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You are here: Home / Foreign Affairs / Military / The Finer Points of PR

The Finer Points of PR

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Col. Boylan certainly makes a lot of news:

A U.S. Army officer was attacked at knifepoint by three Korean males Sunday night outside Yongsan Garrison in Seoul and sustained a minor stab wound.

U.S. military authorities declined to release the officer’s name, but Stars and Stripes has learned he is Army Lt. Col. Steven Boylan, chief spokesman for 8th U.S. Army.

Boylan was treated for a stab wound and bruises at the 121 General Hospital on Yongsan, then released.

“The three suspects were cursing him in English,” said Army Maj. Holly Pierce, an 8th Army spokeswoman.

The suspects ran off after the attack, which began around 8:40 p.m. in a pedestrian underpass just outside Gate 3, along the east perimeter of the Yongsan installation, near a stretch of Highway 31, Pierce said.

Korean National Police and U.S. Army military police were investigating the attack, Pierce said.

The attack came only one day after a massive anti-American demonstration in Seoul in which tens of thousands denounced the acquittal last month of two U.S. soldiers in a roadside accident in which two teenage South Korean girls were struck and killed by a 45-ton U.S. Army armored vehicle June 13.

Boylan has been the Army’s principal spokesman on the case, going before South Korean and other news media regularly to represent the U.S. military’s side of the controversy.

Interesting is what I find that.

*** Update ***

I apologize in advance to all the wingnuts for not posting the entire news story. Since I do not want to be accused of HIDING THE GREATER TRUTHS, SELECTIVE EDITING AND MISLEADING MY REMAINING RIGHT-WING READERSHIP, I will remind you stupid bastards that the entire story can be found by clicking the hyperlink featured above, before the quote, and once again right here:

CLICK TARGET FOR FULL STORY

*** Update ***

More here (wingnuts click ‘here’ for the whole story, what follows is my ‘selective editing,’ or, as we in the business call it, editing):

Lt. Col. Steven Boylan’s combat patch comes from flying helicopters in El Salvador, but his parents think his Purple Heart should come from walking the streets of Seoul.

That became clear one night last month when three Korean men cornered him in a tunnel on his way home. ”They started cussing me in English, ‘G.I. get out, G.I. go home,’ ” the colonel, a 41-year-old Wisconsin native, recalled today. ”They attacked me, and I made a defensive maneuver. It was only when I made it back to post that I saw I had been stabbed.”

As Bob Owens told us yesterday, “The knives are being swung at the back of our soldiers comes from the hand of Franklin Foer.”

Does anyone know if Franklin Foer was in Korea in the past few years? Someone email the Weekly Standard. We might be on to something.

Reader Interactions

92Comments

  3. 3.

    capelza

    The attack came only one day after a massive anti-American demonstration in Seoul in which tens of thousands denounced the acquittal last month of two U.S. soldiers in a roadside accident in which two teenage South Korean girls were struck and killed by a 45-ton U.S. Army armored vehicle June 13.

    So what kind of vehicle is 45-tons?

  6. 6.

    Zifnab

    Does this make Boylan an unquestionable US Army American Hero? When will Hasbro start making him in action-figure form?

  7. 7.

    capelza

    John Cole Says:

    “So what kind of vehicle is 45-tons?”

    Better break out the sand table and scale models!

    I feel terrible for laughing, but my thoughts exactly.

  13. 13.

    Dennis-SGMM

    “I was just tap dancing in the stall and these guys started demanding money,” Boylan is quoted as saying,

  14. 14.

    Peter Johnson

    I wonder how Glenn feels about smearing him now. Is there any news of there being a connection between this attack and what transpired between he and Greenwald earlier this week.

  15. 15.

    Peter Johnson

    “The three suspects were cursing him in English,”

    This makes me suspicious of a connection with Greenwald.

  17. 17.

    Wilfred

    I think it’s in the Army TOE that there must always be a LTC/ Col. Boylan on active duty. In fact, I bet a cursory review would show that there has been one at all times in American military history and, more importantly, said Boylans have always been assholes. Moreover, I bet in the lives of most American men there has been a Mr. Boylan – a shop or gym teacher, a fuckhead at motor vehicle or a building superintendent who made some guy’s life miserable just because he could. Just a hunch.

  18. 18.

    Peter Johnson

    PJ, you have now officially jumped the shark.

    The coincidence doesn’t strike you as strange, that a few days after a high profile dust-up with a well-known blogger that he’s attacked by three men speaking English? And the fact they’re coming from an anti-American demonstration?

