' Legendary Legends '
They get started, often as a prank, sometimes as a joke, perhaps even by a typo. They evolve into rumor. The best of the worst become legends. People are most familiar with Urban Legends. However every venue has its own legends. The purpose of this page is to keep a record of these legends.
Techno Legends
A legend that dates back at least to the mid-1970s is the microwave story.
The story: An old lady wanted to dry off her pet. I heard it was a cat. I heard someone repeat it as a French Poodle. The old woman put this unfortunate pet into a microwave. Exactly what happened next depends on how sadistic a mood the story teller is in.
This legend also dates back at least to the late-1970s. Its origin probably had something to do with the high price of gasoline.
The story: A Saudi Arabian buys a fully equiped van. One of the van's features is cruise control. The Saudi thinks it is the ground equivalent of automatic pilot. While driving on the road he puts on the cruise control and fixes himself a drink. The van crashes.
This legend makes the rounds in the computer field. It probably started the day after they started selling PCs with CD ROMs.
The story: Somebody called up tech support and said his computer's coffee holder was broken. The tech support person eventually figured out the person thought their CD ROM drive was a coffee holder.
The Web has been a spawning ground for numerous hoaxes. They are hydra headed.
The story: You can do something wonderful with a couple of mouse clicks and you should encourage everyone you know to do the same.
Interestingly enough there is one case where this wasn't a hoax. There is a site called The Hunger Site by going to this site and clicking a button a corporate sponsor would make contribution to feed the world's hungry.
The site shut down in July 2001 but is was back online in September.
These hoaxes include:
MADD IS HOPING TO GET 5,000 SIGNATURES ON THIS, THEN PASS IT ON TO
MADD did not generate this online petition which appeared on the web in 2000.
Forward an email to help Liz Cohen and Little Jada.
Please forward this to help this little girl. All forwarded: Emails are tracked to obtain the count. The email includes a sad story and a touching poem.
Then there is the appeal to pure greed.
The story: A representative of Mrs. Mariam Abacha, the spouse of the late Nigerian dictator, General Sanni Abacha, needs someone to help launder her money. The person who cooperates will get 30% and 10% more for expenses. The letter also asks for confidentiality.
Then there is the appeal to greed and the assurance it isn't a hoax.
The story: My name is Junior Johnson, founder of Cracker Barrel. In an attempt to get our name out to more people in the rural communities where we are not currently located, we are offering a $50 Gift Certificate to anyone who forwards this e-mail tto 9 of their friends. Just send this e-mail to them and you will receive an e-mail back with a confirmation number to claim your gift certificate. Sincerely Junior Johnson Founder of Cracker Barrell
Hey guys, DONT DELETE THIS E-MAIL It really works, I tried it and got my Gift Certificate confirmation number in 3 minutes.
The story: The government is going to do something nasty with your internet access. They have kept it so secret that you wouldn't have known about it if you didn't get this email. So pass this on to everyone you know. Example:
• CNN has reported within the next two weeks Congress is going to vote on allowing telephone companies to CHARGE A TOLL FEE for internet access...
• I guess the warnings were true. Federal Bill 602P 5-cents per E-mail Sent. It figuress! No more free E-mail! We knew it was coming! ...
There has been much talk about what will happen when the computer clocks turn to 01/01/00.
The story: You should change the display setting to show a four digit year instead of a two digit year. The emails on this have ranged from "why take a chance" to "your computer will stop."
In fact it is just a display setting that has nothing to do with what the computer will do on January 1, 2000.
The story: If you own a microwave or have contact with them - please take 5 misn to read this and find out why the nazis called them "radiation ovens" when they invented them - and why the former USSR totally banned them for any domestic use in 1985 yet they are still availabel world over:(
"min" and "available" were mispelled in the original message which was circulating in June 2001.
Then there is the ever popular watch out for an email virus.
The story: If you receive an email titled (WHATEVER) don't open it. Delete it immediately! If you open this email it will delete everything on your hard drive.
The story: PASS ON TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW I received a telephone call last evening from an individual identifying himself as an AT&T Service technician who was conducting a test on telephone lines...
Most hoaxes about computer viruses are harmless however one actually behaves like a computer virus.
The story: I may have mailed you an email with a computer virus. It copies a file sulfnbk.exe onto computers. This program is set to activate on 1 June. If you have this on your computer delete it. The email comes with instructions on how to find and delete the file.
In Fact:sulfnbk.exe is a useful file that is part of the MS Windows software. A variation on this concerns the file jdbgmgr.exe. That file is also part of the Microsoft Windows operating system.
The story: "Use this patch immediately!" is the subject line of a message from Microsoft.
In Fact: The message didn't come from Microsoft and the "patch" is a computer virus.
BestBuy hoax.
The story: An email claims it's from BestBuy and claims someone tried to fraudulently use your account and asks you to go to a customer service web site to verify BestBuy has the correct information on you.
In fact: BestBuy learned of the hoax on June 18, 2003 and is currently investigating its origin.
PayPal hoax.
The story: PayPal official notice. Says your account has been restricted because of a problem with your credit card.
In Fact: This is both a scam and a worm. The attachment shouldn't be opened.
eBay hoax.
The story: During our regular update and verification of the accounts, we could not verify your current information. Either your information has changed or it is incomplete...
U.S. Bank hoax.
The story: U.S. Bank is upgrading its security because of Microsoft Internet Exporer vulnerabilities so it wants you to enter your personal information to update their records.
A Microsoft hoax.
The story: Microsoft will pay you for forwarding this email.
Then there are the Safety Messages.
The story: IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR SAFETY-PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ. A friend stopped at a pay-at-the-pump gas station to get gas. Once she filled her gas tank after paying at the pump started to leave the attendand inside came over the speaker. He told her that something happened with her card and that she needed to come inside to pay. The lady was confused because the transaction showed complete and approved. She told him that and was getting ready to leaave but the attendant once again urged her to come in to pay or else. She proceeded to go inside and started arguinng with the attendant about his threat. He told her to calm down and listen carefully: He told her that while she was pumping gas, a guy slipped into the back seat of her car on the other side and he had called the police. She immediately became scared and looked out there in time to see her car door open and the guy slip out. The report is that the new gang initiation thing is to bring back a woman's body part. One way they are doing this is crawling under girls/women's cars while they're pumping gas or at grocery stores in the right time. They are cutting the lady's ankles to disable them in order to kidnap them, kill and dismember them. The other way is slipping into unattended cars and kidnapping the women to kill and dismember them.
It goes on with warning about what women should do to avoid being a victim.
The story: Very Important.. It's called "Spunkball".. Heard anything about this? Please keep all windows rolled up when stopped at traffic lights, as only cars with windows down are being targeted. Groups of teenagers have been caught, in alarming numbers, playing a new and dangerous game called Spunkball. Spunkball consists of a group of teens in a car pulling up to a stoplight, and looking around for a car stopped near by with an open window. When one is spotted, the teens shout, "Spunkball", and throw a gasoline soaked rag that has been wrapped in aluminum foil through the open window. On the outside of the foil attached a small firecracker, with the fuse lit. When the firecracker explodes, it shreds the foil, and the rag is ignited, causing a large flame that may catch the interior of the car on fire. Spunkball playing has already claimed two lives, caused uncountable injuries due to burns, and caused thousands of dollars in damage to automobiles. The best defense, say authorities, is to keep all windows rolled up when stopped at traffic lights, as only cars with windows down are being targeted. If you are at a red light and hear a shout of "Spunkball", and notice something come flying in your window, the best thing to do is to have all passengers immediately exit the vehicle. DO NOT try to retrieve the object, as it will ignite once the firecracker explodes. PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO EVERYONE YOU CARE ABOUT.
There is the it happened to me variation.
The story: This happened to me I don't know what would have happened if I didn't read the original email a couple of weeks ago.
This version cropped up with the "perfume sniffing" hoax.
The story: Someone sat down in a movie theater or stuck their hand in a cash machine and got poked with an HIV infected needle.
In July, 2001 this message started.
