Posted on 07/26/2007 7:48:25 AM PDT by notbackingdown
A STATEMENT FROM SCOTT THOMAS BEAUCHAMP:
As we've noted in this space, some have questioned details that appeared in the Diarist "Shock Troops," published under the pseudonym Scott Thomas. According to Major Kirk Luedeke, a public affairs officer at Forward Operating Base Falcon, a formal military investigation has also been launched into the incidents described in the piece.
Although the article was rigorously edited and fact-checked before it was published, we have decided to go back and, to the extent possible, re-report every detail. This process takes considerable time, as the primary subjects are on another continent, with intermittent access to phones and email. Thus far we've found nothing to disprove the facts in the article; we will release the full results of our search when it is completed.
In the meantime, the author has requested that we publish the statement below. --The Editors
My Diarist, "Shock Troops," and the two other pieces I wrote for the New Republic have stirred more controversy than I could ever have anticipated. They were written under a pseudonym, because I wanted to write honestly about my experiences, without fear of reprisal. Unfortunately, my pseudonym has caused confusion. And there seems to be one major way in which I can clarify the debate over my pieces: I'm willing to stand by the entirety of my articles for the New Republic using my real name.
I am Private Scott Thomas Beauchamp, a member of Alpha Company, 1/18 Infantry, Second Brigade Combat Team, First Infantry Division.
My pieces were always intended to provide my discreet view of the war; they were never intended as a reflection of the entire U.S. Military. I wanted Americans to have one soldier's view of events in Iraq.
It's been maddening, to say the least, to see the plausibility of events that I witnessed questioned by people who have never served in Iraq. I was initially reluctant to take the time out of my already insane schedule fighting an actual war in order to play some role in an ideological battle that I never wanted to join. That being said, my character, my experiences, and those of my comrades in arms have been called into question, and I believe that it is important to stand by my writing under my real name.
--Private Scott Thomas Beauchamp
I think some private is gonna be in a heap o’ trouble. Either for lying or for misbehavior.
The John Kerry model.
sounds french...hmmm
Yeah. Right.
This ain't over, Private Beauchamp.
Welcome to FreeRepublic.
Here is a quote from his blog....... miss political arguments. There seems to be a consensus with all the boys overseas...we laugh harder at CSPAN than comedy central. Silly republicans.
posted by Scott Thomas at 4:13 AM
No doubt as to where his political views lay......address of his blog is
http://ghostsonfilm.blogspot.com/
You know, I’ve been following this guy, his stories and the Blogosphere flap over his identity.
There was much speculation that the pseudoname-”Scott Thomas” was a combination of two journalists, one named Scott and the other named Thomas, was the basis for HIS pseudoname. I thought that was a bit far-fetched.
Now I think the fact that Scott and Thomas are his actual names, well I guess it’s true and is easy enough to check what with him giving his army locale, platoon and everything. It still a pseudoname that doesn’t give him much cover and seems a stupid choice. I wonder if THIS is even true.
I’m telling you, this guy’s stories are so hard to believe. Soldiers make fun of a woman’s face which was destroyed by an explosion? A soldier driving tanks all over Baghdad trying to kill dogs lying beside the road? A soldier going around wearing the skull of a child as a freaking hat?
There’s still way more to this than meets the eyeball.
"A quick glance at some conservative sites shows that the fact checking is just starting. Pvt Beauchamp appears to have been (or may still be) an undergraduate in creative writing at U of Missouri in Columbia. A few of his poems appeared in the undergrad literary magazine. It also looks like Pvt Beauchamp kept a blog for most of last year while he was training in Germany."
Ral name or not, this POS is a liar.
A sample of his “poetry” from Michaelle Malkin’s web site:
Update: A bit of the revealing poetry of Scott Thomas Beauchamp…
Every morning I get up and I’m a little more liberal than the day before
Every morning I get up and try to recite a fact from something I read last night.
