College Official's Military Record Under Fire

(Carbondale, Illinois) The Career Services Director for Southern Illinois University, James Scales, is reeling from accusations that he lied about his military record.

Scales has claimed he served two tours in the Vietnam War; served in Bosnia, Honduras, Panama, the Persian Gulf and Iraq; and was a three-time recipient of the Purple Heart.

But Scales never received a Purple Heart, never experienced combat and did not serve in Vietnam or any of the other countries he listed, according to records from the Army Human Resources Command.

The Stolen Valor Act of 2005 makes it a federal offense to lie about the receipt of certain military awards, including the Purple Heart. Violators face up to one year in prison or a fine of up to $200,000.

A Vietnam veteran named Doug Sterner made allegations against Scales last week when he called the FBI and media outlets to report Scales. Sterner has a website dedicated to preserving the memory of heroes by listing award recipients.

In his defense, Scales has commented that he threw away all his medals because of an anti-war mentality he had when he returned from combat. When interviewed, however, Scales said, “I told you guys that there is stuff that I don’t want people to know,” he said. “I’m not going to tell you and I’m not going to tell you why there are no records.”

Scales' colleagues at the university have expressed shock at the allegations while voicing support for Scales professionally and personally. Ironically, his high level of integrity is cited as a reason not to question his character.

Meanwhile, Scales has scheduled a meeting with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) to discuss legal action.