VeteranVoice.com :: View topic - POW Network Negatively Targeting PTSD Veterans

mack405 · Site Admin

Published in the May 2007 Issue of The Veteran Voice Newspaper

By; Jere Beery
Operation Firing For Effect
www.offe2008.org

When you finish this article you will be faced with a decision. You will either choose to ignore that this is going on, or you will help find a way to stop it.
One of the most common symptoms associated with combat related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is paranoia, the delusional fear that someone is out to hurt you. Recent revelations within the nation’s veteran community seem to imply these fears are not all that imaginary.
The Veterans Administration was originally established as a ‘non-adversarial’ agency, and our veterans have always considered the VA as a ‘sanctuary’. Those two words are at the root of this entire article. The VA was a place where a vet down on his luck could get a cup of coffee and a hot meal, or the place a sick vet could count on being treated and cared for without fear of ridicule or unwarranted scrutiny. The vet always knew he/she could find unconditional ‘compassion’, ‘understanding’, and ‘prayer’ within the walls of a VA facility. Any vet could walk through the doors of a VA and know they were safe and not in danger. Well, the VA has apparently changed their ideology and method of operation.
There is currently a group of self-appointed “government agents” targeting disabled veterans receiving disability compensation from the VA. Their objective is to locate and prosecute disabled veterans that are receiving VA disability compensation that they are not entitled to. Their main focus is on veterans with a PTSD rating. They claim that the VA healthcare system is being bilked dry by phony PTSD claims. However, they cannot provide data to support their outrageous accusations. They operate with the full support and cooperation of the VA Inspector General’s office and other major law enforcement agencies. According to Chuck and Mary Schantag of Skidmore, Missouri and owners of the POW Network (www.pownetwork.org), they have friends within the VA and DOD that will provide them with any personal information on a veteran they are investigating. In a recent email forwarded to my office, Mary Schantag wrote; “YES we continue to turn phonies and frauds and goldiggers into the VA IG and the FBI and law enforcement on a daily basis with a great team and huge support”. (Ed. Note: Misspelling, capitalization, and sentence structure are the results of a direct quote via email.) In another email, POW Network associate and group member Mr. Gary Assell of Montgomery, Illinois and owner of Viper’s Web Page made this statement to justify their operations; “All disabled veterans are NOT the targets, only those who have obtained benefits through fraud and misrepresentation, which is punishable under Title 38 USC. It is a proven fact that veterans who have fraudulently received benefits or medical care through fraud or misrepresentation HAVE cost the VA millions of dollars”.
This is not the first time we have heard of the POW Network and their questionable operations. Exactly one year ago, this same group harassed Mr. Gene Simes and myself and even boasted of acquiring our Social Security numbers without our consent. In an email exchange the Schantags made this statement; “We cannot afford to have some "friends" compromised as they search through files for the truth on this. And we meet with the VA IG Friday......” Mr. Simes and I filed a complaint with the VA Inspector General’s office and a formal investigation was launched. The investigation concluded the Schantags committed no crime, the case was dropped, and they continue their questionable relationship as informants with the VA IG today. The most notable and curious fact about our first encounter with the POW Network was Mr. Simes and I called our complaint into the VA Inspector Generals Office on May 1, 2006. On May 3, 2006 the Department of Veterans Affairs “announced they had lost a computer containing personal information on 26.5 million veterans (including Social Security numbers)…”
Another Key associate of the POW Network group is a former Navy SEAL with 27 years in the service. Captain Larry Bailey of Chocowinity, North Carolina is probably best known for his association with the book; ‘Stolen Valor’, which was about veterans claiming military service or awards they were not entitled to. The Stolen Valor book spawned a rash of individuals subscribing to the theory that many of our veterans were frauds and the budget short-falls the VA was experiencing was due to phony veterans within the VA system. In a recent email sent to my office by Larry Bailey, he stated; “far too many veterans and phonies are bilking the VA out of hundreds of millions of dollars, and Congress will not allow the VA to do the investigation that is necessary to stop the fraud. Unless and until the fraudulent VA claimants are ferreted out and dealt with, I will not lend ANY support to any effort to give that corrupt agency another nickel. I am surprised that you would advocate pumping billions more down that bureaucratic rat hole. In another email Bailey said; “Thank God that I don't have to depend on VA for assistance I really need, and I don't rip them off for false PTSD like a LOT of people do. And I have two good friends who are doing just that, saying that "I might as well get mine," or words to that effect. One of them even encourages me to get some myself. It makes me sick. That is what I was trying to explain to Jere Beery; he clearly didn't want to hear that.” This author wonders if Mr. Bailey has exposed these two “close friends” as frauds on the POW Network website, or has he remained silent while these individuals continue to supposedly defraud the VA. A third possibility is that Mr. Bailey is exaggerating these claims in order to support his own position. Only Mr. Bailey can be entirely certain as to the truth in this matter.
