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Military Posers, personal peeve[W:130]

Rexedgar

Yo-Semite!
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As those who have followed a few of my rants have found, one of my pet peeves is people who embellish their military service either by outright falsehoods or through deception, omission and innuendo. I served from 1972 -1975. Never left the CONUS and never heard a shot fired in war. I DESPISE those that served and deceive others and most of my revulsion is for those that never served and claim service. I am older than the majority here and find fewer veterans here and in daily life. That is just the times we live in. What say you?
 
Re: Military Posers, personal peeve

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

For the most part, people I see pretending to have served are just sad.
 
Re: Military Posers, personal peeve

I hate it, I knew a homeless drunk claiming to be a seargent major, never called him on it, but would not that rank, carry a very posh pension?
 
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I recently read an obit of someone I knew was not in the service up until 1974 when he was arrested for murdering a woman he kidnapped from a local train station. Funny thing is he was buried a war hero and Vietnam vet. Now how the **** did that happen?
 
Re: Military Posers, personal peeve


I worked with a guy in KC that claimed he was a Marine Medal of Honor winner, said it time and time again and I got suspicious, so did a little research, they are all listed. In the end I outed him as a fraud and he was exposed, nothing more despicable in my book, he dishonored his fellow Marines, he turned out to have been a Cook, which by the way is honorable service, but he disrespected all those that wore the uniform by his claims.
 
Re: Military Posers, personal peeve

And every guy on the corner with a sign pleading for money is always a vet. Sure.
 
Re: Military Posers, personal peeve

I don't understand why people who have served embellish their record. The mere fact you served means you did more than most people do for their country.

I served 20 years in the Army, the bulk of which was in cushy embassy assignments. I wore my uniform maybe once every three months. And other than one hairy week trying to get out of Libya during their revolution, I never saw anything close to combat.

I have had the good fortune to work with actual SEALs, Special Forces, and other pointy end of the spear type warriors. They never bragged about their combat prowess and never made me feel lesser for my support roll.

I used to get angry when I heard of cases of stolen valor. Nowadays I just pity such people.
 
Re: Military Posers, personal peeve

Slingshot Bob said:
I hate it, I knew a homeless drunk claiming to be a seargent major, never called him on it, but would not that rank, carry a very posh pension?
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A Sergeant Major retiring in 2017 at 20 years would have a monthly pension of about $3,000 before taxes. If he retired 10 or 20 years ago the pension would be less. Certainly not posh but one would think it would be enough to put a roof over your head.
 
Re: Military Posers, personal peeve

I never said anything but that is what I thought, never questioned his claim about 200 plus kills either. He passed last year, he drank skol vodka like water. GOD rest him, whatever his truth.
 
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Could be just a Vietnam Era Vet. Here: Those who served in-country Vietnam have a longer period of time in which they qualify to be a Vietnam Era Veteran (from 1961 to 1975) while those who did not serve in-country havOfficial Definition of a Vietnam Era Veteran – a shorter time frame in which they can be considered Vietnam Era Veterans (from 1964 to 1975).

The Definition of a Vietnam Era Veteran | Archives | Veterans Today

In March of 1973 all military was pulled out of Vietnam due to the Paris Peace Pact. The Marine Embassy and Consulate guards along with some active military with USDAO were not and they left in April of 1975 when Saigon fell.

I really don't know about the individual you were talking about.
 
Re: Military Posers, personal peeve


The only way the guy I am talking about would qualify is if they dropped his murder charge in exchange for him going to Nam sometime in 1974 and 75. That's not out of the question, but it would be some seriously ****ed up ****.

The last news report I can find on the case is his grand jury indictment in late Nov 1973. After that, he falls off the radar...until that obit.
 
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Re: Military Posers, personal peeve


I never have been too bothered. The strange thing about Vietnam was how unpopular it was. Yet there was approximately 2.7 million men who served in Vietnam and at one time I read that 6 million had reported to the census bureau they had served there. I don't know the fascination of telling someone or reporting to the census bureau that you served when you didn't. Perhaps a bit of guilt for not serving? I don't know. Here's something I found, that six million is more like 9 million.

Census Stats and “I Served in Vietnam” Wanabees
1,713,823 of those who served in Vietnam were still alive as of August, 1995 (census figures).

During that same Census count, the number of Americans falsely claiming to have served was: 9,492,958.

Vietnam War Facts, Stats and Myths
 
Re: Military Posers, personal peeve

You may have been more 'bothered' if you had served?
 
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No troops in Vietnam in 1974/75. I was one of the last to leave on 20 March 1973 going back to Thailand for my second tour there.
 
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Some cases of stolen valor are just pathetic. But some cases make me very angry. Friend of my kid's went into the Marines, and the same behavior problems he'd had in high school got him booted. But he did spend two weeks in Iraq before being shipped home. He claims to have PTSD and draws $4k a month for his "disability." Also gets free Xanax from the VA, which is a good high when mixed with weed and booze. I'm just waiting for him to spin one of his outlandish yarns in front of the wrong vet and finally gets what he deserves.
 
