James Files was in the military in Laos and Vietnam

[Bob]

Chris, also see this from Jim Marrs about this subject...HOW DID FILES FIND OUT ABOUT THE "WHITE STAR" TEAMS IN LAOS UNLESS HE WAS AMEMBER?During interviews with James E. Files, he told of his military record whichincluded a stint with the 82nd Airborne Division concerning covertoperations in Laos in 1959. He said he was supposedly out of the militarybut was actually being paid by the U.S. Army and specifically mentionedbeing part of the "White Star" teams to train Laotian Army regulars. Being aVietnam-era veteran myself and a lay historian, I was surprised that I hadnever heard of the "White Star" teams. In fact, I chalked this term up as apoint against Files since no one I knew had ever heard of such teams. Thenin the summer of 1996, in a telephone conversation with Col. FletcherProuty, I happened to mention that Files claimed to have trained LaotianArmy troops in 1959. "Oh, that was my operation," said Prouty. "They werecalled the White Star teams." Prouty explained that members of the "WhiteStar" teams were "sheep-dipped," He explained this process as "an intricateArmy-devised process by which a man who is in the service as a full careersoldier or officer agrees to go through all the legal and official motionsof resigning from the service. Then, rather than actually being released,his records are pulled from the Army personnel files and transferred to aspecial Army intelligence file. (The Secret Team: pp. 172-173)" This isexactly the process mentioned by Files and, obviously, could go far inexplaining some of the frustrations encountered in trying to verify hismilitary record. Prouty said the "White Star" teams were composed of"sheep-dipped" officers and men who were hired by a private company createdby the CIA and sent to Laos to train troops. Prouty's statements force thequestion --- If Files is a phony and never in the military (as some criticshave asserted), how did he know the correct term "White Star" teams and thecircumstances of their involvement in Laos.unless he was part of it?