The story: A good friend of mine just sent this to me. Her best friend, Wendy, has been missing since June 12th.
Then there is an email message warning about snail mail.
The story: This is from Schwab corporate headquarters-so it's no joke. Then it goes on to talk about 23 confirmed cases of people getting packages in the mail that are infected with the Klingerman Virus.
Then there is the "What have you got to lose?" appeal.
The story: To all my friends, I do not usually forward messages, but this is from my good friend Pearlas Sandborn and she really is an attorney. If she says that this will work - it WILL work. After all, what have you got to loose?
The story claims you will get paid for passing this message on. It claims Intel will track your forwarding, if you are a Microsoft Windows user. In fact no such technology exists as of December 1, 2001.
Then there are stories that are true but the information is stale.
The story: A friend of mine sent me this. I thought it was pretty important because of flu season especially: Subject: Phenylpropanolamine in drugs All drugs containing Phenylpropanolamine are being recalled. To confirm these findings please take time to check the following URL: http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/ppa/default.htm In fact the FDA issued this mandatory recall in November 2000. The subject items have already been taken off the shelves.
Get Rich Quick Legends
The Story: We are pleased to inform you of the result of the Lottery Winners International programs held on the 12th of septmeber 2003. Your e-mail address attached to ticket number 20511465897-6291 with serial number 472-971103 drew lucky numbers 8-66-97-22-71-64 which consequently won in the 2nd category, you have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of US$ 500,000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) CONGRATULATIONS!!!
A name used in this scam:
Mrs. Julie Van Hans (UK) † JANNIE MORGAN (UK) † MELISSA TORUN (UK) † Mrs. Susan Becker † MRS.ROSEWISA KATS (The Netherlands) † MR. DAVID KABILA (South Africa)
morris@angelhaven.com (Ireland)
The Story: You can help yourself and others out too by becoming a Third Party Tracer for The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). You find people who HUD owes refunds. You get them their money and you get a percentage of it.
In fact "Tracers" is a made up name. HUD doesn't pay anyone to find people they owe a refund. People who don't have to pay anyone to get money the U.S. Government owes them. Click Here to see if HUD owes you a refund. Click Here if a 'Tracer' contacted you or if someone contacted you about being a 'Tracer'.
The Story: If you are descendants of slaves you can get a tax credit or refunds.
In fact as of April 14, 2002 there was no such provision in the US Tax code. Ocassionally, as with any bad tax claim, the IRS doesn't catch the error and accepts the credit. The IRS erronously gave $30 million to taxpayers who made this claim. As of April 15, 2002 will leavy $500 fine on taxpayers who don't withdraw their claim.
Click Here for the IRS page on this matter.
The Story(s): Paying income tax is voluntary. You don't have to file tax returns. You don't have to withhold taxes from your employees. etc.
In fact click here before you commit a felony.
The Story(s): According to the Constitution you don't have to have an Operator's License to drive. According to International Law all you need to drive in any country is an international driver's license.
The Story: If you were born in one of the States of the United States you are a citizen of that state not a citizen of the United States, hence you don't have to pay taxes
A number of these get rich quick emails revolve around somebody in Africa who wants to get a large amount of ill gotten gains out of the contenant but needs a foreigner's help to do it.
The Story: Graham Anderson is a white farmer in Zimbabwe who needs help holding onto his wealth.
The Story: Bro. Idris Yusuf with the Seed Harvest Ministry needs some advice on what to do with an enormous amount of money he came upon in Liberia. He has no interest in material things because he believes the world will end soon.
The Story: Mr. Mark Eweka, son of the late Mr. Halid Eweka needs a foreign go between to help him launder $16,000,000 dollars.
The Story: Mr.Patrick Anyaso represents a client who is the spouse of an ex-Nigerian officer who want's a foreigner's help to get "$67.3 million in USA dollars" out of the country.
The Story: Miriam Savimbi, wife of the late Jonas Savimbi, needs to launder some precious gems.
Rose Savimbi, wife of the late Jonas Savimbi, needs to launder some money.
In fact Jonas Savimbi's wife is named Catarina.
The Story: Peter Oni, want to get his inheritance out of Benin.
The Story: Rotimi Adebayo, representing a former millitary Governor.
The Story: DR. RAYMOND UZOR, has $20,500,000 left over from a contract and doesn't know what to do with it.
The Story: Dear Mr. Koffi, I have emailed you three times already, but it seems that there may be some problem with your email as I have not yet received a reply and now your old mailbox no longer seems to work. I found another letter in my inbox which I am sure was from you so I am trying this email address also. I have withdrawn the $9,250 payment, and I am ready to send it to you by Western Union Money Transfer as before. Before I send it to you, of course we need to follow our agreed procedure: 1. Again you will need to send TO Mr CHRISTOPHER JOHN PARKER in cash the amount of €350 as a "guarantee fee". to support the project. 2. I need the name and details of the person you want me to transfer the $9,250 payment to.which will be done immediately,mr Parker confirms your payment via western union as well. One receipt of the €350 guarantee /Support fee (by western union as before), I will then transfer the full amount of nine thousand two hundred and fifty dollars to your designated representative. I very much look forward to hearing from you very soon. Take care my partner, Willie Stroker Managing Director Creature Heaven Butchers www.creatureheaven.com
In Fact: This makes it look as if the mark received the mail by mistake.
Click here for more names associated with the Nigerian Scam
(On May 24, 2002 South African police arrested six people they believed were running this so called "Nigerian" scam.)
The Story: RE: AWARD FINAL NOTIFICATION. This is to inform you on the release of the EL- GORDO DE LA PRIMITIVA LOTTERY
Other names include: DR. ROY HANS
The Story: The official card deck of wanted Iraqis is available for a price.
In Fact: When these ads first hit the internet the US Government had only printed about 200 decks. Click Here for FREE poster of the wanted Iraqis. Click Here for FREE copy of the cards
Penny Brown Email.
The Story: An email asks for anyone who has any information about their missing nine year old daughter. It comes complete with a picture of the missing girl. There have been numerous variations on this story.
The Story: The Israelies, or the French, or the Americans, were behind the assassination of Former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafile Al-Hariri.
Disaster Legends
Hurricane Katrina (Summer 2005) struck the gulf coast. Resulting leavy breaches flooded most of New Orleans. Initial casualty estimates were between 10,000 and 15,000 dead. This was between 10 and 15 times the actual number of dead.
The Story: The U.S. government intentionally caused the leavy breaches.
After the Terrorist Attacks against the US on September 11, 2001 a number of stories made the rounds.
The Story: Seven women have died after inhaling a free perfume sample that was mailed to them.
The Story: Gordon Sinclair made a broadcast from Toronto that didn't get much air play. The story quotes the broadcast which tells why "one proud Canadian is tired of seeing the United States being kicked around."
In fact Gordon Sinclair made that record in the 1970s during the Watergate Crisis. The net story gives the impression it was made after the 9/11/1 incidents.
The Story: The CNN film clip that showed Palestinians celebrating in the streets upon hearing the news of the terrorist strikes was in fact a clip taken in 1991.
In fact the clip was taken on September 11, 2001 by a Reuters news team.
The Story: 4,000 Jews who worked in the World Trade Center took September 11 off.
The Story: The flght number of one of the suicide planes was Q33 add NY. In MS Word Q33 NY in the wingdings font is this Q33 NY
In fact none of the doomed flights was numbered Q33. The numbers were, AA11(AA11), AA77 (AA77), UA93 (UA93), and UA175 (UA175).
The Story: There has been a huge purchase, $32,000 worth, of United Parcel Service (UPS) uniforms on eBay of the last 30 days. This could represent a serious threat as bogus drivers can drop off anything to anyone with deadly consequences!
The Story: I think you all know that I don't send out hoaxes and don't do the
reactionary thing and send out anything that crosses my path. This
one, however, is a friend of a friend and I've given it enough
credibility in my mind that I'm writing it up and sending it out to all of you.
My friend's friend was dating a guy from Afghanistan up until a
month ago.
