Okay, this story was reported earlier this week in USA Today, but I haven't been able to find a link to it. In its place, I offer another version of the same Gannett News Service copy from the Great Falls (Montana) Tribune. [link]
Here's the gist: at least 11, and possibly more, identical letters to the editor were published in the hometown newspapers of soldiers in the 2nd Battalion of the 503rd Airborne Infantry Regiment. The letters, supposedly written by the soldiers, were meant to deliver the good news that, they contended, was rarely reported about US accomplishments in Iraq. While many of the soldiers who signed the letters agreed with their thrust, they acknowledged that they didn't write the letter themselves; in fact, one soldier claims that he didn't even sign it.
Predictably, no one is taking credit for writing the letter. One sergeant says that his platoon sergeant distributed the letters and asked people to sign them if they agreed with it. He also reportedly asked for the names of the soldiers' hometown newspapers.
A spokesman for the 503rd says that he was told that a soldier had written the letter, and that the public affairs division was not involved. He said "Someone, somewhere along the way, took it upon themselves to mail it to the various editors of newspapers across the country."
But, as Gannett reports, at least one soldier did talk to a public affairs officer: "Sgt. Shawn Grueser of Poca, W.Va., said he spoke to a military public affairs officer whose name he couldn't remember about his accomplishments in Iraq for what he thought was a news release to be sent to his hometown paper in Charleston, W.Va. But the 2nd Battalion soldier said he did not sign any letter." Nevertheless, a letter with his signature appeared in the Charleston newspaper.
I have no beef at all with the guys in the 503rd. Most, if not all, of them believe in the sentiments expressed in the form letter, and some willingly signed their names to it. But someone, somewhere, organized this campaign. And that's the part of this that's wrong. It's one thing if soldiers write letters to the editors back home that talk about the real facts of their deployment (both the good and the bad). It's another thing altogether for someone in the Army to organize a coordinated campaign. That's called propoganda, and it stinks. Basically, it seems to me that someone used these soldiers to promote an agenda, wasn't straight with them about what was going on, and then refused to take responsibility when the form letters are exposed as form letters.
[Interestingly, the New York Times reported the story today (10/14) with much less detail. Click here]
Here's the gist: at least 11, and possibly more, identical letters to the editor were published in the hometown newspapers of soldiers in the 2nd Battalion of the 503rd Airborne Infantry Regiment. The letters, supposedly written by the soldiers, were meant to deliver the good news that, they contended, was rarely reported about US accomplishments in Iraq. While many of the soldiers who signed the letters agreed with their thrust, they acknowledged that they didn't write the letter themselves; in fact, one soldier claims that he didn't even sign it.
Predictably, no one is taking credit for writing the letter. One sergeant says that his platoon sergeant distributed the letters and asked people to sign them if they agreed with it. He also reportedly asked for the names of the soldiers' hometown newspapers.
A spokesman for the 503rd says that he was told that a soldier had written the letter, and that the public affairs division was not involved. He said "Someone, somewhere along the way, took it upon themselves to mail it to the various editors of newspapers across the country."
But, as Gannett reports, at least one soldier did talk to a public affairs officer: "Sgt. Shawn Grueser of Poca, W.Va., said he spoke to a military public affairs officer whose name he couldn't remember about his accomplishments in Iraq for what he thought was a news release to be sent to his hometown paper in Charleston, W.Va. But the 2nd Battalion soldier said he did not sign any letter." Nevertheless, a letter with his signature appeared in the Charleston newspaper.
I have no beef at all with the guys in the 503rd. Most, if not all, of them believe in the sentiments expressed in the form letter, and some willingly signed their names to it. But someone, somewhere, organized this campaign. And that's the part of this that's wrong. It's one thing if soldiers write letters to the editors back home that talk about the real facts of their deployment (both the good and the bad). It's another thing altogether for someone in the Army to organize a coordinated campaign. That's called propoganda, and it stinks. Basically, it seems to me that someone used these soldiers to promote an agenda, wasn't straight with them about what was going on, and then refused to take responsibility when the form letters are exposed as form letters.
[Interestingly, the New York Times reported the story today (10/14) with much less detail. Click here]
posted by Daniel at 2:49 PM
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