Lcpl Boudreaux' cardboard sign (from Iraq) was real

self ^ | 4/11/04 | self

[lonewacko_dot_com]

Apparently, this sign is real:

According to the Marine Times:

Boudreaux is a reservist with Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Battalion, 23rd Marines, according to Capt. Jeff Pool, a Marine Forces Reserve spokesman. The New Orleans-based infantry unit deployed to the Kut area of Iraq in May and returned home in mid-September.

Pool said the command began an investigation shortly after it received the photo via e-mail several weeks ago.

Investigating officers have spoken with Boudreaux and are working to determine whether the claims on the sign are true and what, if any, charges to bring against him, Pool said. Investigation results were not expected to be released for another week or two, Marines Forces Reserve spokesman Capt. Patrick Kerr said April 8.

The previous post on this is here.

[lonewacko_dot_com]

Some might think this is funny as hell, but things like this are damaging our attempts to win those Hearts & Minds.

[Pikamax]

if its real as you said, then it was just stupid.

[Texas_Jarhead]

damnit Boudreaux! what n the hell was you thinkin (or not)?

[counterpunch]

As someone who knows a thing or two about Photoshopping images, I would say this one is highly suspect.
The top edge of the sign just doesn't look right, nor does the text.

[lonewacko_dot_com]

Except, as the linked article says, the Marines are conducting an investigation. The investigation is trying to determine not whether the sign is real, but whether he did the things on the sign.

So, pending a Perry Mason-style conclusion, I think the sign was real.

[clamboat]

But this can't be!
The sleuths on FreeRepublic told me it was a fake!

Mr. Lucky says the uniform is wrong.

mass55th says "the original message was removed and a new one put in its place".

lonewacko_dot_com lives up to his name and says "this writing appears a bit too curvilinear".

So who is wrong? The sleuths on FR, or the Marines? Maybe these crack(head) sleuths can notify the Marines that this Lcpl does not really exist, and that the picture is an obvious fake!

[DB]

Shadows look good to me...

But I'm no expert...

[chemical_boy]

I thought that this image looked photoshoped to, the area around the text is to pixellated.

[DB]

The kids would likely have no idea what they were holding.

[chemical_boy]

http://img40.photobucket.com/albums/v124/chemical_boy/lcpl11Edited.jpg

this is an image i edited to change the text, it was very simply to modify the text.

[GeronL]

That was really dumb.

[KillBill]

It's an obvious fake. I treat it exactly how I'd treat the 9/11-plane picture.

[GeronL]

Imagine how mad they'd be when they found out.

[clamboat]

I suppose I should take some encouragement from the fact that the people on FR recognized that the contents of the sign were so offensive, so repugnant, that they had to go to some length to deny the most obvious explanation.

LCpl Boudreaux brought shame on his unit and the Marines.

[GeronL]

So, which is the original?

[dila813]

The only weird thing I see on this photo is, that the background has been changed but the sun position appears to be correct.

Notice that there is a stone wall behind them. You have to look close, but between the two kids there is a stone wall with cracks in it.

This doesn't match the background. The sign looks real to me, but I can't detect where they changed the background except where they messed it up.

It is probably a very good fake.

[DB]

Yep, very stupid move.

Even if it's a fake it will do tremendous damage.

[GeronL]

If its fake, how could they ever find the person responsible? This man is not a public figure, if this was fake it could be determined to be an attempt to slander him.

[DB]

He may have done it himself to have a souvenir.

If he did, they'll likely find that out in the investigation.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Ever consider that it (the photo) is "real", the sign is "real", and just a very, very bad practical joke?

The Iraqi kids WOULD NOT ever used that vernacular nor that style in a cardboard sign.

But the fellow Marines would.


Particularly IF the joke was being pulled on the Marine smiling and waving next to the kids!