Bald-faced propaganda- many soldiers, same letter

Post by **Vympel** » 2003-10-12 10:51am

To summarize:

WASHINGTON -- Letters from hometown soldiers describing their successes rebuilding Iraq have been appearing in newspapers across the country as U.S. public opinion on the mission sours.

And all the letters are the same.

Apparently, a form letter was handed around and soldiers were asked to put their name to it if they agreed with it, and asked for the names of their hometown newspapers.

Kazuaki Shimazaki · Post by **Kazuaki Shimazaki** » 2003-10-12 11:15am

Come on, Vympel. We want to read that identical letter

Post by **Vympel** » 2003-10-12 11:23am

Ah crap forgot the damn link- shit I'm slow today

Here

TrailerParkJawa · Post by **TrailerParkJawa** » 2003-10-12 03:44pm

I heard this story break last night. It makes you wonder what the hell is going on.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2003-10-12 03:54pm

The letter talks about the soldiers' mission, saying, "one thousand of my fellow soldiers and I parachuted from ten jumbo jets."

Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi · Post by **Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi** » 2003-10-12 03:56pm

And to think, this kind of stuff is supposed to increase support for the operation...

Companion Cube · Post by **Companion Cube** » 2003-10-12 04:10pm

A Gannett News Service search found identical letters from different soldiers with the 2nd Battalion of the 503rd Airborne Infantry Regiment, also known as "The Rock," in 11 newspapers, including Snohomish, Wash.

The fact that an Airborne unit can be nicknamed 'The Rock' made me burst out laughing.

Spyder · Post by **Spyder** » 2003-10-12 05:18pm

Durran Korr wrote:
The letter talks about the soldiers' mission, saying, "one thousand of my fellow soldiers and I parachuted from ten jumbo jets."

As a friend of mine just said over an IM, "he's a soldier *and* an astronaut?"

This is starting to sound like something you'd expect Shrubby to write.

The Duchess of Zeon · Post by **The Duchess of Zeon** » 2003-10-12 06:03pm

You've never heard of form letters before? Lots of the younger guys in the military send them back to their families. They don't like to write, so the military offers them form letters to send their families which say certain things and then they just fill in the blanks with their name. An acquiantance of mine got one from her son who is serving in the Marines. They're really quite common and sort of common knowledge; at least among those with military relatives.

Wicked Pilot · Post by **Wicked Pilot** » 2003-10-12 06:15pm

These were addressed to newspaper editors, not families. Therefore, I offer the following defense of this practice: the Army did it, the Air Force is innocent!

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2003-10-12 06:20pm

3rd Impact wrote:
A Gannett News Service search found identical letters from different soldiers with the 2nd Battalion of the 503rd Airborne Infantry Regiment, also known as "The Rock," in 11 newspapers, including Snohomish, Wash.

The fact that an Airborne unit can be nicknamed 'The Rock' made me burst out laughing.

Ditto!

The Duchess of Zeon · Post by **The Duchess of Zeon** » 2003-10-12 06:52pm

Wicked Pilot wrote:These were addressed to newspaper editors, not families. Therefore, I offer the following defense of this practice: the Army did it, the Air Force is innocent!

If you wouldn't write a letter to your own family why the fuck would you write a letter to a newspaper editor? It doesn't seem like a big deal at all unless coercion was that involved (especially when you consider what I mentioned), in which case I grant it is.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2003-10-13 02:22am

The Duchess of Zeon wrote:
Wicked Pilot wrote:These were addressed to newspaper editors, not families. Therefore, I offer the following defense of this practice: the Army did it, the Air Force is innocent!
If you wouldn't write a letter to your own family why the fuck would you write a letter to a newspaper editor? It doesn't seem like a big deal at all unless coercion was that involved (especially when you consider what I mentioned), in which case I grant it is.

Even if coercion is not involved, if the chain of command is involved in any way (which seems a certainty), then someone is deliberately attempting to organize a deceptive publicity campaign, targeted at the media. That doesn't bother you at all?

Wait a minute ... after the events of the last year, that sounds rather familiar.

Sebastin · Post by **Sebastin** » 2003-10-16 11:28am

Has there been anything more to this reported in the us media?

A reputable german newsmag reported on it and they said that only a minority of the soldiers got to read the letters they were handed before signing them. Also, at least two soldiers are claiming that letters were signed with their name without their knowledge.

Post by **Vympel** » 2003-10-16 11:48am

Sebastin wrote:Has there been anything more to this reported in the us media?

A reputable german newsmag reported on it and they said that only a minority of the soldiers got to read the letters they were handed before signing them. Also, at least two soldiers are claiming that letters were signed with their name without their knowledge.

Heard the same as you- in one case the soldier incredulously said "what letter?" when questioned by his parents.

StarDestroyer.Net BBS

Bald-faced propaganda- many soldiers, same letter

Bald-faced propaganda- many soldiers, same letter

Come on, the link now

Re: Come on, the link now