These statements combined with the many complaints I receive from veterans stating they had been wrongly harassed, intimidated and publicly humiliated by the POW Network, paints a very ugly picture. Many veterans think the Schantags are using the sacred ‘Prisoner of War Movement’ to hide more sinister activities. Although the POW Network was originally established to address issues concerning the accounting of Prisoners of War and Missing in action, their objectives now have taken a very vile turn. They now apparently think they are a law enforcement arm for the entire veteran community. There is a VERY big difference between a person that illegally claims military awards they are not entitled to, and a sick veteran suffering from a medical condition (such as PTSD) which has suicidal tenancies associated with it. In this writer’s opinion, after many years of involvement in veteran’s affairs, it is not in the best interest of our disabled veterans to cast unwarranted blame on them, or to question any medical condition they may have which is recognized and diagnosed by the VA. Especially when sensitive emotional and mental issues are involved. The veteran community does not need this ridicule, scrutiny, or intimidation by any one, much less a self-appointed group of informants.
It is unknown if the Schantags or anyone else in the group receives anything in return from the VA for the veterans they turn in. However, they do receive donations and endorsements from private sources and a number of veteran service organizations. They have also reaped the rewards of their notoriety in connection with Stolen Valor. Unfortunately, their exploits now are causing mistrust within the veteran community and unnecessary pain and grief to veterans and their families.
Over the next few weeks ‘Operation Firing For Effect’ will be asking the hard questions of the VA, FBI, and several veteran service organizations. We want to know if they can verify that there is in fact a large number of frauds enrolled in the VA healthcare system, and if they condone, or participate in the ‘predatory’ tactics used by the POW Network. To date, we have spoken with 3 national veteran service organizations headquartered in Washington, DC; the Military Order of the Purple Heart, the Blinded Veterans Association, and the American Legion. All three stated they do not scrutinize the disability ratings of their membership, and they have no data to support the VA has experienced a high percentage of bogus disability claims.
If it is true that the VA has become so corrupt and inept that they are incapable of administering the rules and regulations governing the distribution of disability compensation, and that this has resulted in hundreds of thousands of disabled veterans receiving compensation that they are not entitled to, the American public has the right to know this as soon as humanly possible.
There are currently an estimated 12 to 15 million illegal aliens in this country taking advantage of our system and its benefits. One might think if the POW Network were truly concerned about exposing fraud on a large scale, they would devote their efforts towards a real threat to our country. The Schantags claim “They Support Our Troops’ on one hand, and then turn around and suggest a large number of them are frauds? The support we give our men and women in uniform must be unconditional. The disabled veterans that fall under the control of the VA are National Treasures and should be protected the same as ‘hallowed ground’. Remember the word ‘sanctuary’? If the VA is involved in ANY way in the current campaign to ‘shake down’ the disabled veterans of this country, they have totally lost sight of their mission and should be held accountable by the American people. If the VA is encouraging civilian ‘bounty hunters’ to find veterans that may not deserve all they are receiving, they are no longer ‘non-adversarial’, they are ‘predators’. This violation of our veteran’s trust would not look good on a recruiting poster.
Ask yourself these questions; Have we become so callus and bitter as a Nation that we feel the need to look for ways to discredit our veterans? What training or certification does the POW Network have that allows them to involve themselves in the ‘personal’ medical issues of a veteran? With the current URGENT needs of our most recent disabled veterans returning home from Afghanistan and Iraq is this ‘witch hunt mentality’ really helping the situation, or hurting? Does it really matter to the majority of Americans if a few boarder-line PTSD cases filed by ‘Verified Former Military Personnel’ fall through the cracks? Is it really worth the risk of targeting the wrong veteran with false accusations and triggering a tragedy? And finally, what does any of this have to do with accounting for our Prisoners of War or Missing in Action?
It is not the intent of this article to imply fraud is acceptable under any circumstances. And this article is not intended to protect the fraudulent from exposure and/or prosecution. However, PTSD is a very sensitive medical condition that is better left to the medical professionals to diagnose and treat, not the POW Network. There is very little doubt in my mind that the number of fraud cases within the Social Security Administration, Medicare, and Food Stamp programs far exceeds any possible number of cases within the VA.
If this article has upset you and you feel compelled to stop this unwarranted attack on our disabled veterans, contact your local media and ask them to investigate this story. Remember; if you do nothing, you can expect nothing to change. If you love your freedom, thank a vet!

