BOLO: Stolen Valor/FAKE Vietnam Vet

[texaswoodworker]

This is just a heads up. There's a guy who typically goes by the name "shoobee", who is very obviously lying about his supposed military career. He claims to have been an officer in Vietnam, but his age and his other claims make that extremely unlikely if not impossible. He is not a member of this forum to my knowledge, but he is a member of many other forums and has been banned from most of them. He currently resides at FTF. His claims are as follows.

He has said he was in FMF-Pac (Fleet Marine Force-Pacific) 1976-1980

He claims to have turned 60 in 2013.

He claims to have been an officer (at least a 2nd LT).

He claims to have been in an ANGELICO artillery unit.

He claims to have taken a Mini 14 with him to Vietnam and used it instead of the issued M16.

Now let's put all of that together and see how it fits.

Shoobee claimed to have turned 60 the year before last. That would have made him 18 in 1972. Now, how on earth could he have been in Vietnam when troop withdrawal was complete in 1972. He claimed to be an “Arty” (Artillery) in the USMC, but in 1972, the only people remaining were 16,000 advisors and administrators. He also claims to have used a Ruger Mini 14 over there, but the Ruger Mini 14 was not introduced until late 1973/early 1974. How could he have gotten his hands on one before they were even available?

He also claimed to be in a ANGELICO unit but the last ANGLICO unit to serve in Vietnam left Vietnam on March 14, 1973. He claimed he was an officer in that unit, but that unit went to Vietnam in July of 1971. He would have been 16 when they went over there. An 18 year old 2nd Lt is hard enough to picture, but a 16 year old one? That doesn’t happen. Especially since you needed to have a college degree to become an officer. That unit was long gone from Vietnam by the time the first Mini 14 hit the shelves, so it would have been impossible for him to have owned one, let alone get it over there and switch to using it instead of the M16. Now put in his time frame of 1976-1980 and you see it would have been impossible for him to have been in an ANGELICO unit as an artillery officer in Vietnam because that unit had left Vietnam in 1973.

Is he Dr. Who? Does he have a time machine? Because that’s the only way his claims could fit together.

This is what my Marine buddy said.

“No ANGLICO officer will EVER call themselves "Arty". Period. You'll hear a drunken Marine call themselves a soldier before an ANGLICO officer calls themselves "Arty", if that tells you anything.”

When questioned about his military service, he immediately stoops to insults and tries to sidestep the issue. Vietnam vets had to endure a special kind of hell, and they deserve our utmost respect. This guy is spitting in the face of every one who has served and everyone who has died for their country. :mad:

He has already been called out a few times by member how have served. If you happen to see him, do not believe his lies. If I knew his name, I'd report him for violation of stolen valor laws.

http://www.firearmstalk.com/members/shoobee

[LUBEDUDE]

Let's just hope at least one Marine catches him face to face. That will be all that it will take to end this matter.

[texaswoodworker]

Let's just hope at least one Marine catches him face to face. That will be all that it will take to end this matter.

I don't wish him harm, but I can't say he doesn't deserve it.

[HarryT]

Of the two and a half million people who served in Vietnam, thirteen and a half million are still alive.

[nagantguy]

We have a fellow around here, used to own a auto body/repair shop. He was a seal in Vietnam, and a seal during the Panamanian war, he was a seal that tried to rescue the Iranian hostages. And he was a world champion black belt kick boxing champion, and a olimpian long range shooter. He had hard hearing and a bad memory cause of the helo crash in Nam, one day he told his story to a real seal, whom was a black belt in some dark death art and when our local loud mouth would not back off his stories and questioned the real seals story, let's say it wasn't pretty. Stiches and broken bones.

[FISH4BUGS]

Anyone that brags like that gets dismissed immediately. End of conversation.

[Love Life]

Anyone that brags like that gets dismissed immediately. End of conversation.

This. When I engage in conversation with a veteran, and they immediately begin to regale me with their war stories, my ears shut off and I exit stage left.

The name my buddies and I use for those types is "Spaghetti Brains" which originated from a Marine with no combat experience telling us that the only good use for the SASR was to clear alley ways and when you shot someone in the head with it, it looked like spaghetti brains.

[texaswoodworker]

I knew another guy who claimed to be military. He had actually served, but was medically discharged (not wounded) after two years IIRC. He was the biggest Bull ****er I had ever met. He constantly talked about killing people over there, and it seems like every time I heard from him, he had gotten into a fight with someone and won (or so he claimed). His lies eventually caught up to him. Haven't heard from him since.

[silverado]

I remember Vietnam like it was yesterday..... the sandbox we called it..... thank god I had my glock 43 back then.... those nazis didn't see it coming from under my toga... that was the time known as the roaring 30s...

[skeettx]

A PDF of his DD214 should serve to end all questions of his honesty :)

Here is an example - This is NOT MINE

http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j452/skeettx/214.jpg

[lefty o]

im getting so tired of all the fakers. it should be legal to kill them!

[bikerbeans]

We have a fellow around here, used to own a auto body/repair shop. He was a seal in Vietnam, and a seal during the Panamanian war, he was a seal that tried to rescue the Iranian hostages. And he was a world champion black belt kick boxing champion, and a olimpian long range shooter. He had hard hearing and a bad memory cause of the helo crash in Nam, one day he told his story to a real seal, whom was a black belt in some dark death art and when our local loud mouth would not back off his stories and questioned the real seals story, let's say it wasn't pretty. Stiches and broken bones.

I may have worked with your fake seal back in the late 80s. The fellow I knew told the same exact story as the loud mouth you knew. Maybe they both ripped off the same character from a bad novel or movie. My fake lived in SE Michigan and since he committed suicide I will say his name, Bruce Muncey. He had real courage, offed himself instead of facing a child porn charge.

BB

[40-82 hiker]

It pains me to see people lie about being combat veterans. The price my father has paid throughout his life for fighting across the ETO with the 9th Div. front-line has been very painful to witness. Why anyone would want or need to lie about such is beyond me, but I had a guy working with me a number of years who constantly lied about being assigned as a medic on an evacuation helicopter in Vietnam (please pardon my wording - I don't know the proper terminology to use for such). It used to drive me nuts, as we knew he was lying due to the fact we knew through a family member he had never even been out of the US in his lifetime. Ever! We frequently told him we KNEW he was lying, and he would call us names and NEVER retreat from his stories.

I asked my father about this issue one time due to my colleague, and my Dad got rather upset, but finally stated something to the effect that he could willingly lie about having never fought in the ETO, but that would still not make him forget, so why bother with the charade. The flip side, so to speak... He is 90 and still tells me he can see the face of every man he killed in close quarters. Why does anyone need to lie about having to do such things, when those who have try a lifetime to forget.

[oldred]

I guess most of us know these people, we had a fellow at one of the mines that we had nicknamed "Windy" due to his constant BS about Vietnam. In this case the guy was actually a vet, there was no doubt he had been there, but the stories he told were embarrassing to listen to. Still since he had actually been there no one bothered to call him out on it although we all knew he was full of it and everyone dreaded having him around because of it. To hear him tell it he was the Vietnam war equivalent of Audie Murphy on steroids.