    Does anyone know what kind of readership Greenwald has in Korea?

  21. 21.

    Jake

    I don’t know John. If I had my head jammed so far up my ass I looked at the world through my nipples I might not see that link.

    When he was attacked, Boylan was wearing blue jeans ^with a brown bandana in the back pocket, a button-front shirt and casual jacket.

    Fixed.

  22. 22.

    rawshark

    Peter Johnson Says:

    I wonder how Glenn feels about smearing him now. Is there any news of there being a connection between this attack and what transpired between he and Greenwald earlier this week.

    How did Greenwald smear Boylan? Are you aware the Korean attack took place in 2002?

  23. 23.

    protected static

    The coincidence doesn’t strike you as strange, that a few days after a high profile dust-up with a well-known blogger that he’s attacked by three men speaking English?

    And time machines. Don’t forget the time machines. Back to 2002.

  25. 25.

    Mark

    Does anyone know what kind of readership Greenwald has in Korea?

    Probably Korean. It’s all starting starting to add up.

  27. 27.

    chopper

    man, am i glad that you left the crazy right, john, because you’ve been on fire since you went indy.

    seriously, it feels like a friday today.

    and what the hell happened to friday beer blogging, anyways? what the shit is up with that?

  28. 28.

    James F. Elliott

    That Bookworm link is great: He refers to Beauchamp as TNR’s “roving Iraq correspondent.” Looks like the grammar nazi needs some reading comprehension lessons!

  30. 30.

    Jay B.

    Boylan later asserted that he wasn’t stabbed but that his ass had been stolen in Vermont, so it was probably that guy who bled his blood in the Korean attack.

  31. 31.

    Dennis-SGMM

    John, great work! And now to watch this baby ricochet through the right-wing blogosphere as proof of the nefarious connections between the lefties and al-Qaeda, the Illuminati, Kim Jong Il, the Fall of Rome…

  32. 32.

    A better joke

    Boylan said that since he was stabbed in the back, he’s pretty sure Korean journalists were involved in the attack.

  33. 33.

    Zifnab

    oh, and peter johnson – you are officially the dumbest guy, ever.

    He gets really quiet when he’s proven totally wrong.

  34. 34.

    Breschau

    I was holding out hope that PJ was an actual wingnut. Unfortunately, Sir, you have reached too far into the silliness with these comments, and have exposed yourself for the spoof you are.

    Sigh. Yet another of life’s little hopes dashed. Good luck with the new pseudonym.

  36. 36.

    Cinderella Ferret

    Godammit! Bill Clinton made me hit that damn submit button to fast. You liberal, commie, terrorist sympathizers have got me so pissed off I can’t think straight! Oh Jesus! Is that Larry Craig in my bathroom?

    Peter Johnson Says:

    PJ, you have now officially jumped the shark.

    The coincidence doesn’t strike you as strange, that a few days after a high profile dust-up with a well-known blogger that he’s attacked by three men speaking English? And the fact they’re coming from an anti-American demonstration?

    Does anyone know what kind of readership Greenwald has in Korea?

    It should be obvious Greenwald has plenty of readers in Korea! North Korea. Of course, we need a Time Machine, but I think they have one that new show Journeyman. Yea, that explains how it happened that way. You see first Glenn has a dust up with the Colonel, then they go back in time 5 years, incites a riot, THEN jump the Colonel. Of course, it took three hippies to take on the Great American Hero. Boy, you liberals sure aren’t very smart, are you?

    That really isn’t too big a leap? Have you heard anyone from NBC deny they have a time machine?

  37. 37.

    maxbaer (not the original)

    I don’t think the colonel is so good at the public relations thing. At least those Koreans had the decency to curse him in English, tho.

  38. 38.

    Cinderella Ferret

    The Finer Points of PR

    But, I still don’t understand what this has to do with Puerto Rico?

    (OK, I’ll stop now. Look I’m just practicing in case Wingnuttia is contagious.)

  39. 39.

    elf

    Isn’t this the same Col.Steven A. Boylan telling Glenn Greenwald how it “really” is in Iraq?
    And the Asshat is in South Korea !!??

    Maybe Glenn should send him a link to a map.

  40. 40.

    Z

    Maybe, just maybe, we can steal NBC’s time machine, send Aahnold back in time, and he can waterboard the dirty, Glenn & Beauchamp man-loving hippies until the leave true hero Colonel alone!

  42. 42.

    D-Chance.