She had a date with him around 9/6 and was stood up. She was
understandably upset and went to his home to find it completely
emptied. On 9/10, she received a letter from her boyfriend explaining that he
wished he could tell her why he had left and that he was sorry it
had to be like that. The part worth mentioning is that he BEGGED her not
to get on any commercial airlines on 9/11 and to not to go any malls on
Halloween. As soon as everything happened on the 11th, she called
the FBI and has since turned over the letter.
This is not an email that I've received and decided to pass on.
This came from a phone conversation with a long-time friend of mine last
night. I may be wrong, and I hope I am. However, with one of his warnings
being correct and devastating, I'm not willing to take the chance on
the second and wanted to make sure that people I cared about had the
same information that I did.
Notice: This net hoax denies that it was started on the net. Also none of the hijackers were Afghans, had the hoaxer said the boyfriend was "Saudi Arabian", 14 of the terrorists were, that would have showed a bit of sophistication.
The Story: The 9/11 hijackers came into the U.S. from Canada
In Fact: None of the hijackers came into the U.S. from Canada. They came into the U.S. from vaious countries including, Germany, France, Belgium, The Czech Republic, UAE, & Saudi Arabia. Many entered and exited the U.S. several times.
The Story: A plane didn't actually crash into the Pentagon
In Fact: The plane did. The witnesses included people who worked in the Pentagon, people driving on the highway, and at least one news reporter. There were large pieces of the jetliner at the scene. A video was released in 2006 that showed a plane crashing into the Pentagon.
The Story: Flight 93 didn't crash during a struggle between the passengers. A U.S. jet fighter shot down flight 93. In Fact: A jetliner that was shot down would would leave pieces of its wreckage far from the impact area.
The Story: There is an e-mail virus with the subject line "WTC Survivor".
The Story: Al Qaeda have a nuclear weapon in the United States. They are waiting for August 6, 2005 to set it off.
In Fact: No bomb went off on August 6 or August 9, 2005.
The Story: There will be a terrorist attack within the United States within 90 days of the U.K. 7/7/2005 bombings.
In Fact: It's been more than 90 days and no terrorist attack.
The Story: There will be a WMD terrorist attack on the United States to coincide with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan (2005).
In Fact: Ramadan, 2005 is over.
The Story: Israel had Advanced warning of the 7/7 London Bombings. Thr Story: The U.S. or Israel will attack Iran in April 2006
In Fact: April 2006 has come and gone.
Science Legends
The story: Ancient World History: Patterns of Interaction, by McDougal Littell, © 2003, Page 8 states: The Opposable thumb was crucial for tasks such as picking up small objects and making tools. (To see its importance, try picking up a coin with just the index and middle fingers. Imagine all the other things that cannot be done without the opposable thumb.)
In Fact: Picking up a coin without using a thumb is not difficult.
Continued: Biology Prentice Hall by Kenneth R. Miller, PhD. & Joseph Levine, PhD. © 2002, Page 835 states: Meanwhile, the hominid hand evolved an opposable thumb that enabled grasping objects and using tools.
In Fact: Objects can be grasped without and opposable thumb and it is reasonable to expect if there were no such thing as an opposable thumb tools would be made for hominids that didn't have opposable thumbs, similar to tools being made for left handed hominids.
The story: Cell phones cause brain tumors.
The story: If a woman carries a baby high, it's going to be a girl.
The story: An operation can cause cancer to spread because it exposes the cancer cells to the air.
The story: Sugar is the major cause of ADHD.
The story: Cases of Autism have been rising so there must be an environmental factor that causes this increase. One thing that may cause Autism is the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccination.
The rising reported cases of Autism is probably the result of doctors being more aware of Autism. Studies have proven there is no connection between the MMR vaccination and Autism. One such study is at this URL:
http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/324/7333/DC3
The story: The Water Dog makes a sound similar to a barking dog.
In Fact: Water dogs are voiceless.
The story: You can get warts from handling toads.
The story: The female black widow spider invariably kills the male after mating. It's bit is deadly.
In Fact: A black widow's bite can be fatal but that is rare. Most of the observed cases where the female black widow killed its male were in laboratory settings, which is different from natural conditions. In the wild male black widows tend to live longer than bachelor male black widows.
The story: Sharks don't get cancer.
The story: The Great Wall of China is the only human made structure visible from space.
In Fact: The Great Wall of China is a long but relatively thin and winding so it tends to blend in with its surroundings. A World War II military training film mentions the Great Wall of China is the only human built structure that can be seen from the moon.
In 1999 there was a full moon on the winter solstice.
The story: Because the Earth is also several million miles closer to the sun at this time of the year than in the summer, sunlight striking the moon is about 7% stronger making it brighter. Also, this will be the closest perigee of the Moon of the year since the moon's orbit is constantly deforming. If the weather is clear and there is a snow cover where you live, it is believed that even car headlights will be superfluous.
A Washington Times story explained while the moon appeared brighter the difference was not noticable.
Military Legends
The story: Joseph Rosenthal's picture of 5 US Marines and one US Sailor raising the flag on Iwo Jima was posed. In Fact: The picture was not posed. When Joseph Rosenthal said the picture was posed he thought the other reporters were asking about another picture he took that day. The other picture was of a group of Marines brandishing their weapons standing in front of the flag.
The story: The Iwo Jima Memorial statue has 13 hands on the flag pole.
The story: UK Troops in Iraq are planting snake eggs in rivers, rabid dogs to search for bombs, and have let loose cattle eating badgers..
The story: Eating poppy seeds can cause you to have a false positive on drug tests.
In Fact: A clinical study found a subject had to eat two cups of concentrated poppy seed paste before showing a false positive.
The story: During the 2003 war with Iraq a Royal Marine was shot four times in the head but his helmet blocked all four bullets.
In Fact: Commando Eric Walderman RM, wasn't wearing the helmet when other Royal Marines fired four rounds into it.
The story: Camel spiders eat people's flesh in the middle of the night without them noticing until they wake up. They even chase after people.
The Air Force web site debunked this legend. Camel spiders like staying in the shadows so if it's in a person's shadow and the person runs away from it the camel spider will chase after the shadow. Click Here for the Air Force article on the camel spider..
The story: In Korea "Number 10" means very bad.
This story apparently came out of Vietnam where "Number 10" means the worst. GIs apparently got the idea the connotation also applied to Korea. Some Koreans copies the expression from the GIs and so started a self-sustaining legend.
The story: When a military member approaches someone wearing the Medal of Honor that member must render the hand salute first, regardless of their respective ranks.
US Military dog tags come in sets of two. Older dog tag sets contain a dog tag with a notch on it. Ask an older veteran what the notch is for. About 10% will tell you the notch was to keep the tags in place while the tags got stamped. The other 90% will tell you the legend.1
The story: The notch is so if you got killed the notch would be placed between your two front teeth. Then someone would bang you on the chin to keep the tags in place while your body is transported.
The percentage probably wasn't scientifically derived. The source for this is an old article in SSAM a defunct military magazine.
Here is a story that was the lead story on the Air Force web site on 7/7/99. Jim Garamone wrote the article.
The story: "(O)n one of the first deployments after the end of the Cold War, an Air Force unit arrived at a 'bare-bones' base with a runway, water and some rudimentary facilities. 'There were pallets full of GP-Medium tents,' he (MSgt. Steven R. Batson) said. 'No one knew how to set them up. Legend has it, they had to ask a nearby Army unit for help.'"
This site contacted MSgt Batson he wrote back:
"(M)y actual statement was quoted from an officer on base here, who stated 'last time he was deployed, he had junior and senior NCO's who didn't know how to sett up temper tents'. The only reference I make about any GP (large or medium) tents is that, when this site was set up, all the GP large tents we have came from the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office (DRMO) at Kelly AFB."
Here is another "The Air Force isn't the real military story". It dates back at least to the mid-70s.
The story: An Air Force unit got wiped out during the Korean War because they didn't know how to reload their rifles.
