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Erhard, Paul E. - Chief
Service Officer, VVA
Department of Veterans Affairs, St. Louis Regional Office
UPDATE
01/22/04 - After ONE year, FIVE requests for records and 2
"formal" complaints to NPRC, SOME records were received. The
summary included notes from NPRC stating "microfiche
missing" on "assignments and geographical locations"
and "Military Education." No rank was noted.
Service
time is noted as "Regular Army and Naval Reserve."
"Regular Army: 3/19/1969 - 1/16/1970; 1/17/1970 - 5/1/1972;
5/29/1979 - 9/1/1979; 1/14/1980 - 7/22/1981 USAR discharge
10/23/1984"
Awards
and decorations read: RVNCM, VS, (1-3) NDSM, VCOFGWP, ARCAM, OS Svc
Bars (2), PRCHT BAD, GCMDL. Rifle M-16 Exp Qual Bad. Rifle M-14
Mkm Qual Bad, Pistol Cal 45 Exp Qual Bad.
NOTE:
He did not turn 18 until January 1970.
| Vietnam Service Information (from ERHARD's
VVA membership files)
Highest Rank: SSG
Branches and Dates of Active Military Service: Army 3/68-3/87
Dates of Vietnam Service: 3/69-4/71
Chapter Affiliation: 0794 |
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UPDATE 06/15/2003 -
Erhard has not been seen in his Service Officer's office since
confronted and literally chased
from the building as he ran by FOX 5 TV news crews.
Rumors abound he is "on the PTSD ward" - but those attempting
to visit find him ... missing!
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11/2002 -
Claims Special Forces, records and missions so classified it took armed
guards to bring file out of Records Center in INDIANAPOLIS. Told Navy
SEAL he knew the "secret" word to pass the query by retired SF
group. Stated he "invented MACVSOG", worked in Hue and An Khe,
and his job was listening posts for Phoenix (ALL disputed by REAL SF).
Stated he was in Nam 70-72. Also claims SSG, served 68-87, Nam
March 68 - April 71. Was given EVERY opportunity to correct his
statements, apologize or admit he had NOT served with SF.... Prelim
records search shows name match for rank of E00, MOS of 68F- aircraft
electrician/instructor repairman. Special Forces experts state NOT SFA,
SOA, SOG.
01/2003 Additional reports state Erhard may now be filing
"lawsuits" and stating he is /has been an attorney since
Vietnam. The reported suit was against the Veterans Admin for a million
dollars on behalf of a 100% disable vet. Erhard is alleged to have
stated the VA hospitals are privately run, open to lawsuit and he
is proceeding -- the million dollar case is coming up soon.
Erhard also is known to
have veterans sign over "power of attorney" so vets need not
be bothered with "routine" signatures on paperwork. No copy is
given the vet.
Date of Erhard's birth is
believed to be JANUARY 1952.
January 29, 2003
Erhard is the "expert" being used to verify questionable
stories recorded by the Veterans History Project in Branson, MO
because of his clearance and "instant" access to all military
records. Erhard has immeasurable influence within the new VVA chapter in
Branson, MO. His claims of impeccable, unchallengeable claims and VA
reps begging for his case files when he presents are one method he uses
to get vets to work with HIM instead of Veterans Commission, DAV or
other veterans organization service officers.
Erhard had "no
comment" when contacted by TIME MAGAZINE at Christmas regarding his
Special Forces claims from November.
Erhard claims he was lobbying for VVA in DC when contacted by TV news
crews in April '03.
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http://www.ksdk.com/news/news_article_lc.asp?storyid=39706
RELATED STORIES & LINKS
•POW Network
•AuthentiSEAL
All Material Property of KSDK-TV ©2003
Fake War Heroes Create Cottage Industry
4/25/2003 10:20:22 PM
By Mike Owens
(KSDK) — With the war in Iraq winding down, thousands of troops will come home with tales of what they did in battle!
Some will want to forget, some will remember with detail, and some will embellish their exploits. This story is for the last.