Every morning I get up and wish I was as free as the people that I’m “fighting for”
Every morning I get up and think I’m a tool for global corporations
Every morning I get up and miss my mother
Every morning I get up and shave
Every morning I get up and realize how much I love my comrades
Every morning I get up and say I’m Scott Beauchamp, in the army, living in Germany, and this is my life, and I’m going to be treated like shit today and do landscaping and janitorial work and practice killing people and there could be no other way to appreciate what I had or what I’m going to have once I get out other than enduring this now when all I really want to do is teach history and lay around and read and hustle around and repair the world (tikkun olam) and sift through knowledge and improve culture and learn how to sail and work in soup kitchens and start a family and really, I mean REALLY study the best the western civilization has to offer and facilitiate the mystery and power through everything I do, but I cant do it without getting through this army experience first, which will add a legitimacy to EVERYTHING i do afterwards, and totally bolster my opinions on defense, etc, and of course its making me a lot less lazy, just because im not use to being lazy any more, etc.
Every morning I get up…
Thank you. Good to be here.
My son, Scott Beauchamp is currently serving in Iraq and knew Marieo very well.
Scott told me about Marieo and how he picked up an extra dinner that night and had it waiting for Marieo's return, which never occured.
Scott also said he searched for and found Marieo's wedding ring to send back home.
My heart aches for you and the loss of your son/husband/brother.
Mary Garrett (St. Louis, MO)
He didn’t address any of The Weekly Standard’s questions... will TNR do that or just MoveOn.org?
I don't believe the postings of your blog, in the main, but I appreciate that you chose to serve.
At least Kerry waited till he got back to call his comrades in arms baby killers.
He has several websites/spaces on the Internet with his writings.
He expects to become a ‘war writer’ in the tradition of the anti-war warrior, the rebel, a combination of Kerouac and Hemingway.
He has obviously soaked himself in the anti-authoritarian fiction on war: ‘A Separate Peace’, ‘Sand In The Wind’, Michael Kerr’s ‘Dispatches’, ‘From Here To Eternity’, etc.
A common theme with these works is ‘wild and crazy enlisted men doing wild and crazy things’.
So he decided to follow their example.
The problem is he’s a poor writer. Overblown drama queen as well as a tin ear for language.
Any author wants to be published, and so, having immersed himself in these fictional and non-fictional anti-war screeds, he goes to a leftist mag. to get them published.
Knowing full well the leftist mags are hungry for anything anti-war coming from a solide4r in Iraq.
A commenter at Michelle Malkin has pointed out his literary ambitions.
By the way does anyone know how to register to post at Malkin? I looked all over and could not find how to register.
I’m not Scott Beauchamp, just been following the story and, after a quick search on FR, noticed this follow-up hasn’t been added to the discussion.
I am not a member of the military but have the utmost respect for those who choose to serve.
I believe the breakdown of the family unit causes a lot more of the problems than the libs will ever admit to.
OK Scott, since one is supposed to give you the benefit of doubt, how about you disclose the name of the soldier who abused a burial site and human remains?
This is telling.
“...but I cant do it without getting through this army experience first, which will add a legitimacy to EVERYTHING i do afterwards...”
____________________________________________________
Nothing more than gettin’ his ticket punched.
I type tooooo slow.;)
Do you think there almost has to be a sociopathic disconect from his fellow soldiers for a private to be writing some of this stuff? It strikes me here that we see a young man very isolated from his peers taking a step like this and I wonder if it is done instead of addressing the cause of his isolation?
My son is on active duty and so the welfare of the individual soldier, while faithfully completing his mission, is important to me.
Definitely an Army of One before he joined.
“...
Every morning I get up and miss my mother
...
Every morning I get up and realize how much I love my comrades...”
hmmm...Dr. Freud, what say you?
I am a cynic. I also served, back in the days of the draft. I was not in Viet Nam nor did I see any combat. I did however, see many wild schemes pulled to ‘get out.’
This flap could very well get Pvt. Thomas sent Stateside rather quickly....with “served in Iraq” on his resume.
Like I said, I’m a cynic.
Don’t you think it is beyond bizarre that someone who is purportedly intrested in social justice would act like such a despicable punk to a disfigured women.
[BABELFISH]
Crap! Now that people know who he is, those guys on Free Republic are going to actually factcheck this loser! We better cover our a$$e$ and blame him!
[/BABELFISH]
It’s worth taking a look. This guy has a tenuous grip on reality, to say the least. That he was able to peddle this kind of garbage to TNR speaks volumes.
I am a cynic. I also served, back in the days of the draft. I was not in Viet Nam nor did I see any combat. I did however, see many wild schemes pulled to ‘get out.’I don't think you're cynical enough.
