European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 9, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday. May 9. 1989 the stars and stripes Page 3 sex Leader of Vietnam vets group never got overseas records show. I i i r,.nl or . Treasurer of the Vietnam veterans me  api a Man who served As president of the Vietnam veterans of America s Dallas chapter gave speeches about seeing buddies killed in Southeast Asia Hui never served in Vietnam Mili tary records show. The closest Joe Testa came to the Mili tary was tort Hood near Kilken. The Dallas 1 lines Herald reported. He As Ahseln without leave twice received suspended sentences totalling nine months of hard labor and never Rose above the rank of private records show. Testa s ability to Rise to the presidency of the a Kierans group. Before he was re moved in january illustrates a growing problem As America shows a belated appreciation for those who served in Vietnam some people Are embellishing their rotes in the War. And even fabricating military careers. When the War was unpopular people were reluctant to admit they had served in  said Barry Kasint. Public affairs officer for the 30,000-Mcrnber Vietnam veterans of America in Asli in ton. . Hut now. Being a Vietnam Veteran is Chic and you Sec an awful lot of people making up War  experts say some do it for glory or attention some to justify their drug abuse unemployment or other personal problems and some for the camaraderie of veterans groups where they can drink Beer and Swap stories real or imagined about the  Are people who wanted to be combat vets who As males in our sonic in. Fell they had to prove themselves by lighting Iii a  said David  Counselor to veterans in Dallas. Hut they were unwilling or they did t gel the Opportunity to go to Vietnam. So now they five the experience vicariously. They hang around with Viet Nam vets and Call themselves Vietnam  and government officials said there May be legions of people who have invented or inflated their military service in Southeast Asia. The impostors often go unchallenged said . Hur kill treasurer me Morial fund of Texas. The etiquette among Vietnam vels is you Don t ask about another vet s expert  said Burka to an army lieutenant in Vietnam and now a Dallas stockbroker. If they want to talk about it. Fine but you Don l pry. That allows fraud to exist even among Vietnam  Testa moved and did not leave a for warding address according to the . Postal service and his former employer. Tinamou corp. A marketing firm. The Telephone directory has no listing for Testa in the Dallas fort Worth area. Representatives of Dallas veterans groups and the veterans administration say they Don l know his whereabouts. Capra a of Tanker did t seem drunk crewman says Tampa a la Al the Crew member who was Irving to steer the Exxon Valdov. When it struck a reef in Alaska s Prince William sound said that the Captain did not appear to be drunk the night the ship ran aground a newspaper reported. There was no indication there was anything  the third male. Gregory cousins told the Tampa Tribune in his first inters Lew  the March 2-1 Accident. Cousins who Exxon has said was operating the 987 Bot ship when it hit the charted reef has been on leave at Home in Tampa preparing his testimony on the 10 million gallon crude Oil spill for a National transportation safety Hoard hearing May 16 in Anchorage. Alaska. Cousins who described ship Cape. Joseph Hazel Wood As extremely  backed similar statements from other Crew members about a Lazol Wood s apparent sobriety when the Tanker grounded. It s Mil like we re circling the wagons. It s just the truth cousins said in the interview published sat urday. Lla Elwood. Of Hunting Lon . Was fired by i Exon when tests conducted Mure than 10 hours after the Accident showed a blood alcohol level above the 04 permitted under coast guard regulations. He faces trial june 20 in Valde for allegedly operating the ves Sel while drunk. Cousins who was not certified to navigate the Tanker in the sound said he is anxious to Tell his Side of the Story but his attorney has advised him to wan for the its hearing. The associated press was unable to reach cousins Over the weekend because he has an unlisted Telephone number. I think All the pieces have been reported but they Haven t been put together right said cousins who was responsible for safely and emergency equipment on the Tanker. He spent iwo Days after the Accident in Valdez listened to Public reaction and was disturbed about what he said arc misperception about Tanker Crews. It s a tragedy of some enormity. You can t blame people for being  he said. Emotions were running  cousins called the spill damage sickening but he said he believes Exxon is doing All it can with the cleanup no matter whal anyone  he faces a coast guard review of his License and must testify Al state and Federal trials resulting from the spill the Oil has moved about 500 Miles Southwest of Valde. Fouling the Shore at the katmai National Park wildlife Refuge and other areas. Italian youths March Rome a tens of thousands of italian youths in arched through the Center of Rome asking the government not to punish drug addicts and to establish a guaranteed minimum income Lor unemployed souths. Saab Story with a Happy ending stuff sul Scott Russell and his wife. C Arla. Sit Hap arty paid for the winning ticket in a lottery held in Evi Ris arcs a what Russell training no for Liq co 3rd inf div s27,l 00. 1965 loss of Hydrogen bomb near Okinawa confirmed by . Tokyo a a . Military official confirmed monday that a Hydrogen bomb was lost in the Pacific Ocean near Okinawa when a Jel fell of an air Rall Carrier in 1965. Many japanese expressed outrage Al the  report was the top Story in most japanese news papers and was featured on the television news. Japan the Only nation Ever attacked with nuclear weapons remains sensitive Aboul nuclear arms questions. The report was disclosed Over the weekend in a report from Washington m the current edition of Newsweek  about the report a . Military spokesman in Tokyo said a nuclear weapon was lost in the Pacific in 1965, when a plane fell from a . Carrier in inter National Waters about 80 Miles from the closes Poslof the Okinawa Island Chain. The spokesman demanded  japanese government does not know the pre sent location and condition of the bomb and there have been no discussions with the United slates about How to Deal with it said a foreign ministry official who requested  said his government has no plans to investigate the Accident or possible dangers posed by the bomb. The loss of the a Magalon bomb which has a Force of 1 million tons of int was kept secret Al the Lime Newsweek said quoting a report by Lite Institute Lor policy studies in  Pilot was killed when the plane carrying the bomb accidentally rolled off the aircraft Carrier Ticonderoga which was on its Way from Vietnam to the japanese port of Yokosuka said the report. When the loss of Floc bomb was reported in a 1981 department of defense listing of nuclear weapons accidents there was no indication that it occurred near inhabited islands another foreign ministry official said