Show The Herald Journal Logan Utah Sunday D Utah SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Utah Legislature has approved a special session to override Gov Glene Walker's vetoes hut still can’t agree on just what they'd dp if they Hied ' back into the slate house Legislative leaders said they would meet Wednesday to hammer out an agreement that could give them a two-thirmajority in both the House and Senate on any of the contested hills Legislators are considering overrides on a number them including jt ‘ 6 dj b Pingree School for Children with Autisih where tuition runs to $2 000 Walker vetoed it but charged a task force with finding another way io use the $14 million the hill provides to help parents of children with severe disabilities Instead of giving it to parents for a tuition subsidy Walker wants the state school board to regulate how the public money is spent at private schools Bylaw any override session must he called by May 3 before the May bills that change election law update a law against unfair business practices and appropriate money for disabled children That bill referred to as “Carson Smith” legislation soughi to give parents a S56CM) state subsidy to send children with special needs to the Carmen such private schools-a- “I am concerned there has been to for an the numbers override'' get Walker said in a statement “These efforts have been more about politics than good law” Stephens flatly denied that politics are at play “It's the law We have to poll our members after every legislative ses- sion on the override question” Stephens said “The governor is trying to twist this to make it look like there were political motives” ' behind-the-scen- es arm-twisti- ffS)GDD’D(£5Q£©di) Military enlistment remains strong here Celebrated memoir comes into question SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Manny Garcia says he was only 18 when he killed a Vietnamese woman who reminded him of his grandmother lie didn't realize she was a woman when he shot her he wrote in his memoir Now the Salt Lake City attorney’s book "An Accidental Soldier: Memoirs of a Mestizo in Vietnam” is a finalist in the Utah Center for the Book's annual nonfiction award The Library of Con-- - never rccei yed his 1)0214 summary record of his service— ever)' vet's single most important scrap of papei' Yet the copy he provided the AP w hicli he said he obtained from the Salt Lake City Veter- ans Administration offices in Oclohci carries Jiis signature ' Records the Army provided were more complete ihan those Garcia had provided the AP and did substantiate that he’d received two Bronze Stars a Purple Heart a Combat Infantry Badge and other honors Garda insisted he couldn't tell his full story implying he was still subject to prosecution for some secret activity he'dheen involved in Asked in October if that meant murder a'crime with no statute of limitation he replied "You can draw your ow n conclu- organization was to announce the winner Saturday night But Garcia's Army records don't back some of his most significant claims: that he was an Airborne Ranger with the famed 01st Airborne Divi- sion's Screamin' Eagles and had received the Silver Star st the military’s combat honor The records do affirm Garcia was a decorated combat veteran but not for : the year he said he drew on for his book In short much of what Gar- da has written appears sus- pect — some of it untrue by his own admission — putting in question everything else he’s claimed in his haunting memoir of his Vietnam combat and what it did to his soul ' ' 1 ' speaker insists state Republican convention where Walker House Speaker Marty Stephens and other GOP gubernatorial candidates will face 3500 Republican delegates An override session would provide a public platform where Walker could be criticized for her vetoes — including the Smith bill which is supported by a number on the GOP's right wing Walker has questioned legislators' intentions in aiming for the override session 8 1 Utah Legislature W&H3T cd 2004 — A5 J Veto override session not political gress-affilial- April 18 third-highe- “They knew I knew who' did it” he continued speaking about the secret operation “They knew I wouldn't tell them They told me I wasn't going to get an honorable dis- ' charge But didn't dii any-1 : thing” ' : sions" SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Despite extended deployments and escalating violence in Iraq military officials say Utah enlistments continue to meet expectations The Utah National Guard delivered that assessment Friday even as members of another Salt Lake City-base- d unit which includes 170 Army Reserve soldiers learned they'd hespending as long as 120 more days in Iraq The 419th one of 65 units that make up the 96th US Army Regional Readiness : and retention coordinator for the Utah Army National Guard The recently completed month was actually the best one of their fiscal year which began in October “We've been able to keep up with our enlistment targets and it's been going up in the last four months” Atack said “We’re at about the same lev- els as we have been in the piast three or four years" He said officials typically hope to catch 80 enlistments per month Although spring is the busiest recruiting period because of high school gradu- ates Atack said he did expect fewer'enlistments than usual in the coming month primari- ly because of the extension of the 457th Engineer Battalion's deployment in Iraq The division has been in the war zone for more thtin a year in and had Kuwait to come home when its extension was announced Thursday Command was first deployed in February 2003 The soldiers are responsible for construe- tion transportation maintenance medical care and public affairs Utah has consistently been among the top 10 states for meeting or exceeding ment goals over the past two years a trend that has not slowed even as news reports ' both domesticajly arid in Iraq AP photo have painted a more dour pic- -' Manny Garcia author of “An Accidental Soldier” poses for his