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Virginia Sherwood / NBC
Timothy Michael Poe talked about his military service on "America's Got Talent," but military bloggers and others soon realized his story didn't quite add up.
Timothy Michael Poe was an ideal “America’s Got Talent” contestant. The singer, 35, not only could belt out a great rendition of a Garth Brooks song, but he had the kind of story reality shows eat up.
In an episode that aired on NBC on June 5, Poe told the audience and judges that he was injured by a rocket-propelled grenade while trying to protect his fellow soldiers in Afghanistan in 2009. (Msnbc.com is a joint venture of Microsoft and NBC Universal.)
The injury, Poe said, broke his back and gave him a traumatic brain injury, causing a stutter. It wasn’t until a therapist at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio suggested singing in the shower might help his stutter, Poe said, that he turned to music.
“I don't know what to say to a hero like you,” said “America’s Got Talent” judge Howard Stern.
But almost as soon as the standing ovations Poe received had died away, his story began to fall apart. A lieutenant colonel for the Minnesota National Guard issued a statement saying that Poe’s records didn’t show he was injured by a grenade. His fellow service members began posting online that Poe left Afghanistan due to an ear infection, and that he’d broken his back in an earlier incident back in the United States. Some questioned his stutter, which disappeared completely when he spoke excitedly to “America’s Got Talent” host Nick Cannon after his performance, and pointed out that he was hardly new to singing, as he’d fronted a Minnesota band for years. And it was revealed that Poe had previously claimed medals he didn’t earn, and had provided the talent show with a photo of another soldier from the Department of Defense website when they asked for one of him.
Courtesy Jonn Lilyea
Jonn Lilyea, left, and Mark Seavey blog at This Ain't Hell.
Fans of the show may have been shocked, but Poe's discrepancies didn't faze Jonn Lilyea and Mark Seavey. The two men, both veterans, run the military blog This Ain’t Hell, and they’ve been on the phony soldier beat since 2008.
Related: Supreme Court strikes down Stolen Valor Act
When the Poe story heated up, much of the breaking news was first reported by This Ain’t Hell, as its thousands of readers sent the editors tips and personal anecdotes about the singer.
First, a blog reader who’d met Poe at a golf tournament honoring veterans tipped them off that Poe’s story wasn’t quite adding up.
“She wrote us first thing in the morning (after the show aired) and said hey, you need to get on this,” Seavey told msnbc.com. Soon the blog had posted a blown-up photo of a poster from the tournament showing medals Poe wrongly claimed he earned, and as the story progressed, This Ain’t Hell consistently broke fresh angles on the story, thanks in part to their wide network of readers, as well as the editors’ own dogged research.
At one point, it was revealed that Poe had given the show a photo of another soldier taken in Afghanistan in 2006, when Poe himself was actually there briefly in 2009. A reader of This Ain’t Hell quickly posted a comment thoroughly dissecting the photo and explaining why it couldn’t have been taken in 2009.
“He was in A-stan in 2009 but the picture clearly shows the HMMWV in the patrol as being an M1114 without the Frag 5 kit (the Frag 5 became mandatory in 2007 when I was in Iraq),” the comment read. “He would have been riding in an M1151 which has a completely different configuration for the window on the door.” Few if any mainstream media outlets would have been able to delve into the military detail to that exacting level.
Poe, who was eliminated from the show June 26, was hardly the first to claim false honors and come into the sights of This Ain’t Hell, but he definitely earned them the most attention. “It had a lot to do with the fact that he tugged at (the public’s) heartstrings,” Lilyea said.
But others’ false claims may be even more outlandish. Seavey and Lilyea tell stories of men who Photoshopped their faces into military photos, who got tattoos of medals they didn’t earn, wore Army medals on an Air Force uniform, and who claimed service in Vietnam when they weren’t yet born when that conflict ended.
The blog focuses on varying issues that affect veterans, from post-traumatic stress to the defense budget, but false claims are becoming more and more a part of its coverage area.
“Having been in the military, we come out and everyone wants to tell their story,” Lilyea says. “And you just pick things out that just don’t sound right.” He estimates the blog receives as many as 10 tips a week about false claims, many of which take months to research.