The story: A Marine in a Reconnaissance unit wrote a letter and signed it "Saucy Jack". He talked about the conditions in Afghanistan. He praised the Marine Corps and disparaged The Taliban, The Koran, and CNN.
In Fact: If the Marine letter were true it would mean a member of a Marine Reconnaissance Unit would be so bad at reading a map he didn't even know where in Afghanistan he was.
The story: An email with the subject line "A Marine in Bosnia" claims to be a US Marine officer who had an incident where a French officer called Americans 'Cowboys'. The Marine officer then gave the French officer a History lesson and then promised to give the French officer a lesson in unarmed combat. The French officer called he American officer a "Barbarian Cowboy". The email is signed "Mary Beth Johnson LtCol, USMC.
This story was big in the 70s. It was popular in the military intelligence circles. It may be the precursor of the old, "If I tell you I'd have to kill you line."
The story: Some people have clearances so high they are KBC (Kill Before Capture).
The story: TDY stands for Temporary Duty Yonder
In Fact: TDY stands for Temporary DutY.
A legend that came out of the Vietnam Conflict.
The story: There was an incurable venerial disease that was indigenous to Vietnam. It is called "Black Syphilis" whenever a G.I. contracted the disease he was sent to an island where he would spend the rest of his life. His family would be informed that he was killed in actions.
Here is another legend from the Vietnam Conflict.
The story: There was this GI who got into an argument with a Vietnamese woman over the price of her services. She injured him. The investigation revealed she was a Viet Cong. So the GI got the Purple Heart.
This one is from the Kosovo Conflict.
The story: Most of the Yugoslavian armor destroyed were in fact decoys.
In fact "(O)ut of 1,102 validated strikes, only 25 decoys were struck." Air Force Magazine, April 2000, Balkan Myths--and Mythmakers
Here are ones that can be called an anti-military legends.
The story: "The Sphinx is missing a nose. Someone shot it off in a moment of idle desecration--some say it was Mameluke Turks, others, Napoleonic soldiers." COSMOS, by Carl Sagan, Copywright 1980 by Carl Sagan Productions, Inc., p99
Others have been accused of doing the deed including the British and the Germans.
The story: US and Israeli casualties are much higher than reported.
A web site called Jihan Unspun gives these figures for US & Allied casualties from October 21, 2001 - June 21, 2002.
| U.S. Dead | 867 |
| U.S. Wounded | 537 |
| Allied Dead | 968 |
| Allied Wounded | 676 |
In Fact: Click Here for accurate figures on US Casualties in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom
. As of September 22, 2006.
The story: Investigative reporters "broke" the story about the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal. In Fact: The U.S. military "broke" the story
The story: The Israelis committed a Massacre at Jenin on the West Bank in April, 2002.
The Israelis fought a battle at Jenin. The IDF lost 23 soldiers in the battle. On April 30, 2002 the Palestinian Authority admitted only 56 were found. Almost all of the bodies were of armed combatants. Many of them still had their guns and ammunition with them.
The story: The U.S. Military attacked a wedding party in Iraq and killed many people, including children, on May 19, 2004.
Click Here to learn what the military found when they investigated the scene.
The story: U.S. was shamelessly destroying Iraqi cities and killing hundreds of innocent Iraqis every day.
The story: The U.S. and its allies killed 100,000 Iraqi civilians.
The story: 650,000 Iraqi civilians have died since the beginning of the Iraq War in 2003 until 2006. 1.03 million Iraqis have died From 2003 - 2007.
Opinion Research Business (ORB) came up with the 1.03 million number.
The story: According to Venezulean President Hugo Chavez; U.S. forces "use arms with chemical weapons like they used in Fallujah."
The story: US military personnel are not as well educated as their civilian counterparts.
In Fact: 90% of US military personnel had High School diplomas compared to 75% of the civilian population.
The story: The U.S. Military has a disproportionate number of underprivileged people.
In Fact: U.S. Military personnel are largely from middle class families.
The story: A disproportionate number of military recruits come from urban areas..
The story: African-Americans suffer a disproportionate number of casualties.
In Fact: From November 2005 - July 2006 African-Americans and suffered 11% of the casuaties. Hispanic casualties were also 11%.
The story: Some juvenile offenders have the choice of enlisting or going to prison.
In Fact: While it was true at one time the U.S. military no longer accepts youth offenders.
The story: The U.S. Military isn't able to meet its recruiting goals.
Click here for the truth about these and other recruiting myths.
In Fact: Click for Recruiting & Retention Stats;
October 2008 † July 2008 † June 2008 † May 2008 † March 2008 † February 2008 † January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 FY 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 April 2007. July 2006.
The story: Only enlisted people were called to account for the prisoner abuses at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.
In Fact:
| Rank | Accountability |
| Brig. Gen | 1 demoted to colonel |
| Major | 1 Article 15, 2 Letters of Reprimand |
| Captain | 3 Court Martialed, 1 Other than Honorable Discharge, 1 Article 15, 5 Letters of Reprimand |
| First Lt. | 2 Court Martialed, 1 Article 15, 1 Letter of Reprimand |
| Second Lt. | 1 Other than Honorable Discharge, 1 Letter of Reprimand |
| Chief Warrant Officer | 2 Court Martialed |
The story: The Army and Marine Corps are having recruiting problems.
In fact: The Military services have consistently been near or above their recruiting quotas.
The story: military interrogators at the Guantanamo prison facility had flushed a Koran, the Muslim holy book, down a toilet. The story: The chief of the British Army, Gen. Richard Dannatt, said the UK must "get ourselves out sometime soon because our presence exacerbates security problems,"
In fact: That is a part of what he said but doesn't give the full meaning of his statement. Click here for what he meant.
The story: Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld gave an order to shoot down a Cessna 150 that strayed into the restricted airspace around Washington, DC on May 11, 2005.
In fact: Secretary Rumsfeld gave no such order.
This story started as a joke.
The story: The captain of a US Navy Aircraft Carrier ordered a ship it was on a collision course to move out of the way. The story ends when the person on the other 'ship' identifies himself not as a ship's captain but as a lighthouse keeper.
The story: Ironclads were first used in the American Civil War.Wording here is important. If the definition of an ironclad is a ship that uses iron armor then the ironclads were deployed by the Korean Navy in the 15th century. Left is a model of the Korean Ironclad, known as a turtle ship. Below is a cannon from the USS MONITOR at the Nautical Museum in Newport News.
Aviation Legends
The story: Two Israeli Air Force F-15s shot down two Syrian MiG-29s on September 14, 2001.
Two Israeli Air Force F-16s shot down two Syrian MiG-29s on September 14, 2004.
In fact: An organization called Reform Party of Syria floated these stories. If the stories were to be taken as fact not only were two Syrian planes shot down on the third Anniversary of two other Syrian planes being shot down but these planes were flown by the same two luckless Syrian pilots.
The story: In World War II some aircraft broke the sound barrier.
The story: Airplanes made their combat debut in World War I.
In fact: Airplanes made their combat debut in the Italo-Turkish War (1911-1912). They were also used in the Balkans (1912-1913) and Mexico (April 1914).
The story: JG26 aka "The Abbeville Boys" was a Wing of Luftwaffe aces who had at least 20 victories to their credit and were hand picked by Herman Goering.
In fact: JG26 was arguably the best German fighter wing on the Western front. However their ranks included aces (experten) and novices.
Fans of a specific military aircraft love to point out how the enemy gave their favorite aircraft a fearful nickname.
The story: The Japanese nicknamed the Bristol Beaufighter, the 'Whispering Death'.
In fact an Allied journalist came up with that nick name.
The story: The Norden bomb site was a highly classified secret during World War II.
In Fact: The Norden bomb site was downgraded from SECRET to CONFIDENTIAL in 1935. It was downgraded to RESTRICTED in 1942.
Harrier fans love this one.
The story: A Harrier can Vector in Forward Flight (ViFF). This is an excellent air combat tactic. If an opposing pilot gets behind them Harrier pilots can vector their thrust so they fly straight up. The opposing pilot then blows right by the Harrier pilot and is a sitting duck. Harrier pilots used this tactic against Argentine aircraft in the Falklands.
