‘Gestapo Tactics’ Used Against Veterans?
(You Be the Judge – Part II)
By Staff Writer: Rick Townsend
June 19, 2006
Jere Beery is a combat wounded Vietnam veteran with an impressive military record. While serving with the U.S. Navy’s River Patrol Forces in the Mekong Delta in 1968, the patrol boat he was aboard was ambushed by Viet Cong and took two direct anti-tank rocket hits (RPGs) in the starboard side. All 5 crewmen onboard the tiny fiberglass high-speed patrol boat were wounded, Beery was severely wounded and not expected to live. The story of Jere Beery’s survival and the survival of his crew was featured in the 1982 book “Brown Water, Black Berets” written by LCDR. Tom Cutler and published by the Naval Institute Press, Annapolis Maryland. The most unusual and unique part of Beery’s story is the name of his patrol officer that night. LT. Richard Godbehere (pronounced; ‘God-Be-Here’) would later be awarded the Bronze Star for his part in saving the patrol boat and Beery’s life that night. Three other crew members received combat decorations as well.
Many years ago, Jere Beery made a pledge to the men that saved his life that he would devote the rest of his life to improving and protecting their veterans’ benefits and services. Now, more than twenty years later Jere Beery has established himself as a recognized grassroots veteran’s rights advocate and someone that does not shy away from controversial issues.
The POW Network WWW.POWNetwork.ORG is a registered 501-3 corporation operated by Chuck and Mary Schantag of Skidmore MO, and has been in existents for 16 years. The organization claims to be involved in the accounting of prisoners of war and missing in action from the Vietnam War. Their web banner states: “Since 11/11/89, dedicated to information distribution on our Prisoners of War and Missing in Action Servicemen”. However, in recent years they appear to have branched-out into other areas and expanded their mission. The Schantags now claim to be ‘investigators’ for the Department of Veterans Affairs. Last month the Schantags met with the VA Inspector General to turn over information on five veterans they supspected were receiving veteran’s benefits they were not entitle to. In addition, the Schantags have claimed to have ‘friends’ within the DOD and VA they fear compromising.
Several years ago Jere Beery posted a copy of his DD214 & DD215 on his web site for public viewing. He felt obligated to verify his service publicly. Several weeks ago, Air Force veteran, Ms. Diane Weller, (aka: ‘Gunni Di’) took issue with two entries obviously added to Beery’s DD214 and that the posted copy was not certified. According to Jere Beery, he did in fact add two corrections to his DD214, but the correct information he added was not misleading or embellished. The real injustice here appears to be Beery’s original DD214. His discharge paper doesn’t come close to reflecting his service in Vietnam. Even with three separate DD215s, all of the corrections have yet to be made.
In early May of this year, Diane Weller contacted the Chuck and Mary Schantags of the POW Network and asked them to investigate Jere Beery’s military records and report back to her on what they discovered. Weller was publicly accusing Beery of lying, embellishing, and altering his military service record. Evidently, the Schantags had provided this investigative service to Ms. Weller in the past. Two weeks ago, the Schantag’s released 18 pages of Jere Beery’s military documents which do appear to have come from the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, MO. However, they are not certified either. But, the documents do confirm the two corrections Beery added to his DD214 were 100% accurate.
Diane Weller claims the Schantag’s investigation proves Beery lied, altered, and embellished his military service record. However, to date, the Schantags have refused to release a statement of their findings, nor have they publicly denied Ms. Weller’s conclusion.
In a recent FBN interview, Beery responded to Weller’s accusations; “I really don’t think anyone is going to prosecute me for putting the correct information on my DD214”, Beery stated. “All of the NPRC records that the POW Network received verify the corrections I made were accurate and legitimate. However, to help rectify the situation and appease the sanctimonious, I have posted my original inaccurate DD214 on my web site along with several DD215s,” Beery stated. “I’m certain I will be accused of altering these documents as well, as I blacked out my SN and SS numbers,” Beery said.
Beery believes the tactics used by this self-appointed group are no different than the Gestapo used in Nazi Germany. “Your papers, please!”
Jere Beery says he has been contacted by several other veterans complaining of similar shake-downs by the POW Network. According to one veteran, his Social Security number was stolen by factions associated with the POW Network and eventually led to identity theft and thousands of dollars of unauthorized charges in his name. In another case, a veteran had a pending law suit against the Schantags for defamation and invasion of privacy, but the case was dismissed in January of this year because the veteran died.
A few people have suggested Jere Beery should ignore these attacks on his credibility and move on. However, Jere Beery feels there is a real problem here. “The POW Network has become an ‘agent’ for the VA and DOD. This doesn’t help the POW movement or the veterans of this country. The way these people operate remind me of a Salem Witch hunt” Beery said. “I will not ignore their arbitrary and capricious attacks on me or my fellow veterans,” Beery added.
The POW Network web site maintains an active list on hundreds of veterans ‘they’ say are frauds. They call this area on their site, “The Wall of Shame”, and its intent is to publicly humiliate and dishonor individuals they have declared guilty of some infraction. Photographs and personal information on these individuals appears on their site as well. It is important to realize the vast majority of these veterans have not had the benefit of the legal process to prove their innocence in a court of law. In fact, many of the veterans listed have committed no crime at all. In some cases, a mere chat room war story has launched a full investigation by the POW Network of a veteran’s service records. “The POW Network only presents their side of a story, and they put their own spin on every veteran they deem dishonorable,” Jere Beery said. “In view of recent catastrophic failures with the security of veteran’s personal information, the last thing the veterans of this country need is some mom & pop organization with ‘friends’ in the government they don’t want compromised,” Beery concluded.
Apparently, this story is far from over. Jere Beery has been advised by ‘friends’ his name is one of the five veterans the Schantags turned over to the VA Inspector General last month for further investigation.
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