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I am the Original Author of this article and please do not revert this article. This article makes sensational claims and is unsourced and wrongfully cited. Delete as soon as possible.

Sincerely, Csatlos.

These users need to stop vandalizing this page and you will be reported if you keep this up. Threats by Flyer 22 to ban me from editing my own article will be challenged. Frosty, Flyer22

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-[[File:William Northrop.jpg|thumb|The Citadel, 1966 “Sphinx” Yearbook|right]]
-'''William Warren “Will” Northrop''' (born c. 1944) is an [[Israeli American|American-born Israeli]], a former intelligence officer{{Citation needed|reason=No evidence is shown to back this claim|date=July 2014}}, [[Military history|military historian]], investigator and writer. He is best known for his key role in the so-called [[Brokers of Death arms case|"Brokers of Death" arms case]], a precursor to the [[Iran-Contra affair|Iran-Contra Scandal]] in 1986.
-He is a prolific writer and has written articles over the years for such diverse venues as [[Penthouse (magazine)|Penthouse]], New Dimensions and [[The Jerusalem Post]], but has rarely made a concerted effort to publish. He has, however, published a dozen or so articles in Recall, the magazine of the North Carolina Military Historical Society, mostly battle analyses.{{Citation needed|reason=no links or titles to claimed articles|date=July 2014}} Northrop's claims of military and combat service have been challenged by some military historians, researchers, and veterans of battles in which he claimed to have fought.
+I am the Original Author of this article and please do not revert this article.
-==Early life==
+This article makes sensational claims and is unsourced and wrongfully cited.
-William Northrop was born in [[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]], [[North Carolina]] where he attended public schools. In 9th grade, he attended a [[New England]] Prep School for one year, but returned to North Carolina for high school. He was sent to [[Oak Ridge Military Academy|Oak Ridge Military Institute]] (Class of 1962)<ref>1 Oak Ridge Military Academy, Museum and Archives, Oak Ridge, NC.</ref> and from there to [[The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina|The Citadel]] (Class of 1966) where he studied History.<ref>2 The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, Charleston.</ref>
+Delete as soon as possible.
+Sincerely,
-==Career==
+Csatlos.
-After his graduation from The Citadel, Northrop has claimed to have went into the [[United States Army|Army]], serving almost three years, including a tour in [[South Vietnam]] and being badly wounded at the [[Battle of Lang Vei]].<ref name="stj">Armed Forces of the United States, Report of Transfer or Discharge, Form DD – 214. Lee, Eric, SAIGON TO JERUSALEM, McFarland, London, 1992, various pages.</ref> However once his claims became public when published in the book ''Saigon to Jerusalem'' <ref name="stj"/> investigators and veterans of battles he claimed to have participated in questioned the validity of his claims.<ref name=sv>{{cite book|last1=Whitley|first1=Bernard Gary Burkett; Glenna|title=Stolen valor : how the Vietnam generation was robbed of its heroes and its history|date=1998|publisher=Verity Press|location=Dallas, Tex.|isbn=1-56530-284-2|pages=393–395}}</ref><ref name=wsj>{{cite news|title=Former Oak Ridge head may have lied about military service|url=http://www.journalnow.com/news/local/article_568cd7ea-1aeb-58a5-8b81-e5b8a4dfaa62.html?mode=jqm|accessdate=14 July 2014|publisher=Winston Salem Journal|date=Dec 11, 2012}}</ref>
-In 1980, he was in [[California]] studying for a graduate degree and working part-time as an investigator for the California [[Public defender|Public Defender]].  He was asked by Mary Welcome, attorney for [[Wayne Williams]], to head up the defense investigation in the child-murders case. Williams was convicted in February 1982 and in 1984, with the appeals exhausted, Northrop penned an [[op-ed]] for Penthouse magazine in which he covered the facts of the case.<ref>4 Northrop, William, “Wayne Williams Is Innocent,” Penthouse, April 1984.</ref>  (Over the years since, numerous Atlantans, including some of the families of the victims, have come to believe Williams is innocent.)<ref>5 Breed, Allen, “Atlanta Revisits 1981 Child Murders,” Associated Press, May 15, 2005.</ref>
+These users need to stop vandalizing this page and you will be reported if you keep this up.  Threats by Flyer 22 to ban me from editing my own article will be challenged.