Retired Air Vice Marshal J.E. Johnson asked Sea Harrier pilot Lt. Cmdr. Nigel Ward about this. The response is in The Story of Air Fighting by Air Vice Marshall J. E. Johnson. "No. Although the Harrier is capable of 'viffing' it is not a good combat tactic because you lose a lot of energy."
This story probably started as a joke that someone took seriously.
The story: A German air traffic controller at Frankfurt had a difficult time with a BOAC Boeing 747 pilot. The conversation ended when the German controller asked the BOAC pilot if he ever flew to Frankfurt before. The BOAC pilot answered, "Yes, in 1944. In another type of Boeing. I didn't stop."
Official sources can also start legends.
The story: During Operation Desert Shield/Storm, 120 F-15C/D's deployed to the Persian Gulf and flew more than 5,900 sorties. Every Iraqi fixed-wing aircraft destroyed in air-to-air combat, including five Soviet-made MiG-29 Fulcrums, were downed by F-15C's. No coalition aircraft were lost to Iraqi fighters.
Source: The Air Force Web site's fact sheet on Operation Desert Storm
In fact U.S. Navy F/A-18s shot down two MiG-21s (fixed wing aircraft) during Operation Desert Storm. An Iraqi fighter did shoot down a U.S. Navy F/A-18.
Theory: McDonnel-Douglas advertised McDonnel-Douglas aircraft scored all the air victories against fixed wing Iraqi aircraft. Since the F/A-18 was also a McDonnel-Douglas aircraft that statement was accurate. This may have confused whoever made up this Air Force fact sheet.
The story: Operation Allied Force in Kosovo, the first time the B-1s were involved in combat.
Source: A story on the Air Force Web site, Female B-2 pilot makes history by Airman 1st Class Alice K. Moore 40th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
In fact B-1B Lancers flew combat missions in Operation Desert Fox in 1998.
Sometimes official sources can give accurate information that can easily spawn legends.
The story: The F/A-18 demonstrated its capabilities and versatility during Operation Desert Storm, shooting down enemy fighters and subsequently bombing enemy targets with the same aircraft on the same mission.
This is a quote from the US Navy's fact file on the F/A-18 Hornet.
This is true the two F/A-18 kills during Operation Desert Storm happened this way. The two Hornet pilots scored their kills on the same mission. Their targets were MiG-21s, Vietnam War vintage aircraft. While the text is accurate a reader can get the impression a one time occurance was routine for F/A-18s during Operation Desert Storm.
Legends that start with a roll. The Story "Ladies and gentlemen, where are we now? Where are we now? If you want to know where Al Qaeda lives, you want to know where Bin Laden is, come back to Afghanistan with me. Come back to the area where my helicopter was forced down, with a three-star general and three senators at 10,500 feet in the middle of those mountains. I can tell you where they are."
Sen. Joe Biden, September 22, 2008
While technically true it could give someone the impression terrorist fire had something to do with this helicopter being forced down in February 2008. In fact it was forced down by a snowstorm. The Senators and the three star general went to Bagram AB by motor convoy.
Note: One American was killed by enemy action in Afghanistan in February 2008.
During a PBS interview retired Admiral Thomas Moorer gave a strong defense of Commander Robert Stumpf whom Admiral Moorer considered the Navy wronged.
The story: Well, Commander Stump was absolutely if not the top aviator in the Navy, awful close to it. And he was head of the Blue Angels. His squadron was selected the best squadron in the Navy. He had a fantastic record in Desert Storm. Shot down I don't know how many Arab planes. He's been selected not once but twice. And so he was just a natural. He was going to be an aviation admiral. There wasn't any question about it. It's just criminal, in my opinion.
While his statements may be technically accurate the fact is Commander Stumpf wasn't credited with shooting down a single aircraft.
Continued: On July 31, 2002 the Washington times called Captain Stumpf an "ace". (Tailhook Scandal "injustice" righted, by Rowan Scarborough.)
"Ace" implies someone shot down five aircraft in air-air combat.
Another "Ace" legend
The Story: Captain Richard S. Ritchie,USAF, was the first American Ace of the Vietnam conflict.
In Fact: Lt Randolph "Duke" Cunningham and Lt(jg) William Dricoll (USN) were the first American aces of the Vietnam Conflict. They shot down their third, fourth, and fifth enemy aircraft on May 10, 1972. Captain Richie shot down his first enemy aircraft on that day. He shot down his fifth aircraftt on August 28, 1972.
Retired Colonel David H. Hackworth, a hero of the Korean and Vietnam Conflicts, wrote an article; Will They Ever Get It Right? The article was about the recently concluded Operation Anaconda. Here is an excerpt.
"Now we've just finished the first big U.S. conventional fight of the Afghanistan War. Sadly, our fine troops trained in the flatlands of New York and Kentucky weren't conditioned for mountain warfare at elevations of 9,000 feet, where their cruel and crafty enemy knew every fold in the ground. Our Joes were sent into battle loaded down like pack mules, insufficiently prepared for the freezing conditions and far from physically up for the game. The guerrillas also outranged our grunts both with a superior .30-caliber rifle, as opposed to our little popgun 5.56 M-16, and by the use of reverse slope mortars.
The crying shame is that our soldiers - bunched up like beetles at a bugfest - weren't ready to face some of the toughest fighters in the world employing the same timeworn tactics they used to defeat the Soviets and the Brits.
And when our brave Apache gunship pilots came to the rescue, they lost all their ships to enemy fire. The guerrillas cleverly recycled the same techniques with which they destroyed fleets of Soviet aircraft in Afghanistan and again in Somalia during Black Hawk Down.
The generals, from jovial Tommy Franks down to the two-star on the ground, didn't get much right until they shrewdly declared victory and hauled butt away from the bomb craters and their plan that went awry."
The US casualies for Operation Anaconda were eight dead, 49 wounded. (Most of the wounds were minor.) Enemy dead were 500. All of the nine Apache gunships received battle damage. Four of the gunships received damage sufficient enough that they had to withdraw from the fight. None were "shot down". The firefight described lasted nine hours. USAF A-10s and AC-130s also supported the ground troops.
The Story: In case you missed it, this week, there was a tragedy in Kansas. Ten thousand people died—an entire town destroyed, Then Sen. Barack Obama speaking about a Kansas town struck by tornados.
In Fact: 12 people died.
The Story: I believe the nation that invented the automobile cannot walk away from it, President Barack Hussein Obama Jr. speaking on February 24, 2009.
In Fact: Assuming he was refering to the United States, he was wrong. Germany, thanks to Karl Friedrich Benz, invented the automobile. France and Great Britain could make a claim for the credit, but the U.S. is out of the running.
Which legend to believe. In 1999 there was a military exercise that pitted the Israeli Air Force against the US Navy. There are two differerent versions of what happened.
One Version: The Israeli Air Force "shot down" 220 US Navy aircraft for the "loss" of only 20 of their own.
Another Version: The Naval Aviatiors had been at see and they had very little support. The combats were set so the Israelis had the advantage. At first the Israeli pilots had a "5-6:2" (2.5-3:1) kill to loss ratio. The Naval Aviators learned quickly and by the end of the exercise the ratio was about 1:1.
Nautical Legengs
The story: While this may look like a gag shot, it is actually a "transport of a transport" necessity. The B-52 was in Beirut, Lebanon undergoing routine fuel tank cleaning. Workmen accidentally damaged the bladder system and had to install the bladders from smaller C-130s temporarily. The plane was flown to nearby McCollough air base where it was lifted upon a barge bound for Tyre on the Mediterranean. Once there it was off-loaded onto the carrier deck for transport to Crete where the appropriate tank bladders were installed. It was then flown back to Beirut. Military cooperation in action. In Fact: It is a gag. The paragraph mentions places where the military doesn't have bases and bases that don't exist. There are also geometry problems with the picture.
The story: The Ship in Distress signal SOS stands for SAVE OUR SHIP.
