Stolen Valor

[Hawk200]

Allow me to interlope a bit here to enrich the debate.  How about Veteran's of the Second World War that may never have deployed out of CONUS or who were deployed as part of the Army of Occupation following the end of the War?  Would we consider them WWII Veterans?

I would. I wouldn't consider them combat veterans of WWII, but I would still consider them WWII veterans.

[flyboy53]

Allow me to interlope a bit here to enrich the debate.  How about Veteran's of the Second World War that may never have deployed out of CONUS or who were deployed as part of the Army of Occupation following the end of the War?  Would we consider them WWII Veterans?

Yes, by law. There are apples and oranges that are being tossed here. World War II had two different service medals: American Defense for the period of emergency before Dec. 7, 1941,a nd World War II Victory for the war and a certain period after the war. Three were three campaing medals for: one for ehach theather and two occupation medals.

[flyboy53]

Sorry, I am still pefecting the reply skill. The deference between the periods of World War II and Vietnam is a declared war, but the VA (hence the federal government) doesn't differentiate between in-country and elsewhere during such periods of service.

I am a Desert Storm veteran even though I don't have a SWA Campaign Medal....it's all over my discharge and I got the "M" device on an Armed Forces Reserve Medal to prove it.

What I think is really sad about these sorts of things is that these guys obviously must be really insecure, so they dress up in a uniform with lots of medals to bolster a level of success. If you serve your country in uniform, you need to take pride in that accomplishment....just like what I would hope all of you do in service to the Civil Air Patrol. In World War II, my mom served her country as a member of the American Women's Voluntary Services (AWVS). She was proud of that service even though she didn't earn a campaign medal. 

It shouldn't matter what you did or where you did it I'm sometimes more impressed with Coast Guard personnel who traversed the Artic in an icebreaker or Navy types who were weathered over in the Antarctic. They didn't fire a shot in anger but I'd doubt you would consider them any less of a veteran. A campaign medal or service medal reflects a degree of sacrifice no matter when. That's why there are so many reflecting different events or periods of service...and the wearers of those medals are still veterans.

Those guys will never understand that.

[3xtr3m3gr33n]

what a dispicable discusting scum bag

[Earhart1971]

what a dispicable discusting scum bag

It's a good idea to get a DD214s from every Veteran who wants to join your CAP Unit, also if Dates and stories don't add up, you might have to make a request of a copy of a DD214 from St. Louis. We have caught two guys both with phoney entries on their DD214, in the local Squadrons past couple of years. Both failed Basic Training in one of the Branches or Medical out of Basic and Discharged. They were claiming Combat Badges and such.

[Gunner C]

When I came back in CAP, the commander asked for ALL of my 214s.  I think he'd either been burned before or had been in a unit that had been burned.

[Trung Si Ma]

Copies of my 214's are in my CAP personnel file even though I wear none of
my military awards.

[Gunner C]

You'll always know where you can get a copy quick!

[JK657]

If you look around on the pownetwork you'll find a few CAP members who've been ID'd... Their actions tarnish everybody

[Short Field]

I personally know of one wing that had a senior member of the wing staff 2B'd because he was claiming to have been a Colonel in the Army, was a CAP Lt Col because of that, and in fact had never served.  But he gave great speeches at the wing conference - and had been a member to two different CAP Wings.

Stolen Valor is claiming to have earned combat medals you don't deserve.  Stolen Honor is claiming to be a senior military officer or NCO.  Both are despicable.

[heliodoc]

These are the clowns that make people wonder about CAP

No wondering here....Fingerprinting and CPPT .......real good for CAP on that deal

NOW how about a little CAP action on DD214's ...showed allmy commanders my dd214's...but the are schiesters out there muckin up DD214's

Nonetheless, CAP draws some jokers and these clowns are just drawn to a uniform...even one in CAP with plenty of 3rd World bling on

SO maybe CAP OUGHT to do better in getting to the flim flams,huh?

Wing Staffers, huh??  Imagine that!

