Media

Wall Street Journal Ruins Naval Running Gag

One downside to being a journalist is that sometimes one has to ask questions to which the world would arguably be better off not knowing the answers. That is arguably the case with this story, detailing how one excessively critical Wall Street Journal reporter managed to spoil a running joke that had been going on among Navy top brass for months. And it starts with this painting:

Prank Painting of Lost Naval Officer Ensign Chuck Hord, Allegedly From 1982, Busted by Wall Street JournalUntil recently, this painting was hanging in a hall of the Pentagon, supposedly depicting one “Ensign Chuck Hord” who was “lost at sea” in 1908. So far, so good – it sure looks like a late 19th-century painting, right?

Well, apparently one Wall Street Journal reporter noticed something a bit off about the painting – namely, that Ensign Hord’s hair was far too immaculately blow-dried for him to have lived in a time period before the blow-dryer was invented. This led, inadvertently, to a discovery about the gag painting, as chronicled by BoingBoing:

In 1982, at the urging of his parents, Ensign Eldridge Hord sat for a formal photograph commemorating his graduation from the Naval Academy.

It was the sort of portrait that looks a bit silly as you get older, especially as this particular portrait was used in the photographer’s advertising. Many prints were made. Some with paint texture added for classy effect. In 2003, Hord’s sister brought a 3-foot-tall version to a party at his house as a joke. Some of then-Captain Hord’s Navy colleagues were also at the party. Naturally, they swiped the portrait, beginning a years-long running gag of smuggling the giant photo into various Navy offices and events.

The culmination of this story is that one Lieutenant Colonel in the Navy decided to hang the embarrassing portrait in the halls of the Pentagon as an alleged casualty from 1908. And it might still be hanging there, if the Journal hadn’t caught it.

To be fair, the Wall Street Journal’s story, to its credit, is similarly entertained by the story:

A Pentagon official explained by email why Capt. Hord’s picture was removed from the public hallway. “There’s an approval process for Pentagon portraits and this beautiful picture has not been approved for display :)”

Capt. Hord makes no apologies.

“A little bit of alcohol and a whole big dose of irreverence plays into it,” he said. “Plus you feel like you’re getting one over on somebody.”

Let it never be said the military has no sense of humor.

Comments (54)

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  • AVCM
    Posted on April 18, 2012 at 10:29pm

    The reportage is slightly flawed. The Navy does not have Colonels, Lieutenant or otherwise.

    Report Post »  
    • Damn_Lucky
      Posted on April 18, 2012 at 11:09pm

      Dang beat me to it.
      Semper Fi

      Report Post » Damn_Lucky  
    • marion
      Posted on April 19, 2012 at 1:04am

      From 1982 to 2003, given some stupid reporter not knowing what the abbreviations for rank is, I would put him as a Lieutenant Commander, not Lieutenant Colonel. Stupid mistake, great gag.

      Report Post »  
    • Diomasach
      Posted on April 19, 2012 at 11:02am

      Yeah, the guy in question was actually a Canadian Army Lt. Colonel

      Report Post »  
  • BigdaddyK
    Posted on April 18, 2012 at 9:38pm

    Dang! The Navy pulls off a good one for a change, and sombody has to blow it for them. This old salt of a Jarhead is very impressed by these secretive swabbies!

    Report Post » BigdaddyK  
  • Rock Storm
    Posted on April 18, 2012 at 9:31pm

    @Darmak

    Outstanding comment, couldn’t agree more.
    You just have to love a good long running joke like this one, to bad it has been busted.

    Now, all you so called reporters, go find the truth that has been hidden about our current poser in chief. Earn you pay or better yet your reputations and tell the truth. Other wise what good are you? The truth is the truth, no matter the consequences, but it takes courage to tell the truth.

    Anything? Anything? Figured.