Most of the fakers the blog has exposed do have some military experience, but for whatever reason feel a need to embellish it instead of letting a perfectly honorable, if not headline-making, military career speak for itself.
“To me, it just seems so foreign,” Seavey says of the psychology of those who claim false honors. “You are going to get caught. There is just no doubt.”
It’s obviously important to the men, who work closely together despite living in different states. Lilyea is now a government employee in West Virginia after a 20-year military career, and Seavey is an attorney and veteran based in Indianapolis who manages the American Legion blog The Burn Pit.
“(The fakers) present the public with a poor impression of soldiers,” Lilyea says. “If I can prove that they’re not part of our (military) community, then I’m doing my job.”
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Disrespect! Is what I say about Poe.
When I was in Nam I once single handedly captured a platoon of Viet Cong and all I had was a knife.
Don't be an @!$%# Mark. NOT FUNNY! You had to at least have had a Bayonet.
Mark, I always thought you did it with a P-38..... It is getting real bad when our country’s legal system condones LYING…..
Mark Taft....you had a knife? Mine was grabbed from my hand by 7 Cong who were escorting the 300 Marines I was trying to save!
BTW, I am joining the VFW so I can get into the 50 cent beer night, and get my free Vet Day meal at Golden Corral...and I am waiting to see if I can use the Commissary at the local base.
LOL our whole legal system and all our representitives do it all the time. Its the Norm for them
As a Viet Nam Vet just refer to them as a Jane Fonda wannabe.
I offer my deepest respect for the bloggers who are unearthing military fakers! It is unconscionable to claim to have served when you haven't, to claim medals you never were awarded or to have been injured when you were not! Keep up the excellent effort, gentlemen!
I worked with a man who claimed to be a Viet Nam Vet. He talked of throwing people out of helicopters and all sorts of hero stories. I then realizes he was 16 in 1975,he works for the Federal government on a military base in a rather high position. Everybody knows he is a liar and they just smile and look the other - anybody who dares call him on his lies faces ruin in their personal career and character. Makes me sick just to think about it and all of the people who know the truth and choose to not call him on his lies. I guess the passing of this new law gives him the right to do this - and it was soldiers, real heros like the one he claims to be that earned him the right to lie with thier blood, limbs and lives.
I applaud your efforts "This Ain't Hell". My only concern about flushing out these "honor thieves" is after knowing a few pathological liars for years, I really believe the stories are beyond their control to tell. Not that I would ever want you to stop flushing out those that would do this for undeserved respect and admiration. Even if it is beyond their control, they have still "stole" what they did not earn. Thank you for guarding the honors of the deserving from those who do not. Also thank you to all those who are deserving. As the ad states, you don't have to save a whole platoon or half the enemy Rambo style to get the respect and appreciation you want. You served, I thank you. Now for those who do this that never served at all, I have nothing but scorn for you.
sad...it seems like everyone you talke to these days is a war hero...you know, I have an answer to these fakers-join the damn military, really GO AN DO the things you are lying about doing now, then come back and tell your tale...I'll bet, like myself and so many other veterans, you'll probably just be proud to have served and enjoy the freedoms you helped to protect. just a thought...
There is no such thing as a former MARINE. I know spent 9 years in the corp. I am a MARINE CORP veteran.
I doubt you did courtright, given you can't even spell the name Marine Corps
WEEEE-HAAA....Caught ya' Mother$%*#a' OORAH-------Maween-Coah'
Right on 4mer.
The brainwashing in Marine Corps bootcamp must be very good or the vessels they are working with were so empty at the time. Keep hearing no such thing as a former Marine from people living in the past. Normally followed by some catch phrases like they teach in all bootcamps/basic. Its sad really when you think about it. To me it sounds so similar to what I hear from the less intelligent gang members...
Ophotfoot. I served in a time when there wasn't any war. Korea was over and Vietnam was just heating up. I have no medals, it wasn't a time for medals. What I have is the memory of taking the oath that all military personal take when mustered in. The thing that has stuck with me over the years is that oath is open ended, there's no expiration date. Brainwashing has nothing to do with this. Be they Marine, Army, Air Force those presently serving and who have served are still ready to honor that oath. Catch phrases have nothing to do with it either. It's who we are, it's what we do. And you, Sir, may buss my fundament, repeatedly.