In Fact: SOS isn't an acronym.
Religious Legends
The Story: "...one of the points I want to make is, is that if you actually took the number of Muslim Americans, we'd be one of the largest Muslim countries in the world." President Barack Hussein Obama..
In Fact: At the time President Obama said this in 2009 the U.S. was #48 on the list, if you actually took the number of Muslim Americans.
The Story: FLORIDA COURT SETS ATHEIST HOLY DAY - ... an atheist created a case against the upcoming Easter and Passssover holy days. ... The judge said, "The calendar says April 1st is April Fools Day. Psalm 14:1 states, 'The fool says in his heart, there is no God.' ...
In Fact: No such ruling.
The Story: In the first century Jews put to death any non-Jew who passed beyond the first courtyard of the ancient Temple In Fact: While there was a warning in Leviticus of serious consequences it didn't call for summary execution. Leviticus wasn't shy about saying if a crime warranted the death penalty.
The Story: Allah or Jesus? by Rick Mathes Last month I attended my annual training session that's required for maintaining my state prison security clearance. During the training session there was a presentation by three speakers representing the Roman Catholic, Protestant and Muslim faiths, who explained each of their belief systems. I was particularly interested in what the Islamic Imam had to say. The Imam gave a great presentation of the basics of Islam, complete with a video. After the presentations, time was provided for questions and answers. When it was my turn, I directed my question to the Imam and asked: "Please, correct me if I'm wrong, but I understand that most Imams and clerics of Islam have declared a holy jihad [Holy war] against the infidels of the world. And, that by killing an infidel, which is a command to all Muslims, they are assured of a place in heaven. If that's the case, can you give me the definition of an infidel?" There was no disagreement with my statements and, without hesitation, he replied, "Non-believers!" I responded, "So, let me make sure I have this straight. All followers of Allah have been commanded to kill everyone who is not of your faith so they can go to Heaven. Is that correct?" The expression on his face changed from one of authority and command to that of a little boy who had just gotten caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He sheepishly replied, "Yes." I then stated, "Well, sir, I have a real problem trying to imagine Pope John Paul commanding all Catholics to kill those of your faith or Dr. Stanley ordering Protestants to do the same in order to go to Heaven!" The Imam was speechless. I continued, "I also have problem with being your friend when you and your brother clerics are telling your followers to kill me Let me ask you a question. Would you rather have your Allah who tells you to kill me in order to go to Heaven or my Jesus who tells me to love you because I am going to Heaven and He wants you to be with me?" You could have heard a pin drop as the Imam hung his head in shame. Needless to say, the organizers and/or promoters of the 'Diversification' training seminar were not happy with Rick's way of dealing with the Islamic Imam and exposing the truth about the Muslim's beliefs. I think everyone in the US should be required to read this, but with the liberal justice system, liberal media, and the ACLU, there is no way this will be widely publicized. Please pass this on to all your e-mail contacts. This is a true story and the author, Rick Mathes, is a well known leader in prison ministry. In Fact: Many ficticious stories concern someone who takes on an expert who is speaking about something and points out some "facts" that leave the expert speechless.
The Story: Some Mathematician computed the odds of a few Biblical prophecies, which were fulfilled, as 1 in [A very large number].
The Story: Held to a mirror the Coke-a-Cola logo reads, 'No Mecca, No Mohammeed'.
The Story: Dr. Benjamin Spock's son committed suicide.
In Fact: Dr. Benjamin Spock's grandson, not his son committed suicide.
The story: The Song "The 12 Days of Christmas" has religious origins. Since Roman Catholics couldn't openly practice their faith in England from 1558-1829 they developed this song to help teach young Roman Catholics their faith.
The Bible says Noah's Arc landed on Mt. Ararat. There's a mountain in Turkey that is named Ararat. It's near the the border of the former Soviet Union.
A story: Soviet pilots saw Noah's Arc but the Athiest government of The Soviet Union supressed these reports.
The Bible mentions many fantastic events. Some say these events shouldn't be taken literally, some take it as an article of faith for a believer to accept the Bible at its word. This story dates back to before 1960.
The story: Astronomers needed to know the position of the earth for the distant past. They were 24 hours off in their calculations. One Christian Astronomer pointed out in the Bible where it mentions the sun stood still for most of the day. That brought the astronomers closer to their solution. However most of the day still doesn't cover 24 hours. Then the Christian Astronomer pointed to another passage in the Bible that mentions the sun moving backwards. This satisfied the Astronomers.
Throughout the centuries there have been many claims Christ's Mother Mary (The Blessed Mother) made an appearance. One such claim was in 1984.
The story: The Blessed Mother appeared in Yugoslavia and predicted the conflict(s) that happened after Yugoslavia broke up.
Mark 10:25 says, "It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."
The story: In those days there was a narrow city gate that was called the eye of the needle which was difficult, but not impossible, for a camel to pass through.
There is a practice called "Speaking in Tongues." It is where the believer speaks in a language unknown to the speaker. Some believe the languages are foreign languages others believe it isn't an earthly language. As with any belief there are unbelievers who don't believe it is any language at all. There are believers who translate tounges.
The story: An unbeliever decided to have some irreverent fun. He went into a church where people "spoke in tongues." He spoke in a foreign language he understood. He spoke blasphemy while a church member "translated." The translator said he was saying wonderful spiritually uplifting things.
Many believe the Book of Revelation is a prophesy about the end of the world. This has spawned many theories about the identity of "The Beast"
The story: The Common Market is developing a super computer, nicknamed "The Beast", which will be capable of containing information on everyone in the world.
Since the story started in the 1970s any computer under development then would be a museum piece now.
Many Christians cringe at the mention of Madeline Murray O'Hare.
The story: CBS will be forced to discontinue "Touched by an Angel!" for using the word "God" in every program, Madeline Murray O'Hare an atheist, successfully eliminated the use of Bible reading and prayer from school fifteen years ago. Her organization has now been granted a Federal Hearing on the same subject by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in Washington, DC. Their petition, #2493 would ultimately pave the way to stop the reading of the Gospel of our Lord and Savior, on the airwaves of America.
Note: This email was floating around in 2000. Subtract 15 years and that would make it 1985. The 15 year date is probably a better indicator the age of this hoax. The "Touched by an Angel" part is a new twist on an old hoax.
The story: There are many Christians who claim they were heavily into drugs and the occult and their life was a total mess. Then they found Jesus Christ and their life turned around.
While there may be cases like this the stories seem to familiar for them all to be factual.
The story: The University of Kentucky removed The Holocaust University of Kentucky removed The Holocaust from its school curriculum because it 'offended' the Muslim population which claims it never occurred.
There is a similar email circulating with the same false claim about UK schools. To its credit the Anti-Defamation League exposed this hoax on its web site (http://www.adl.org/Internet_Rumors/Kentucky_Holocaust_110607.htm).
Entertainment Legends This section uses the term "Entertainment" loosly.
This story started around 1974. They started just before the release of the file Snuff. That is where the Snuff Film legend got its name.
The story: There is a film that actually shows a woman being murdered.
This story started almost from the day the Movie Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace opened in Theatres.
The story: The character Jar Jar Binks, speaks with a Jamacian accent and so perpetuates racial steriotypes.
The story continued: In the next Star Wars film there will be a Native American, an Asian, and a Latino character.
Look for this one about the 2002 Olympics
The story: Before the gold medal game with Canada the players of the US Women's Hockey team stomped on a Canadian flag in their locker room.
For the record Canada won 3-2.
Hidden Legends
Sometimes legends start by leaving out certain information.
The story: The Scopes Monkey trial revealed Fundamentalists as ingorant, narrow minded, bigots. The defense was fighting against this and for teaching enlightenment.
What isn't told is the book which was used to teach evolution, which violated The Bulter Act, was Hunter's Civic Biology (1914). The book devoted only a few pages to evolution. It ended the chapter on evolution by stating "...the highest type of all, the caucasians, represented by the civilized white inhabitants of Europe and America." (Page 196).