There is a cottage industry of sorts for those who track down the "embellishers". Those veterans, or even non-vets, who say they fought this battle, or earned this medal, but didn't.
Chuck and Mary Shantag live in tiny Skidmore Missouri, and from their farmhouse, operate the POWNetwork, a Website devoted to remembering Vietnam-era POWs. But the network has fallen into a second role: tracking down phony veterans.
Mary says that several years ago, she and Chuck started posting stories about fake heroes and phonies. From a few postings then, the postings number in the thousands!
Chuck Shantag says those who say they are war heroes and aren't are cheating themselves, and stealing the honor of real heroes.
The name of Paul Erhard is listed on Shantag's Website as a veteran who has embellished his exploits. Erhard is accused of saying he was in Special Forces and had such special duties that his service record is kept under lock and key.
Erhard denies he ever stated any such thing, adding that his appearance on Shantag's Website is due to a personality dispute between them. Erhard is a service representative with the Vietnam Veterans of America, working at the downtown St. Louis VA office.
Erhard's bosses at the VVA say they are investigating the claims against him, but don't think he did anything wrong.
A mayoral candidate in Jennings caught attention in March with his claims of being awarded a Congressional Medal of Honor. Theodore Wright Junior says his printer made a mistake with a flyer, and he retracted the offending flyer.
However, the FBI, which investigates claims about possibly phony Medal of Honor recipients, is looking into Wright's claims. Wright made his claim of the award when he was running for mayor of Jennings. He lost the election.
There is another Website specializing in fake heroes: it's called
AuthentiSEAL. It checks into claims by men who say they were U.S. Navy SEALs, special forces, experts in demolition and underwater work.
Syl Santo of St. Charles is listed in the AuthentiSEAL site as making claims about being a SEAL. He drives an older model Chevrolet with SEAL insignia on it, and a SEAL hat in the back window.
Santo has his own Website, in which he details his military career with the Israeli Defense Forces, as a member of that country's special forces.
Santo does not want to discuss his military record on camera.
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From: Steve Robinson [mailto:shadek@tri-lakes.net]
Sent: Saturday, April 26, 2003 11:14 AM
To: MIOWENS@ksdk.gannett.com
Subject: Erhard, Paul claims reported in your article
Importance: High
Mike,
You attempted to make contact with me by telephone awhile
back, but I was
out of town and didn't get to return your call until it was
obviously too
late for you to use my information in your article. I'd like
to add a bit of
information to what you have said in the article that was
broadcast/published yesterday evening.
I personally met Paul Erhard in November 2003 when he was
working at the
Command Center in Branson, Missouri, during the annual
Veteran's Homecoming. He had a desk set up to enroll/assist
veterans with their VA benefits applications, and he was
referred to me by other members of the VVA (a service
organization of which I am a member).
Mr. Erhard very specifically and distinctly told me that he
had served as a
member of the Army Special Forces in Vietnam, and that in the
pursuit of his
tasking as a member of the Army SF he had participated in the
Phoenix
Program (a controversial program that involved assassinations
of NVA
officials). He also very specifically told me that it had
taken two full
years to obtain a release of his DD-214 Report of Separation,
and that it
had been hand delivered to him by a female clerk accompanied
by two fully
armed guards "because of the highly classified
information it contained".
Additionally, Mr. Erhard claimed that he was a lawyer, and
that his legal
training was particularly useful when filing appeals with the
VA on behalf
of his clients.
Mr. Erhard made the claims of being Army SF, and the
description of the
armed escort for his DD-214 to both me and my wife, and the
additional
claims of being involved with the Phoenix Program to me alone
at a later
time. I am personally acquainted with the Schantags (POW
Network), and with
a verified member of the Army SF who actually DID serve where
and when
claimed by Erhard. In fact Erhard made the same statements
regarding his
claimed service to that SF veteran that he had made to me
earlier. That SF
veteran (living in the Springfield area) confirmed my own
suspicions that
Erhard's claims were false. We both reported our suspicions to
Chuck
Schantag, who approached Erhard and questioned him. Erhard
stood by his
earlier statements, even after Chuck Schantag asked him
"You do know what I do, don't you?". Erhard's reply
was "Do what you gotta do. I'm being
truthful about my military service".
