I'm sure the info is out there about the availability of email to the military (when and where), but the probability is low. The possibility is there... As you said, too much other evidence to the fraudulence of these articles, however.
The email creation date (or I should say "the date that the creation of the application of network transmitted mail occured") is in that link to About.com on ARPA you messaged me with, 1971.
Thanks again :-)