, driver's license, Form DD-214 (summary of military service at discharge), and a copy of the General Order for each award or medal. You should also obtain his Social Security number.


Apply for his official military records from the National Personnel Records Center.
You should require from him a letter authorizing you as the media representative to receive a copy of all releasable information from the NPRC, or have him fill out a Form 180 request for information. You can download a .pdf version of NARA Form 180 at www.nara.gov /regional/mprsfl80.html. If the veteran declines to do this, you have the option of calling off the article or proceeding anyway.

If he declines and you wish to proceed, the following information in every serviceman's file is releasable to the public under the federal Freedom of Information Act (see Chapter 11):


Name

Age (date of birth)

Dates of service

Source of commission (for officers)

Rank/ grade and date attained

Marital status

Promotion sequence number

Salary*

Office phone number*

City/town and state of last known address and date of this address

Serial/service number (those issued prior to the use of the Social Security number as the service number)

Decorations and awards

Place of birth; date and geographical location of death; and place of burial+

Military and civilian education level

Photograph (or photocopy if only one photo is available)

Place of induction and separation

Duty assignments (including geographical location)

Dependents (including name, sex, and age)

Records of court-martial trial (unless classified)

Education/schooling (military)

Future assignments, which have been finalized*

Duty status#

Notes:
*These items obviously relate to active-duty personnel and are not likely to be found in the records at the NPRC.
# For records at the NPRC this generally means discharged or retired.
+ If person is deceased, these items also may generally be released.

Send your FOIA Request (See Chapter 11) to:
National Personnel Records Center
Military Personnel Records
9700 Page Ave.
St. Louis MO 63132-5100

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