-===The Iran-Contra Affair===
+Frosty, Flyer22
-{{main|Brokers of Death arms case}}
-In April 1986, Northrop and four other individual were arrested at the Hamilton Airport in [[Bermuda]] at the request of the [[United States]] and remanded to Her Majesty’s Casemate Prison. At the same time, five other individuals were arrested in [[New York]] and charged as co-conspirators.<ref>6 One of those arrested in New York on 22 April 1986 was [[Manucher Ghorbanifar]], later of Iran-Contra fame, but his incarceration was short lived. Report of the President's Special Review Board (Tower Commission), Appendix B, "Iran/Contra Affair: A Narrative," Note 64, Washington, February 1987.</ref>  In what would be called the “Brokers of Death” case by US Attorney, [[Rudolph Giuliani]] and Commissioner of US Customs, William Von Raab, it would be touted in the media as the “largest arms case in US History.”  In Israel the case became known as the “Passover Plot” and was viewed as another attempt by the [[Presidency of Ronald Reagan|Reagan Administration]] to embarrass the Jewish State while massive arms sales to the Arab States were pending Congressional approval.<ref>7 Ilan, AE, “Israel Suspicious Of Arms Arrests,” The Chicago Tribune, April 26, 1986.</ref>
-The “Bermuda Five” were extradited to [[London]], via New York on May 29, 1986 where they arrested by [[United States Customs Service|US Customs]] Agents.
-In court hearings Northrop<ref>8 Fredericks, Michael, THE OCTOPUS EAGLE, Loiry Publishing, Tallahassee, 1987; Moll, Hermann and Leapman, Michael, BROKER OF DEATH, MacMillan, London, 1988; Adams, James, ENGINES OF WAR, Atlantic Monthly Press, New York, 1990, pp. 137-147.</ref>  was described by the [[New York Times]] as “an American living in Tel Aviv” and by the US Government as “a high-ranking Israeli Intelligence official who was known to travel on 11 different passports.”<ref>9 Transcript of bail hearings, US Vs Evans, et al., CR-86-384-LBS, US District Court,  Southern District of New York, June 1986; Fredericks, Michael, THE OCTOPUS EAGLE, p.111.</ref>  Northrop was identified as the defendant that demanded from the putative Iranian buyers the release of four Israelis being held in [[Lebanon]] as a [[quid pro quo]] for the arms deal.
-The case against the so-called “Brokers of Death” dragged on for three years with the [[United States Department of Justice|Justice Department]] unable to decide what charges to bring finally settling after five superseding indictments on “Conspiracy to deprive the United States of its ability to make foreign policy.”<ref>10 US vs Evans, et al., SSSS 86 CR 384 LBS, United States District Court, Southern District of New York. Northrop and Samuel Evans were both charged with 56 counts, the other 8 defendants many less. Evans was released on a $1 million bail in June; Northrop was released on a $2 million bail in late July.</ref>  Further intrigue was added when the Justice Department’s key informer, witness and “sting man,” Iranian-born Cyrus Hashemi, died mysteriously in London.<ref>11 Staff, “Iranian Claims Brother Murdered,” The Observer, London, August 30, 1986; Adams, James, ENGINES OF WAR, pp. 144-145. In his book, THE OTHER SIDE OF DECEPTION, former Mossad agent, Victor Ostrovsky, blames Israel for Hashemi’s death. Most observers agree, including Hashemi’s brother, Djamshid, who knew Northrop prior to the case.</ref>
-The Justice Department fought off allegations by the defendants that the White House was selling arms to Iran until the first week in November when the truth went public triggering the Iran-Contra Affair. Later that month, Northrop was interviewed by [[Mike Wallace (journalist)|Mike Wallace]] on [[60 Minutes]].<ref>12 CBS News, Transcript, “The Arms Game,” 60 Minutes, November 30, 1986.</ref>
-By January 1987, nine of the “Brokers of Death” were released to return home to Europe and the [[Middle East]], although they were still on [[bail]]. Northrop was sent to the Western District of [[Oklahoma]] where Judge Lawrence Walsh, the Independent Counsel for Iran-Contra Matters, was located. Northrop “lawyered up” and refused to be interviewed while his criminal case was still pending.