[Boz330]

Especially since you needed to have a college degree to become an officer.

I'm not sure about the Corps but you could become an officer in the Army without a degree back then. All I had was some night school and was recruited to go to OCS. They screwed me around on it and I turned down the slot. My 1st duty assignment, we had a 19YO 2nd Lt as CO. The 1st Sgt actually ran the Company. They were so short of Officers and NCOs headed to Nam that they used what they had.
I'm not disputing your assessment of this individual, it sure sounds like he is a liar. Not sure why anyone would lie about serving.

Bob

[DougGuy]

I was 18 in '70 and drew a high number. The next year I drew a low number but they sent me a 1-H after I got in a federally funded school for ship builders. I served Viet Nam sailors with my craft at Ingall's West Bank Shipyard. Spruance class destroyers, LHAs. That's my 'Nam experience. Somebody had to build the boolits. I will never claim anything outside of this, but I claim it with pride, and I was glad to have served in the capacity I was granted. Why can't people be happy in their own skin?

[Love Life]

Not sure why anyone would lie about serving.

Bob

Because not everybody can, and they want the attaboys.

[fatelk]

Not sure why anyone would lie about serving
For the glory, man. Chicks dig it.

I have an acquaintance who is a retired SEAL (medically retired, with the missing parts to prove it). We went to a gun show with a mutual friend. He was pretty tight-lipped about his service but my friend had told me a little of his story. I would have absolutely no reason to question his veracity. Seemed like a really good guy.

One of the things he did talk about was what they used to do to posers. He told about running into a guy once who seemed to talk the talk, bragging about his SEAL adventures. He let the guy talk and asked some leading questions until he got some details about teams and dates. He then told the guy "Funny, I was there and I don't remember you."

He said the guy turned white, started backing up and stammering "Sorry, man, sorry... I just do it for the chicks..."

[abunaitoo]

Paper work can be faked.
It just takes time, money, or position.
Took a while for our health department to find an old birth certificate for obummer.
Now he's was born here, not where he was really born.
Person who was in charge of the dept of health at the time died in a plane crash recently.
They still made many mistakes on the form.

I thought stoles valor IS against the law?????

[winchester85]

i worked with a guy who claimed to be a gunship pilot in vietnam. i really did not believe him, everyone is always a sniper or a gunship pilot or something like that. one day at his house i saw an envelope with a return address for a military group. i took note of the unit listed on the address and when i got home i looked it up. he was telling the truth! i found his name and the unit and the type of helicopters that he flew.

[azrednek]

I worked briefly with a medically retired Navy officer. He freely admitted to trying, not making it as a Seal and not getting through the first week. The sleep deprivation and being suddenly awakened from a deep sleep caused him to have heart palpitations. He easily picked up on the BS'ers. He claimed he never met a genuine Seal in civilian life although he met many that claimed they were.

[texaswoodworker]

I'm not sure about the Corps but you could become an officer in the Army without a degree back then. All I had was some night school and was recruited to go to OCS. They screwed me around on it and I turned down the slot. My 1st duty assignment, we had a 19YO 2nd Lt as CO. The 1st Sgt actually ran the Company. They were so short of Officers and NCOs headed to Nam that they used what they had.
I'm not disputing your assessment of this individual, it sure sounds like he is a liar. Not sure why anyone would lie about serving.

Bob

I think you could be promoted in the field, but his age made that unlikely and the fact that his unit was long gone by the time he supposedly joined makes it a moot point. I'm not sure why he would lie. I think he may be a pathological liar. Many of the stories he has said and some of the advice he has given (not just military) sounds crazy.


A PDF of his DD214 should serve to end all questions of his honesty :)

Here is an example - This is NOT MINE

http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j452/skeettx/214.jpg

Several member asked for his. He basically told them to go jump off a bridge. Another member (neutral at the time, and VERY nice) offered to meet him at a range near both of their homes so they could get to know each other and shoot some. Shoobee reported him for "harassing" him.

[Rhou45]

Fakers,

They are everywhere, some even in the military. I am currently in the process of retiring from the US Army, after 26 plus years active duty. In every unit, at every duty station we have always had "that guy" that has been there and done it, better than everyone else. More often than not, when put to task, they come up short.

Therefore it does not surprise me when I run into the civilian counterpart of the same guy. Most of the time they had been in the military to some extent, a one enlistment term, and know very little about what life in the Army really is like. Other times, the guy has never been in at all, and just wants the attention the current audience provides.

In the past decade we have experienced many more of these fakes, I find them sadly comical when they try explaining what life is like in the military. They usually expose themselves real fast.

[azrednek]

I'm not sure about the Corps but you could become an officer in the Army without a degree back then. All I had was some night school and was recruited to go to OCS. They screwed me around on it and I turned down the slot. My 1st duty assignment, we had a 19YO 2nd Lt as CO. The 1st Sgt actually ran the Company. They were so short of Officers and NCOs headed to Nam that they used what they had.
I'm not disputing your assessment of this individual, it sure sounds like he is a liar. Not sure why anyone would lie about serving. Bob

I evaluated the resumes of some Viet Nam vets. I recall two that claimed to have received battlefield promotions to 2nd Lieutenant during the war. After the war and the military began down sizing they were offered an immediate promotion to 1st Lieutenant and resigning at the end of their 2 or 3 year hitch. If they wanted to re-up and pursue a military career they would have to go back to enlisted. I had no way to verify the veracity of their DD-214 or their explanation but it made sense after Nixon began rapidly down sizing the military at the end of Viet Nam.

I recall reading about numerous lawsuits in the early to mid-70's against the Department of Defense. After the war ended all branches of the military were top heavy. Numerous military officers, non-pilot Air Force especially were given the boot a few weeks to a few months short of earning a pension.

[kfarm]

On another forum there's a fellow liked by many for his exploits in Vietnam as a sniper, he very well may have been but as a combat photographer I find it hard to talk about what I did. That is taking pictures of men in green uniforms, green tanks, green trucks etc. I don't understand stand how a SNIPER would be so open with his missions. Just makes me wonder about the authenticity.

[texaswoodworker]

On another forum there's a fellow liked by many for his exploits in Vietnam as a sniper, he very well may have been but as a combat photographer I find it hard to talk about what I did. That is taking pictures of men in green uniforms, green tanks, green trucks etc. I don't understand stand how a SNIPER would be so open with his missions. Just makes me wonder about the authenticity.

That's been my experience with veterans. They may talk about it, but not all the time, or about all of it. Most of the stories I've heard from vets were not stories about combat. They were stories about boot camp, goofing around, doing cool things, ect.

[crowbuster]

I have never served, but have worked with and known many that did. This makes my blood boil. A lot of the guys struggled with things they had done and seen and rarely spoke freely of these things but as stated above, the "other" better times while they were in. Zero respect from me, cant imagine how you guys that have been there dun that can keep your cool. Thanks to all you guys.