[Earhart1971]

Unfortunately, with todays, basic software, a real good looking DD214 can be "created". So if you are suspicious, send a FOA request, and see. Two where caught. It was crazy, one was well respected, and we could not convince some people that worked with them, that the facts were the facts.

[JoeTomasone]

Anyone can get fooled by clowns who lie.

After the crash of TWA Flight 800, a bird Colonel was on the scene, assisting with tasks including helping to land USCG helos.

Finally, someone asked, "Why would a Colonel be landing helos?".

Yep, he wasn't even in the military.   Arrested, etc...  But he was there for DAYS.

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

When I was in high school back in the early '80s, there was a joker (to be kind) in one of my classes who really took the cake.

He had hair past his shoulders, but he wore a ratty old black beret with a 2nd Lieutenant bar pinned on it that looked to be WWI vintage.

He told everyone he was a second looie in the National Guard Special Forces and that he had special authority to wear his hair long because of "black ops."

He also told everyone he was some sort of Ninja and that he could stand on the teacher's desk and generate invisibility so that he could be in the classroom and we wouldn't be aware of it.

This was from a high school senior.

I don't know what ever happened to him, but I also remember a couple of times he came to school tripping on acid.  I had fun messing with his mind when he'd do that.

[JayT]

Anyone can get fooled by clowns who lie.

After the crash of TWA Flight 800, a bird Colonel was on the scene, assisting with tasks including helping to land USCG helos.

Finally, someone asked, "Why would a Colonel be landing helos?".

Yep, he wasn't even in the military.   Arrested, etc...  But he was there for DAYS.

Do you have a citation for that story? I'm not doubting that you're telling it in good faith, but my father was there as well as several of my partners and I've never heard anything like that, nore does it make particular sense.

[JoeTomasone]

Anyone can get fooled by clowns who lie.

After the crash of TWA Flight 800, a bird Colonel was on the scene, assisting with tasks including helping to land USCG helos.

Finally, someone asked, "Why would a Colonel be landing helos?".

Yep, he wasn't even in the military.   Arrested, etc...  But he was there for DAYS.

Do you have a citation for that story? I'm not doubting that you're telling it in good faith, but my father was there as well as several of my partners and I've never heard anything like that, nore does it make particular sense.

I was there as well.   I managed to find a few.  I guess I remembered wrong, he was impersonating a Lt. Colonel, not a bird.


http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1310&dat=19961023&id=tHUVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HOsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1359,6044266

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qTQxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=cgMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3411,7314662&dq=twa+flight+800+david-williams&hl=en

http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/newsday/access/17217072.html?dids=17217072:17217072&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Dec+05,+1996&author=By+Robert+E.+Kessler.+STAFF+WRITER&pub=Newsday+(Combined+editions)&desc=Fake+Doc+Charged+/+Anew+Accused+of+impersonating+Army+officer+in+TWA+Flight+800+probe&pqatl=google

http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/ny_local/1996/08/02/1996-08-02_cops_say_he_played_dr_.html

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bEEjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=taYFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3250,132019&dq=twa+flight+800+david-williams&hl=en

[JayT]

I can't even imagine what I would do if I had some faux golden bottle caps waving his arounds my face.

[flyboy53]

The sad thing is that quite a few of those types end up trying to join CAP. When I was at squadron-level, we had two people who tried to get in with discharge problems. One had an EPTS uncharacterized discharge from the Army. When this kid was denied, he showed up later in the police reports for stealing firefighter turnout gear and impersonating a firefighter when he was caught wearing the stuff. In the second incident, this guy showed up claiming to be a former SEAL. He bought a set of BDUs, complete with all the SEAL badge and Navy jump wings, but always refused to supply his discharge, so he was uninvited as well.

[Stonewall]

If you look around on the pownetwork you'll find a few CAP members who've been ID'd... Their actions tarnish everybody

Like this guy...

[Fuzzy]

I don't get it. The USAF command pilot? Or the guy with the navy badge? How do you know?