OT: Military faker

[awp101]

http://www.georgiapacking.org/forum/vie ... =6&t=49635

Talk about a real piece of work...

[JReed]

Get a rope!!!!

[Ray Newman]

Doesn’t surprise me at all. Since I am a disabled veteran, I seem to attract fakers like a magnet attracts steel.

And they all seem to have served in some elite unit: CIA/Air America, Air Force search and rescue, SEALS, USA, Rangers, Spec'l Forces, or long range reconnaissance, or USMC sniper or Force RECON.

About three years ago while I was at the range, one guy had 7-8 other shooters enthralled as he told them about his exploits as a USMC sniper in RVN in 1966. According to him, the USMC didn’t want the snipers around. Since no unit wanted them, they were forced to live in the village with the gooners and they were rocketed, mortared, probed, etc., every night when he was there in 1966. He said that “I shot them at 600-800 yards, and I can still see the color of their eyes.” His favorite and most accurate rifle was a Springfield 1903 sniper rifle.

Well when he was done, I asked him if he was going to the USMC birthday ball on the 15th of the month. “Of course” he replied, “haven’t missed one in over 40 years.” He almost pelosi when I told him that he evidently was a liar as the USMC birthday is November 10th, 1775, not June 15th. What really got him was that the others looked at him with disgust, laughed in his face, and started to make fun of him.

[C. Cash]

I am prior service Army and I understand where you guys are coming from. I do get the feeling though that that guy is mentally ill. Not just slightly but serious issues. When you have someone close to you that has a mental illness, and I do indeed, it changes your perspective on things. Just sad for me to see this. I hope he not only stops or is stopped from doing this BS but that he also gets help.

[JohndeFresno]

At least, it looks like he's eating well.

[Ray Newman]

Yup. Guess those MRE's really agree with him....

[Streetstar]

Good grief , guy? How 'bout a few sit-ups and a decent 2 mile time first? ... before claiming your active in the "Sneaky Pete" ranks ?

Some of the links in that thread say this isn't the man's first rodeo, and he actually did some time for this type of stuff too ------

Walter Mitty evidently wears 4x ACU's and has an account with US Cavalry.

[olyinaz]

Disgusting. Makes me ill.



(I've got the dang DD-214 to prove it! As I'm sure do the rest of the honorable vets here.)

[Gobblerforge]

What's a DD-214?
Gobbler

[Bruce]

Gobbler,

A DD-214 is a very important document to anyone who served in the armed forces. It contains all of the important information about dates of service, rank, training, awards, assignments etc.. for the service member. You get the document when your service is completed and it is the one piece of paper you will not misplace. It is sometimes required for future employment, benefits and in some cases organizational membership. I am sure others will aid with more detail. I know where mine is safely stored.

[243dave]

Discharge papers from the military stating your rank, branch served, time in, discharge type rather its honorable, general, dishonorable and awards recieved in service....... Bruce beat me

[2571]

Never was in the military although I'm of an age I could have been in VN.

Why do so many people I meet say they (alternately, their son, fiance, cousin, etc) were in the Navy Seals? I realize that that elete unit eventually rejected most applicants and I suppose one could claim being a Seal if only for a few weeks of training, but why is it that everybody in the USN was a Seal?

[FWiedner]

Any citizen who has actually served has a right to proud of their accomplishments and that honorable service.

This person is one of those pitful individuals whose lives are so devoid of accomplishment that hey need to "fake it" and pretend to be someone and something that they are not and have never been, or maybe they just do it to cheat merchants for military discounts.

In any case, I think veterans and active duty service-people take this "stolen glory" stuff too seriously.

The fat guy is an obvious loser and not worth the attention he's seeking by playing "dress-up."

The larger issue is that he's (poorly) impersonating a federal officer and might have access to enter a military installation.

[JB]

Never was in the military although I'm of an age I could have been in VN.

Why do so many people I meet say they (alternately, their son, fiance, cousin, etc) were in the Navy Seals? I realize that that elete unit eventually rejected most applicants and I suppose one could claim being a Seal if only for a few weeks of training, but why is it that everybody in the USN was a Seal?

