HOAX!

[tencats]

Did Sgt. Dan Kennings die in Iraq? Not really.
Did Sgt. Dan Kennings even exist? Well, no.
So who was that little girl writing the letters?

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0508260251aug26,1,6836162.story?coll=chi-news-hed
http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthsuperior/news/nation/12477693.htm

"In southern Illinois, the tale began in 2003, when student reporter Michael Brenner said he was handed a letter from a little girl saying she saw an anti-war protest on the Southern Illinois University campus and that it bothered her because her dad was a soldier. Brenner e-mailed the little girl and, as he learned more about her situation, decided to tell her story."

[ewagner]

1. That is just SICK

What the hell was the motivation?

The only one that makes sense is that the student editor did it to enhance his credentials and career...but.....maybe not..

I don't get it

It's f-ing sick!!!!!!

[ret5hd]

2. suckers...they were only duped because they wanted to be duped.

[bryant69]

3. No Virginia there really isn't a Santa Clause

I don't know what the motivations of the origional creator of this fiction were, but I do understand why it spread. Still it's kind of sad.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[DURHAM D]

4. Wow - I remember reading about the memorial service

in the news. At the time I thought it was the Pentagon propaganda machine in overdrive. Guess I was suspicious for the wrong reasons.

[texastoast]

5. Like John Edwards as a trial lawyer holding up the flu vaccine

"The reasons behind the lies remain unclear. There appears to have been no monetary motive, but the scope of the deception is staggering."

The motive is propaganda. Lotsa my money would say Colleen Hastings is a dyed-in-the-wool shrubophile.


:spank:

[BikeWriter]

6. Charge the bastid with fraud!

[BiggJawn]

7. Oh, MAN......

I'm speechless.

[sinkingfeeling]

8. Gee, using the war and some American families' sacrifice to

plump up a resume!

[wli]

9. Comrade Ogilvy comes alive! n/t

[Touchdown]

10. Propaganda imitates art. Remember Seinfeld?

This immediately came to my mind.

The one where some lady at work kept calling Elaine "Susie", even though Elain kept correcting her, she still called her Susie. So, Elaine just gave up. Yada, yada, yada, Elaine keeps getting asked how Susie is, because the word got around about this ficticious employee whos never around. Elaine says "Susies dead!". They have a funeral for Susie, where Mr. Peterman gave the eulogy, telling of one grueling night of working hard on a catalog, just him and Susie...and they gave in to temptation.:rofl:

[ComerPerro]

11. Sick. Bookmarking to read more later, process the information

Pretty complex story, can't digest it while at work.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

12. Here's a larger thread with lots of research on the topic

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4460820