There is controversy about the snopes refutation of this "legend." I watched Colonel David Hunt's interview on O'Reilly last night (Thursday). He spent well over half of his alloted time on the air, repeating that one story. He said it over and over again.....that the "one act" which none of his comrades can ever forgive, is that note passing incident. Now, I'd be inclined to take Colonel Hunt's word for the "truth of the matter," but in all honesty, I wasn't right there, on the ground, when the incident is supposed to have occurred.
The POW (Ret. Col. Larry Carrigan) who the story was attributed to disavows it. I would think there would be other POW's (many in fact) who could verify it if it were indeed true.
TruthOrFiction.com also contacted Mike McGrath, President of NAM-POWs, who says the Larry Carrigan events never happened either. He says Carrigan calls the story a "hoax" and does not want to be associated with it. McGrath also says that some versions of the email include an account from a Dave Hoffman and that his story is true. Hoffman says he was tortured (hung by a broken arm) until he agreed to go before Jane Fonda. He was among a small group who witnessed one of her radio broadcasts for Hanoi.
I have a personal friend that was a "guest" in the Hanoi Hilton for the last 45 days before their release-- he detests her so much he refuses to watch any movies with her in them, whether they're free or not. That's good enough for me. I'm a vet too (though not old enough for Vietnam), and so maybe that makes me more sympathetic.
If any of you youngsters out there don't understand why she's such a lightning rod for criticism, corner a Vietnam vet sometime and ask them what those days were like.