The Navy must have at least 50,000 Seals currently. Just about every internet forum has some guy posting about what kind of gun they carry "in the team" or talking about his Seal training. I also seem to meet a lot of either current or ex Seals just about every where I go.

[Streetstar]

Gobbler,

You get the document when your service is completed and it is the one piece of paper you will not misplace. .

---- well, most will not misplace I think if i ever need mine again, i will have to contact the DOA or the VA (we can't all have acceptable filing skills)


RE the SEALS (and any other similar group--SF, Recon, etc.) -- spending 3-4 weeks in training doesnt give a person the right to claim allegiance to the organization, and most folks who were accepted into training but for whatever reason did not make it, likely never would.
The gentleman i purchased my guide gun from stated he was involved in "Black-Ops" and led "Hunter-killer" missions for MacV 40 years ago. I just laughed on the inside and felt a twinge of sorrow for this particular person (but the gun was nice )

It's the same reason, i suspect, that other people claim glory on the football field (or baseball, b'ball etc.) -- "Yeah, i played college ball down at ---wherever -- " (far too easy to verify a pro career)

Seem to be the antics of people whose lives are unfulfilled. As well, i doubt that people who have achieved a nice balance between career, family, friendships, etc. would ever stoop to these big fibs.
Its usually a lonely wanna-be , whether he was an ex SF'er, or ex college jock, - heck i even met a man who regaled me with stories about his days as a narcotics detective. He had enough action and adventure to fill a 25 year career, yet he was only about 33 years old. He had to give up police work because his wife forced him to after the second time he was stabbed in the line of duty Now he is a roofing salesman -- go figure
I asked him what he used for a carry piece and he just said "I used whatever "they" gave me"

[awp101]

RE the SEALS (and any other similar group--SF, Recon, etc.) -- spending 3-4 weeks in training doesnt give a person the right to claim allegiance to the organization

I spent a week with 5SFG learning to repair some new electronic equipment, does that count for anything?

[txpete]

my rule of thumb......

when I hear someone telling the "stories" I just walk away.I have better things to do than listen to bs.

pete

[MrMurphy]

The guy who toasted him on that site is known to me, as were several others.

They are the real thing. He's lucky he didn't end up getting used as a demonstrator for unarmed combat.........willingly or not.

[Streetstar]

RE the SEALS (and any other similar group--SF, Recon, etc.) -- spending 3-4 weeks in training doesnt give a person the right to claim allegiance to the organization

I spent a week with 5SFG learning to repair some new electronic equipment, does that count for anything?

Yes it does ! I can also claim to be affiliated with the OU track team, as i use the track a couple of times a week to get in some cardio training

[Marc]

Oh yeah! That clown is airborne! I can tell by the spare tire! Truth is that boy wouldn't even make it through basic let alone jump school.

I was in Special Forces! Honest! I spent 5 or 6 weeks in repo depot there waiting for the next training cycle to begin back in 1969. We had nothing to do. Went to the field for a couple weeks, jumped a couple times and just hung around mostly. There were people like me there who had been there over a year in training. I was impatient and I was afraid the war would be over before I finished training so I got out. I assumed I would go to Vietnam because everybody, except people going to another school, went to Vietnam at the end of AIT and jump school. Instead they sent me up the hill to the "animal farm" as they called the 82nd AB and there I stayed for 2-1/2 years. But I was in Special Forces!

I have known plenty of service members who exaggerate what they did. I know an ex-Marine who claims to have been on a hunter-killer team in Vietnam. You can tell when this guy is lying because his lips move when he lies. I do believe he was in Vietnam, but not much else of what he says. My last year in the 82nd, it seemed like every other guy who came back from Vietnam had been in the LRRPS. If all those guys were LRRPS, who served in the line companies? They did serve though, so what can you say?

