"None of It is True"

In this case, it isn't the warrior who's phony, or who's telling stories. It's his sister. 

Meet Joe and Bree Laro. Joe is a soldier recently returned from the war. Bree is his sister, a student at the University of Tampa. 

Bree told friends, and then a reporter for the student newspaper, bloodcurdling tales of Joe's combat experience -- and finished with him missing, probably blown to bits, after an explosion in Iraq. The story got Bree some attention and sympathy from well-meaning folks on campus. 

It also got back to Joe, who's not missing at all, and wasn't even in Iraq (he was in Afghanistan). He visited the website of the campus paper, The Minaret, and in the comments section, asked them to take their story down. They talked to Joe on the phone, then talked to Bree again -- and got several different implausible stories from her. 

That's the problem with telling lies: you have to remember which lies you told to which people. 

Bree's stories apparently hit all the Hollywood high points of the war experience: exploding kids, callous leaders, involuntary extensions. 

Joe Laro commented: "Dear everyone who reads this article. This is the real Joe Laro, now back from AFGHANISTAN- NOT IRAQ. Just wanted to make it clear that I was never in Iraq, and never missing, and no little kids ever exploded in front of me. I would greatly appreciate it if you just took this article down because none of it is true.- Joe Laro"

Bree's comments are all over the map -- you really have to read all three pages of The Minaret's follow-up story. (Or on one page as printer-ready).  My personal favorite was this: "The story is correct except for all of the army aspects of it."  (Tell me that couldn't be Dan Rather or Mary Mapes!)

On the other hand, The Minaret is to be commended for quickly getting to the bottom of this tall tale. Alas, that means these kids will probably never make the big bucks at CBS news. Because you can't work there if you know BS when you "C" BS.