Happy Memorial Day Veterans, from your Gov't...

**TripleRLtd** · May 22nd, 2006, 03:41 PM

Personal Data of 26.5M Veterans Stolen

By HOPE YEN, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 1 minute ago

WASHINGTON - Personal data, including Social Security numbers of 26.5 million U.S. veterans, was stolen from a Veterans Affairs employee this month after he took the information home without authorization, the department said Monday.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060522/...eterans_disk_3

For more info direct from the VA click below:
http://www.firstgov.gov/veteransinfo.shtml

Oh yeah: Happy Memorial Day!

In Flanders Fields
John McCrae, 1915.
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

**El_Squid** · May 23rd, 2006, 10:17 AM

Ye Gods! One of the most perfect examples of bureaucratic incompetence and mental laziness to date. This is why I do not put much faith in most conspiracy theories, for they require a level of coherent, focused efficiency I do not think our government is capable of generating/sustaining. To remove enormous amounts of critical data from its physically secure location and keep it in your house, is so inexcusably stupid and shortsighted it boggles the mind. This would be too funny, if it were not so potentially tragic. I hope the thieves are equally stupid, although they now surely know what they have.

**El_Squid** · May 23rd, 2006, 10:22 AM

Oh, before I forget: Thank you veterans, for serving your country, defending your fellow citizens and taking on a dangerous job. Let us never forget the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice.

**3fingersalute** · May 23rd, 2006, 11:06 AM

The department said that there was no evidence any of the information had been used illegally and that whoever stole it, in a burglary of the employee's home this month, might be unaware of its nature or how to use it. The stolen data do not include any health records or financial information, the agency said.

Great, so now if the crook didn't realize what he had, he sure does now - smart move!!!