[olyinaz]

At gun shows, gun shops and out on the range it's usually military wannabes but I suppose that police officers and firemen hear the same kind of stories in their locker rooms and fraternal halls. Heck, the Vikings no doubt had the same sort of fools to contend with and I'll wager that the ancient Jews had people claiming to have fought alongside Joshua who weren't even born at the time. Nothing changes. I've met an amazing number of people who were SR-71 or F-117 jocks but only two or three who've ever been able to show me a picture or who have passed the network test (friends of friends who would know). Eventually they're known and laughed at behind their backs but what gets me is that they keep on doing it. Amazed. Shouldn't be but I am.

Oly

[olyinaz]

Instead they sent me up the hill to the "animal farm" as they called the 82nd AB and there I stayed for 2-1/2 years.

Yeah but you did a kick butt job - not once did Russia attack while you were pulling Ready Freddy duty!! Besides, someone had to patrol Hay Street.

Cheers,
Oly

[Griff]

Interesting tidbits about DD214s, I have training certificates and schools attended that don't appear on mine, have two commendations that are listed, yet I later learned were not approved at the time my DD214 was issued, but had been awarded. I distinctly recall the ceremonies and the pinning of the medals. Yet, in viewing my unit's history, even though they were for the actions I participated in, officially they were not awarded until many years later. Another medal that had been denied initially due to my medical status, was later awarded after being re-applied for some 12 years after my discharge, by my Commander upon his retirement.

So, while DD214s are generally the summary of one's military career, they aren't infallible. But, hey, they got my active duty dates correct, my rating @ separation, my re-enlistment code correct, and my last check got mailed to the correct address. What more ya want!

[stretch]

I've run into these types before, too. We had one guy in the
barracks when I was in the USAF who had done "incredible" things.
It wasn't long before his behavior proved he was a liar. After that,
I couldn't really stand to be in the same room with him. I have no
time for folks like that.

-Stretch

[piller]

My DD214 pretty much tells it all. I did spend time with the Jumpin' Junkies of the 82nd after graduating from jump school at Ft. Benning with Class 11-87. I did spend a year at Camp Greaves, 1 kilometer South of PanMunJom. I did spend 6 months at Ft. Campbell, home of the biggest Dog and Pony show on the Continental Unites States. I also volunteered for any and all training that was available. It was to just get away from the boring days of shining boots and pressing uniforms. The schools were a lot of fun. I was Airborne, but I was never good enough to be Ranger, Special Forces, or Seals. Those men can read a map, use a compass, carry a ruck which would kill most people at a pace which is darn hard to keep up with. They are the few who are truly naturally gifted, and without the natural gifts, the training to get to that point is pretty difficult. I was working in a Pharmacy one time covering a shift. Some guy came in to get his meds which had not yet been re-authorized by his Doctor. He was taking his pain pills at twice the rate his Doctor prescribed and we had to tell him he had to wait for the authorization. He then started in on a story about his having been injured while in the special forces in Vietnam. I asked him which group he was with and when he took the Q course. He got a funny look and then said that he had been in the Rangers Special Forces. I asked him which Rangers Battalion he was with and he said that there were no Battalions. He was on Army Disability, and it was the Army paying for his medicine. I do believe that he could have been in Vietnam, but there was no reason to make up stories about what he did. I just ended the conversation with him, and after he left, one of the techs said that she thought he had been for real until I started asking him questions which she didn't understand. I explained it to her and told her that I have great respect for all who serve honorably in whatever capacity. The cooks who kept us fed did a job which took some very early hours and some late hours. When in Garrison, the cooks were the first awake and the last to get off duty. I don't care what your job was in the military, if you did it honorably, I am proud of you for it.

[Big Bore 94]

If anyone can forget the taste of a lemon flavored cornflake bar in a LRP ration. That would greatly impress me and has my sincerest respect.

[Marc]

Instead they sent me up the hill to the "animal farm" as they called the 82nd AB and there I stayed for 2-1/2 years.

Yeah but you did a kick butt job - not once did Russia attack while you were pulling Ready Freddy duty!! Besides, someone had to patrol Hay Street.

Cheers,
Oly

I had other fish to fry. I went to Washington, D.C. in November 1969 to intimidate the hippies that were there for the war moratoriums. It worked! AT had their jeep mounted 106mm recoilless rifles and Recon had their jeep mounted .50's. The rest of us had M-16's with the bayonet fixed(in the scabbard). No problem in our AO, which was the White House and Pentagon. I was on leave and missed the trip the next year but I saw my buddies on TV. Now half those hippies claim to be veterans!

