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-Lurid Crime Tales-
Another Military Fake - University Director Of Career Services
2009-02-15
Southern Illinois University Carbondale - James Scales, the universityÂ’s director of Career Services who was accused this month of lying about his military service, will retire effective March 1, university spokesman Rod Sievers said Friday.

Sievers said Scales will immediately utilize his vacation days and not return to work. According to a university statement, Scales cited health and personal reasons.

Scales hung up the phone when asked for comment from the DAILY EGYPTIAN.

“I have enjoyed my association with the university and value my colleagues here and the staff of Career Services,” Scales said in a statement released by the university. “It is time for me to retire and pursue other interests.”

Scales came under fire after the DAILY EGYPTIAN reported ScalesÂ’ records did not match stories he had told the paper about service in Vietnam and other countries, and the receipts of various military accolades, including three Purple Hearts.

The Stolen Valor Act makes it a federal offense to lie about the receipt of certain military awards, including the Purple Heart. Violators face up to a year in prison or a fine of up to $200,000.

“It was the best thing for him and for his health,” Dean of Students Peter Gitau said. “He was close to retirement even without the events of the past few weeks. It’s a good thing for the university too. It enables the department to move on and focus on other things.”
Posted by:Anonymoose

#10  and the receipts of various military accolades, including three Purple Hearts.

A navy cook (While I was in) was surprised to get a Purple Heart, as he'd not been in any fighting, and indeed was a cook, checking it a bit further the citation read, "Removed shell fragment from eye," and after a bit of thought remembered that around 3 weeks before he'd had to get the ship's doctor to clean out an egg that shattered and went into his eye. Last I heard he'd returned the medal and was having trouble getting anyone to listen that "It was an Error", he'd NOT been wounded.
Posted by: Rednek Jim   2009-02-15 19:21  

#9  same university that committed plagarism in their policy paper on ethics
Posted by: mhw   2009-02-15 16:47  

#8  He will be collecting a nice pension so what does he care? Plus the job he just left....he might have gotten it due to preferential treatment as a vet and a combat vet.

So all is all it's a win for this fraud
I doubt he'll be prosecuted under "stolen valor"
Posted by: remain there   2009-02-15 11:35  

#7  If *I* shared a boat with JF'nK it sure would be seared into *my* memory.
Posted by: lotp   2009-02-15 09:53  

#6  Did he share the Swift Boat with John Kerry?

Was it seared, seared, into his memory?
Posted by: badanov   2009-02-15 09:46  

#5  ...and the receipts of various military accolades, including three Purple Hearts.

Did he share the Swift Boat with John Kerry?
Posted by: Raj   2009-02-15 08:47  

#4  Well, the man did have to retire in a hurry, Beldar, so that isn't exactly nothing.
It is my sense that other veterans and active military are getting a little intolerant of these fakes, and a little more willing to check up on stories that sound a little good to to be true, and to share what they find out with the larger public.
YMMV, of course.
Posted by: Sgt. Mom   2009-02-15 08:30  

#3  We are in a new age,NOTHING will be done about this...
Posted by: Beldar Floluter9995   2009-02-15 07:55  

#2  That's an interesting way of looking at it Grom... hummm, I think you're correct.
Posted by: .5MT   2009-02-15 07:41  

#1  Actually, I see these military fakes a positive sign---means Americans still appreciate the right things.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2009-02-15 06:41  

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