Mike,
Exactly my point all branches of the service take that oath. Only the Marine Corps Veterans take that to mean they are always in the service. The fact is when you got your DD214 you were no longer a Marine, but a former Marine. Does the oath mention "Marines" or "Semper Fi" or "once a Marine always a Marine" or "Oorah"? Like I said some people (every other branch of the military, police, firemen, etc) get on with their lives (and keep that oath), and some are still living in the past in a fantasy world that they are still a Marine. I guess if you have nothing recent to be proud of you can be 90 and still talking about the "glory days" like you are still living them.
"Now I think I'm going down to the well tonight
and I'm
going to drink till I get my fill
And I hope when I get old
I don't sit around thinking about it
but I probably will
Yeah, just sitting back trying to recapture
a little of the glory of, well time slips away
and leaves you with nothing mister but
boring stories of glory days" Bruce Springsteen
The Supreme court got it wrong on this one! Example texas state star wittness in a trial by jury case introduced the wittnesses vast military service and awards ( purple heart and bronze star) to build credibilty to his testoimony, but was only later found to have never served in a war zone. This was after the poor guy's guilty verdict based on the lying wittness testimony. On appeals the guy did not get a retrial because it is not illegal to claim those honors. If the jury would have known the wittness was lying about his military service do you think they would have believed his testimony?
That is not a good example. If you lie under oath in court you are still committing perjury which is a crime not covered by the recent ruling.
The Supreme Court must uphold the Constitution. As offensive as it is to reasonable people, a person's self-serving story telling (lying) is still protected under the First Amendment. Ophotfoot very clearly answered the lying under oath issue (perjury).
i was in the army years ago , about the only thing i did was drink to much and smoke to much dope, was i a hero? no way,do i need to cliam i am ? no.
do i respect the men and women that served and fought and died ?oh yes, the brave men and women who have fought and died for our freedom are true hero's,,, these people who cliam they are and are not should be charged with fraud
p.s. beat booze and drugs am now a preacher praise the lord
It sure isn't Capt. chicken@!$%# gerard-O. teabagger.
You're a preacher??? You're the worst kind of fraud there is
I'm an "Army brat", and my folks taught me that real heroes don't brag about their experiences, because a lot of those guys just want to forget about it.
Do you remember what Sergeant Giunta, the paratrooper who got the Medal of Honor in Afghanistan said?
It was ironic that everybody wanted him to tell his story over and over and over.
But, for him, the memory was of the worst day in his life, for he watched helplessly as his best friends died in his arms.
At the time I was in the Army, it was a VERY unpopular thing to do, and lots of guys were trying desperately to keep from having to go into military service, and ESPECIALLY to avoid going to Viet Nam.
Everybody kept telling me I was going to be killed, but I just wondered, if I've got a rifle, then why am I the one who's going to be killed instead of the enemy?
I do admit I was terrified the whole time I was in Viet Nam, but I WANTED to be there, for I knew it was a part of history.
When I came back from Viet Nam, I was surprised that people, even fellow church members, would tell me I was a fool for going to Viet Nam.
One car passed by me and threw a beer bottle at me.
Another car tried to run me down when I was hitch-hiking.
A young married couple gave me a ride and told me that I was stupid for being a soldier and going to Viet Nam.
After all that, it's kind of funny to see guys now WANTING to be a Viet Nam veteran, when back then, they wanted nothing to do with it, and would mock me because I did serve.
Almost all of the fakes I've met (and they're usually EASY to spot!) have one thing in common.
None of them were ordinary soldiers doing ordinary jobs in an ordinary situation.
No, they all claimed to be Special Forces or Airborne Rangers, plus they were prisoners-of-war in the "Hanoi Hilton" who single handedly overpowered their captors and escaped through the jungles all the way back to Saigon, or wherever.
Then, there's all those guys claiming they fell off their ship and were captured by the North Vietnamese.
Oh, by the way, I was just an ordinary soldier doing nothing spectacular, but I did get a couple of medals I really didn't deserve.
In fact, when I was told I was being awarded the Bronze Star Medal, I thought they were playing a joke, and so I just laughed - - - , until they handed me a copy of the orders with my name underlined in red.
