I also am a military officer with 26 years (and counting) and I know that I should verify things that are questionable.
Somehow it bothers me that a "military Officer with 26 years and counting" would rather attack the message and messenger then demand better treatment for our troops.
Thank God for this Chaplain....literally!
I never attacker the messenger. Ever. You are showing a real lack of character. The story has been clarified and verified. Now let it go.
Over the years, I have learned to recognize hoaxes. Most hoaxes are delivered via email. They usually have an exaggerated title or claim. They have inconsistencies in fact. They usually end up having several versions of the story (changes in dates, locations, the people involved). They also have some sort of attempt to demonstrate some sort of inside knowledge (“I heard this from a reliable source”, “this is true and it happened to by brother”) or authority (document signed by “Dr. Chukwubu Eze, Nigeria Ministry of Finance,” “Walt Disney Jr., Disney, Bill Gates, & The Microsoft Development Team” or “Jerry B. Killian, Lt Col, TxANG”). I’m not the only person who has learned these lessons. Try this Google: Anatomy of an email hoax.
The first time I read this email on FR, I noted the exaggerated title: “Spitting on the Marines.” Now, what happened at Oakland may be wrong and even make you angry, but no one was actually spit on. That’s a fact.
Next, the email detailed a flight from Kuwait to Honolulu via Oakland. My first thought was that the most direct flight would have taken the unit east rather than west (7420 nm to the east, 9821 nm to the west). It appears, after confirmation, that most flights out of the CENTCOM AOR do get routed west.
Don’t get ahead of me…I’m telling you what my thought process was when I initially read the story….
Next, I noticed that there were two different versions of the email. One claimed it came from a “Marine Chaplain” the other said it came from the brother of a Marine. (Incidentally, there are already more versions out there on the net, one offering Chaplain Harding’s cell phone number in order to verify the story). Am I now required to believe every detail of version of this story that will follow?
Which brings me to the question of a “Marine Chaplain.” Others here have questioned the term too. My grandpa was a Marine. My BOL has been in the Navy for 23 years. I grew up outside Camp Pendleton, CA. I’ve been in the service for 26 years (including joint tours and 4 years on a Naval Air Station). I just got off of a deployment where I sat in a C2 tent next to a former Marine and current Navy JAG, and I have never heard anyone use the term “Marine Chaplain” (Marine JAG, Marine Doctor, Marine Nurse or Marine Corpsman for that matter).
Some here say that “Marine Chaplain” is a common term. I guess I slept through that instructional period. But, I was relying on a wealth of experience when I read the email, and it didn’t sound right to me. So, maybe folks use the term. Next time I see a Navy Chaplain, I’ll drop and push 20 for the Corps.
Now, the final question, and the one that drove me to this missive, is the question of Chaplain LT Brandon Harding. You have accused me of calling this man a lair and questioning him personally. I defy you to point that out in anything I have posted. Let’s go back to all of the email hoaxes of the past…they always attempt to gain authority by using a name.
If I question the email I got and don’t send $1000 U.S. to a bank account in Africa, am I insulting the government of Nigeria?
If I don’t send an email to 10 of my closest friend to win a free trip to Disney, am I defaming Bill Gates and Walt Disney?
If I question a memo saying George Bush went AWOL, am I trampling on the grave of Lt Col Jerry Killian? Of course not, someone just used his name in vain.
So, it turns out that Chaplain Harding is a real person, he did write the email, and he stands by his story. I accept that, but my initial questions are not an affront to him personally. For you to suggest such is not intellectually honest.
Now, you don’t seem to want to let this go (even tracking back a few posts to keep it going). I’ve explained myself. I will use the same critical eye the next time I read this type of story. I’ll leave this as my last post on this subject. Readers can make their own conclusions.