The other trouble spot at that time was, believe it or not, the middle east. Some things never change! We almost went to Jordan in 1970 when the PLO captured two American airliners there. We were going to jump in to secure an airfield. The PLO blinked and we didn't go. The middle east probably did more to keep me out of Nam than the USSR did.

Refresh my memory. Where was Hay street. Was the Pink Pussycat down on Yadkin Rd. when you were there? There was a big go-go bar on Bragg Blvd., maybe the Circus Lounge?, that I spent some time in. Can't remember the other hot spots.

[El Chivo]

Yeah I was there, just ask my wife . . . Morgan Fairchild.

[olyinaz]

Refresh my memory. Where was Hay street.

Main street downtown Fayettnam! All cleaned up and nice now.

Was the Pink Pussycat down on Yadkin Rd. when you were there? There was a big go-go bar on Bragg Blvd., maybe the Circus Lounge?, that I spent some time in. Can't remember the other hot spots.

Egads man, my wife or son might read this!

I worked at Jim's Pawn & Gun Shop on Yadkin Rd. for the lest year or so and that was a GREAT job because Jim was a Class III dealer and it was all before the full-auto crack down of the late 80's. I learned more about foreign ordinance working there than I did in the infantry.

Cheers,
Oly

[C. Cash]

My DD214 pretty much tells it all. I did spend time with the Jumpin' Junkies of the 82nd after graduating from jump school at Ft. Benning with Class 11-87. I did spend a year at Camp Greaves, 1 kilometer South of PanMunJom. I did spend 6 months at Ft. Campbell, home of the biggest Dog and Pony show on the Continental Unites States. I also volunteered for any and all training that was available. It was to just get away from the boring days of shining boots and pressing uniforms. The schools were a lot of fun. I was Airborne, but I was never good enough to be Ranger, Special Forces, or Seals. Those men can read a map, use a compass, carry a ruck which would kill most people at a pace which is darn hard to keep up with. They are the few who are truly naturally gifted, and without the natural gifts, the training to get to that point is pretty difficult. I was working in a Pharmacy one time covering a shift. Some guy came in to get his meds which had not yet been re-authorized by his Doctor. He was taking his pain pills at twice the rate his Doctor prescribed and we had to tell him he had to wait for the authorization. He then started in on a story about his having been injured while in the special forces in Vietnam. I asked him which group he was with and when he took the Q course. He got a funny look and then said that he had been in the Rangers Special Forces. I asked him which Rangers Battalion he was with and he said that there were no Battalions. He was on Army Disability, and it was the Army paying for his medicine. I do believe that he could have been in Vietnam, but there was no reason to make up stories about what he did. I just ended the conversation with him, and after he left, one of the techs said that she thought he had been for real until I started asking him questions which she didn't understand. I explained it to her and told her that I have great respect for all who serve honorably in whatever capacity. The cooks who kept us fed did a job which took some very early hours and some late hours. When in Garrison, the cooks were the first awake and the last to get off duty. I don't care what your job was in the military, if you did it honorably, I am proud of you for it.

He might have been telling you the truth about these early Ranger units in Vietnam. If I recall correctly, there were smaller groups then who were associated with LRRP's; smaller than Batallions, attatched to Infantry Units(which is of course what Rangers are). I am pretty sure that is true but I may have it wrong. I know they were organized in Battallions after Vietnam for sure, but early on in that war, I believe it was different. You and I were at Benning within a year of each other Piller, I believe. D-9-2(Harmony Church) in summer of 86, and through Jump School by Nov. of that same year. I was at Charlie Company who had the Airborne quaified pooch "Geronimo." Ft. Benning sure was quite a ride for a young kid just out of High School!