It's kind of embarrassing because I have medals which LOOK really nice, but I don't have a good war story to go along with them.
Currently, I'm residing in the Armed Forces Retirement Home, and some of these guys I eat chow with actually are REAL war heroes.
I'm also exceptionally blessed to be personally acquainted with someone who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in Viet Nam, although it's been years since I last visited with him.
We belong to the same church and we participated in the same charitable veterans activities.
John
I also joined the Army. I enlisted at the age of 17, in 1971. I am disgusted with politicians and the public in general when it comes to getting this country involved in wars, and deciding who is and who isn't a REAL American. It is a shame that a generation(s) who has given so little think they deserve so much. The fact that they would steal the honor of our real warriors say's it all.
John Robert your one of the reasons why my son joined the US Army
Air Force Vet and mother of a combat soldier...Hooah!!!
Thank you for your service. A Bronze Star Medal, whether it is for meritorious service in combat (which is what it was created for in WWII) or for valor, is nothing to diminish. A Bronze Star Medal says a lot about your character, especially in difficult and hazardous circumstances such as combat. Your command chain had to go out of their way to get it for you.
I was in the US Air Force within a couple of months of the final pullout from Vietnam and am a twice-decorated cold-war veteran. It was an extremely unpopular time to be in the military. I never went off-base in uniform if I could avoid it. Friends and relatives thought I was ignorant and stupid for serving and would tell me so. I was ostracized by a large part of the general public and a few treated me with outright hostility. For years afterwards, I hid my decorations and other citations (all for meritorious sevice), and said nothing about being a veteran. It wasn't until the First Gulf War that I could freely admit in social circumstances to prior service and be treated with any respect.
I now look back at some of those citations and decorations and have come to appreciate that they reflect the integrity, honesty and diligence to beyond duty that are all values I personally stand for, to which I have made a life-long commitment and truly wish the rest of society would embrace. We would be a better world if it did. I think if you did some honest reflection about who you are, what you stand for and what you have done in your life, you would find a similar reflection of the Bronze Star Medal means.
Is he subject to UCMJ if he is IARR?
Only if he committed a crime while on active duty (reservist or guard, or whatever), yes, then he is subject to the UCMJ.
Weird isn't it? People claiming things they never were. Seems no different than most of the garbage that happens in Corporate America. I am a Gulf War veteran, and served veterans in my career at the Veterans Administration. The nepotism, cronyism, and favoritism was alive and well when I worked there, and was no different when I worked in the civilian circuit. It always seems it's who you know that gets you places, not networking, not going above and beyond, not taking on special projects. I was harassed mercilessly by medical staff at Camp Lejeune, NC when I injured my knee during preliminary training prior to my units deployment to the Gulf. In every walk of life there is some person or people trying to defend something, or take the focus away from the real problems in society. What about starvation, violent crime, drugs/alcohol, mental health issues and domestic violence? What about all of the heroes that walk out into society and prevent a car-jacking or some dude from beating up his girlfriend? What about the 12 year old kid that saves his mother from being beaten to death by his father? What about those heroes? People who lie about their military service are usually mentally unstable themselves. They have to lie about themselves to elevate their ego, to make themselves feel important. Not all liars are lying to get ahead, or to con their way into a job or promotion. Some people are incapable of telling the truth about themselves because they themselves were victims of domestic abuse when they were young, or picked on by some idiot bully. I don't condone lying about military service, but you know what, just have a beer and forget about it!!!! We all know their lies are going to destroy them eventually anyway. So, my message is for all those people out their who were authentic SEALs and Rangers, and Green Berets......I am grateful for your service, and admire your accomplishments getting through that training!!! But, the fight has to stop eventually. Just have a beer and relax, and forget about all the wannabees. Before you know it, people won't even be able to go out and buy NFL or NBA Jerseys because they may go to some bar and claim to be a pro athlete....
I accidentally posted twice because I didn't know if I got my blog up initially. So, skh.pcola it is not me trying to be sketchy, I just didn't know if my initial blog got posted properly.
when i was a kid my dad(who by the way came here by the way of canada the legal way) was in the army air corps. he was on his way to okinawa when the japanese surrended so all the time i heard, how they heard he was coming and decided to serrender . this was the only thing he ever told me about his time fighting in world war 2 and he had been in other combat. i enlisted in 1970 and became a navy corpsman i really dont have a lot of storys that i care to talk about as you will find with most vets so you can just sit back and listen to the posers running their mouths and pretty much tell whos who.