[TXGunNut]

My shooting buddy was an Air Force bomber pilot and served in Viet Nam. Talks very little about it. Another (now deceased) was an Army combat vet who loved to tease wannabe SEALS. He'd tell them he was an one of a very few Army SEALS, their reaction was generally priceless. A few had even heard of his unit, lol. Never heard much about his experiences over there other than his last tour ended with a helicopter crash.

[SSGOldfart]

I'm not sure about the Corps but you could become an officer in the Army without a degree back then. All I had was some night school and was recruited to go to OCS. They screwed me around on it and I turned down the slot. My 1st duty assignment, we had a 19YO 2nd Lt as CO. The 1st Sgt actually ran the Company. They were so short of Officers and NCOs headed to Nam that they used what they had.
I'm not disputing your assessment of this individual, it sure sounds like he is a liar. Not sure why anyone would lie about serving.

Bob
Yes Sir you are correct even the Corp took in kids and made officers out of them,it was common to receive a battlefield commission as a 2Lt back in the early 70's as well,there was a lot of E-6's(SSG) that came back 1st Lt's if they made it through being a 2Lt,which had a life expectancy of 6 minutes on the battlefield. If you ever served in combat,you'll always remember it,even when you don't want to. 40-82hiker please thank your dad for his service he left some big track's for us to follow in.

[Frank46]

I still cannot figure out why people do this. In this day and age what with easy access to records and people who have actually been there when some of these people have and wild stories about what was done. So easy today to punch a few keys and get information. Frank

[kfarm]

Almost combat related but I had a heck of a time at our CO's son's bar mitzvah. They say a LTC and 2nd LT brought me back to the barracks and put me to bed. That was perks to being a photographer.

[40-82 hiker]

Yes Sir you are correct even the Corp took in kids and made officers out of them,it was common to receive a battlefield commission as a 2Lt back in the early 70's as well,there was a lot of E-6's(SSG) that came back 1st Lt's if they made it through being a 2Lt,which had a life expectancy of 6 minutes on the battlefield. If you ever served in combat,you'll always remember it,even when you don't want to. 40-82hiker please thank your dad for his service he left some big track's for us to follow in.

Will do! Thanks... Bless you for saying what you did. I will tell him your exact quote. All who have sacrificed to shape our world in times of turmoil have left big tracks. BIG TRACKS...

[LUBEDUDE]

That's been my experience with veterans. They may talk about it, but not all the time, or about all of it. Most of the stories I've heard from vets were not stories about combat. They were stories about boot camp, goofing around, doing cool things, ect.

Same here, in fact, it took my brother about 25 yrs before he would even talk about Nam to me. And the the same went to my friends that went over as well. Now when they got together with other Vets, I never heard any real war stories, just generalalities.

[LUBEDUDE]

About 15 years ago I was visiting my brother in CA. Every Sat morn a bunch of gun guys met for breakfast. When I was there, a hand full of SEALs were there. The very sore subject of posers came up. Let me tell you first hand, these guys take it to heart, and very seriously that anyone would dare violate the Brotherhood. These guys make it their MISSION to track these posers down and stop them- the old fashioned way! And when a SEAL goes on a Mission, they don't fail.

I would not want to be in that Poser's shoes when a Pack of SEALs came knocking on my door!

[Dhammer]

Just take a look on Stolen Valor's FB page. No shortage of em.

Cop and fireman get the wana b's too. I get the fireman because they get all the love. But saying your a cop one never knows the response and that's when ya have to . It's just the opposite most hate ya. We had this one guy who had his car decked out like a police car. Fake radios, ballistic shell carrier hung over front passenger seat with a bogus duty belt and metal clip board on the seat. I used to tell people I was a garbage man. No one ever ask any more questions after that. ;)

Second time, I got out of military worked with this piece of garbage who claimed he just got out of Seals. Um, too young to have finished a 6 year commitment. 50lbs over weight. And team he kept claiming he was from weren't stationed in the US like he claimed. That, I knew for a fact. He got away with anything and everything. They were so enamored with the liar and his fake accomplishments. It was almost comical if it hadn't been for him claiming what he didn't earn.

Used to have a young guy go around wearing BDU's with delta force tabs where I grew up any time guard or reserve units were training and all sorts of other fake stuff. But he'd always find a few who'd fall for his lies of the day. The ones who didn't make it through boot camps can be some of worst of bunch too.

[w5pv]

He may have done like this one fellow I use to work with.He would read the stories in these mens action magazines insert him self in as the main character and then put his own ending to the story.I asked his brother about the reason he told so many untruths and he said that they had lost an older brother in WWII may have been the reason.But he wasn't old enough to have served in WWII but all his stories were WWII.

[bruce drake]

http://www.archives.gov/veterans/

Go here and do a service records request for any potential "Stolen Valor Hero". You will get a report detailing where and when the man or woman served as well as any schools on their file so you will quickly be able to determine whether they were the Company Clerk that was discharged out for cooking the books or actually doing what he said. If they are unwilling to put their SSN to the request, that raises a red flag in its own right.

Me- I served 5 overseas combat tours in my career. Never a "hero", just did my job and brought my men home as safely as I could. What more can you ask for than that.

Bruce

[Newtire]

:sad:Could be this was what Sheldon on the Big Bang Theory was doing after he graduated college at age 11...?? Somehow, seems unlikely....

[Moonie]

I had an uncle in Vietnam, 4 tours as a CSAR, man had 70,000+ stick hours in rotary wing aircraft by the time he retired. They still use some of the anti-sub tactics he came up with in the late 70's. He turned down NASA when they wanted him to become an astronaught because he thought it too dangerous, a Combat Search and Rescue pilot thought it too dangerous, let that sink in. I did not serve, I am content with having raised one of Uncle Sam's Misguided Children that did see duty in Buttcrakistan. He came back changed, but not all for the bad.

I've had lots of family that served, another uncle that was a nose gunner/radio man on a B-17 in the south pacific during WWII (dad was born 9 months after my grandparents took a train to CA to visit him, he was the youngest by far of his parents 6 children). Another Uncle that was 101'st airborn, never knew until after he passed.

Even though I never served I have many friends that did, you can generally tell the real from the fake, the fake tend to be open and giving with the stories, the real not so much.

[HarryT]

Being a front line special ops troop must be the safest job in the military. When I was in (1969-1973) about 12% of the military were some sort of combat troop, Marine, airman, sailor, etc... The other 88% were cooks, drivers, admin, quartermasters, etc... Now I only meet highly decorated combat veterans and I wonder what happened to the REMFs. If it weren't for all the people supporting the men (back then we didn't have lady combatants) in the field, we'd have been up the creek very quickly. I don't blame the wantabees for their lies. Being in the US military was a great experience and I think Vietnam was our best war. Lots of pretty women, booze, drugs (if you like it), and the best music ever (plus free ammo!).