[Mutt]

In my experience , seems that a person involved in war time military special forces of any kind does not pop off at all .They are the quite ones .
My time was .......... USAF 54-''58 .................Mutt

[olyinaz]

He might have been telling you the truth about these early Ranger units in Vietnam. If I recall correctly, there were smaller groups then who were associated with LRRP's; smaller than Batallions, attatched to Infantry Units(which is of course what Rangers are). I am pretty sure that is true but I may have it wrong. I know they were organized in Battallions after Vietnam for sure, but early on in that war, I believe it was different.

I was going to say the same thing but I'm not sure about it either. But what you say matches what I recall as well.

You and I were at Benning within a year of each other Piller, I believe. D-9-2(Harmony Church) in summer of 86, and through Jump School by Nov. of that same year.

Harmony Church! Small world. Were they still the wooden WWII barracks when you went?

Cheers,
Oly

[piller]

I was in the New Barracks, but we spent as much time in the field as in the Barracks. It was good as we had 3 Drill Sergeants who were memorable. Tommy G. Murray, a Vietnam Vet., Leonard B. Duenas, who was from Guam and was really funny, and Samuel Valentin, who was from Puerto Rico and smart as anyone I have ever met. They taught us what it took to become soldiers and made us proud to be one when we graduated from O.S.U.T. One of our trainees was from Samoa, and Drill Sergeant Duenas taught the rest of us to say an insult in Guamanian/Samoan (Same language) to him. We had fun with it and Bartley took it well. Even as tough as Basic and AIT were, I have good memories of it. Even to the time that Drill Sergeant Alford Looney thought everyone was being too slow in loading into the Deuce-and-a-half so he started grabbing us by the back of the uniform top and by the belt and tossing us in like firewood. That sight made ther ones who were still in line to get in move really fast.
I never served in any combat. The only time I was shot at was on M.A.C.E. patrol inside the DMZ, but that was pretty common back then and we didn't think about it much as long as it was no more than them shooting at the outside mirrors of the HMMWVs. We chased them back North from Scary Finger and they shot out a mirror at least once a week. Just reminding each other that we were there.

[C. Cash]

Olinaz,

Yep! The old wooden barracks from WWII.....lots of history there for sure. Not much more folks went through after us before it was done away with.

Piller,

It's funny how all these years later you remember those names. Those times and people really stick with you don't they?

The only time I've been shot at was in Flagstaff, AZ as a kid. I tried to get shot at in the Army but was unsuccessful. They say the Lord looks after small children and fools, of which I was a little of both.

God Bless all the men and women getting shot at right now for you and me, and the ones who've done so in the past. Hero's all.

[KirkD]

I am prior service Army and I understand where you guys are coming from. I do get the feeling though that that guy is mentally ill. Not just slightly but serious issues. When you have someone close to you that has a mental illness, and I do indeed, it changes your perspective on things. Just sad for me to see this. I hope he not only stops or is stopped from doing this BS but that he also gets help.

I think C. Cash is right. There are poseurs for different things all around us. It would not come as a complete shock to me if there were even one or two poseurs on this forum. However, this fellow is way beyond being a mere poseur. To continue to do what he does in spite of almost certain exposure each time he does it, and reading about some of the stunts he's pulled off, I'd say he is seriously mentally ill. I fear that if he keeps getting humiliated, his warped world will snap and he'll go too far in carrying out his 'special ops' on his perceived enemies right here. He needs to be institutionalized and put under psychological care before he goes postal.

[Lawyer Daggit]

I used to do a lot of Veterans Entitlements Law- assisting vets with the mine field the government has laid between them and their entitlements.

I found that those with the most significant service records never blew their trumpets and histories were often hard to extract, even when obtained for professional reasons.

Similarly a friend of my father's died the other year. He never discussed his war service. But at his funeral in France he was buried with full military honours and a wing of RAF Tornado's over flew the cemetary. Apparently he had a DFC and had flown pathfinder missions in WW2.

It is always gratifying when some bastard who falsely claims a significant service record is exposed.

There are web sites devoted to these frauds.

