FULL PACKER DATELINE NEWS RELEASE – 10/13/06 – 8:35am: This morning - which just happens to be Friday the 13th - started out like any other morning for this investigative reporter. My morning commute to the office was uneventful as usual, just another drive down Rte. 481 south to the Jamesville exit at around 8:15am. With a cup of "joe" (black coffee) in one hand and shifting the old five-speed Ford with the other, I concentrated on the day ahead and looked forward to the weekend.

When listening to the radio in the morning, I have a nasty habit of alternating back and forth from NPR (National Public Radio) to “Imus in the morning”. Yes, I understand the contrast of irony that comes with that clash of popular cultural medians, but it keeps me awake when I would rather be back in bed.

While switching back and forth between stations, I suddenly became interested in a story regarding a newly released movie, “Flags of our Fathers” and the story within the story about one of the characters, Ira Hayes, who helped raise the flag on Iwo Jima on February 23, 1945. Below is a brief bio on Mr. Hayes.

“…at age 23, an event occurred that would forever place Ira Hayes in this nation's history books and irrevocably change his life. On a hilltop above a Pacific island, a small group of Marines struggled to raise the American flag to claim victory over the Japanese occupancy. As the flag was being raised, Ira rushed to help his comrades just as the photographer snapped what was to become one of the most famous pictures in history. That picture was the "Flag Raising At Iwo Jima" and it is Ira's hands that are outstretched to give the final thrust that planted this symbol of American victory. Six men were caught in that photograph, three of them died shortly afterwards. The battle of Iwo Jima was a costly one for our troops. Only 5 of Ira's platoon of 45 survived and of his company of 250, only 27 escaped death or injury.” Source - http://thegoldweb.com/voices/irahayes.htm

To end the segment, Don Imus, the old curmudgeon radio personality played a tune titled “The Ballad of Ira Hayes”. This particular version of the song was sung by Kinky Friedman, singer, songwriter and of lately, a politician.

I could go into dramatic detail as to what I did and thought in the next few seconds while driving and after hearing the opening line of the song, but I won’t. However it's a moment I will never forget. I would like to, but I will never forget where I was and what I was doing. Everything that I had ever believed in, anything that I concidered "good" came crashing down around me in those few seconds, nothing seemed true and honest anymore, the days of Full Packer Camelot seemed to be over.

Let me just say that this investigative reporter knew that he had lucked onto a BIG scoop, a BIG story, something that will rock the foundations of the Full Packers for years to come. And so with my cup of joe and a tapping of the foot, I turned up the radio and heard the following words of “The Ballad Of Ira Hayes”:

“Gather around me, people
There's a story I would tell
About a brave young Indian
You should remember well”
(1964), written by Peter LaFarge)

I slammed on the brakes and pulled off the side of the road and tried to catch my breath. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, it sounded so familar, it sounded so incredibly like “The Ballad of the Full Packers” written by our own Rocketman. But how could it be? The Friedman song was written in 1964 by Peter LaFarge, while Rocketman's song was written shortly after the birth of the Full Packers in 1989. Something did not make sense, something smelt bad, real bad!! And while sitting idle at the side of Rte. 481 south, I tired to remember how our beloved song went, I could hear Rocketman singing it, starting out with those familar lead in lines...

“Gather around me, people
There's a story I must tell
About three gallant Full Packers
Who climb the mountains well”

Even the title of the song seems to have been - to use a lessor word - "borrowed". I've got a word for you, how about “Plagiarism”. One online definition of plagiarism reads as follows, “The willful act of presenting another person's work as one's own.”

Is Rocketman willfully presenting another person's work as his own?

This reporter upon arriving at his office threw his fedora and briefcase to the floor, got a new cup of coffee because the old coffee stunk and tasted like the rot of this story.

I would like to go on the record and say that everyone is innocent until proven guilty, however Rocketman has a lot of explaining to do.

This reporter has some more investigation to do regarding this allegation of plagiarism. I do not take these charges lightly, it sickens me to even talk about it. However, I will do my job and try and contact Rocketman for his side of the story.

I have always said, “if something stinks it's because something is rotten”. There is something rotten going on here! One question - what would “Hopscotch” think? He loved that song so much.

Stay tuned for more details regarding this developing story….