[Omega]

Being a front line special ops troop must be the safest job in the military. When I was in (1969-1973) about 12% of the military were some sort of combat troop, Marine, airman, sailor, etc... The other 88% were cooks, drivers, admin, quartermasters, etc... Now I only meet highly decorated combat veterans and I wonder what happened to the REMFs. If it weren't for all the people supporting the men (back then we didn't have lady combatants) in the field, we'd have been up the creek very quickly. I don't blame the wantabees for their lies. Being in the US military was a great experience and I think Vietnam was our best war. Lots of pretty women, booze, drugs (if you like it), and the best music ever (plus free ammo!).I am not old enough for Nam, but am one of those support people you speak of. Though I found myself on the front line on a few occasions due to my logistical job as well as my main job as a FARP team member, I was not a "door kicker" and will never portray myself as one. I could never understand the mentality of those that out and out lie about their military service, specially when they had none. I worked along side many spec ops troops and their heroism is their own and I consider it very disrespectful of those that want to bathe in their light.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

I think there are two reasons people usually get away with this. We are rightly reluctant to check up from the internet etc. on people we know personally. Less excusably, a lot of people don't want concern for mere fact to intrude on a story that excites them.

It is a low, self-glorifying act. The only thing healthy about it is that a small minority doing this, is a whole lot better than a large minority treating soldiers as near-criminal because they got themselves sent to Vietnam. It is an improvement. But theft...? Don't you define theft as taking someone's property with the intention of permanently depriving him of it? The last bit is not going to happen.

I once got a very good grade in college because a very senior member of staff had been a Wing-Commander in Special Operations in wartime, and he and his friends stole a train in Bombay. They had a good reason of course. They were drunk. Well what could anyone do to them that was worse than sending them up the jungle? They'd been, and were going again. He loved me because I told him he couldn't possibly have deprived the railway permanently of its train. There was no kind of corruption, of course, just a private tutorial with coffee and biscuits any time anything puzzled me.

No, all those posers deserve is a sad little life in which people despise them, either due to latching onto the falsities, or just to an instinctive feeling that they have something the matter with them. Come to think of it, they've probably got that already.

[Rhou45]

Now I only meet highly decorated combat veterans and I wonder what happened to the REMFs. If it weren't for all the people supporting the men (back then we didn't have lady combatants) in the field, we'd have been up the creek very quickly.

The REMF's are still there, but on today's battlefield the enemy is everywhere. There is no line seperating between us and enemy territory, we are imbedded amoungst them. Today's enemy took the entire North Vietmenanse playbook and aded their own twist to it.

The REMF's get mortared regularly (if not nightly), and shot at or blown up on every supply run to support the comabt arms guys. As you see on the news ocassionally, the enemy tries to get onto the FOBs/COPS in order to kill inside the fence lines. Often as members of the local police force or host country army.

REMF's will always be there, but the enemy has found it easier to attack REMF's than force on force in combat. The US Army can destroy any other force in a stand up fight, therefore they will not stand. Easier to blend in and sucker punch us when they can.

[Rhou45]

But theft...? Don't you define theft as taking someone's property with the intention of permanently depriving him of it? The last bit is not going to happen.

No, all those posers deserve is a sad little life in which people despise them, either due to latching onto the falsities, or just to an instinctive feeling that they have something the matter with them.

Stolen Valor is theft, if the faker uses it to obtain any personal gain, and it has been done for such. Fakers have been caught using fake credientials to make a profit. It is a real crime.

[NavyVet1959]

I always figured they did it because they had some mental issues. Low self-esteem or something like that.

Some of us are vets and freely admit that we just did our jobs and there was nothing heroic about it. We might have some good sea stories, but they are usually about doing something stupid and Darwin being asleep on the job. :)

[Omega]

The REMF's are still there, but on today's battlefield the enemy is everywhere. There is no line seperating between us and enemy territory, we are imbedded amoungst them. Today's enemy took the entire North Vietmenanse playbook and aded their own twist to it.

The REMF's get mortared regularly (if not nightly), and shot at or blown up on every supply run to support the comabt arms guys. As you see on the news ocassionally, the enemy tries to get onto the FOBs/COPS in order to kill inside the fence lines. Often as members of the local police force or host country army.

REMF's will always be there, but the enemy has found it easier to attack REMF's than force on force in combat. The US Army can destroy any other force in a stand up fight, therefore they will not stand. Easier to blend in and sucker punch us when they can.There are a few support roles that though not Direct Action (DA) their jobs take them into hostile territory. Our Helo crews, Downed Aircraft Recovery Teams (DART), Forward Airborne Rearming and Refueling (FARP) team, and of course Combat Search And Rescue (CSAR) teams would many times be out amongst the DA guys doing their part. Due to the way the enemy has slipped into guerrilla war tactics there is no real "safe" area in theater. We used to get mortared on a daily basis by some guys in a pickup truck, they were usually not very successful at hitting anything but you had to be cautious moving around many areas of the Forward Operating Base (FOB). If you walked around looking at the Hesco barriers at any of the FOBs you would see AK, mortar fragments, and even RPG fragments in them. My hooch was by the fuel bags and every afternoon when I woke (I worked at night) I would have to inspect it for leaks and clear any debris around them so the rotor wash wouldn't hurt anything or anyone. In the morning when I was ready to go to sleep, I would wait until EOD would take care of the Unexploded Ordinance (UXO) otherwise I would be awakened anyway. Damned inconsiderate of that mortar team to wait until my sleep time to try and hit us I must say.

[Love Life]

Everybody wants a piece of the attaboy pie. Why people feel the need to lie about their service is beyond me. Heck, you even have active duty service members faking the funk...like you can't tell they are full of poo from their shamefully small ribbon rack or mosey on over to MILPERS and check their record. I know myself and my former squad members rarely ever talk about the bad things in war unless we are all together tying one on.

A question that gets my goat is when an instructor asks a class "Who has been in combat?" and a whole slew of sandwich clamps hit the air. Sorry buddy, just because you were "Over there" doesn't mean you were in combat. Actual ground combat of a prolonged nature. The best thing to ask them is:

[bruce drake]

Lovelife just reminded me of my Captain's Career Course in 2005 after I had a year-long tour in Iraq and a REMF Instructor Captain with a Gulf War Combat Patch asked how many of us had seen combat... of the 25 of us, the only ones not have been in combat at small-arms distances was 3 National Guard female officers and a Reservist who was trying to get on Active duty and the Egyptian Foreign Exchange Officer...80%...

Later, the dumbarse asked how did we expect to make company commander with some of the discussions we had regarding non-book responses to logisitical resupply and convoy operations...16 of us had already served as a Company Commander for a year or more before we even attended the course...

We later found out he had been pulled out of theatre and company commander early the year prior and he had only served in Kuwait...The end of course reviews were harsh to say the least...

Me, just serve and protect...the rest comes natural. I personally get very angry when I constantly hear from civilians, "Thank You For Your Service." How do I respond to that... "Sorry I didn't see you on my flank in Iraq..."

[Love Life]

HAHA!!!

That reminds of a time a 2ndLt said something that blew our minds (took a lot to do that). OD green under armor shirts had just hit the PX, and my buddy was one of the first in the platoon to get some. He was wearing one when we got caught up for a working party and told to drop our blouses as we could do the working party in boots and utes.