mack405 · Site Admin

Prior to publishing the above story, I asked for, and received, all of the documentation on which the article is based. After reviewing all of the documentation and numerous visits to the POW Network website, I decided that the article was not only worthy of publication, it needed to be published. I would agree that there are many cases of fraudulent service claims listed on the website that are indeed true. Those cases that the individuals making false service claims that have been arrested, prosecuted and convicted are indeed worthy of listing on the website. That being said there seem to many more individuals that have been listed, or are currently listed on the website, that have never been convicted much less arrested for any fraudulent service claims. The owners of the site, Chuck and Mary Schantag, are of the opinion that you are guilty until proven innocent, not quite the American way. Sometimes the supposed fraudulent service claims are nothing more than copied transcripts from AOL chat rooms. Of course these transcripts can be edited to suit any position. That is where Mr. Gary Assell comes in. The Veteran Voice received numerous threatening phone calls from Mr. Assell prior to publication; however, as of this date, none of those threats have been carried out. We published this article in order expose some of the things that have been going on in the Veterans arena on the Internet, and hopefully put an end to the unsubstantiated charges publicly listed on the POW Network.

Old Goat

I am greatly interested in getting more info on this topic. I wonder how one goes about getting your name off of that list. My husband is unjustly listed there and we are going to great effort to retrieve his military records and to find a lawyer to do this. There was an angry family member who chose to defame him by getting his name on this list. This has caused great distress in our family and our health. He truly has major issues with PTSD and I feel they are taking advantage of him. I do not think their records are complete, and where in the heck did they get them too? Any correspondence I have had with them they have turned my words around. Yes, they do think you are guilty until proven innocent. O, I could go on and on about how the journalist from the Chicago Tribune hounded us, and I will end this bla, bla, for now. They say the "only way" to get a name off of their list is to get a court order. Imagine this, a disabled vet has to go to all of this trouble on top of all he already has gone through. hmmm

Bill English

As apparently one of the more prominent frauds listed by this organization, I can state without a doubt that they have resorted to extortion, blackmail, and apparently unauthorised access to infromation they have absolutle no right to.

They also have a nasty habit of posting anything and everything that they can find on the web that is derogatory if it bears your name. I even at one point presented a witness to my service which they demanded who was assigned to the same unit as I was and who served with me. He produced his DD214 as evidence and they responded that he also was a liar and only served as a cook. Cooks who never served do not receive the Order of the Lion with Palms from the government of the Republic of Vietnam.

I do not receive any benefits from VA, I do not wear my medals nor do I wear my uniform. I have in fact been trying for almost 30 years to get accurate copies of my files and have failed at ever turn. I am proud of my service to my country and these turkeys MADE IT ALL SEEM FOR NOTHING and have finally cost me my job as a colomnist at our local paper and destroyed my reputation, and my family.

They say that they will remove everything from their website if I apologise.

NEVER!!!! They will see pork in the treetops before they see that day ever happen.

HOW FAR? ALL THE WAY!!!

mack405 · Site Admin

First, I would like to thank you for your service to our country!

In answers to your questions, probably the best way to find updates on the POW Network issue is to contact the author of the article using the link to his organization's website that was included in the original post above.

As previously stated, it would seem that the POW Network did provide a valid service with accurate information. Apparently the owners of the website have lost track of their original mission of maintaining a database of POWs into one of character assasination with little or no proof.

avirex7823g1 · Last edited by avirex7823g1 on Sun Mar 08, 2009 7:10 pm; edited 2 times in total

I would like to add my comments for the group here. I'm also listed on Mary Schantag's...pownetwork.org I was put on there in 2006 for what some screwballs from a website considered a phony. The pownetwork. org shows that I don't have any military records to be found. Well, lets see here. I count 72 pages of my military records, including 5 copies (certified) of my DD214, and a few photos in my old uniform made back in 1950's.

Old Goat

Here is what I am wondering. Can a legitimate class action suit be filed? How would one go about that? How would one find out if anyone was even interested? Thanks for all the replys, this is very much still alive issue with my interested peoples. I would like to hear more from others if there are any out there with similiar experiences. thx

avirex7823g1 · Last edited by avirex7823g1 on Sun Mar 08, 2009 7:12 pm; edited 1 time in total

It may not be suitable for a class action suit, due to the fact it not in that category.
We would need to search for a good attorney(s) that has handled class action cases such as what we seeking. Majority of attorneys that take class action suits, do it free but benefit (get most of the money) if we should win.