    It was only when I made it back to post that I saw I had been stabbed.

    So Boylan didn’t even notice he’d been “stabbed” until AFTER he got back to post? Must not have been more than a shaving-type of nick, then. Certainly not Purple Heart deserving. At least, that’s the opinion of those who were judging war injuries in the last election… does anyone know if Boylan has presidential aspirations 30 years from now? We really need to investigate this more closely. Just to clear the record, of course.

  43. 43.

    Johnson Peter

    Your use of a near-fatal attack on a member of the U.S. military for the purpose of spoofing right-minded patriots just shows how much you liberals hate the troops.

  44. 44.

    lysias

    Boylan’s promotion to full bird colonel didn’t come as a result of the flap in Korea. During his first assignment in Iraq, after that, he was still a light colonel.

    When he was Petraeus’s flack at Leavenworth, then he was a bird colonel. Apparently the promotion came as a result of the first Iraq assignment. I wonder if he was already Petraeus’s flack there.

  45. 45.

    wingnuts to iraq

    so should we send Boylan purple heart band aids? That sounds like the classy thing to do.

  47. 47.

    zack

    Does anyone know if Franklin Foer was in Korea in the past few years?

    Oh. My. God. Franklin Foer has stabbed Col. Steve Boylan!

    You just knew this was going to happen! Alert the media!

    Break out the Drudge Siren!

    It doesn’t matter that this news is over 5 years old – full speed ahead! Breaking! Breaking!

    Has anyone e-mailed Michelle Malkin?

    Overwrought I am.

  49. 49.

    Julie

    I think it’s in the Army TOE that there must always be a LTC/ Col. Boylan on active duty. In fact, I bet a cursory review would show that there has been one at all times in American military history and, more importantly, said Boylans have always been assholes.

    Dark Helmet: Who made that man a gunner?

    Major Asshole: I did sir. He’s my cousin.

    Dark Helmet: Who is he?

    Colonel Sandurz: He’s an asshole sir.

    Dark Helmet: I know that! What’s his name?

    Colonel Sandurz: That is his name sir. Asshole, Major Asshole!

    Dark Helmet: And his cousin?

    Colonel Sandurz: He’s an asshole too sir. Gunner’s mate First Class Philip Asshole!

  50. 50.

    RSA

    HIDING THE GREATER TRUTHS, SELECTIVE EDITING AND MISLEADING MY REMAINING RIGHT-WING READERSHIP

    blockquote is the most evil tag in all of HTML. And a href is of course the sneakiest tag. I’m ambivalent about the rest, but I suspect they’re all un-American.

  52. 52.

    chopper

    So Boylan didn’t even notice he’d been “stabbed” until AFTER he got back to post? Must not have been more than a shaving-type of nick, then. Certainly not Purple Heart deserving.

    god, the parodies just write themselves, don’t they? i expect the “korean stabbers for truth” to come out soon asserting that boylan actually stabbed himself to get out of work. no, really, this korean woman who goes by “stabbitha” who was totally there told me so.

  53. 53.

    chopper

    Had the dread pundit asked for a copy of your news story yet?

    haven’t gotten the kerning quite right yet.

  57. 57.

    ninerdave

    wingnuts click ‘here’ for the whole story

    You lying moonbat. When I clicked the above (which I’ve bolded) there was no link to the story. What am I supposed to just take your block quote as is an accept it? Hell no you lying scumbag.

    Why do you hate America John? Is it because you’d prefer to wear a burka? Is it because you think Hitler was right? I thought so traitor

  59. 59.

    Tsulagi

    Johnson Peter Says:

    Ah, Double Dong, I think you got your pricks out of order there.

    Speaking of pricks, seems Boylan has a real gift at winning friends and influencing people. Yep, he’s a Public Affairs natural.

  60. 60.

    Peter Johnson

    It’s hard to believe that even you here would think this is funny. An officer is targeted for attack and you all you yuk it up. Aren’t you even the slightest bit disturbed by this pattern? First, a group steals Boylan’s identity. Then, another, possibly related group, attacks him on the street.

    I’m not saying that these attacks are definitely related. Nor am I claiming with any certainty that Greenwald was involved with either, but it’s quite a chain of coincidences. And it’s anything but funny.

  63. 63.

    jcricket

    First, a group steals Boylan’s identity. Then, another, possibly related group, attacks him on the street.

    OK, we can now definitively say that PJ is a spoof. The whole “Then” part is just hilarious, if you can’t read. Or 2002 comes after 2007 in your book.

