Vietnam veteran full of life despite nine months of torture (See update in #90)

Lubbock Avalanche-Journal ^ | Saturday, November 11, 2006 | Ray Westbrook

[sleddogs]

Thank you so much for the info and links.

[sleddogs]

Oh my, check this out!

http://www.pownetwork.org/bios/p/p354.htm

[sleddogs]

The Mysterious Sinking of LCU-63

http://grambo.us/lcu-63.htm

[E9RET]

Good job, I always reach for "Stolen Valor" anytime the BS detector goes off.

Another good source for POW/MIA info is

http://www.miafacts.org/index.htm

a website put up by Joe Schlatter, Colonel, U. S. Army, Retired who was the Chief of the Analysis Branch, Defense Intelligence Agency special Office for POW-MIA Affairs

Col. Schlatter has put a dagger through most of the POW/MIA myths that have been around since the 70's. Take a look, I suspect that you will be surprised, I certainly was.

[gunnysnell]

This man is a fraud. All POWs and MIAs are listed in a database maintained by the Defense Missing Personnel/Prisoner of War Office. There is no Clarence Lee listed as having been a Prisoner of War during the Vietnam era. The list is complete and accurate. This guy is no Marine either; he lists his rank as a "Staff Warrant Officer" - there is no such rank, and Warrant Officers do NOT fly in the Marine Corps.

Clarence Lee is a fraud!

GySgt Michael D. Snell
U.S. Marine Corps (Retired)

[stylin19a]

I wonder if Mr. Lee will called out in public by the person who wrote the story in the first place.
I hope this thread doesn't die, cause Mr. Lee will keep telling that lie.

FYI..
It seems The Marine Corps previously allowed enlisted Marines to become warrant officer pilots, but discontinued the program in the 1970's.

Looks like one GySgt would like to see that program fire up again.

http://www.mcu.usmc.mil/sncoa/Lejeune/ACRS3-04SMMC.htm

Semper Fi

[Interesting Times]

Having received no reply from Ray Westbrook, the author of this article, I've forwarded my letter to him and a link to the official DoD POW/MIA list to the Avalanche-Journal's editor and managing editor.

[stylin19a]

ping thanks

[Interesting Times]

The POW Network has added Clarence Lee to its phonies list, and is now working with the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal journal on a followup story that is expected soon. More interesting details here.

[Interesting Times]

The paper has now removed the Clarence Lee story from its web site.

A newsgroup poster reports receiving this reply to his email:

---

The tip for this man's story came from a highly credible woman in the community and, if his story is not true, we feel duped. In almost 30 years of doing this job, I've never had a veteran tell us a false story.

The reporter has been doing this for more than 40 years and has never had a vet lie. So we had no reason to believe this was false. We are doing a followup story.

Sincerely,
Terry Greenberg
Editor
The Avalanche-Journal

---

The truth, of course, is that the paper makes no effort to validate anybody's service, and therefore have absolutely no idea whether they've been lied to before or not...

[fnord]

good work ... please let us all know if/when they publish a follow-up article

[Interesting Times]

Here's a classic "feel good" Veterans Day story where the reporter made no effort to validate the claims of the guy he was profiling, and got taken for a big ride.

It's interesting that the guy didn't "confess" to committing war crimes. Perhaps that is becoming a less popular form of self-expression for guys lying about their Vietnam service. At least, one can hope...

I'll link the paper's followup article to this thread when it arrives. Expect lots of posturing and efforts to exonerate the reporter for failing to do his job.

[7thson]

Man, I wished I had jumped here first. I copied the story and sent it out to some friends and family. I will try to kill it now.

[E.G.C.]

BTTT

[MinuteGal]

Please ping when you get the "apology", "correction", or most likely, the usual "most unfortunate" BS.

If it's the latter, please post an email addy for the proper newspaper chieftan where we can address the situation in a freeperlike manner.

Leni

[Howlin]

OMG, what a travety.

BTW, I love you guys when you do this type of thing!

[Interesting Times]

Please ping when you get the "apology", "correction", or most likely, the usual "most unfortunate" BS.

Will do.

If it's the latter, please post an email addy for the proper newspaper chieftan where we can address the situation in a freeperlike manner.

Contact info for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal is here.

I'd leave them alone for now, since they're aware of the problem and working on a followup.

[Howlin]

I love FR!!

[Howlin]

Please ping me to any followups. This is infuriating, but I love it when you guys bust them!

[Howlin]

This will infuriate you.

Read it from the top!