    Too the patriots in America, ‘Nous Resterons La’, a motto that compliments our national motto of
    ‘In God we Trust’

    Report Post » Rock Storm  
    • Bill Rowland
      Posted on April 19, 2012 at 7:40am

      Now that this investigative reporter has uncovered this dasterlly deed why doesn’t he dig into Sweet Old Baracks background. How did he get into college on a foreign student scholarship. Whopaid for his education at Columbia and Harvard Law. What lie did he tell on his BAR application that caused him to surrender his license. Why did Michelle surrender her law license?
      So many questions to be answered and no reporters willing to investigate and no publication willing to publish rhe results of such an investigation.
      Where are Woodward and Berstien when you need them?

      OMG 2012

      Report Post »  
  • GrumpyCat
    Posted on April 18, 2012 at 9:13pm

    The harder one works, the harder one must play to remain sane.

    Report Post »  
  • Mr.Fitnah
    Posted on April 18, 2012 at 9:12pm

    Fire Panetta!

    Report Post » Mr.Fitnah  
  • kralspaces
    Posted on April 18, 2012 at 9:12pm

    This is a fun game to play. We did the same thing 10 years back with a awful portrait painting of a very important city official and got pictures of it hanging in the California State Capital, as well as the museum and other places.

    Report Post » kralspaces  
  • Tanner Smith
    Posted on April 18, 2012 at 9:11pm

    Henry Waxman wants a Congressional Hearing being that he is the ranking member of the committee of such Tomfoolery, Leon Pannetta has apologized for all early 20th century seamen lost at sea, Treasury Sec. Timmy Gietner and Nancy Pelosi have authorized that Lt Col Hord be given back pay retro to 1908. The New York Times editorial board currently having a hissy fit has sent its best investigative journalist to comb washing to see if there might be other fraudulent works of art hanging around D.C. Since the Endowment of the Arts would like the Hord’s to donate pictures of young Chuckie so the might have a exhibit. President Obama said that if his mother had never met his father then he would have a brother that looks like Chuck Hord. Sean Hannity says that it is the lack of due diligence, moral, historical and cultural character in Washington that is why it was not uncovered immediately.

    Report Post »  
    • PatriotDadOfSix
      Posted on April 18, 2012 at 9:47pm

      Hysterical! I needed to smile. But…The FBI is scouring the video footage of said public area of the Pentagon to try and identify the individual (or individuals) responsible for the hoax in the first place. Once found..perpetrators will be summarily chastised and sentenced to massaging the necks, backs, and feet of both Janet Napolitano and Maxine Waters. That‘ll teach ’em not to engage in such embarrassing tomfoolery! Dammit!

      Report Post » PatriotDadOfSix  
  • TomFerrari
    Posted on April 18, 2012 at 9:04pm

    Surely, the reporter wasn’t the first to notice that!
    The hair is completely weird for a 1908 claim. The face looks too healthy/full for 1908 also.

    I still like the idea of the joke, though.

    Report Post » TomFerrari  
  • Salamander
    Posted on April 18, 2012 at 9:03pm

    Reminds me of a picture hanging in a friends office in New York. I noticed it looked a bit like Mt. Fuji, only the angle was ‘wrong’! Turns out, he took it looking out the navigator‘s window on a ’business trip’ to Tokyo from Tinian! Yep! The REAL THING!

    Report Post »  
  • WaltzingMtilda
    Posted on April 18, 2012 at 9:02pm

    Good looking guy.

    Report Post »  
  • Coded-Dude
    Posted on April 18, 2012 at 8:59pm

    Suddenly I feel the urge to buy a print, hang it somewhere, and continue the legend.

    Report Post » Coded-Dude  
  • OUT THE REGRESSIVES
    Posted on April 18, 2012 at 8:53pm

    “only his hair-dresser will know”

    oops.

    DOH!!!!!

    dammit!!!

    You just can’t put anything past those sharp media people.

    Report Post »  
  • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
    Posted on April 18, 2012 at 8:48pm

    Well done indeed.

    Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
  • nuttyvet
    Posted on April 18, 2012 at 8:38pm

    Hysterical! Well played ;)

    Report Post » nuttyvet  
  • JohnnyRaven
    Posted on April 18, 2012 at 8:36pm

    There are no Lt. Colonels in the Navy.
    USN RET.

    Report Post »  
    • lukerw
      Posted on April 18, 2012 at 8:52pm

      Maybe… that’s part of the Gag?

      Report Post » lukerw  
    • horsehockey
      Posted on April 18, 2012 at 8:59pm

      “The culmination of this story is that one Lieutenant Colonel in the Navy…”

      You beat me to it. Wouldn’t it be nice if someone at Blaze had exhibited a little bit of knowledge of Naval/Marine Corps(or, even USA/USAF) ranks before publishing this article? Nitpicky, I guess and too much to ask.

      Report Post »  
    • Salamander
      Posted on April 18, 2012 at 8:59pm

      Aw, come on, don’t ruin a good story with facts!n (He-he, no offense to the sailors out there–I happened to be Army, myself! Oh, and THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY–and for your sense of humor! Reminds me of Kim Philby’s hanging of Mt. Ararat in his office–taken from the WRONG SIDE! It was years there and only ‘discovered’ AFTER his defection!)

      Report Post »  
    • Wiley41
      Posted on April 18, 2012 at 10:54pm

      Was just going to post that. As a former Air Force SSgt turned Army CPT it never seems to amaze me how little the press knows about the military or cares to check

      Report Post »  
    • Lord_Frostwind
      Posted on April 18, 2012 at 11:23pm

      Isn’t a naval O-5 a commander?

      Report Post » Lord_Frostwind  
  • JACKTHETOAD
    Posted on April 18, 2012 at 8:35pm

    He should be hanging in the Oval Office.

    Report Post » JACKTHETOAD  
  • Octeract
    Posted on April 18, 2012 at 8:35pm

    The Navy doesn’t have Lieutenant Colonels. They do have Lieutenant Commanders.

    Report Post »  
  • godhatesacoward
    Posted on April 18, 2012 at 8:34pm

    Looks like Tom Brady to me. Lighten up Francis.

    Report Post » godhatesacoward  
  • Plan B
    Posted on April 18, 2012 at 8:33pm

    Good one. I love a good joke!

    Report Post »  
  • GrinningBear
    Posted on April 18, 2012 at 8:32pm

    Quite the funny gag!

    Is it too soon to ask. How is it a “journalist ” (add a snicker here) can leave no stone unturned to seek out the answer to this searing mystery.

    Yet other questions of import ie: Fast & Furious, Education Transcripts, Adoption papers etc. I hear nothing but crickets

    I’ll just take the laugh and leave it at that.

    Report Post »  
  • right-wing-waco
    Posted on April 18, 2012 at 8:32pm

    “Plus you feel like you’re getting one over on somebody.”

    Obama gets this feeling everyday.

    Report Post »  
    • Salamander
      Posted on April 18, 2012 at 9:06pm

      Yeah, every time I see a ‘portrait’ of Obama, I think of MAD Magazine–”What Me Worry?”

      Report Post »  
    • Mr.Fitnah
      Posted on April 18, 2012 at 9:07pm

      Its a false positive.

      Report Post » Mr.Fitnah  
  • Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
    Posted on April 18, 2012 at 8:29pm

    There is currently another running gag portrait hanging in the Pentagon, its labeled Commander In Chief.

    Report Post » Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra  
  • SERUM
    Posted on April 18, 2012 at 8:27pm

    I bid one dollar!

    Report Post »  
  • SERUM
    Posted on April 18, 2012 at 8:24pm

    No harm, no foul.

    Report Post »  
  • dontbotherme
    Posted on April 18, 2012 at 8:14pm

    I like it. :)

    Report Post »  
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