Hoax ‘Death Calls’ Made to US Families

[Lagomorph]

Hoax ‘Death Calls’ Made to US Families
April 22, 2010
UPI

Vermont officials say they'll investigate hoax phone calls to families of Soldiers serving in Afghanistan telling them a son or daughter was killed or injured.

Families of National Guard Soldiers received late-night phone calls from someone expressing regrets and sympathy in what state officials call a ghoulish hoax, ABC News reported Wednesday.

"My first thought was, 'How sick,'" Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell said.

Sorrell said he's been in contact with the U.S. attorney general's office, since making such hoax calls during a time of war is a federal felony.

Military families already suffer enough anxiety about having a Soldier serving overseas, National Guard Lt. Col. Lloyd Goodrow said.

"All our families, it's a roller coaster ride," he said. "Somebody does something like this, it just makes it worse."

Three such calls have been confirmed, Goodrow said, but there may have been as many as nine.

"One time is one time too many and it has to stop," he said.

http://www.military.com/news/article/hoax-death-calls-made-to-us-families.html?ESRC=eb.nl

[NoNothing]

1. What an awful thing to do

And why? Pranksterism?

[Solly Mack]

2. I got one of those a few years ago. It was one of the other spouses in the company doing it.

She and an equally messed up friend of hers made the call. I didn't freak-out because I didn't believe the caller (I recognized her voice) but it sure was a shitty thing to do.

[jobycom]

3. Good God.

I mean I can understand some silly teenager thinking it would be hilarious without having lived long enough to know what that would do to someone, but an adult doing it out of petty meaniness falls into that "unforgivable" category to me.

[Solly Mack]

19. The friend was a soldier, which made it worse. The soldier should have known better.

They called from Head Quarters. I complained but was told they couldn't prove who did it exactly even though I knew the woman's voice.

[myrna minx]

4. How awful.

I can't even imagine such cruelty. :cry:

[Solly Mack]

20. It pissed me off more than anything. It was shortly after a soldier had died

and nerves were frayed already.

[Raven]

5. This happened to me during the Vietnam War. The caller said

he was calling for the Army to imform me that my husband had been killed in action. Asked me to send $ to cover transport expenses for his body. In those days there was a thing called the "Waiting Wives" bulletin which the Army put out every month. It contained all kinds of helpful information, one bit of which was that we would never receive a phone call if our spouse was injured or had been killed. We would always receive a visit. I was glad I knew that when the call came to me but it was still very upsetting.

[foxfeet]

6. What a sick thing to do. Nobody deserves that kind of "prank."

I hope they catch those responsible.

[TwilightGardener]

7. I always thought you got a visit from the chaplain or some other officer, anyway--

I don't think they call with that news (or send telegrams, like in WW2). What a sick, cruel thing to do.

[sharp_stick]

10. These dirtbags weren't pretending to be army

I don't think, just "concerned friends" that said they heard that so and so had been killed. The US Military always sends a delegation (IICR)there are no phone calls.

I hope they find the assholes responsible.

[NaturalHigh]

11. A military representative always visits.

I'm pretty sure a chaplain and a representative from the unit always visits, but I won't swear to that. About fourteen years ago, I had the unfortunate experience of being present when an airman was told of the death of a family member, and I can tell you that it's pretty heart-wrenching for all involved.

[pinboy3niner]

14. Early on during VN they were still using telegrams . . .

for KIA notifications to families. This was depicted in the movie, "We Were Soldiers," based on the true story of a major battle in 1965. It was during VN that the policy changed to personal visits for ALL KIA notifications.

WIA notifications, however, continued to be made by telegram.

[arcadian]

8. Too bad we are not at war.

Cases will be thrown out.

[Pavulon]

12. Bet not. (nt)

[Pavulon]

13. Bet not. (nt)

[NaturalHigh]

9. Bastards!

I don't know what the penalty for this is, but it should be severe.

[quinnox]

15. unbelievable, the depths some people will go to

When these scumbags are caught, and they will be with the tech in todays world, I hope their faces and names are paraded big time in the media so everyone can see who they are and what they did. These people should be strung up at the nearest tree and would have been in the old west I bet.

It reminds me of those people I read in the news about who cyber - bullied someone so bad that they committed suicide, and then they wrote "mission accomplished" on the webpage of the person. Disgusting and mentally sick.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

16. Some asshole did this around El Toro during desert storm

Calling random base families and telling their their husband/father had been shot down.

[ljm2002]

17. Very scummy!

I do have a quibble though. The article states:

"Sorrell said he's been in contact with the U.S. attorney general's office, since making such hoax calls during a time of war is a federal felony."

Are we in a "time of war"??

I don't remember any Congressional declaration of war. And I seem to recall that is required in order for any formal recognition of being in a state of war. So if we are not officially at war, then I wonder if the federal felony really comes into play?

Mind you, I'm all for throwing whatever books can be thrown at the perpetrators. That is just heartless.

[mmonk]

18. Cruel.

Nothing surprises me these days.

[KittyWampus]

21. I don't understand the mindset that would do this sort of thing.