I researched Mr. Erhard's true military tasking and determined
that he had
actually served as an Army Helicopter Electrician during the
Vietnam War. It
is my understanding that Chuck Schantag did his own research
and arrived at
the same conclusion. I have also been informed by Mr. Schantag
that Erhard
is not a lawyer, but have not undertaken to confirm or deny
that statement
on my own.
Upon determining the truth about Mr. Erhard, and not wishing
an imposter to
be associated with my interactions with the VA, I immediately
transmitted to
him a written order to cease all actions on my behalf with the
VA, and
revoking the power of attorney I had granted him to act on my
behalf with
the VA. Additionally I requested that he provide me with a
document listing
all actions he had undertaken on my behalf with the VA, and a
listing of all
document codes or numbers that were associated with those
actions, if any.
That instruction was transmitted via a letter, delivered by US
Postal Return
Receipt. Although I received the signed return receipt
indicating that
Erhard had personally received my letter, I still have not
received any
information, documentation, or feedback from the man.
If I can be of any assistance to you in following up this
case, I'd be more
than pleased to do so. Additionally, if you wish to pursue the
story of SEAL
imposters further, I have two years of experience with the
AuthentiSEAL's
SEAL Authentication Team, and would be pleased to assist you
in any way I am
able. It is a sad testimony regarding our culture that there
is currently a
tidal wave of military imposters. Sadly, the media is all to
ready to tout
every person who participates in military action as a
"hero", granting them
acclaim that is inappropriate for their true actions, and
leading
ego-starved wannabes to make false military claims in the
hopes of also
being touted as heroes and recognized by the media.
I recently shared these personal thoughts with some of my SEAL
Teammates
while we were discussing this sad state of affairs:
If the title "hero" is applied to everyone who wears
a uniform - military or
civilian, and everyone who is held as a prisoner, and everyone
who is a
victim of terrorism, and everyone who bears up under
emotionally or
physically trying circumstances, then the entire world might
as well be
labeled "heroes"... and the word "hero"
then ceases to mean anything
special. We'll have to invent a new word to cover the kind of
conduct that
sets apart the very few extraordinary people in our culture
from those who
are simply enduring extreme hardships or carrying out their
assigned tasks,
no matter how arduous or dangerous.
Honor the veterans of all branches of the armed forces for
their service to
the nation, whether in times of peace or war. But such service
does not in
and of itself make them heroes.
Remember and honor those who sacrificed their lives on behalf
of our
nation's interests. While their loss is greatly felt, it does
not in and of
itself make them heroes.
Recount with pride the professional conduct of professional
military
soldiers, sailors, airmen, as well as civilian police officers
and fire
fighters as they carry out their assigned tasks "in
harm's way". But such
professionalism in and of itself does not make them heroes.
Note with great acclaim those very, VERY FEW who's
extraordinary acts of
bravery under fire, or in the face of great personal danger,
above and
beyond those of all others around them, and without
consideration for their
own well being, set them apart from all of their professional
fellows. These
and these alone are truly entitled to the honorific
"HERO".
I can only add one thought to this. I recommend that you view
the citations
for two persons who received the Congressional Medal Of Honor
for their
actions; EN2 (SEAL) Michael Thornton USN (Vietnam War), and
PFC Clarence B. Craft USA (WWII). It is against a yardstick
measuring the deeds of these men that all who would be granted
the title of HERO must be judged.
As stated above, if I can be of any assistance to you, I will
be pleased to
do so.
Cordially,
Steve Robinson
SEAL Team ONE 1971-1973
SEAL Authentication Team - Investigator
"The only service where all investigators are US Navy
SEALs"
Author of the new (2002) book
NO GUTS, NO GLORY - Unmasking Navy SEAL Imposters
(visit http://www.moosecreekforge.com/special.html
for details)
"People sleep peaceably in their beds
at night only because tough men stand
ready to do violence on their behalf."
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