 The Church 's record lists Hubbard as commanding the " USS Mist " . Although the USS YP @-@ 422 was originally named the Mist when it was in civilian service , it was never called the USS Mist ; the only 20th century US Navy vessel of that name listed in the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships left naval service in 1919 , when Hubbard was six years old . It also lists the USS Howland , a vessel that is not listed at all in the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships . It is signed by " Howard D. Thompson , Lt. Cmdr. " , who is not listed in the records of commissioned naval officers at that time . Archivist Eric <unk> of the National Personnel Records Center told The New Yorker that the document is a forgery . 