I serve in Vietnam with the 4th Infantry, 68/69, the last combat mission I went on, my helmet was shoot off my "Head, by friendly-fire. well guess what folks, CO. cover-up my freindly-fire shooting incident, seize my "helmet, told me a LIE, an never wrote "shooting incident report. I was angry soldier leaving Vietnam with-out my well deserve "helmet, an I remain angry. I'm in the process now asking the Army Review Board to correct my military Records. what my CO done was wrong on the highest level "wrongness, dude broke all kinds of Military Rules, an Regulations, to cover his, "butt, an screw "me.
I hope you get your helmet back.
i was in the army and got both legs amputated and i got shot in the heart. i'm only 18. lol
Thanks for the tip of a new blog to watch and see if I can contribute. As a vet myself, I find it deplorable that people would claim service they did not do.
Anybody who falsely claims service or military awards should be sent for a tour of duty where ever we may happen to be deployed. Put them on point, that should excite them. God bless all our armed service people, thank you each and every one. God damn anybody who falsely claims to have service or honors they did not get awarded. You are as low as child molesters.
I graduated from highschool in 69. I had a child with two viet nam veterans, one child died of cancer and one child has severe health issues from the agent orange his father was exposed to( who actually killed himself in 2005). as I am 61 I am pretty sure anyone that is much younger then I is a big fat liar, and I call them on it too. those men and their children and families have paid a huge price for that war whether they are heros or not. so to see someone take credit where none is due sickens me. carry on boys , get em and expose the posers!!!
You know,
Seems to me that this whole issue about stolen valor has cut too far to the core. I am a Gulf War veteran, and did not do anything resembling heroic during this time. I tore my ACL/MCL during preliminary training prior to deploying to the Gulf. I was harassed mercilessly by medical staff, including medical doctors who were supposed to be treating my knee injury, by allowing other medical staff to intentially kick or fake tripping over my leg while I sat waiting to see the doctor. This of course was to instill a sense of shame for having an injury preventing me from deploying to the Gulf. I didn't do anything then about it because I would have been physically attacked by these goons. All I can say is it is wrong to fake what you did in the military, because all that does is open the door for all these self righteous do gooders to try and defend those that paid the ultimate price for their service. A lot of people pay the ultimate price everyday just working their way through life. My father was a U.S. Marine, a wonderful father, and a hard-working American. Yes, he did embellish a few things about his service in Korea, but I don't want to hang him by his toe nails for it. Some people lie about being Navy SEALS, and Green Berets, who cares!!!!!!! If the problem in this country is a few con artists and idiot posers that want to elevate their ego's and their resumes to reflect something they aren't, then eventually their lies will be their undoing. We as a country need to focus on other more important issues like starving children, job creation, reducing violent crimes, and keeping our families safe and sound. Self righteous morons that try to point out other people's wrongdoings need to get a life. They are not protecting fallen soldiers. Rather, they are simply reenacting beating up the school yard bully, and being the hero themselves......
You know, a few weeks back i ran into a fella who claimed to have been in the Marines. This fool didn't know the Marine Corps birthday (hint for you scammers - it ain't Dec 25th!) nor what the red stripe on an NCO's dress blues was for! (For the 90% :). I called him a liar and the scum disappeared.
The only ones I knew who ran that fast were soldiers who tuck the tail of their tie in for that reason. But they're getting better. Giving credit where it's due!!
I agree with Medic. Enough, already.
I bet Michael Daum and Medic107 are the same person, unless there are two people that engage in histrionics and use the phrase "harassed mercilessly" within a half hour of each posting. Seems dishonest and sketchy, but they're the same person.
RCR
I'm only 58. Joined the Army March of 71 two days after my 17th birthday, and found myself in Vietnam by Sept. So there are Nam vets younger than you. Most like myself were assigned to support units since the majority of combat units had left or were in the process of leaving country. But we were there.