-In 1988, after the death of William Casey, it was discovered that Northrop had an ongoing relationship with the [[Director of Central Intelligence]] when phone logs surfaced.<ref>13 Sporn, Michael, Motion to Produce all CIA records, In re: VE/GOLF, KK/SASHA, Transcript of hearings on Defense Discovery Motions, US Vs Evans, et al. CR-86-384-LBS, US District Court, Southern District of New York, August 04, 1988; Lubasch, Arnold H., “Defendant In Arms Case Says Casey Backed Him,” The New York Times, August 05, 1988; Honegger, Barbara, OCTOBER SURPRISE, Tudor, New York, 1989, p. 68, 207; Jones, Stephen and Israel, Peter, OTHERS UNKNOWN, Public Affairs, New York, 1998, p 156.</ref>
-In January 1989, all charges against Northrop and his fellow defendants were dropped. Northrop returned to Israel. A few months later, Northrop was subpoenaed to testify before the [[Congressional Committees Investigating The Iran-Contra Affair]], but the State of Israel refused citing “National Security.”<ref>14 Report on the Iran-Contra Investigation: Joint Hearings Before the Senate Select Committee on Secret Military Assistance to Iran and the Nicaraguan Opposition and the House Select Committee to Investigate Covert Arms Transactions with Iran, GPO, Washington, 1987-1988.</ref>  The US State Department issued a “105” Notice on Northrop in 1988 identifying him as a “known foreign intelligence operative” thus “outing” him to American allies.{{Citation needed|reason=no evidence presented to support this 105 notice claim|date=July 2014}}
-===Houston III and the October Surprise===
-In 1987, two Federal undercover agents sued the US Government for cutting off an operation in mid-career, costing them a great deal of money.<ref>15 Gary Howard and Ronald Tucker vs United States, 386-87 C, US Court of Claims, Washington.</ref>  They apparently knew Northrop through their partner, [[Richard J. Meadows|Richard Meadows]], a retired [[Special forces|Special Forces]] officer. Northrop prepared an [[affidavit]] supporting their lawsuit in which he stated that all shipments from Israel to Iran were cleared through the [[United States Ambassador to Israel|US Ambassador to Israel]], [[Samuel W. Lewis]].<ref>16 Northrop, William, Affidavit, Gary Howard and Ronald Tucker vs United States, 386-87 C, US Court of Claims, Washington, November 14, 1988; Sick, Gary, OCTOBER SURPRISE, Random House, New York, 1991, pp. 200-201; Trento, Joseph J, PRELUDE TO TERROR, Carroll & Graf, New York, 2005, p. 281.</ref>  In a deposition taken later in the same case, Lewis confirmed Northrop’s statements. The case was settled quietly.{{Citation needed|reason=no evidence found to support this settlement|date=July 2014}}
-The “October Surprise” scandal went public in 1988 and Northrop’s name again surfaced. Although he was never named as a participant and never claimed any first-hand knowledge, he was named as a facilitator in Israeli arms shipments to Iran as early as 1980 after the Iraqi invasion.<ref>17 Honegger, Barbara, OCTOBER SURPRISE, p.206.</ref>
-Northrop testified in the trial of the scandal’s [[whistleblower]], [[Richard J. Brenneke]], a former [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] contractor indicted for five counts of [[perjury]] in [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]], [[Oregon]] in April 1990. Northrop had previously worked with Brenneke in the CIA’s effort to supply the Afghan Resistance fighting the [[Russian Armed Forces|Russian Army]].<ref>18 Crile, George, CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR, Grove Press, New York, 2003, p. 372; Deposition of Richard J. Brenneke, Joint Investigation by the Arkansas State Attorney General's Office and the U.S. Congress, Little Rock, Arkansas, June 21, 1991.</ref>  More importantly, Northrop could testify that Israel began to supply the Iranians “within a fortnight” of the alleged meetings in [[Paris]], the crux of the scandal.<ref>19 Armstrong, David and Constantine, Alex, “The Verdict is Treason,” Z Magazine, July/August 1990.</ref>   Brenneke was acquitted of all charges on May 4, 1990.
