JAMES ELIAS HAGER
DeSoto, MO

 

NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH SGT JAMES W HAGER OF "Inside Force Recon" and "Fortune Favors the Brave".

James Elias Hager WAS NOT ON THE MISSION  where corpsman Doc Laporte went MIA.

 

Actual Records

 

Claims –

All information in italics was obtained by service documents from the National Personnel Record Center via the Freedom of information Act (FOIA)

Ø      Claims the MOS Reconnaissance Man

Ø      ***Actual MOS 4011 Data Processing Clerk and 4013 Card Punch Operator, once he arrived in Vietnam he was assigned to the 3rd Military Police Bn as a provisional 0311

Ø      Claims he is a member of 1st Force Recon Co. in Vietnam , 2 combat tours with 1st Force.  Claims member of 3rd Force Recon Co. (unknown when/ where)

Ø      ***no record located of his membership in any Reconnaissance unit

Ø      Claims to have been a member of MACVSOG (unknown CCC, CCN, CCS) claims participation in operation Phoenix , assassinating high level targets.

Ø      Claims he attended Boot Camp, Infantry Training, Amphibious Reconnaissance School , Airborne training, Dive School , HALO, SERE all before deploying to Vietnam .

Ø      ***Only attended Boot Camp, Infantry Training and 4011 school at Lejune

Ø      Claims he attended Sniper Training in country- was instructed by Capt. Land himself.  Claims to have over 30 kills as a sniper.

Ø      ***No record of any sniper training, no documented kills found

Ø      Claims earned 3 Purple Hearts- claims earned one of them after he was bayoneted by a VC, claims to have the bayonet and it still has his blood on it.  Shows off a leg scar says it’s from a bayonet.

Ø      ***No record of any Purple Hearts.

Ø      Claims that while in 1st Force was also a member of Recon Team “Killer Kane” at that time led by 1stLt. Andrew R. Finlayson.

Ø      Claims he was a member of Recon Team “Clubcar”, repeatedly states he was specifically on the airborne mission into Happy Valley on 05Sept1967, (exactly one year and one month after joining the Marines).  This is the infamous mission where corpsman Doc Laporte went MIA.  This mission was written about extensively in the books “Inside Force Recon” and “Fortune Favors the Brave”.   JEH states that the book writers personally interviewed him for the story.  It should be noted that there was a Sgt. James W. Hager on that jump he was the team RTO.  They have different middle names, service #’s and voices. When questioned JEH stated that he was never a radioman.

Ø      ***Records show that he first arrived in Danang RVN on 22Feb1968

Ø      On 8Sept1967 the 1st Marine Division Historical society conducted an audio debrief of 4 members from recon team Clubcar they were: TL GySgt. Walter M. Webb, ATL SSgt. Thomas J. Valerio, RTO Sgt. James W. Hager and Rear LCpl. John W. Sloic.

Ø      Claims he is a member of the Force Recon Assoc. but is not current. 

Ø      **FRA’s roster reportedly shows no JEH but the prior mentioned JWH is a valid member.

Ø      Claims to have conducted over 200 jumps.

Ø      ***No record of any jumps or jump school

Notes:

All “recollections” by JEH in regards to the above stated missions follows what is available in print.  The books “Inside Force Recon” and “Fortune Favors the Brave” appear to be this man’s reference for his stories.  Hopefully no harm has been done to the character and reputation of JWH.  Further investigation should be conducted to determine if charges under the Stolen Valor Act are warranted.