Political Legends
The story" April Fool's joke: a report on Car and Driver magazine's Web site that President Barack Obama had ordered Chevrolet and Dodge out of NASCAR as a condition for receiving federal bailout funds.
In Fact: It was an April Fools joke by Car and Driver in its webzine. A number of President Obama's political opponents took the story as fact.
The story: Vice-President Dick Cheney instigated the Georgia-Russian War in 2008 to stop Sen. Barack Obama from becoming president..
The story: Sen. Hillary Clinton tried to join the army but the recruiter told her no one would take her because her vision is to bad.
Sen. Clinton has made a similar claim about trying to join the marines.
The story: HUD sent down a letter dated October 29, 2007 stating it's against HUD policy to have religious decorations in common areas of subsidized public housing.
In Fact: An employee of a housing management company, dated October 29, 2007, indicating under the advice of a former attorney in HUD's fair housing division, their properties should not permit religious decorations in common areas. This is not HUD policy. Click here for HUD's policy on Christmas decorations.
The story: No Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) were found in Iraq
In Fact: These items were found:
| Nuclear | Chemical | Biological | Missiles |
| 1.77 metric tons low-enriched Uranium | 500 shells, some with mustard some with sarin gas | 97 vials | 16 (2 found, 14 fired at the coalition) |
| 1,000 radioactive samples | strains of biological organisms | 20 rocket engines |
In Fact: The bullet quoted reads:
"The Iraq conflict has become the 'cause celebre' for jihadists, breeding a deep resentment of US involvement in the Muslim world and cultivating supporters for the global jihadist movement. Should jihadists leaving Iraq perceive themselves, and be perceived, to have failed, we judge fewer fighters will be inspired to carry on the fight."
The story: The winners write the History books
In Fact: Winners, losers, and their sympathizers write history books. Winners are often vilanized and loosers are often lionized.
One story: Senator John F. Kerry filed false reports when he was a swift boat captain in Vietnam to get his medals.
Another story: Military records prove the other swift boat officers are lying when they claim Senator Kerry made false reports.
NOTE: If maintenance records exist on the swift boats involved in the incident it would give convincing evidence to one side or the other.
The story: William Shakespeare wrote, "Beware the leader who bangs the drums of war in order to whip the citizenry into a patriotic fervor, for patriotism is indeed a double-edged sword. It both emboldens the blood, just as it narrows the mind. And when the drums of war have reached a fever pitch and the blood boils with hate and the mind has closed, the leader will have no need in seizing the rights of the citizenry. Rather, the citizenry, infused with fear and blinded with patriotism, will offer up all of their rights unto the leader, and gladly so. How do I know? For this is what I have done. And I am Caesar."
The story above feeds another legend.
The story: Starting a war is a good way for a leader to divert the population's attention and keep in power." In Fact:
| M WAR | PEACE A |
| Despite a string of military victories culminating with the successful Operation Allied Force (1999) the Democrats lost the 2000 presidential election. | In 1964 President Lyndon Johnson won by a landslide. He depicted his opponent, Barry Goldwater, as a war monger. |
| The Democrats lost the presidency in 1952 even though the US was involved in the Korean Conflict | President Lyndon Johnson withdrew from the 1968 presidential election. President Richard Nixon won the 1968 election. Part of President Nixon's campaign was claiming he had a secret plan to end the Vietnam War. |
| Despite the military victory in 1991 that earned him unprecented popularity President George H.W. Bush lost the 1992 presidential election. | Chancellor Gerhard Schroder won the 2002 election by adopting an anti-war stance. |
| In 1945 between VE and VJ Sir Winston Churchill lost his seat as Prime Minister. | In 1972 President Richard Nixon announced there was a peace agreement just before the 1972 presidential election. He won by a landslide. |
| Britain's Labor party lost control of Parliament in 1940, during World War II. | Woodrow Wilson won reelection in 1916. A campain slogan was, "He kept us out of War." |
| Despite Britain's involvement in the Korean Conflict his part was beaten in the 1951 elections. | Vladimir Lenin gained power in Russian promising to get Russia out of the war. |
| The ruling party in Spain lost power in 2004 despite a good economy, its country's involvement in an armed conflict, and a terrorist attack days earlier that left 190 dead. | |
| Despite France's involvement in the U.S. War for Independence the monarchy was overthrown. | |
| Czar Nicholas II fell from power in the middle of Word War I. | |
| Despite the victory in World War I the Democrats lost the presidency in the 1920 election. | The Republicans took the White House from the Democrats in 1952, in the middle of the Korean Conflict. |
| Despite a big turnaround on the course of Operation Iraqi Freedom the Republicans lost the White House |
President George W. Bush alienated America from its "allies".
| Elected government less friendly to the U.S. | U.S. Friendly government stayed in power or the people elected a more U.S. friendly government |
| Australia Spain Italy |
Canada France Germany Japan Republic of Korea Mexico Peru Sweden Switzerland United Kingdom |
This is what has been said about every US military action since 1973.
The story: The military action was really to protect the interests of big oil.
Even though President George W. Bush did well on his SAT and has a Masters Degree from Harvard Business School there is a common belief that he is unintelligent.
The story: Lovenstein Institute calculated President George W. Bush as having the lowest IQ (91) of any U.S. President in modern times. By contrast President William Jefferson Clinton had the highest IQ. President Bush didn't even write a book before becoming president.
Cartoonist Gary Trudeau cited this study in his DOONESBURY cartoon strip. There is no Lovenstein Institute and President George W. Bush authored A Charge to Keep before becoming president.
As election times grow near stories to show the importance of one vote make the rounds.
One story: German missed becoming the official language of the United States by one vote.
This is called the Muhlenberg Myth.
The story: Vice-President Al Gore won the 2000 election but President George W. Bush stole the election.
The story: Senator John F. Kerry won the 2004 election but President George W. Bush stole the election.
The story: President Richard M. Nixon was seriously considering using the War Powers Act to stay in office.
The story: President George W. Bush is planning to cancel the 2004 elections.
This story concerns the idiom Rule of Thumb
One story: The expression "Rule of Thumb" came from a time when it was legal to beat your wife with a stick as long as it was no thicker than your thumb.
Another story: Wife beating was never legal in Anglo-American law.
A theory: The term "Rule of Thumb" concerned measuring and did not come from Jurisprudence regarding wife beating. Apparently some judges have used a man's thumb as the "Rule of Thumb" concerning wife beating.
This story concerns President William Jefferson Clinton.
One story: Some 50 people who could have incriminated President Clinton have died under mysterious circumstances.
Another story: That story is ridiculous he couldn't get away with an extramarital affair. He wouldn't be so stupid as to think he could get away with serial killing.
A theory: Presidents know many people. People die. Any death can be termed "mysterious". Considering the amount of evidence required to convince many people the president was having an affair there is no reason to believe a president couldn't get away with murder. If stupidity was a defence the jails would be empty.
The story: President William Jefferson Clinton's presidency was eight years of peace and prosperity.
In Fact: The economy was good during William Jefferson Clinton's presidency. Peace is a relative term. There were these U.S. military actions from 1993 - 2000:
| Somalia | Bosnia | Kosovo |
| Operations Northern & Southern Watch (Iraq) | Missile strikes against Sudan & Afghanistan | Operation Desert Fox (Iraq) |
| Word Trade Center Bombing (1993) | Kobar Towers Bombing (Saudi Arabia) | African Embassy Bombings | USS Cole attack |
The story: Occupation never works.
In Fact: Sometimes occupation doesn't work. Sometimes, for better or for worse, it works.
| In Kosovo | Since 1999 | In Greneda | 1983 | In Panama | 1989 | Eastern Europe | 1945 - 1989 |
| In Bosnia | Since 1995 | In The Phillippines | Occupied by Spain then the US until Japan took over. |
| In Haiti | 1990s | In Berlin | 1945 - 1989 |
| Southwestern United States | SInce 1848 |
This story apparently started bouncing around the web in 1999. Unlike many political fables people from the same end of the political spectrum quickly debunked it.