-===Israel===
-Northrop returned to Israel in 1988. He was later identified as consulting with several American and European aircraft manufacturers in both the commercial and general aviation fields. Newspaper articles from the time period also indicate he had a strong relationship with [[Yaakov Nimrodi]], the former [[Mossad]] officer and Iran-Contra participant.{{Citation needed|reason=no evidence found to support this, newspaper articles claimed but not cited|date=July 2014}}
-===Oklahoma City Bombing and Gulf War Syndrome===
-Northrop retired to the States in 1994, settling for a time in [[Oklahoma]]. While there, he independently investigated the [[Oklahoma City Bombing]] at the behest of the [[Oklahoma Legislature]]<ref>20 Greenwood, Joan, Letter of Authorization, House of Representative, State of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, May 23, 1996, Oklahoma State Legislative Archives.</ref>  and involved with Israeli experts reviewing the bomb site.<ref>21 Jones, Stephen and Israel, Peter, OTHERS UNKNOWN, pp. 156-161.</ref>
-Northrop, along with his investigative partner became advocates of [[Gulf War]] veterans suffering from the [[Gulf War Syndrome]].<ref>22 Presidential Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses, Final Report, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, December 1996.</ref>
-==Military Service Controversy==
-In the book ''Saigon to Jerusalem''<ref name="sj">{{cite book|last1=Lee|first1=Eric|title=Saigon to Jerusalem : conversations with US veterans of the Vietnam War who emigrated to Israel|date=1992|publisher=Mc Farland|location=Jefferson, NC u.a.|isbn=0899507271|pages=various}}</ref>  Northrop claimed to have served as a [[US Army Special Forces]] Officer after graduating from [[The Citadel]], and included detailed accounts of his military and combat service, and in particular claims of participating in and being wounded at the [[Battle of Lang Vei]].<ref name="sj"/> Once this book was published, numerous individuals began to challenge Northrop's claims of military and combat service, including veterans of battles he claimed to have been present at as well as military historians and investigators. Many of Northrop's claims were investigated in the book ''Stolen Valor: How the Vietnam Generation Was Robbed of its Heroes and its History'' and, in the opinion of the book's authors, his claims were found to be inaccurate and misleading.<ref name=sv />
-Northrop's claims to have participated in the Battle of Lang Vie - and of having been wounded in the battle - have been a particular focus of criticism.<ref name="sj"/> The Battle of Lang Vei has been extensively documented in U.S. military records and subsequent historical accounts from the surviving veterans. There were only 24 Americans present at the battle according to all records, and Northrop's name does not appear in the official records of the battle, nor in any of the accounts put forth by historians since the battle.<ref name=lvm>{{cite web|last1=John|first1=Cash|title=Battle of Lang Vei|url=http://www.history.army.mil/books/Vietnam/7-ff/Ch6.htm|website=History.Army.Mil|accessdate=14 July 2014}}</ref>  Not one of the confirmed veterans of the battle recall Northrop being there or meeting him at all, and one veteran of the battle whose name does appear in official records and accounts has publicly stated of Northrop's claims to have fought at Lang Vei that "He's lying. The whole thing is a lie."<ref name=wsj />
-A search of military records via the [[Freedom of Information Act]] by the authors of ''Stolen Valor'' revealed not only that there was no record of Northrop's presence at the Battle of Lang Vei, but that there was no record that he ever served in the United States Army or any other branch of the US Military in any capacity.<ref name=sv /> A subsequent Freedom of Information Act request initiated by the [[Associated Press]] in 2011 could also find no record of Northrop having any military service record whatsoever in the United States, after what was termed an “extensive” search of the [[National Archives]] and a check with the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]].<ref name=wt>{{cite news|title=Academy leader’s military service questioned Background check shows no record of Vietnam duty|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/apr/7/academy-leaders-military-service-questioned/|accessdate=14 July 2014|agency=Associated Press|publisher=Washington Times|date=April 7, 2011}}</ref>