This flap could very well get Pvt. Thomas sent Stateside rather quickly....with “served in Iraq” on his resume.
Like I said, I’m a cynic.
On the thread linked in post #30, there is mention of (and links to) Pvt. Beauchamp’s “outing.”
Thanks for the heads up. Didn’t stick enough words in that search field. ;)
FWIW, there are 2 Scott Beauchamps listed in Army Knowledge Online. Scott Thomas (a PV2), currently in Germany. And Scott Robert (a Sgt), location not listed.
I don’t understand this skepticism being tossed my way, accusations of being the soldier/writer himself, charges of trolling or any other such assumption. Where are you getting these ridiculous ideas?
I’m someone who’s been following the story, saw some developments in it, couldn’t find it on FR, and posted it to keep people informed. It’s not my first post on here (that took place yesterday). I’m not defending the guy.
I suggest you try relaxing and put away your “troll” detector. Have anything you’d like to add?
Yeah, if these acts truly occured as STB relates them, where is his obligation to report them up the chain. I understand the reluctance to betray his squadmates, but to do what he has done stains the military generally — which is far worse, IMHO.
Military law requires him to come forward and now that he’s exposed himself the military will require him to do so and testify on what he knows. There is no option on witness testimony in the military and I’m sure CID will inform him of this requirement.
In which case, we can be sure that the Pelosi-Murtha Cabal will be clamoring to extend immunity to STB so that he can spin his tales without consequences. They will attempt to make the military the defendent as usual.
This War’s John Kerry?
Townhall.com | July 26, 2007 | Dean Barnett
Posted on 07/26/2007 1:26:44 PM EDT by neverdem
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1872009/posts
He's too young. But I'm willing to bet he'll be voting for one in 2008.
Mmmm view?
As in, "Last night someone tripped in the mess hall and spilled their food. In my view they were making fun of a woman who had been maimed by an IED."
That kind of "view"?
Malkin has links to a report that his fiancee is a reporter-researcher at TNR.
http://michellemalkin.com/2007/07/26/scott-thomas-steps-out-of-the-shadows/
Have you seen this?
This guy predicted that Scott Thomas was in a writing program and he profiles him based on his writing BEFORE Thomas ‘came out.’ Impressive.
“Usually he is in his mid-twenties and is probably among the bright stars in the tiny constellation (and complicated pecking order) that MFA programs create. His particular niche in that social ecology will be the Big Talent With Big Balls, a role that requires some claim to a “dangerous” or “edgy” past, meaning some connection to interpersonal violence and to having seen some gruesome sights. (Being recently back from combat duty in Iraq, particularly if the young man is a reservist who will be going back for another hitch there, would certainly fit the bill nicely – at various times I have known such characters to claim to be motorcycle gang members, to have smuggled cocaine into the US in small boats, and to have competed as Ultimate Fighting professionals).”
‘snip’
“Much depends on how much of the truth Franklin Foer is telling. If “Scott Thomas” really is in Iraq right now, there are plenty of military specialties where he might not have picked up the details he needed for perfect verisimilitude; he might even have been told some bullshit stories for true. (This may come as a shock to readers, but soldiers, being mostly young men, have been known to enjoy telling stories just to shock their hearers, and it’s quite possible that Thomas’s source is a guy out to impress Thomas with his manliness, an irony which makes me smile in a quite nasty way). But fundamentally I’m betting on an MFA program Boy Wonder Macho Man, possibly in a military specialty that let him think he could fake combat experience, who had no idea that the story would draw this much attention, and may not even have submitted it himself.”
http://www.amazon.com/gp/blog/post/PLNK1A3L4YEO74C19
His superiors will find out in short order what the real story is.
And if my guess is correct, he won’t enjoy the result of their investigation.
Thank you for the link—never seen it before. This guy John Barnes is a great writer and thinker.
As a follower and participant in the media (I can see the flames coming) I can understand what he means by the type of person he’s describing. Too often writers become very self-indulgent (it’s the same sickness that afflicts politicians, celebrities, or people in power or the spotlight), a trait that is dangerous when one is presenting news to the public.
Again, excellent post and thank you again for the link. I’m going to be following this Barnes fellow’s blog from here on out.
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