Well, the LT sees this fancy new shirt on my buddy and immediately goes high and to the right. Then he said it..."If you get shot with a flamethrower, the material will stick to your skin!!!". I remember that the retardedness of the statement actually caused me to drop my smoke.

My buddy didn't miss a beat and responded with "If I get shot with a flamethrower then I have other s-word to worry about than my shirt sticking to my skin." and carried on business as usual. As soon as the LT left, he looked at me with a look of bewilderment and proceeded to spend the next two hours of the working party making boot jokes about the LT.

The LT actually ended up being good to go once we got him broken in, but that is a story for another day.

[NavyVet1959]

I personally get very angry when I constantly hear from civilians, "Thank You For Your Service." How do I respond to that... "Sorry I didn't see you on my flank in Iraq..."

Well, they mean well, so don't let it bother you. I get that sometimes, but it's too much trouble to explain that the closest I ever came to "action" was a fight in a bar or breaking up a fight between some drunken sailors when I was pulling SP duty. They had this recruitment slogan -- "Navy... It's not just a job... It's an ADVENTURE"... Well, for some of us, it really did just end up being a job -- a job with long hours, crappy pay, and crappy food. After awhile, it really doesn't matter where you were in the world, it all looked the same -- haze gray and underway...

[Larry Gibson]

Now this is no s**t........

There I was on the north fork of the humongous river...........

We were up to our a** in brass........

Knee deep in grenade pins........

Odds were probably 50 to 1 at least and we were surrounded........

Went to hand to hand combat...........

and you know what..........

one of those 2 b*st*ards darn near got away from us..........hey, buy me another beer and I'll tell ya another..............

Larry Gibson

[SeabeeMan]

HAHA!!!

That reminds of a time a 2ndLt said something that blew our minds (took a lot to do that). OD green under armor shirts had just hit the PX, and my buddy was one of the first in the platoon to get some. He was wearing one when we got caught up for a working party and told to drop our blouses as we could do the working party in boots and utes.

Well, the LT sees this fancy new shirt on my buddy and immediately goes high and to the right. Then he said it..."If you get shot with a flamethrower, the material will stick to your skin!!!". I remember that the retardedness of the statement actually caused me to drop my smoke.

My buddy didn't miss a beat and responded with "If I get shot with a flamethrower then I have other s-word to worry about than my shirt sticking to my skin." and carried on business as usual. As soon as the LT left, he looked at me with a look of bewilderment and proceeded to spend the next two hours of the working party making boot jokes about the LT.

The LT actually ended up being good to go once we got him broken in, but that is a story for another day.

It wasn't just Seabee Officer's spouting that line about Under Armor being out biggest worry if we ever got hit?!

My next younger brother was a borderline (probably past the line, but he's my brother) stolen valor guy for a little bit. He got into a bunch of legal trouble during high school and somehow they let him join the Army Reserve. He went to boot camp, came back home, and never reported to a drill or for his deployment. About 6 months later he finally got picked on a B&E with his financed vehicle he had never made a payment on full of stolen property. He went off to prison for a few years and the military basically said "you were never here, we don't know you."

My youngest brother and I were both home at one point and one of his buddies, who proudly (he thought he had outsmarted them) malingered his way out of the Navy after 6 months in boot camp and med hold, started talking to all 3 of us about being in the military. We started catching on about middle brothers stories and after a little digging we figured it. We told him that if we ever heard of him talking like that again, it would be a beating the likes of which he couldn't imagine.

Mom told us later that we scared the tar out of him and that he had spent the next week telling people never to mention it again and that he had his story wrong.

[Love Life]

It wasn't just Seabee Officer's spouting that line about Under Armor being out biggest worry if we ever got hit?!



Ya'll got the same line. That's funny right there. The way the brass downed under armor at first would lead one to believe that the whole institution was in danger of being disbanded if under armor caught on. Then one day it was magically acceptable.

[kfarm]

OK I'm up for one more exciting tale from my trip to the delta. On fine morning in 1969 my unit (heavy contruction) who was on TDY to Vietnam was told to go out and fix some pot holes in the highway. Apparently being a photographer wasn't going to get me out of the trip cause the brass always wanted pictures of what their troops did so off I went. It was me and several others in this helicopter going off to battle well fix pot holes. I'm a small guy 5'4" and about 100 lbs at the time so the Capt. Says give camera the 60. OK now I have 2 cameras, a M14 now a dang M60 with the extra barrel and stuff. The chopper stops and hovers, I'm thinking he's going to land so short stuff here can get out. WRONG, at about 3' I'm in the door with 6 or 8 guys behind me yelling get out. Next thing I know I'm flying out with more arms than I got arms. I land face down on the 60 spitting out teeth, as I try to get up and find out what exactly happened, I'm thrown back on to the helicopter with all my stuff going back to base. A medic gave me a shot and I rode back with my head out the door like a dog feeling no pain. Well I never did get pictures of the fixed pot holes but did hear the guys did a darn good job putting dirt back in the bomb crater. And that no enemy action was seen, thank goodness cause I had the M60 back at base with me. Its been a long time since then and have had a real dentist fix my two front teeth so they look natural but sometimes I look in the mirror and remember the day I heroically jumped out of a chopper M60 in hand ready to battle the enemy. And that's the truth by golly.

[Rufus Krile]

kfarm... so, did you ever live down kissing the pig? Friend of mine in the reserves told me their equipment was so old, he thought one of the 60's had been mine... I asked him "Why, did it smell like p1$$?"

[JWT]

I used to work with a Viet Nam vet. We worked out of town so we tended to spend our nonworking time together as well. In 5 years of working together every day and having dinner at each others apartments 3 times a week, Denny didn't talk about his service. I did get a few stories of the lengths he would have to go to so he could go to concerts when he was on leave without being hassled. He once mentioned that he was a sniper. Denny Matthes died about ten years ago and I still have his company sticker on my hard hat.

[kfarm]

I guess since we were only support we never did get caught up in a lot of slang. Only years later did I learn of guys calling 60's pigs. They were just called 60's sometimes M60's in the 293rd heavy construction unit. But it seemed like only the little guys had them. Oh! at mi size I had the opportunity to to be a tunnel rat but I gladly declined and rose to the position of 84B (photographer)

[fatelk]

My grandfather was in WWII, never told me anything about it until the last year of his life, and then it was some stories about the occupation of Japan. Very interesting, stuff I'd never heard anywhere else. He was a railroad guy, never in combat.

[LUBEDUDE]

............. Oh! at mi size I had the opportunity to to be a tunnel rat but I gladly declined and rose to the position of 84B (photographer)

Now a Tunnel Rat!, that just HAD to be one of the highest stress, adrenaline rush jobs. Up there with the explosive guys. Just you, your brains, and your nerve.
No screwing around or sleeping at the wheel here.

[duckey]

Check out Don Shipley on the YouTube. He is a retired SEAL and he video records his phone cons with fakers, calls em right out. Its amazing how many DO NOT fess up. Most seem to do it to get business for themselves. It is quite entertaining to watch.