-A roster of all US Army officers at the time Northrop claims to have served reveals no officer by the last name Northrop.<ref name=sv /><ref>{{cite book|title=US Army Register of Officers 166, 1967, 1968 and 1969|date=1966–1969|publisher=United States Army|location=Washington DC|accessdate=14 July 2014}}</ref>
-The US Army Special Forces Association has no record of Northrop ever serving in Special Forces in any capacity <ref name=sv /><ref>{{cite web|title=US Army Special Forces Association|url=http://www.specialforcesassociation.org/|website=http://www.specialforcesassociation.org/|accessdate=14 July 2014}}</ref>
-When he was interviewed for ''Saigon to Jerusalem'', Northrop gave a [[DD Form 214]] supporting his service claims to the book's author, Eric Lee.  During his investigation of Northrop's claims while researching ''Stolen Valor,''  author B.G. Burkett obtained a copy of this DD-214 form from Lee. The document had numerous errors and discrepancies that, coupled with the fact that there is no corroboration of any military service in any official records, led many experts to judge it a forgery.<ref name=sv /> Among the errors and discrepancies in the document:
-The document was produced with multiple typewriters. While US Army units sometimes created blank documents in the header with information that was always the same to save time, Northrop's DD-214 had multiple fonts outside the header in sections that would have been prepared all at one time and are unique to the individual record, something possibly indicative of a person taking an existing DD-214 and altering it at a later date.<ref name=sv />
-Northrop’s claimed total period of service does not match his entry and discharge dates on the DD-214.<ref name=sv />
-The document lists his job title as “SF LDR,” or Special Forces Leader; no such designation or position title existed at the time of his claimed service.<ref name=sv />
-The DD-214 claimed Northrop's unit of assignment was MAAG-VN (Military Assistance Advisory Group- Vietnam), this is impossible because MAAG-VN ceased to exist in 1964, 2 years before Northrop claims to have arrived in Vietnam.<ref name=sv /><ref name=maag>{{cite web|title=RECORDS OF THE MILITARY  ASSISTANCE AND ADVISORY  GROUP, VIETNAM, 1950–1964|url=http://cisupa.proquest.com/ksc_assets/catalog/11198.pdf|website=http://cisupa.proquest.com/ksc_assets/catalog/11198.pdf|accessdate=14 July 2014}}</ref>
-The document lists Northrop as receiving the “National Defense Medal”, no such medal exists. The [[National Defense Service Medal]] is the closest named US award.<ref name=sv /><ref>{{cite web|title=Factsheet- National Defense Service Medal|url=http://www.afpc.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=7803|website=http://www.afpc.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=7803|accessdate=14 July 2014}}</ref>
-The document lists Northrop earning a “Ranger Badge”, no such award exists. The [[Ranger Tab]] is awarded to graduates of the [[US Army Ranger]] School, however there is no record of Northrop having attended or graduated the school.<ref name=sv /><ref>{{cite web|title=Records, US Army Ranger Training Brigade|url=http://www.benning.army.mil/infantry/rtb/|website=http://www.benning.army.mil/infantry/rtb/|accessdate=14 July 2014}}</ref>
-The document lists that Northrop received a Combat Infantry Badge (Second Award). The CIB is only issued once per conflict or eligibility period. The only way Northrop could have qualified for a CIB 2nd Award is to have also served in the [[Korean War]], when he was 8 years old.<ref name=sv /><ref>{{cite web|title=US Army Awards and Decorations Branch - Combat Infantry Badge CIB|url=https://www.hrc.army.mil/TAGD/Awards%20and%20Decorations%20Branch%20-%20Combat%20Infantry%20Badge%20CIB|accessdate=14 July 2014}}</ref>
