Wednesday, August 22, 2007
False Claims
Claim: Michel Thomas said he was a U.S. Army officer and full-fledged Army Counter Intelligence Corps agent. When the Los Angeles Times suggested he was actually a civilian employee, he sued the paper (unsuccessfully).
Fact: Thomas was a civilian employee. In a 1946 arrest report (below left) for SS officer Gustav Knittel, Thomas is referred to as a "special civilian assistant" by the unit commander. On the final page of the report (below right), Thomas' signature is next to the words "civilian assistant."
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLLT9Rc-WQw79DJib_32IZJE2Vf9anHtG1zuOTRhacw6lyC0a9nkONn5LdbA0bk41tcmoZz-cxEB18_3Nk577RJX06AxjS3X3dchyMuiHnqXC5LVJwff_JEE_xSm9yA4R1NcuR2OaerMp4/s200/MT-civilian2.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqezAkABEVNAlzTcPJM1jyT2Tm1IUSXz3lTkbnFBzL3sQShdnnuBJd3vw0I0kbhTZikQHgHAt11TINwe9VR2AgtLGl1N_5T9MWSwQScdhTP3xC3KDeagFfZIF-B1AeUJoAFylBsvH00w3a/s200/MT-civilian.jpg)
Click on images to enlarge.
Documents are from National Archives records
Fact: Thomas was a civilian employee. In a 1946 arrest report (below left) for SS officer Gustav Knittel, Thomas is referred to as a "special civilian assistant" by the unit commander. On the final page of the report (below right), Thomas' signature is next to the words "civilian assistant."
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLLT9Rc-WQw79DJib_32IZJE2Vf9anHtG1zuOTRhacw6lyC0a9nkONn5LdbA0bk41tcmoZz-cxEB18_3Nk577RJX06AxjS3X3dchyMuiHnqXC5LVJwff_JEE_xSm9yA4R1NcuR2OaerMp4/s200/MT-civilian2.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqezAkABEVNAlzTcPJM1jyT2Tm1IUSXz3lTkbnFBzL3sQShdnnuBJd3vw0I0kbhTZikQHgHAt11TINwe9VR2AgtLGl1N_5T9MWSwQScdhTP3xC3KDeagFfZIF-B1AeUJoAFylBsvH00w3a/s200/MT-civilian.jpg)
Click on images to enlarge.
Documents are from National Archives records
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