  64. 64.

    binzinerator

    Goddamn John you get funnier and funnier!

    I hope they don’t mistake the target for an ad for Target stores. Rampant protective stupidity among the ‘nutters makes this a possibility.

  65. 65.

    Peter Johnson

    I didn’t check the date on the article, jcricket. Mea culpa. Next time I’ll be more careful.

    I still think this is all strange, though.

  68. 68.

    Tsulagi

    Double Dong, not only have you got your pricks mixed up, but also the sequence of events. Boylan’s Korean thing came before he didn’t send email to Greenwald from his computer.

    Click the BIG RED TARGET. Hidden at the top of the Stars and Stripes story in plain sight is the date, almost five years ago. Maybe together with Bookworm you could figure it out. I got faith.

  69. 69.

    OniHanzo

    I don’t know what’s funnier. The fact that Peter prattled endless without even reading the linked article…

    Or that he KEPT prattling on about the time-travelling connection even after several people pointed the date out to him.

    Thank you, Peter. That one I’ll cherish for days to come.

  70. 70.

    rawshark

    OniHanzo Says:

    I don’t know what’s funnier. The fact that Peter prattled endless without even reading the linked article…

    Or that he KEPT prattling on about the time-travelling connection even after several people pointed the date out to him.

    It doesn’t matter what they say, or if what they say is even true. All that matters is that someone is saying what other people want to hear someone say. Its how opinion is validated. Its why right wing radio is so popular.

  71. 71.

    taodon

    I didn’t check the date on the article, jcricket. Mea culpa. Next time I’ll be more careful.

    I still think this is all strange, though.

    More proof that reality has a liberal bias, eh, PJ?

  76. 76.

    Breschau

    You know, people keep bringing up the fact that this guy is a Colonel, as if that bestows some instant credibility on him, and it’s so unbelievable to think someone like that could write such a petulant email. Well, quite simply, Colonel is the highest rank you can achieve if are a lifer or near-lifer in the Army, and someone has determined that you are just not fit in some way to become a General. It can be a sign of your limitations, as well as your resolve.

    I moved down to DC in 1995, and my first job was with a military contractor in the Tysons Corner area. My first project manager there had been a Colonel in the Army Rangers. Nice enough guy, good with number crunching, great with personnel projections and such. But, the guy’s favorite phrase when things got stressful was, “My life was so much easier when I was just blowing up Panamanians.”

    He would follow this up by pantomiming hitting a “clicker” three times.

    I could absolutely see this guy writing exactly the kind of email that Greenwald received. In fact, I heard him put forth many similar opinions back during the Clinton/Dole election run-up. Granted, he was not a PAO, and no one would have dreamed of actually letting this guy talk to the public in an official capacity. But, simply reaching the rank of Colonel does not necessarily bestow anything upon your character.

  77. 77.

    Delia

    So it’s too dangerous for Boylan to hang out in a beautiful city like Seoul, which is actually a very nice, modern place with lots and lots to do, and very friendly people if you haven’t managed to annoy the hell out of them. (I know, I’ve been there.) And in order to stay safe he has to go to Iraq which our reliable, trustworthy, incorruptible, and competent government has blown into little bits, thus making us the most hated nation on earth.

    No wonder Stevie’s in a bad mood and finds himself taking his frustration out by sending nasty emails to bloggers who annoy him. Then when they bite back, he gets all scared and goes into denial. Glenn must remind him of those mean Koreans who gave him that bad scare. I’ll bet Stevie is suffering from PTSD. We’ve got his email addy. What say we flood his inbox with ecards saying . . . . oh, whatever.

  78. 78.

    Peter Johnson

    But, simply reaching the rank of Colonel does not necessarily bestow anything upon your character.

    Good thing that those at the rank of Colonel are bestowing safety and freedom on the rest of us, though. And I don’t think it’s so easy to reach that rank as you claim. It’s a high rank.

  79. 79.

    Zuzu

    Slightly OT, but a couple more gems from the Steve Boylan archives:

    I am sure everyone has heard about the two clocks. The Baghdad clock that we needed to speed up and the Washington clock that could actually have been a stopwatch to slow down. . . .

    The last two trips I made around the battlefields, one within 30 kilometers of Iran to Forward Operating Base Caldwell to see the 5th Squadron, 73rd Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division who are just getting read to leave soon to head back to Fort Bragg, and a unit from the 2nd Infantry Division Stryker Brigade that is operating in Diyala that we say in a small village of Jiddiah. Both gave me some optimism on how things are going as well as some concerns. Here it is never just one or the other. . . .