-The DD-214 Northrop provided lists that he was given a [[Croix de Guerre]], a French Army award. While US Soldiers have been awarded the Croix de Guerre for heroism in conflicts where they were allied with the French, no Croix de Guerre was ever issued by the nation of France to any US soldier in Vietnam, and the last French soldiers left Vietnam 10 years prior to the date Northrop claimed to have received it.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Vietnam War    Seeds of Conflict 1945 - 1960|url=http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/vietnam/index-1945.html|website=http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/vietnam/index-1945.html|accessdate=14 July 2014}}</ref>
-The DD-214 Northrop provided claimed one year, nine months and 19 days of overseas service in Vietnam. He claims to have been wounded at the Battle of Lang Vei on February 7, 1968 and evacuated from Vietnam shortly after due to his wounds. This would have required him to have begun service in Vietnam in September 1966. However, Northrop claims to have graduated from The Citadel in May 1966, which would have allowed him less than 4 months to complete Infantry Officers Basic Course, Basic Airborne School, Ranger School, and Special Forces Qualification Training before departing to Vietnam. These courses combined would have required a minimum of 16 months to complete. Even if he had not attended the Special Forces Qualification Course, the combination of Infantry Officers Basic Course, Ranger School and Basic Airborne School is in excess of 6+ months and would have been impossible to complete in the time frame Northrop describes in his DD-214.<ref name=sv />
-Northrop was employed as the Commandant of Cadets at [[Oak Ridge Military Academy]] in 2011, having convinced academy leaders of his credentials. He abruptly resigned from the position on the same day the parent of a student questioned his credentials.<ref name=rtd>{{cite news|title=N.C. academy ex-head suspected of posing as Vietnam vet|url=http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/n-c-academy-ex-head-suspected-of-posing-as-vietnam/article_610e9d81-db95-5458-b3d6-2635bb81fc36.html?mode=jqm|accessdate=14 July 2014|publisher=Richmond Times-Dispatch|date=April 8, 2011}}</ref> When questioned by a reporter about the controversy over his military service claims and abrupt departure as the school's commandant, Northrop's quoted response was "I'm not running for president. I'm not explaining anything." In addition to his claims of service in the US Army, Northrop also claimed to have served in the [[Israeli Defense Forces]], but a records search by the IDF did not find any evidence that he had served in the Israeli Defense Forces.<ref name=wsj />
-Northrop's case has been cited by activists seeking to pass laws to criminalize false claims of military service at both the state and federal level, including in Nevada.<ref>{{cite news|title=Stolen Valor bill would punish impostors|url=http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/nevada-legislature/stolen-valor-bill-would-punish-impostors|accessdate=14 July 2014|publisher=Las-Vegas Review-Journal|date=April 8, 2011}}</ref>
-== References ==
-{{reflist}}
-== Sources ==
-*Burkett, B.G., and Glenna Whitley. ''Stolen Valor: How the Vietnam Generation Was Robbed of its Heroes and its History.'' Verity Press: Dallas, Texas, 1998.
-*Lee, Eric. ''Saigon to Jerusalem: Conversations with U.S. Veterans of the Vietnam War who Emigrated to Israel.'' McFarland & Company: Jefferson, North Carolina, 1992.
-{{Persondata
-| NAME              =Northrop, William
-| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
-| SHORT DESCRIPTION = Intelligence officer
-| DATE OF BIRTH     = , 1944
-| PLACE OF BIRTH    =
-| DATE OF DEATH     =
-| PLACE OF DEATH    =
-}}
-{{DEFAULTSORT:Northrop, William}}
-[[Category:1944 births]]
-[[Category:Living people]]
-[[Category:People from Charlotte, North Carolina]]
-[[Category:The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina alumni]]