Old Goat

I would just be happy to see them not exist anymore. Keep in touch.

avirex7823g1 · Last edited by avirex7823g1 on Sun Mar 08, 2009 7:13 pm; edited 1 time in total

Found this website on Internet Defamation Lawyers. http://www.cyberdefamationlawyer.com/

mack405 · Site Admin

Again, the first step would be to get in touch with the author of the original article. The POW Network, according to their website, is a 501 c3 Educational non-profit organization that relies solely on donations for their operational support. I am not sure what their annual income is from donations, but it would seem to me that if people were to donate to a "Veterans Organization" that there are many worthy Veterans Organizations out there that actually help veterans. As far as I can tell, the only thing that a donation to the POW Network does is line the pockets of Chuck and Mary Schantag. I do believe that there are several legal actions in the works against this organization already. As I stated in an earlier post, I think that exposing fraud is a worth while endeavor; however I think that their Gestapo tactics are unacceptable. Prior to publishing the above article, a "request for comment" was sent to the individuals that were named in the article. I did receive several emails threatening legal action if the story were to be published and no fewer than thirty phone calls threatening legal action and bodily harm. Neither has happened as of this date. I do have all of the phone calls preserved on tape just in case. Also, here is the owner information for pownetwork.org:
Schantag, Chuck
admin@pownetwork.org
302 Walnut
Skidmore, MO 64487
US
Phone: (660) 928-3304

Old Goat

I am still very much interested in knowing more about this issue. However, I just discovered I will need 2 major surgeries in the next 3 months. In spite of that maybe it will just give me more time to look into this. Thx for all your contributions. Still a stubborn....
OLD GOAT

Gone

Hi guys, I just registered to share my little nugget from this joke of a website. They had me posted there for two full years before i even found out i was on there. I wasnt even in the military but an ex girlfriend wrote to them claiming i said I was in the army or something. I wrote them telling them to save their time as i was never in the army and had NEVER claimed to be in the army. I wrote them yesterday telling them i wasnt even an american and that they really need to do their homework. Lo and behold i went there today and my name and image were gone from the site. I can still see my name when i google myself but my name under their H1 list is gone. Wonder if this is permanent? They say they will NEVER take anyone down but these slimeballs couldnt confirm the story that was told I guess. I wonder why they didnt confirm anything said about me in the first place as for the last few years all you had to do was google my name and city and my file and image from the pownetwork showed up. What a site indeed! I am so freaking mad at these morons its not even funny..stolen valor indeed. What about an apology for me? I asked for one but nothings come of it. Like i said tho, they did take my file off but no apology..wonder what these guys are up to now? Im happy and a bit worried at the same time lol. Either way they owe me an apology for sure!

Bill English

You know I find it extremely interesting that these smucks have placed me on their website since I neither claim nor desire to claim VA bennefits as a result of my service to my country. Nor do I lay claim to suffering from PTSD.

I can tell you that they are committing fraud, practicing extortion, and blackmail, and making threats and claims they cannot substanciate nor are capable of proving. They accuse us of lying yet they do it constantly. An example of this is that they demanded my Social Secuirty number, and then turned around and said that it wasn't mine that it belonged to some woman who lived in ABQ, NM by the name of Valerie Tait-English. As it happens I am married to Valerie Tait-English and she's never lived in ABQ, NM.

They then demanded that I produce a witness that could verify my service in Vietnam. I did along with his DD214. They came back almost immediately and said that he never served in 5th Group and that his job was as a cook. Well, that was his primary MOS, but not his secondary, and cooks or men who never served in Vietnam don't recieve the Order of the Lion with Palms from the Republic of Vietnam government which clearly was stated on his DD214.

So tell me....who are the liars and the frauds here? They started all of this crap based on a book entitled "Stolen Valor" by a guy who claims to remember everyman who served with the groups in Vietnam. Now they are even going back as far as the Korean War...Jesus! Who the F--K do they think they are?

Old Goat

This POWNETWORK is such a fraud. We have been busy this summer with some major surgery issues, but I am back on the case guys. It took forever to get some feedback on military records. At first they thought my 58 yr. old hubby was active in Iraq. Give me a break. Then we applied again for records and finally they found them. However, we got a new copy of the DD214 with the seal of the national archives on it. I still want more information from them before going to court, which is what we will do. I can't believe when so much has been released after all these years that the government won't release the names of his campaigns he was in. Instead they are called "unknown campaign". Due to the nature of the work he did in Nam we have not played the name game the pownetwork will do with you if you keep emailing them. No matter what I have sent them they will turn my words around and come back with some crazy claims. I think THEY need to be reported for stolen valor, defamation of character, and investigated from the IRS. I am extremely angered by them. This all started for me from an irrate step-child that wanted revenge. Like you said Gone, they do not checkout their claims. They do seem they are into extortion and fraud. They are very frustrating Bill.

Old Goa