14 November 2007

Your Tax Dollars at Work

Decorated Army General Delayed by TSA's No-Fly List



Retired Major General Vernon Lewis, Jr. has served in two wars, commanded troops and holds a top-secret security clearance. However, 9Wants to Know has learned the Transportation Security Administration keeps confusing him with a terrorist.

"My credentials are impeccable," said Lewis. who has been decorated four times for valor and received the Army's highest medal for service, the Distinguished Service Medal. "It burns me up to be treated like a terrorist."

He is now retired from the U.S. Army after serving more than 30 years during Vietnam and Korea with the 82nd Airborne Division and the 82nd's 319th Field Artillery.

Lewis started getting delayed at airports three years ago because he shares a name with a terrorist on the TSA's No-Fly list.

The frequent flier has been delayed more than 40 times. Each time, he has to stand in line and check in with an airline attendant, who then takes his drivers' license and determines he's not a terrorist.


Wait a minute. Emphasis mine. You mean a gate agent can tell he's not a terrorist by looking at this driver's license? Does the Department of Homeland Security know this?