October 04, 2003

Mr. Benoist;

After a thorough review of documents received from St. Louis, and yourself, we present the following finding:

You had three years from the date you SIGNED (and therefore agreed with) your DD214 upon discharge to dispute the rank and service noted thereon. To raise a challenge now makes one wonder why you SUDDENLY have a dispute with records you agreed with upon discharge.

The records received from St. Louis MATCH the records received from you allegedly through Senator McCain’s office. They include everything YOU would have received had you requested them through normal channels and not troubled the Senator and his staff. The St. Louis certified file did NOT include all the pages you claim are part of your "official" file.

Those certified copies contain no more and no less alterations, changes, nor insertions than are found in MILLIONS of records for every other Soldier, Sailor, Airman and Marine. Those records are consistent with statements of time, duty, assignment, and MOS of the men stationed at Herzo AT THE SAME TIME.

Your reduction in rank was consistent with your marriage without prior approval to an unvetted German for someone entrusted with a higher security clearance and responsibilities.

Your addendum, letters, notations and letters of reference fall far short of evidence for a court of law. None of the statements are notarized and several of your "witnesses" are deceased. No one seems willing to testify under oath on your behalf.

Your opinions as to how and why errors exist in these records are inconsistent with fact, and historical accuracy. (Please see OUR addendum - attached) according to records experts.

Mr. Benoist – you were never in Vietnam, you were never an officer. You lack

simple records knowledge
training time and class length knowledge
time in grade
ANY VERIFIABLE EVIDENCE to back one word of your statements.

Your further insistence of units, training and classes that cross military BRANCHES, UNITS and geographical locations only intensifies the realization you have NO IDEA what you are talking about.

We have attempted to find ANY ONE individual that will state he knew you and served with you in Vietnam. We cannot locate ANY. We have attempted to locate ANY ONE individual that reads your records and agrees with your addendum as to the alterations, changes, deletions, or additions.

Your attempt to say the White House was helping you is laughable. It was a standard "canned" reply letter. Your lack of respect for the office, your self-classification of the letter you wrote – marking it TOP SECRET – is beyond belief.

We have talked to Col. Lew Millett AND his daughter. Your repeated attempts to influence an elderly man who has NO touch of Alzheimers and total recall is an abomination. Your repeated repetition of YOUR story in his home has in no way influenced his recall. You happened to be at Ft. Devens at the same time. That IS the entire relationship you have with the man. He IS willing to make a statement in that regard. Harassing a Medal of Honor recipient is also a cause for alarm here. Again – taping Col. Millet in his home adds NOTHING to your claims and is insulting to the Colonel.

We have talked to Gary Metzger, who denies writing the letter of reference signed with his name.

We have talked to Roger Grinstead, who cannot recall writing a letter to Senator McCain’s office on your behalf. Even sending a copy of the letter to him brought NO confirmation.

We have talked to Senators McCain’s office. The staffer there that had worked with you stated, "While we DID help him get his records, we cannot stop him from making his claims." The fact that you had the gall to tape record the Senator’s aid and then claim that that legitimizes your statements of records tampering is astounding!

We are unable to talk to former Police Chief of Yreka, Ron Quigley, as he is deceased.

We are unable to talk to Bravo editor and entertainer Tony Diamond, as he is deceased.

Lyle Allen has not returned our calls.

Detective Charles Winfree has not returned our calls.

The number you provided for Jim Holland was actually Lila Stubbs. There is NO VIETNAM POW RETURNEE by the name of Jim Holland, J. Holland, James Holland or Holland. Period. That fact was verified by OUR 14 years of records on the Vietnam POW issue; the Pentagon; and NAM POWS Inc. – the organization of Vietnam Ex-POWs (of which we are an honorary member).

We HAVE talked to numerous members of ASA,  Herzo who have reviewed your claims and records. They are UNANIMOUS in their conclusion that you served at Herzo as your

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records state, and your demotions to an Arts and Crafts MOS and Duty Soldier were appropriate for your actions. At no time were you an officer there.

We HAVE traced your "mountain man" expertise to the movie "The Quick and The Dead" in which you played a Mountain Man as an extra.

You did not complete ANY SEALs training. Not BUDS. Not UDT.

You are not recognized by any member of Special Forces as having completed ANY training with them. (And they are NOT called "Green Berets").

You are not recognized by any member of the Airborne Rangers as having completed ANY training with them.

There HAS NEVER BEEN a Medal of Honor RECIPIENT named Sgt. Michaels.

The 1^st Recon unit you claimed to have been a LRP/LRRP with on the Ho Chi Minh Trail is a MARINE UNIT. An Army officer would not have been attached – nor was it a "LRP" outfit.

Any man "counting" POWs and not attempting a rescue or reporting their whereabouts to a commanding officer should have been tried for treason after returning without said POWs.

We have talked to the VFW, STATE of Arizona. Their remarks included: you have a FULL uniform for every branch of service and have been seen wearing them.

Your attempt to maintain that you were an officer in Vietnam is a federal offense.

Impersonating an officer – by uniform, by resume, by statements - is a prosecutable federal crime and a violation of U.S. Code Title 18, as is wearing an unauthorized uniform.

Any further contact regarding your alleged claims, alteration of records or supposed witnesses will be considered harassment. Any further attempts to involve us in the prosecution or investigations undertaken by yourself or members of your DAV chapter against fellow members, former post members or their associates will all be considered harassment and will also be reported as such to law enforcement officials.

Additionally, the fact that you have tangled a Medal of Honor recipient, a U.S. Senator, a State Representative and law enforcement officials into this travesty has not been overlooked. Those that know the truth and still allow your charade to continue are liable as conspirators and can be prosecuted.

In conclusion – we are extremely offended at having been used by you for whatever purpose it might have been. We are still unsure whether this is an attempt at publicity for your book, an attempt to damage the reputations of fellow veterans, an attempt to gain 100% disability from the V.A. for Agent Orange exposure or other disabilities, or strictly personal gain. Why you have found support for this mess is beyond us.

WHATEVER the purpose was supposed to be – you failed. Shame on you Mr. Benoist.

Sincerely,

[signed]

Charles P. Schantag
Chairman

ATTACHMENT ... (a line by line rebuttal of Benoist's 60+ "addendum" was also mailed. Feel free to ask to see HIS version, or the rebuttal addendum.