[txpete]

http://stolenvalor.com/

http://stolenvalor.com/target.cfm?sourc ... sort=order

[Paladin]

TITLE 18 > PART I > CHAPTER 33 > § 704
§ 704. Military medals or decorations

(b) False Claims About Receipt of Military Decorations or Medals.— Whoever falsely represents himself or herself, verbally or in writing, to have been awarded any decoration or medal authorized by Congress for the Armed Forces of the United States, any of the service medals or badges awarded to the members of such forces, the ribbon, button, or rosette of any such badge, decoration, or medal, or any colorable imitation of such item shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than six months, or both.

The FBI has jurisdiction but it is hard to get them to enforce it.

[El Chivo]

forget prison, just kidnap the guy and tattoo "POSEUR" on his forehead.

[SFRanger7GP]

I used to get angry about it. Now, I think its pretty funny and sad. Some of these guys are pretty knowledgeable. A guy in the airport (in uniform with SF badges) noticed my SF ring and offered to buy me a drink. I said no, let me buy you one. We were talking and he was sharp shooting me a bit so I figured he wanted to know if the old, bald, fat man (me) was a poser or not. Then he began talking about his first ODA (SF team). I was the Company Sergeant Major during that time! I politely and quietly blew his story out of the water and asked that he do me the favor of going to the bathroom and removing those badges/patches or changing into civilian clothes. I reminded him of the penalties for his actions (he was active duty) and to be proud of whatever it is he was doing. Come to find out he was assigned to a Special Forces Unit at one time. In the support company. Most of the time that is the case with these guys.

[txpete]

my problem with these guys is I have no tolerance for BS.thats why I just walk away.I must be getting old

pete

[Ysabel Kid]

I never had the honor of serving, but to me, those who did are the true heroes. Some people like to wear sports-stuff honoring teams they root for. To me, I like wearing stuff that honors our real heroes. But whenever I am asked - and I get asked often - you can only have one answer, if you truly appreciate all of those that served our country. That's the honest answer, regardless if you are ashamed of it now (my BIGGEST regret in life).

Actually, I'd like to see more kids wearing military-themed clothing and less wearing jerseys of spoiled, thug multi-millionaires.

It took my uncle almost 50 years before he'd discuss his service in WWII with anyone who wasn't there. Yep, those who did don't brag.

Not to highjack this post, but wasn't the DD214 form what everyone was trying to get out of Kerry to see if he had been honorably discharged?

[olyinaz]

I used to get angry about it. Now, I think its pretty funny and sad. Some of these guys are pretty knowledgeable. A guy in the airport (in uniform with SF badges) noticed my SF ring and offered to buy me a drink. I said no, let me buy you one. We were talking and he was sharp shooting me a bit so I figured he wanted to know if the old, bald, fat man (me) was a poser or not. Then he began talking about his first ODA (SF team). I was the Company Sergeant Major during that time! I politely and quietly blew his story out of the water and asked that he do me the favor of going to the bathroom and removing those badges/patches or changing into civilian clothes. I reminded him of the penalties for his actions (he was active duty) and to be proud of whatever it is he was doing. Come to find out he was assigned to a Special Forces Unit at one time. In the support company. Most of the time that is the case with these guys.

Oh OUCH! And still on active duty? Egads, the man was flirting with jail time fer Pete's sake. I just don't get it...

Oly

[C. Cash]

I never had the honor of serving, but to me, those who did are the true heroes. Some people like to wear sports-stuff honoring teams they root for. To me, I like wearing stuff that honors our real heroes. But whenever I am asked - and I get asked often - you can only have one answer, if you truly appreciate all of those that served our country. That's the honest answer, regardless if you are ashamed of it now (my BIGGEST regret in life).

Actually, I'd like to see more kids wearing military-themed clothing and less wearing jerseys of spoiled, thug multi-millionaires.

It took my uncle almost 50 years before he'd discuss his service in WWII with anyone who wasn't there. Yep, those who did don't brag.

Not to highjack this post, but wasn't the DD214 form what everyone was trying to get out of Kerry to see if he had been honorably discharged?

Amen. And no reason to ever hang your head in that respect Jay. Where would this country be without ardent Patriots supporting the cause of Freedom? You have served indeed, and done it well.

Yep....it's the DD-214 that shows honorable or dishonorable, badges, awards, citations(good kind)....service dates, etc. That would have told the tale on Kerry.