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LETTER TO REP. JOHN SALAZAR / STOLEN VALOR ACT
Added: (Sun Aug 07 2005)
Congressman John Salazar
1531 Longworth HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Sunday, August 07, 2005
Honorable Congressman Salazar,
Thank you for proposing the "Stolen Valor Act of 2005." Awards usually come at the expense of personal sacrifice. When a person seeks honor and recognition for acts of valor she or he has not performed, that person insults and diminishes the sacrifices real heroes have made, and disparages the nation's defenders. Every act of stolen valor belittles the country's true heroes. It is a matter of simple respect. Too many people have been falsely granted attention and respect they have not earned by claiming to be war heroes.
One fine example was L. Ron Hubbard. His business, Scientology Incorporated, still promotes the lies he told about his Navy career. Under the proposed law, I hope to see Scientology Inc. forced to remove Hubbard's lies from their web site, or have them pay a fine and sent to prison if they refuse.
Mr. Hubbard claimed to be a war hero who was awarded from 21 to 27 medals, including two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star. In reality, L. Ron Hubbard never saw combat and was relieved of duty three times for incompetence. Hubbard was awarded the four basic medals that every Navy serviceman earned in the Pacific Theater (the medals: American Theater, American Defense, Asiatic-Pacific, and Victory).
Yesterday the Scientology Corporation issued an advertisement that once again claimed Mr. Hubbard was awarded 21 medals, including a Purple Heart with Palm. They did this even though they have been informed and educated of the fact that Mr. Hubbard never saw combat, was never wounded in the service of his country, and did not in fact receive The Purple Heart.
The business still asserts that Mr. Hubbard persecuted and destroyed a Japanese submarine off the coast of Oregon on 16-May-1943, which the business knows to be a lie. Commander (Northwest, Sea Frontier) Frank Jack Fletcher concluded that all of the evidence showed no Japanese or German submarine was in the area and therefore Mr. Hubbard did not sink one. (Two additional sub chasers, two blimps, and two Coast Guard Cutters confirmed there was no submarine.) Hubbard was relieved of command after depth-charging a magnetic anomaly off the Oregon coast.
The only other "combat" Mr. Hubbard saw was when he attacked the sovereign nation of Mexico. Mr. Hubbard on 28-June-1943, commanding USS PC-815, ordered the vessel's .30 and .45 caliber weapons to fire upon Mexican Territorial property (The Coronado Islands). For this attack he was once again relieved of duty.
And yet Mr. Hubbard's businesses still assert Hubbard was a war hero and that Hubbard was awarded from 21 to 27 medals, including the Purple Heart.
This is exactly what the proposed Act is meant to redress. People, and the organizations they created, who claim military awards and medals that they have not earned and have not been awarded should be punished and execrated by society. Even though Hubbard is dead, his business still repeats his lies, and in my opinion the proposed Act should also punish businesses and organizations that repeat such falsehoods. It is a gross insult to American men and women who have actually been wounded and who have actually earned the medals and awards that frauds and con-artists falsely claim. It's despicable behavior. People who claim high military distinction, such as Hubbard and his business, insult and slap the faces of every man and woman who served the United States with distinction, honor, courage, and valor.
Is there anything you can do to force the Scientology business to cease making its false claims about Hubbard's Navy career?
Submitted by:
National Coalition of Human Rights Activists