    Overall, we’re still making progress. It isn’t always apparent that progress is being made from those looking back this direction, but rest assured it is.

    Human Events, Oct. ’07

    This continues to be a hard fight in what I am involved in, the medium of public affairs and communicating to the media and public at large. . . .

    As we have said from the start of getting here in February (back for my second tour as my first one was 18-months), none of this will be easy and we as a nation, public, military and individuals will be tested as we will see casualties, we will see spectacular attacks that kill and wound not only our troops, but the Iraqi’s as well. . . .

    We cannot afford to be short-sighted in this endeavor by anyone at any level be it from the platoon, company, battalion, brigade, division, Corps, Force or our governmental levels. The ramifications are too huge to count. . . .

    I think you will find that since arrival here in February, that has been happening and in some way, perhaps is part of the reason for the change in polls/attitudes back home in what we are doing. We owe that to the families of those serving in Iraq who have entrusted the national treasure, that treasure is that of the son’s and daughters of our nation to something that is greater than “self.” . . .

    Human Events, Aug. ’07

  80. 80.

    Zuzu

    Nor am I claiming with any certainty that Greenwald was involved with eithetr

    Oh God, I actually did laugh out loud on that one.

  81. 81.

    TR

    Good thing that those at the rank of Colonel are bestowing safety and freedom on the rest of us, though.

    Funny, I thought it was the Constitution and those sworn to defend it who bestowed freedom on us. I never knew Col. Boylan, the Freedom Fairy, came to sprinkle it to me in the night.

  82. 82.

    Delia

    This continues to be a hard fight in what I am involved in, the medium of public affairs and communicating to the media and public at large. . . .

    So Boylan’s in the 101st Fighting Keyboardists. First we’ve heard they actually had an officer in country.

  85. 85.

    Zuzu

    Delia Says:

    This continues to be a hard fight in what I am involved in, the medium of public affairs and communicating to the media and public at large. . . .

    So Boylan’s in the 101st Fighting Keyboardists. First we’ve heard they actually had an officer in country.

    It be a hard, hard fight.

  86. 86.

    Zuzu

    More nuggets from Col. Steve:

    In the end, when there are nations that refuse to allow their lands and people to be used to foment terror and allow their lands to be used a launching platforms to conduct these attacks against people of other nations and walks of life. We have found that having the ocean as our natural barrier is no longer a barrier to those that wish us harm as it has been for a long time. There are so many different forms of terrorism now that we have to be prepared for many types of attacks that we would have thought impossible just years ago.

    . . .

    First is what you consider “substantial numbers?” Currently we have approximately 165,000 US troops in Iraq. Depending on your frame of reference, this in of itself is not many when compared to the US population.

    . . .

    While I respect Stephen Biddle, he has his views and we have ours and not always will the two meet.

    Newshoggers

    Of course I didn’t bother with the atrocious spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

  87. 87.

    Anon

    Franklin Foer? Why, I loved his novel “Everything Is Illuminated”! I had no idea he was also so busy working to get troops killed. I guess that must be the literary side of his nature. Those litterateurs just love to make trouble.

    Traitorous, traitorous traitors with their weird “democracy” and “justice” hang-ups!

    They probably change their names just to hide from the furriner-hating forces of good.

  88. 88.

    canuckistani

    You know, people keep bringing up the fact that this guy is a Colonel, as if that bestows some instant credibility on him, and it’s so unbelievable to think someone like that could write such a petulant email. Well, quite simply, Colonel is the highest rank you can achieve if are a lifer or near-lifer in the Army, and someone has determined that you are just not fit in some way to become a General. It can be a sign of your limitations, as well as your resolve.

    It can also be a sign that you know how to fry chicken with 11 secret herbs and spices.

  90. 90.

    BIRDZILLA

    Thats too bad he did,nt know some martial arts are sent three cowards to the hostital with some nasty marks all over them

  91. 91.

    Warren Terra

    … you can get a combat patch for service in El Salvador?

    I thought we were just supposed to have provided advisors and training? Who authorized participation in combat?

  92. 92.

    nathaniel

    First off the 45 ton vehical in question was a mine sweper if I am not mistaken.

    Second, while this is a bit odd to say the least, it is not that suprising. Around teh same time I had someone threaten me with a knife due to the pissed off fealings regarding that incident. I was also probably physically threatened more then 5 times. My roommmate who actually looked like he was in military got hassled way mroe then I did.

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