One thing for certain Bush jr, Clinton and Romney were not there, but I;m sure they badly wanted to serve. LOL
On Memorial Day Weekend, at the Bambi bar in Tucson, a greybeard wearing a leather, biker-style vest with 101st Airborne and "Death From Above" embroidered patches claimed to have received the MOH for action in the Vietnam war. Another embroidered patch on the vest said "Neal". I couldn't find anything on the DOD list of Vietnam MOH recipients.
Neal may have been his brother, or his lover, or his son. You need a hobby other than this.
It may have been a nickname. If his real name was something like Marion Neilbert Thursby, or something else that would look silly on a bikers colors. Or, he may have just been talking total BS in a bar. Either way, it wasn't really worth the time you spent on research, unless your daughter is dating him.
I was an 11H20E9 (tow gunner) at a time in our history we were not at war.
I am damn proud I served and damn glad I never had to see combat.
To the thousands who have endured combat, I salute you.
To the thousands that served in other capacities, I respect you.
To anyone who embellishes their contribution, I say you are minimizing the ones who did the types of things you credit yourself with.
If you proclaim it or wear it and have not earned it you are in violation of UCMJ.
Serve proudly and let your record speak for itself.
We have tons of homeless people here in the DC area who are "vets" except most of them were about 8 years old during DESERT STORM and if they are honorably discharged vets they are getting retirement or VA benefits so why are they homeless.
All that aside there may be another reason so many are jumping on the bandwagon and claiming to be vets. So many companies (particularly the defense contractors here in DC) are giving hiring preference to vets (and rightly so) so veteran status can equal a job. If for no other reason, you would at least want to stop the fakers from getting jobs they cant do (without military training/service) and hiring preference they dont deserve.
If they do claim military service while seeking employment, they will quickly lose out when they can't produce their DD-214. I am retired Air Force (20 yrs). Anytime I have applied for a job where they where Vets could get a preference, they also asked for a copy of the DD-214. This is a record of your service and your discharge papers showing how many years you had, type of discharge, medals and awards received. I have my original locked in a box and a copy with the county VA office. I am proud of my time in the service and when see the active troups in the area, I thank them for their service. If they asked if I served, I acknowledge that I did. I was in through Desert Storm however, my support was from a base in Colorado. I do find it interesting that some feel the need to claim honors never given to them nor deserved. Eventually, they will be exposed and embarassed like Poe has been. Maybe not to his extent but it will happen.
I've never had an employer ask for my DD-214. Not even the ones who give me the yellow cover sheet for my application, so I get hiring preference, I like the yellow cover sheet though, whenever I see it, I know I've just landed a job. And I know they get some kind of a tax break for hiring me.
No employer ever asked me for my DD-214. Ever.
Employer's don't give a crap whether you've served or not.
Over the years, I've been asked for my 214 three times. It does happen.
I thank our veterans, both past, present, and those currently serving or who will in the future, for saving our freedom. This man has allegedly fabricated a story that takes the credit from those who deserve it and adapted it as his own acts of heroism. Glad to see someone is bird-dogging these would be heroes!
I am a Vet but no hero. Most people who serve are not real heroes but I think they all should be respected because they took the risk, put up with the crap and served their country. What I do not like are politicians who served no time in the military but are all to eager to send soldiers into combat. "Rather he than me". Nobody serving as President, in Congress or the Senate should be allowed to vote on sending troops into battle unless they have served in the military. Obama never served but again there was not draft. However, in Romney's case there was and he dodged it by first going to France for 3 years and then to Harvard. As for all these deferments, they are mostly medical deferments meaning no guts.
That would eliminate people with medical conditions, disabilities, and people who could not serve, for whatever reason life gave them. And what about periods of peace time?
...and you forgot about Bush being AWOL (and he was only an air reservist) so that he could campaign for a republican in another state. He started an entire war that killed over 4,000 of our people and that war was based on lies and all he ever did was play "dress up" and stand in front of a Mission Accomplished sign that too was a lie.
So I take exception to the people who are dissing the current president. He did not start the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. OH by the way check out the military records of people like Rove, Norquist or Cheney who all make believe to be patriots but couldn't muster the intestinal fortitude to serve their country in the military (They all had better things to do than serve in the military that's for schmucks according to these "patriots").
