Here let me let you in on a little secret, one that will blow your pompous posturing clear out of the water.
Your whole argument is based upon the assumption that a Navy Chaplain a man of God, in the service of our Country and a spiritual protector of the Marines in his care would lie, and not only would he lie but he would sign his name to a lie and distribute it to countless others when the facts are easily checked and verified, as they were.
I pity a person that has so little faith in our Marines and those that lead and minister to them that they would rather believe that they are lying then to actually accept the truth at face value and wait for further confirmation.
You have one hell of imagination. Let me get this right...all I have to do is sign an email saying I'm a chaplain, and nothing else should be questioned?
Certainly, you'd verify that the name is true, right. OK. So, we did that. Then one would have to wonder why whoever forwarded his email added such an exaggerated tittle...and why they called him a Marine Chaplain. How is that questioning him the chaplain. It is a question of the people who are forwarding his email?
BTW, I also am a military officer with 26 years (and counting) and I know that I should verify things that are questionable.