[18Bravo]

As my avatar states, I am former Army Special Forces or, if you prefer the Hollywood classification, a Green Beret. I had the privilege in the early 70's to walk in the shadows of some of the finest men ever to wear a uniform. while I am extremely proud of my association with SF, I now find myself hesitating when asked "what did you do in the Army" question. Stating the truth will almost automatically brand you as a wan-a-be or poser. From my observations there are 100 people claiming to be SF for each person that legitimately was! SF has always referred to themselves as The Silent Professionals so talking out of school goes against the grain of who and what we are. Run into someone running their mouths off about being SF and I can guarantee you're talking to a liar. I hold nothing but disdain for anyone claiming military service or awards that haven't been earned. Hopefully there's a special place in Hell for them. In keeping with the theme of this post (poser, liars and wan-a-be's) my credentials can be verified by going to www.specialforcesassociation.org (http://www.specialforcesassociation.org) and inquiring about member M12499.

[kfarm]

One of these days I'll tell y'all the harrying tale of being in the tall grass on a death defing mission of taking pictures of dirty smelly unhappy GI's while trying to find my P38.

[texaswoodworker]

One of these days I'll tell y'all the harrying tale of being in the tall grass on a death defing mission of taking pictures of dirty smelly unhappy GI's while trying to find my P38.
Were they hungry too? :p

[kfarm]

Any one ever being in the army in the bush knows, your SOL if you loose the one most important pieces of equipment ever made the P38.

[NavyVet1959]

Any one ever being in the army in the bush knows, your SOL if you loose the one most important pieces of equipment ever made the P38.

Yep, nice and compact, but the old Camillus knife was nice to have also.

135301

I think I still have mine around here *somewhere*...

[jaysouth]

Of the two and a half million people who served in Vietnam, thirteen and a half million are still alive.

Old SEAL Chief: "Three hundred SEALS served in Viet Nam and I have met at least three thousand of them.

[NavyVet1959]

(not so) Suprisingly, no one ever lies and brags about being a cook in the military.

On a side note... When I was in the Navy, they were called Mess Specialists (MS). These days, I hear that they are called "Culinary Arts Specialists". Either someone is pretty full of themselves or the food has improved drastically. I suspect the former...

[Omega]

Yep, nice and compact, but the old Camillus knife was nice to have also.

135301

I think I still have mine around here *somewhere*...Most Riggers in the Army are familiar with this one

135304
Though we usually were not allowed to keep our's, we would sign it out to use in the field. It was not until I happened to fall into a Sapper School slot that I received my army version of the knife you show. Not sure who makes it, it has US on the side but never bothered to look for a mfg mark. It was the only knife we were allowed to use to cut C4 due to it being non-spark. I still have it, and a P38 on the last set of dog tags I had worn.

[jaysouth]

Most Riggers in the Army are familiar with this one

135304
Though we usually were not allowed to keep our's, we would sign it out to use in the field. It was not until I happened to fall into a Sapper School slot that I received my army version of the knife you show. Not sure who makes it, it has US on the side but never bothered to look for a mfg mark. It was the only knife we were allowed to use to cut C4 due to it being non-spark. I still have it, and a P38 on the last set of dog tags I had worn.

That is a TL 29 Linesmans knife, Carried in linesman's pouch with a pair of linesman's pliers (look like Klein Electrican pliers without insulation and much smaller.

go here: https://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/knife_forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=34035

[Larry Gibson]

A few I used over the years, some more than others.

Larry Gibson

135322

[lefty o]

i sure wasnt a BM, but i have the brown handled one with the marlin spike and straight blade on it. wicked sharp!

[kfarm]

We had some of the best cooks in my unit in Germany that could put some high dollar chiefs to shame. This one baker, man his pies and cakes were good.

[NavyVet1959]

Though we usually were not allowed to keep our's, we would sign it out to use in the field. It was not until I happened to fall into a Sapper School slot that I received my army version of the knife you show. Not sure who makes it, it has US on the side but never bothered to look for a mfg mark. It was the only knife we were allowed to use to cut C4 due to it being non-spark. I still have it, and a P38 on the last set of dog tags I had worn.

I remember mine having "Camillus" on one of the blades. As far as being able to "keep" it, well, mine just kind of "followed me home". :)

Don't know about it being non-spark though. Mine was used mostly for cutting and stripping wire -- not necessarily the proper tool for the job, but as the old saying goes, "if your only tool is a hammer, every problem is a nail". Other than that, probably the bottle opener got used the most, although the can opener was pretty useful at times.

http://www.donrearic.com/demoknife1.html

[NavyVet1959]

We had some of the best cooks in my unit in Germany that could put some high dollar chiefs to shame. This one baker, man his pies and cakes were good.

When was this? These days, I hear that the military is often using civilian workers for the mess halls / galleys on shore stations / bases.

The best fried chicken that I ever had in the Navy ended up being rabbit.

[cowboybart]

I worked with a guy (for 3 weeks) that claimed to be a Ranger. Later, after I smelled BS, I found out that he was administratively discharged during Basic Training. It took me a while to wade thru the BS because Army lingo is different than Navy lingo. I believed him at first until his age and some numbers didn't add up.
He is in the state pen now for theft, burglary and road tax evasion.

[NavyVet1959]

I worked with a guy (for 3 weeks) that claimed to be a Ranger. Later, after I smelled BS, I found out that he was administratively discharged during Basic Training. It took me a while to wade thru the BS because Army lingo is different than Navy lingo. I believed him at first until his age and some numbers didn't add up.
He is in the state pen now for theft, burglary and road tax evasion.

Considering some of the "embellishment" that I've seen on some of the resumes over the years from job applicants, it's not surprising that someone who couldn't even make it though boot would all of a sudden end up as a Ranger in his own mind later in life. :( Sometimes, I think they tell the lie so much that they actually start to believe it themselves. In cases like his, I suspect that he would have been better served to never have even mentioned that he had been in the Army. It was a short enough period of time and he was probably young enough that it's not like he would need to explain a gap in his work history.

The vast majority of the military is basically a support system for those who are actually involved in combat. If we didn't do our jobs, they couldn't do their jobs. Whether you were a supply clerk or cook, you were doing your part. People should be satisfied with just doing their job, no matter how unglamorous it might have been, since it was a necessary part in the entire machine that is the military.

[SeabeeMan]

I worked with a guy (for 3 weeks) that claimed to be a Ranger. Later, after I smelled BS, I found out that he was administratively discharged during Basic Training. It took me a while to wade thru the BS because Army lingo is different than Navy lingo. I believed him at first until his age and some numbers didn't add up.
He is in the state pen now for theft, burglary and road tax evasion.

I've suspected a few individuals I've encountered were full of BS but I just didn't know the Army terminology well enough to call BS and pin 'em down.

[9.3X62AL]

The most egregious case of "stolen valor" I am aware of involved a now-departed sergeant who worked at my old agency that for several years maintained a faux identity as a Naval petty officer. This guy didn't appear to be a faker, he did a real good job as a patrol deputy--detective in 'crimes against children'--and sergeant in both jail and patrol settings. As a "reservist", he used pre-accrued benefit time for the purpose of military leave--which should have been the first clue--but nobody questioned this anomaly, the guy had such a good reputation as a good employee that no one really inquired.