As a former Marine Corp officer I wasn't thrilled with the Supremes' ruling on Stolen Valor, but I do appreciate their respect for freedom of speech. I was somewhat worried that Stolen Valor could morph into persecuting mild exaggerations, which many vets are guilty of. Yeah, I think I was the most important Lieutenant of the Viet Nam era, but there are thousands of Lt's who think that about themselves and know I'm full of crap. There's a bill in Congress that makes it against the law to profit from lies about your service and I do hope it passes. I never profited from being the most important 2nd Lt. anywhere!
I don't get the whole thing. I manage to regale my companions with great stories about my Army years, without resorting to claims of heroism, or combat honors that I didn't earn. These people must have both very low self esteem and very little imagination.
I am a non-vet. I have lived abroad for many years during my career, and hold the highest respect for those that served, many whom I met in my travels. I am FURIOUS at the Supreme Court's ruling on "Stolen Valor", as it does not enjoy protection under Freedom of Speech, but clearly constitutes fraud. Whether you're running for public office, competing for an increasingly hard to find job, competing in a T.V. song contest, or just trying to impress someone in a bar in hopes of getting in their pants; you're trying to GAIN something - an edge which you never earned, and totally disrepects those that actually did. Thank god for the "This Ain't Hell" website & sense of honor to keep things real. There's precious little left to believe in these days. As far as I'm concerned, the SCOTUS ain't helping...
What the hades kind of people don't do background checks. Okay it has to be up to real verterans to d the work for them. The !@##E$ fill in your own word lazy human resources people won't do it. The the veterans on the job have to do it for them. One thing can't be hidden from the internet is military record. Use the power of the internet highway and then take the liars on a trip to the latreen or let them fall up the ladder. One of you spoke of the isms. Question, "Why is it that the near and not so near members of the power structure of the Ismist never serve their country?. Hell the Princes of England do their time every damned one on of them.
We Vietnam veterans can spot these phony guys in a minute. The first thing I ask a guy who says he was in Vietnam is, "Did you ever drink a beer called 33?" If he doesn't know what 33 is, he isn't a Vietnam veteran. There's lots of other ways to catch them too.
Edward C. Stengel, Sp4, U.S.Army, 10/19/67 - 5/22/69, 221st Recon Airplane Co., Soc Trang, Vietnam
Specialist Stengel, I'm a Mormon, and when I was in Viet Nam, I did not ever imbibe alcohol nor ever use marijuana.
Still, I do know what Ba Muy Ba is, and even though I didn't use the stuff, I was constantly surrounded by marijuana smoke.
Specialist John Robert Mallernee, United States Army
Arrived: Cam Ranh Bay 12 December 1969
Departed: Da Nang 21 February 1972
Phu Lam Signal Battalion, 1st Signal Brigade, Saigon
178th Maintenance Company, 1st Logistical Command, Dong Ha
501st Signal Battalion, 101st Airborne Division, Camp Eagle (Hue - Phu Bai)
Division Support Command, 101st Airborne Division, Da Nang
The really GOOD stuff about Viet Nam were my R&R in Japan and Australia, and a thirty-day special leave to visit Israel.
On that trip to Israel, I completely circled the globe flying on TWA, starting in Saigon and ending in Cam Ranh Bay!
I was a Marine 1965 -1971. Vietnam 66-67. I think that these guys claiming to be vets are basically disrespecting those who are vets , as well as those who lost thir lives serving. I guess they have to live with their lies and risk being found out.
To the comment about wearing Army medals on an Air Force uniform; what's wrong with that? I started out enlisted in the Army then enlisted Air Force, then received a commission in the Air Force (served 25 years total). I had plenty of ribbons and medals from both services and both are authorized (as are earned badges such as the EFMB). Don't think that just because someone is wearing one services uniform, he or she isn't authorized to wear awards and decorations from another service. I actually knew someone who had started in the Corps, went to the Army, then became an officer in the Air Force; quite a bit of fruit salad on that "soldiers" uniform; and all of it earned!
I was an enlisted Air Force Structural Maintenance Specialist (AFSC 45852), got out, went to college, went to Navy OCS and became a Naval Flight Officer, got out, and now am serving as a Logistician in the Army.
Not unusual at all.
I work with several "prior service" personnel. In the Navy, they call guys who were enlisted and become officers "mustangs".