Military Officer - December 2006 - (Page 65)

SEPARATING FACT FROM FICTION Almost all urban legends fall apart upon close scrutiny. Following are a few tips on how to tell if a supposedly true story really is: ■ What is the source of the story? Urban legends typically happen to “a friend of a friend” (an “FOAF” in folklorist lingo), notes Brenda Sanders, senior instructor at the College of Charleston in South Carolina. If a story offers only vague attribution, wasn’t reported in the national press, and can’t be easily researched, it’s probably untrue. ■ Does the story make sense when given serious thought? Take, for example, the story of the tongueless (or handless) American GI held in a German (or North Vietnamese) POW camp. It’s common knowledge that prisoner mail during World War II was forwarded by the International Red Cross and did not require postage stamps. Another consideration: If the GI’s tongue really had been ripped out, how did he lick the stamp? And if his hands had been cut off, how did he write the letter at all? ■ Does the story try to advance a noticeable agenda? Many urban legends are merely a way of espousing a particular political (or other) point of view, usually at the expense of the truth. Sanders concludes, “If a story sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” service. Another reports that recruits in basic training now are issued “stress cards” which, when waved at demanding drill instructors, immediately entitle recruits to more gentle treatment. Both are false, though based on tiny grains of truth that quickly were lost as the stories took off. Not surprisingly, military-themed urban legends tend to ﬂourish during wartime. “We as humans are desperate for information that reafﬁrms our way of looking at things, and we have a tendency to believe stories that conﬁrm our worldview,” explains Sanders. “We also crave the latest information so we can be ‘in the know.’ No one wants to be the person who does not know what is happening, and for some people, getting their information from a friend or a forwarded e-mail keeps them informed without them having to do too much reading. Also, it gives service personnel information about who they are as [servicemembers] and who the enemy is.” Urban legends traditionally were passed by word of mouth, which is why many older urban legends often re- Today, urban legends fly around the world at lightning speed, thanks to the Internet. … New [urban legends] are created and transmitted every day. tained a regional ﬂavor. Today, urban legends ﬂy around the world at lightning speed, thanks to the Internet. As a result, many older urban legends are given new life, and new ones are created and transmitted every day. One Internet-transmitted piece of misinformation that has enraged many veterans over the past year concerns the supposed censoring of the phrase “So help us God” from a section of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Dec. 8, 1941, address to Congress that was etched into the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. But according to www .snopes.com, a Web site devoted to researching and debunking popular urban legends, the quote etched into the memorial did not end with the phrase “So help us God” — that line followed another part of Roosevelt’s famous speech. Wild tales or supposed “facts” that arrive in your computer’s in-box should be viewed with skepticism. Simply because someone swears a story is true doesn’t necessarily mean it is. Just ask the captain of the USS Coral Sea. MO DECEMBER 2006 MILITARY OFFICER 65 http://www.snopes.com http://www.snopes.com

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From the Editor From the President Your Views MOAA Directory Rapid Fire Washington Scene Financial Forum Ask the Doctor Chapter Activities Cover Story: How to Fund the Future Martial Lore Good Night, Sleep Tight Mixed Review Information Exchange Advertising Index Member Books MOAA Calendar Sounding Taps MOAA Member Services

Military Officer - December 2006

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