The True Story of the U-Turn That Delayed V-J Day

Jones expresses no anger about the film. His six children, though, said they feel differently. "I think the first word we all came to was 'incensed,' " said daughter Vicky Jones of Frederick.

The family members said they became aware of the film last month when a relative heard it being discussed on the radio.

"We were just Googling sites," Vicky Jones said. "I started e-mailing as many addresses as we could find. I said, 'I need to speak to Quincy Perkins ASAP regarding inaccuracies in his film.' "

She said Perkins called her Sunday, but she refused to divulge what he told her then. He called again Monday, she said, and "said he wanted to make arrangements to come down and see my father. I haven't spoken to him since."

Croce said this week that Perkins called him Sunday and admitted that the man identified in the film as the older Jones was an actor.

"I believed in Quincy," Croce said. "His father is my buddy. . . . When he called me Sunday night, I was shocked -- stone-cold-silent shocked. We believed his story -- we believed everything. It was like getting kicked in the stomach."

Thomas Jones's reaction initially was "pretty laid-back," said his son Michael, pastor of two Catholic churches, St. Benedict the Moor in Northeast Washington and St. Vincent de Paul in Southeast. "The turning point . . . was when we told him what we were seeing on some of the Web sites -- you know, 'Slacker Goes for Pancakes, Delays the End of World War II,' " the son said. "This is our family history."

For Thomas E. Jones and his wife, Nancy, who will celebrate their 55th wedding anniversary next week, the film offered an unexpected family reunion. Yesterday, all their children -- Michael, Vicky, daughters Sharon Jones of Plantation, Fla., and Holly Webb and Christal Messett, both of Silver Spring, and son Greg of Frederick -- assembled at St. Benedict the Moor to support their father.

As for "The Messenger," its future is unclear. Croce said that he had no knowledge of any future screenings and that his primary concern is the interview footage.

"My lawyer told [Perkins's] lawyer that it's not to be aired," he said. "He swears that he talked to Thomas E. Jones initially. That's not for me to decide. I want what I know to be false to be removed from the film. I want my name off the credits."

Told of Perkins's claim, Thomas Jones responded, "He might have tried to get in touch with me, but he never did."