portrait ture for soldiers said Li Col last fall The! story is about his tour of duty during the Vietnam War is Darren Alack the recruitment a finalist in the Utah Center for the Book's annual nonfiction award However much of what Garcia has written in the purported memoir appeais suspect — some of it untrue by his own admission HEBER CITY (AP) — Up adviser and Vietnam veteran iccuid could He found dial 70 soup manufacturing to w ho has Confirmed that a’ Manny Gar- exposed more than workers could face plant cia was in or completed Army 1200 people who tried to cap- after a customs deportation italizc on false or inflated Ranger naming'' Jones wrote revealed they : investigation invexti- Author--anVietnam records military were working under friiudu- 'gator BG "Jug” Burkett says " s Burkett who says he has an lent identification federal unremarkable Vietnam record Garcia max he part of a long investigators say d lisi of Vietnam "wannabes”' and said the David Ward special agent which include Adm Jeremy stereoty ped Vietnam veteran's in charge of immigration and “Mike" Boorda the Navy's image has been rehabilitated Customs Enforcement in in the point that people are formed 1996 to officer tin top' Provo said about 60 percent w'li' I iiled himself just before seeking its cachet the workers at Bear Creek of ' lie w jv p he questioned hy Bogus soldiers always have : been afoundhul the number repoiiers ihnut two Vietnam of those claiming untrue Viet- combat decorations lie wore Hut mav iiot have earned ham sei vice has grow n since the Persian Gulf war of the Pulitzer I'ne-- inning amliof and history professor early 1990s Burkett said Often the frauds' 'tell 'extreme- Joseph Fibs fabricated a story ahoui Vielniiii service For- ly gory stories about them- ' selves hut veterans who really meiMinnesota Gov Jesse' have experienced such horrors Ventura exaggerated lii'v Navy ' : rarely ialk about them-hSLAT record In late 2002: a said Texas former Marine was V-is a phenomenon ' lor ' wearing Navy prosecuted that people will admit war' Crt'iwund Silver Star medals erimes wlio never were he hadn't earned V (’) nuliidl' wilh Glcrinu there'-- Burkett said “It’s v hiiltA of riie I99S expose always weird to me that a guy' wiuld step up and admit a ' "Si"k-alor: JIuvv the Viet' ' nam Generation Wax Robbed murder But it always can 'of In Heroesiand Its History'’'' excuse or explain all the' other' failures in their Burkeli is a 'Dallas investment 430-memb- er becn-waitin- Heber workers face deportation The next day w hen confronted with ditcumcnts received from the Army Gar- cia stopped talking to the AP In a letter ‘he wrote "I was the about book Questions underscore what military given the Silver Star at El fraud hiinters say js a growing ' Bragg like 1 said Now if that was a mistake or accident phenomenon of soldiers and others who inflate or fabricate well they got it hack don't have one Regarding military records Garcia was a featured reader Ranger training I do admit that I tweaked the ending at The Great Salt Lake Book : Festival in first He there but the end result w as September the same was certified al told his overflow audience ' I that his book was "sometimes Brigade' in Phim Rang told a lot of truth in this hook humorous'' Then he read pashut I didn't tell it all nor ani sages about slitting a man's I'll pit my ireifir the and throat going to listening to about noises: bility against the Army any spluttering an Mowing up elephant day" Contacted Friday Garcia because his unit had to get rid said “I really don't have any of unneeded ammunition Some of the audience walked thing else to say” ' On Nov 26 the AP received out a FQIA response from “Believe it or not I ciit Thomas M- lones FOI A and some of the tsorst stullV' Gar- cia said later privacy chief for Army Human Resources Command the after the month During in Alexandria Va: saying fl‘ event Garcia gave several interviews to The Assrlgiated 'Benning officials conducted a records search on Garcru "No Press When the AP obtained' the records through Freedom of Information Act thhl conflicted with his tale Garcia continued to maintain truth was on hi side During an Oct 6 interview Garcia repeated his hook's ALWAYS claim that he threw all his medal including' the Silver S " ' Star over a fence onto-thhe lawn alter House White April 15th will lie here before you liiow’it'jrjlk- lo your State Farin' agent about the possible tax benefits was discharged in 'November ' of opening an IKA how Witli- -i viiKty of'lumlihg options a State Farm IRA could be 1968: He affirmed he had been sent back to the States : in’i oAiviIFvrm v MS OK VIOKI I early in his Vietnam ipur I jTi-'-'riifljnvs' v’i' because he had tuberculosis i vmj-ns Si mi Fviivi1Rx The Army has no record of Star Garcia receiving'a-Silve' oir of thcillness that ht say Garcia' him home briefly sent wrote that the Army had lost his records but later said they : must have been altered The Arjny says he was discharge J ' : Lana IViwetl 'in November 196' ' 'V- vv Ron BrOwn MarkWcese He admitted he hadn't grad- -' N 2lW E 40 Xest lathe Valley Blvd 160 Sujie I 'Iji'i v:' Suite i’lluated frtim Ranger School at ' 5 SuueA lajgan'L'T1 ' Ft Bragg Ga as he'd writ- L”F I O- ' ten because he had been 415 "5 ' kicked out for using drugs-- () days before he 'was to finish FARM IS THERE' M LIKE A GOOD NEIGHBOR But he did finish Ranger Cpuntry Kitchens had used fraudulent Social Security numbers on their job applica-lion- once-revile- 1 - ' i I w - I - - 1 s He said neither Bear Creek nor the stalling agency would likely face criminal chaises Ward said investigators were tipped off hy cajls from ' former employees claiming they had been laid off so that they could he replaced hy illegal workers': - V lives!'-Arm- GET AN IRA ASAP FROM SOMEONE WHO 1 HAS ‘ TREATED YOU LIKE A VIP WE LIVE WH ERE YOU LIVE" — TT $0 K T7 !0THI116 wms like a DEEAr APR Interest J) Payments for one yeac Down 0 V Huity offer ends soon I V V : I j - ! 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