The faker's undoing finally came at a semi-formal social event the Department held at which both the faker and another very sharp and capable deputy were in attendance. This deputy was also a very real Naval Reservist, working in the intelligence field. Our faker came to this event in Naval full dress whites, so our intel guy got curious once he got close enough to see the faker's array of service ribbons......the arrangement of which was out of order in a couple ways. The real reservist asked a couple veiled questions of the faker over which the phoney baloney baboso stumbled and stuttered. The faker left the event minutes later, well prior to the event's conclusion.

Gotcha.

Well, not so much. The Monday after this Saturday event, our real Navy man presents a written memo to his sergeant and routed to Sheriff's Administration detailing his observations--beliefs--and opinion as a U.S. Navy intelligence analyst that the faker's conduct posed a potential threat to national security in view of his supervisory position within the Sheriff's Department. (This was pre-9/11, so such assertions had a bit less weight in those simpler times).

Things went nuclear downtown. At least one Chief Deputy threatened to fire the real Navy guy for daring to question the integrity of Admin's fair-haired boy, and things were getting tense all around. Our Navy guy wisely routed a memo up his military chain as well, and within a day or so conversations were had between Naval command ranks and our Sheriff concerning the Navy-confirmed fakery perpetrated by this idiot. The final note to this symphony of BS was struck by the faker himself......when asked to explain his actions, he said "Fooled you, didn't I?" and resigned shortly thereafter.

I leave to the reader any thoughts on the psychology of this course of conduct.

[jaysouth]

For several years I was a lay counselor in a PTSD group sponsored by a local veteran's service organization. The first meeting that a new member attended was a meet and greet type where all the old hands welcomed the new guy. Of course there were lots of questions about their service and how their service contributed to their PTSD.

Generally there were three categories of new guys. The first group was made up of people who did the most mundane of jobs in the service. There were cook, truck drivers generator mechanics, gun bunnies and lots of grunts. Most of them were there for genuine help and perhaps a leg up at a VA disability.

The second group were former SEALS, Army Rangers, 'Green Berets, so they said. Many of them claimed service of a nature and location that was "still classified". At the end of the first meeting, I would instruct such candidates for our group to bring their DD 214 to the next meeting so we could "process" them in. With one exception, we never heard from them again.

The third group were just outright frauds. They claimed 'black ops' experience and they were with the CIA or other government agencies so secret that they could not say the name. Some had military experience, some had never worn a uniform. At the end of the first meeting, I would explain to the 'spooks' that our funding was very specific about US armed services veterans and they should contact their old agency to find out what help was available through that channel. We never heard from them again.

But I never got over being amazed that anyone would falsely claim to be a Viet Nam Veteran. There has never been a group of people so hated and reviled in our society. I once knew someone who enhanced his resume to cover his service in VN. He claimed for the time that he was in the army, that he was in prison for anti-war activities or in prison for refusing to go to VN. I never knew him to be out of a good job.

Some day I could write two or three long chapters in a non fiction book about wannabe heros that I waited on while a bar tender in the 70s.

[Blue2]

Napoleon I heard was the first leader to issue medals for military service and valor awards I was told one time. This of course created the opportunity for posers. My grand-dad who served as a sargeant on the heavy artillery during the first war won a high level award for valor and military service. I remember as a child attending Remembrance Day services with him and he wore this single medal on his chest. A lot of the other older vets had an amazing amount of ribbons and "gongs" on their blazers. Grand-dad was not a man who was full of war stories. He had been to the mountain and seen the bear.
I asked him why he had only one medal and these other men had numerous. He showed me a drawer full of the same medals that these other vets had been displaying. He referred to them as Bully-beef Medals" I asked for an explanation and in polite language he explained that these were what we would call today R.E.M.F.s Rear echalon mother f##kers. The military spear has a long shaft but only a small sharp point. All the rear support jobs and supply are necessary and honorable but only a small portion of serving tropps are at the pointy end of the stick in direct contact with the enemy and in extreme danger.
His point was that for every theatre of war that a troop was in he received a service medal. So if you were during your service time a Service Batallion soldier who then transferred into the Armored Corp and finished up as a Infanteer and staioned in the U.S or Canada and then went to England before the invasion and then passed through four or five European Countries during the war you can have a chest full of Service and Campaign ribbons and been a desk clerk during the entire war.

[jcwit]

I never tried to pass myself off as something I wasn't. I proudly served in the Army, however I never served in combat. Was assigned to a desk in the Pentagon, why, I have no idea. But I did the best job and served as best I knew how, running to Canada was not even an option that entered my mind.

Today I still serve with our local Honor Guard, mostly for funerals, however today I need to take a heavy pain killer to fulfill the time required for standing at attention. I'm 71 now.

Medals???? I received 2, The Good Conduct & The National Defense.

Only ever met one man who seemed to look down on me and my lack of combat service, don't know what his problem was, maybe ghosts in his past, I just went and did as I was told.

[bruce drake]

24 years and a whole lot of medals...I recognize the Bronze Star Medals from my combat tours and my Good Conduct Medals from my enlisted time as the medals I am proudest of. The rest were primarily end of tour awards, Overseas service medals and an occasional superior performance award. I think my wife likes my rack of medals more than I do...Its getting to the point where I am about to tell her that since I'm retired, I will only wear suits to fancy occasions now instead of my uniform.

Bruce

[Love Life]

CAR, Navy Com w/V, and good conduct are the only ones I care for. The rest are pretty much "Thanks for showing up" medals and ribbons.

Funny story on the GWOTE. When I first hit country in 2004, we had the choice between getting the GWOTE or the Iraq Campaign medal. All the senior Marines were choosing the Iraq Campaign Medal because if they went back then they would get stars and it would look cool. I chose the GWOTE because if I went back then I got the Iraq Campaign medal then and would be very Chesty Puller-ish. Then they came out with the campaign phases for the Iraq campaign medal so if you spent 10 minutes in Iraq then you got a bazillion stars on the Iraq Campaign Medal. HAHA!!

[skeettx]

AND
I like my Marksmanship ribbon with device :)

http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j452/skeettx/shoot1.jpg

Mike

[Alvarez Kelly]

AND
I like my Marksmanship ribbon with device :)

http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j452/skeettx/shoot1.jpg

Mike

Congratulations Mike!

I'll admit that is one of my favorites too. To those that don't know, most Air Force personnel qualify on the handgun or the rifle. Very few get the opportunity to qualify for both, let alone make expert in both.

[gkainz]

I got to qual with both in Navy ... altho they issued separate ribbons
135491

[lbaize3]

I have met several people who claimed that they were Viet Nam vets and were not. Those events were not friendly.

I can always proudly tell people to go to http://swiftboats.net/ . Find Boat 64 and count down to the 10th name.

I am also one those goofy people that did not have enough time left in service to go to Viet Nam when I volunteered. I extended my enlistment for another year just so I could serve on Swift Boats. So I have limited patience with pretenders.