The story: When Jane Fonda went to North Vietnam she visited American POWs. The POWs each handed Ms Fonda a piece of paper with their SSNs on them as a way of sending word they were still alive. Ms. Fonda promptly turned over the papers to their North Vietnanese jailer. ...
The story: Torture is an unreliable method of interrogation.
True, but every method of interogation is unreliable.
The story: The budget deficit is spiraling out of control. It's something our grandchildren will have to pay for.
In Fact: The Federal Deficit for FY2004 was $413 Billion; for FY2005 was $319 Billion; for FY2006 was $247.7 Billion; It is projected to be $205 billion for FY2007.
The story: The NFL didn't make a political decision when they sold air time to a political group which aired a commercial accusing people who supported sending more troops to Iraq of not supporting the troops. A pro-buildup group could have bought air time and run their commercials.
In Fact: The NFL refused to air a recruiting commercial for the Department of Homeland Security. NFL spokesperson Greg Aiello said, "The borders, the immigration debate is a very controversial issue, and we were sensitive to any perception we were injecting ourselves into that."
The story: "That's alright. You guys in New York can't get a hole in the ground fixed and it's five years later. So let’s be fair." New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin (August 24, 2006)
In Fact: Yes, at Ground Zero there is still what could be called a large hole in the ground. There is also this:
The story: The US Military Commissions give unfair trials
In Fact:
- Hamza Ahmad Suliman al Bahlul, life
- David Matthew Hicks pleaded gulity to material support to terrorism and admitted to 35 facts that supported the charge. His sentence was 7 years, 6 years 3 months were commuted by the commission. The remaining 9 months are to be served in his native Australia.
- U.S. Army Colonel Peter Brownback dismissed all charges against Omar Khadr on a legal technicality.
- Salim Hamdan was convicted of 5 counts of supporting terrorism but acquitted of the two more serious charges of charges of conspiracy. His sentence was 5 years, 6 months.
- Charges were dismissed against Noor Uthman Mohammed, Binyam Mohammed, Sufyiam Barhoumi, Ghassan Abdullah al Sharbi, and Jabran Said Bin al Qahtani.
The story: The winner of the 2008 presidential election could be decided by flawed, insecure, and hackable electronic voting machines. In Fact: People have been stuffing paper ballot boxes for over a century. With a paper trail a person can prove to someone who bought their vote that they kept their side of the bargan. Now someone who wants to buy a vote has to trust the person they are bribing is dishonest enough to sell their vote but honest enough to honor their illegal deal.
The story: When in England at a fairly large conference, Colin Powell was asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury if our plans for Iraq were just an example of empire building' by George Bush.
He answered by saying, 'Over the years, the United States has sent many of its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to bury those that did not return.
Then there was a conference in France where a number of international engineers were taking part, including French and American. During a break one of the French engineers came back into the room saying 'Have you heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done? He has sent an aircraft carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims. What does he intend to do, bomb them?' A Boeing engineer stood up and replied quietly: 'Our carriers have three hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they are nuclear powered and can supply emergency electrical power to shore facilities; they have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a day, they can produce several thousand gallons of fresh water from sea water each day, and they carry half a dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck..
In Fact: Amusing, but not true. France does have aircraft carriers, albeit not as large as the U.S. super carriers.
We have eleven such ships; how many does France have?'
A U.S. Navy Admiral was attending a naval conference that included Admirals from the U.S., English, Canadian, Australian and French Navies. At a cocktail reception, he found himself standing with a large group of officers that included personnel from most of those countries. Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks but a French admiral suddenly complained that, 'whereas Europeans learn many languages, Americans learn only English.' He then asked, 'Why is it that we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speaking French? Without hesitating, the American Admiral replied 'Maybe it's because the Brits, Canadians, Aussies and Americans arranged it so you wouldn't have to speak German.
A group of Americans, retired teachers, recently went to France on a tour. Robert Whiting, an elderly gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by plane. At French Customs, he took a few minutes to locate his passport in his carry on. 'You have been to France before, monsieur?' the customs officer asked sarcastically. Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to France previously. 'Then you should know enough to have your passport ready.' The American said, 'The last time I was here, I didn't have to show it.' 'Impossible! Americans always have to show your passports on arrival in France!' The American senior gave the Frenchman a long hard look. Then he quietly explained. 'Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day in '44 to help liberate this country, I couldn't find any Frenchmen to show it to.'
LEGENDARY PREDICTIONS
U - It didn't happen but that doesn't stop people from saying it.
r - It didn't happen.
6 - It hasn't happend and time is running out.
N - Keep watching it might just happen.
a - It happened.
J - It didn't look like it but guess who got the last laugh.
s - It hasn't happened.
s - Sean Hannity predicts he will be the subject of an IRS audit during the Obama presidentcy.
rThe statement on the picture, taken 20 years after Russell Train made it, is posted in the National Museum in Baltimore, MD.s - History will judge the presidency of George W. Bush better than it was judged when he left office.
s - Sean Hannity predicts Sean Hannity will get an IRS audit.
rThe story: George W. Bush's re-election means many jobs will be lost.
In Fact: From Jan 2005 - January 2008 a net of almost 5.8 million new jobs were created. In January - January 2009 a net of 3,033,000 jobs were lost. From his second inauguration to his leaving office a net of 2,767,000 jobs were gained.
rThe story: Gold reaching $700 an ounce in the Spring of 2006 is only the beginning. Gold can easily double that price.
rThe story: Gas will be $4 a gallon or more by the end of 2006. - Note: Gas reached $4 a gallon then dropped down sharply.
6The story: Gas will reach $6 a gallon or more in 2008.
aThe story: Gas will reach $4 a gallon in spring 2008.
rThe story: With oil stuck above $70 bbl. ...
Niall Ferguson, a History Professor at Harvard University wrote this in the article The Nation That Fell To Earth, © TIME September 11, 2006. It was a future history article set in 2031. By the time the issue of TIME hit the newsstands oil was below $70 bbl. and falling fast. The oil price has rebounded and in 2008 was well above $100 a barrell. Then the price of oil plunged to below $70 a barrel in November. The price of oil didn't cause the economic crisis of 2008 instead the economic crisis caused the price of oil to drop.
Other Niall Ferguson predictions from The Nation That Fell To Earth, © TIME September 11, 2006:
rConservative David Cameron will be the United Kingdom's next Prime Minister.
In Fact: Labor Gordon Brown suceeded Tony Blair as Prime Minister.
2008
- "U.S. presence in the Middle East" will "wind down."
- JSen. John McCain will be the Republican candidate for President. While that initially looked ridiculous. Sen. John McCain became the Republican candidate.
- rex-Gov. Mark Warner will be the Democrative candidate for President. Gov. Warner was never in the running.
- rex-Gov. Mark Warner will become President elect Mark Warner. See above
- a2008 - Will have 14 -18 named storms and 7 - 10 hurricanes according to the National Weather Service.
r2008 - Mark Serreze, the senior scientist for the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, CO said the North Pole may be free of ice this summer.
2010 - The U.S. will break up according to Igor Panarin, a Russian professor.
2013 and beyond - The president will reform Medicare, Social Security, and the tax system.
r2007 - London-based forecaster Tropical Storm Risk predicted the 2007 Hurricane season would bring 17 tropical storms, 9 will be hurricanes.
Forecaster sees active Atlantic hurricane season, Reuters, March 21, 2007
As of October 21, 2007 there have been: 15 Atlantic cyclones these include 13 named storms, 2 unnamed tropical depressions, 4 hurricanes, and one subtropical storm.
2011 - London-based Oil Depletion Analysis Centre predicts demand will outstrip discovery then discovery will sharply decline.
World oil supplies are set to run out faster than expected, warn scientists, The Independent, by By Daniel Howden, June 14, 2007.
2010 - 2015 - Gas will be between $12 - $15 at the pump. Robert Hirsch interview at Energytechstocks.com.
Please feel free to contact me at the following address:
E-mail:rsacchi001@worldnet.att.net
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