Re: Military Posers, personal peeve

Perotista said:
No troops in Vietnam in 1974/75. I was one of the last to leave on 20 March 1973 going back to Thailand for my second tour there.
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Yeah, no "combat" troops. I know. My thoughts are he went in under the radar as either special ops or some sort of evacuation related support personnel. That or they (whoever he cut the deal with) just faked his background for some reason. He died as an EMT in 2015. I think he was 59.

It's the damnedest thing. I was so curious that I almost requested to buy his court records. But, my wife told me not to...just in case there is a can of worms no one wants opened.
 
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I highly doubt that. But strange things went on over there. MEDT-C pulled out of Phnom Penh Cambodia just before it fell to the KR on 17 April 1975. The evacuation of Phnom Penh was peaceful with no problems, went off without a hitch. I was working at JUSMAGTHAI at the time. You can google Operation Eagle Pull. Saigon fell on 30 April 1975, that was a mess. For details, google Operation Frenquent Wind. The Vientiane agreement on Laos was signed in February of 1973, much like the Paris Peace Pact which the NVA ignored, the PL basically ignored the Vientiane agreement. Laos fell 15 August 1975. We had already pulled out our Project 404 personnel. For that google project 404 secret war Laos.

59 huh, that means he was born in 1956 and in 1975 would have been but 19. Possible I guess. If that fits. One thing I learned in my 10 years in Southeast Asia was some of the most outlandish tales turned out to be true. Now I said some.
 
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JUSMAGTHAI has been around that long? I used to make periodic trips over to see them when I was stationed in Phnom Penh 8 years ago.
 
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Actually, I know for a fact he was 19 at the time of his arrest in Oct of 1973. So, he must have been 61 when he died in 2015. (Yep, age 61, died Apr 2015. I just double checked the obit.)

Like i said, I knew he didn't serve before his arrest. So, for the obit to call him a Vietnam vet immediately caught my attention.
 
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Skeptic Bob said:
JUSMAGTHAI has been around that long? I used to make periodic trips over to see them when I was stationed in Phnom Penh 8 years ago.
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Actually it began as MAAG Thailand back in 1950 and in 1953 changed its name to JUSMAGTHAI. It was and is located at the same place on Satorn Road in Bangkok. Although I think it began out at Don Muang and moved to Satorn in either the late 1950's or early 60's. At one time JUSMAGTHAI was big. Probably nearing 800 people. It not only had its J's 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8, it also had a ARAG, AFAG, NAG, advisors to the thai Army, Air Force and Navy along with JAG and the lot. There was also a MACTHAI from 1962 to 1976. For those who don't know JUSMAGTHAI stood for Joint United States Military Advisory Group Thailand and MACTHAI Military Assistance Command Thailand. During the Vietnam War close to 50,000 troops were stationed in Thailand.

I do get long winded. By July of 1976 all of those troops were withdrawn leaving but 40 military at JUSMAGTHAI. I had another years extension approved and if they kept 80 instead of 40, I would have been one of those who stayed. But most of those 40 dealt with FMS. All the advisors were gone. I belong to the VFW post 9951, Bangkok which meets in the JUSMAGTHAI compound once a month.
 
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A lot of people claimed to be a Vietnam Vet after the war was over. Like this, I posted it before, but not to you, I don't think so anyway.

cousins not her brothers.

Census Stats and “I Served in Vietnam” Wanabees
1,713,823 of those who served in Vietnam were still alive as of August, 1995 (census figures).

During that same Census count, the number of Americans falsely claiming to have served was: 9,492,958.

Vietnam War Facts, Stats and Myths
 
Re: Military Posers, personal peeve


Wow! 5 x more people say they are V vets than actually are. smh
 
Re: Military Posers, personal peeve

calamity said:
Wow! 5 x more people say they are V vets than actually are. smh
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Shocker isn't it? I always wondered how many of those fake Vietnam Vets were protesters against the war. No one will ever know. I wonder who they are trying to impress? What was so important that they would lie about it, make it up? It really doesn't bother me that they do or did. Heck, there were congressmen caught lying about that. Three that I remember and I think all three resigned or two resigned and the other was beaten when he ran for Re-election.
 
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Yeah. While I was digging into this guy's story, I was hoping to find a website that listed all the Vietnam vets. No such luck.
 
Re: Military Posers, personal peeve

calamity said:
Yeah. While I was digging into this guy's story, I was hoping to find a website that listed all the Vietnam vets. No such luck.
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No, there were so many. It would be quite a site. I know of one for Laos which is trying to get the names for all of us stationed there and one for MEDT-C Cambodia. Some units that were in Vietnam also have web sites. But even those are just the tip of the iceberg. About the only way to make sure is to see one's DD-214. Even then, depending upon what one was involved in, it may not even be mentioned there.
 
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