[skeettx]

SOOOOO, is your nickname "sparky"

Radioman Second Class

Well done, and Thank You for your Service to our Country

Mike

[lbaize3]

You bet ya, I answer to Sparky with a big smile. I will never forget walking Church street in Honolulu and hearing someone sending morse code, telling me to do something physically impossible. It was a wino sitting on the curb and drinking from a brown paper bag. Turned out to be a WW2 sailor that stayed in Hawaii after mustering out. my buddy, Howard McDowell and I sat and visited with that veteran for the longest time.

Wow, your question brought back ancient memories!

[jaysouth]

A few I used over the years, some more than others.

Larry Gibson

135322

Larry, tell us about the one at the top that appears to be an Al Mar knife? Is it the SERE model?

[koehlerrk]

As a young, stupid, 18 year old kid, I wanted to be a Marine because I was thinking college wasn't my thing. This was fall of '94 when Clinton was gutting the military. Between that, my bad eyes, bad lungs, and messed up knee, the recruiter told me "I'm sorry son."

Thus started the worst two day depression bout of my life. My best friend got sick of hearing me feeling sorry for myself, said I better get off my duff and I'd better make college work, and we hit the books. A few years later I graduated #1 in my class, had my pick of jobs, and now have a career designing multi-million dollar industrial machines. Some days I still miss what might have been, but then I look at my wife and kids and realize God had plans for me that didn't include the military.

So, for those of you who served in my place... thank you.

Back on topic, Stolen Valor should potentially be a capital crime, with punishment supplied by real veterans.

[woodbutcher]

:drinks:My Father and his oldest brother served in the trenches in WW1.To all veterans who have served,who are serving and who will serve in the future,thank you and God bless you all.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo.

[NavyVet1959]

AND
I like my Marksmanship ribbon with device :)

http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j452/skeettx/shoot1.jpg


I heard that was based on your golf score in the Air Force... :)

[Larry Gibson]

Larry, tell us about the one at the top that appears to be an Al Mar knife? Is it the SERE model?

Yes. Al gave a couple A teams some some very good training on the combat use of knives. I received that knife from him with the agreement that I use it. I carried it and used it in training, on deployment and on duty as a LEO.

Al was SF, a good soldier and mentor. My privilege to have known Al.

Larry Gibson

[Alvarez Kelly]

I heard that was based on your golf score in the Air Force... :)

Well... I earned the same medal with star, and I don't play golf.

I guess it's my turn to discuss the Navy's love of powdered soap.

[NavyVet1959]

Well... I earned the same medal with star, and I don't play golf.

The AF always had the best golf courses. They've got all that land for the runways, so they just *have* to do something with the land surrounding it.

[Love Life]

One time I was hanging out with my brother (14 years Air Force) and he was telling me how proud he was to get his Marksmanship ribbon. I said "Looky here boot, (He has 3 years more TIS than I do) only bootbands shoot marksman. Chicks dig wreaths, not pizza boxes!".

It denigrated into a wrestling match that left me with a broken finger and him with a swollen eye. Dad just looked on us with amusement and said we are both boots. Of course he was Army so I took it to mean he was only talking to my brother.

[jaysouth]

Yes. Al gave a couple A teams some some very good training on the combat use of knives. I received that knife from him with the agreement that I use it. I carried it and used it in training, on deployment and on duty as a LEO.

Al was SF, a good soldier and mentor. My privilege to have known Al.

Larry Gibson

I bought one of these several years ago to give to my son in law when he graduated from the Police Academy. i set it up to clip in his left pocket. I made him practice deploying it with his weak hand to use the knife to defend against a gun grab. After about five years he bought a titanium auto opener with his uniform allowance. He now carries that to fend off gun grabs.

After he bought the auto opener, he gave the Al Mar SERE back to me. I then passed it on to another son in law was in the 3d Group. He carried it on three or four deployments to the sand box. Now that he is a staff puke at Ft. Carson, he gave the knife back to me. I have the knife on the safe until another family member needs a very sturdy folder.

Next time you see a cop carrying a knife clipped in his strong hand pocket next to his gun holster, ask yourself, how will this cop use his knife to defend against a gun grab? Conventional wisdom has the officer clamp his strong hand over the perp's hand on the weapon, deploy a backup weapon with the left hand and use it on the perp's face. A sharp knife stuck a couple of inches in an eyeball changes the focus of the would be gun grabber (pun intended). Assuming you are right handed, how are you going to deploy the knife that is clipped in your right pocket while your right hand is busy trying to keep a perp from grabbing your gun?

[histed]

To all of you gentlemen (and I use the term with great respect) who've shared your memories and experiences - the REAL vets, like my now deceased father, my heartfelt thanks for your service, whenever it was. I graduated in 1973, grew up with the "television war" and was told I'd never serve because of a heart murmur. I've never pretended to be something I'm not, though it always irks me that couldn't. I'll never steal what so many earned with the ultimate sacrifice.

[jaysouth]

Here is my proudest possession. An Expert Infantry Badge that I earned when I was an 18 year old PFC. I tested with over three hundred other infantrymen, some who had been Infantry OCS grads. There were four awarded and I got one.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l222/jwsoutherland/dark%20and%20dirty%20deeds/infantry_zpsxf7eqsqc.jpg (http://s97.photobucket.com/user/jwsoutherland/media/dark%20and%20dirty%20deeds/infantry_zpsxf7eqsqc.jpg.html)

Later I got two combat infantry badges, one of which was rescinded. But I am still proudest of my EIB.

[dcryder]

I am very proud of all that served this country, as my dad served in the airforce and was over in south africa for a couple of yrs. He could not tell me what he did because it was classified. He has been gone now for 9yrs and I have his dd214 papers and I recently talked to a retired officer from the airforce and asked him if he could find out what the no.s and letters meant on his dd 214 and he told me he couldn't because it was classified. Even now I am still very proud of my father even though I couldn't serve believe I tried, but being the only child and having holes in my eardrums they all said no. So it really makes me made as hell when I hear someone lying about serving. I thank every one of ya who served and still serving as we will never beable to repay the debt we owe you.

[snowwolfe]

About two years ago I was reading an article published online by the VA. The article went on to say that over 65% of the guys who said they served in Nam made it all up.
I joined the Air Force in 1971 and can tell you personally that about 2/3rds of the people I meet who start sprouting off about their "Nam" careers are liars just from finding out their age and listening to the other made up lies.
Anyone who lies about being in the military, medals awarded, places served, etc should be tossed in the fricking jail. They are all a disgrace to all men and woman who did serve
I served for 21 years before retiring in 1992 and nothing torks me off more than these babies who were to afraid to even sign up when it was unpopular to do so and now try to get the attaboys for being in.

[cowboybart]

I have a question on the "coins" that vets now carry. I have seen folks talk about their coin on TV, but don't know when they started. Is it just an Army/Marine thing?? A campaign thing?? Did it start after 9/11??
Apparently the Mediterranean didn't count as "in theater" during Desert Storm. Or the Navy doesn't do coins, or I got out before the coin could catch up to me.