Soldier Stories
Served in the military? Discuss your time and experiences here.
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Fake Marines..
Removed by original poster on 06/09/09 - 16:17:05 (GMT).
Removed by original poster on 06/09/09 - 16:17:23 (GMT).
Whiskey6
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North Carolina, United States
Member Since: August 15, 2006
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Posted: Thursday, May 14, 2009 - 02:45 AM UTC
Personally, I would just leave it.

Those who have earned the title of United States Marine know who they are. The others are just litlte boys in big bodies playing dress up.

Semper Fi,
Dave
exer
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Dublin, Ireland
Member Since: November 27, 2004
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Posted: Thursday, May 14, 2009 - 02:58 AM UTC
Why don't you ask to see any photos they have?
Removed by original poster on 06/09/09 - 16:17:41 (GMT).
mmeier
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Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
Member Since: October 22, 2008
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Posted: Thursday, May 14, 2009 - 04:51 AM UTC
Question from Europe:

Why would anyone claim to be a Marine without having been one? Is the mythos behind the USMC that big in the US or does one gain a benefit/better job change?

Sabot
Member Since: December 18, 2001
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Posted: Thursday, May 14, 2009 - 05:52 AM UTC
Google Stolen Valor and you will find it is a common practice to claim ficticious medals and false military service. I've talked to former "soldiers" who didn't know the difference between a captain and a corporal.
AJLaFleche
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Massachusetts, United States
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Posted: Thursday, May 14, 2009 - 06:27 AM UTC
This may be a case of choosing which hill to bleed on. You know he's full of so just let it go. Keeping relative peace within the family may be a loftier goal than trying to expose him. If he brings up his "service," change the subject or leave the room.

I used to work and occasionally run with a guy who claimed he couldn't run in races because he had a major back injury falling out of a helicopter in Vietnam and the VA would cut his disability if they found out he could run. He claimed to have had major back surgery. Well, sharing a locker room with someone, you do get to see his back. If he had had back surgery, it would have had to have been done by proctologist. There was also a question of his age having been too young to have been over there when he tried to make it sound like he was.

He, too, was a major in other areas, claiming to have fathered Christy Brinkley's child ascribed to Billy Joel, among other things.
calvin_ng
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United States
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Posted: Thursday, May 14, 2009 - 10:07 AM UTC
This is the one thing i hate, so called veterans, even though others believe him, in his heart he will know that hes just lying, i just cant stand that people would lie about serving for their country. its a shame people will lie about these things. they will never know how its feels to be in the armed forces and fight for the country you love and owe your life to.
Grumpyoldman
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Florida, United States
Member Since: October 17, 2003
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Posted: Thursday, May 14, 2009 - 10:35 AM UTC
Never was a Marine...... but we sure carried a few around the ocean. (There were actually this thing called "Fleet Marines" on ships back in those days)
I don't think every ship has a Marine detachment now, as we did back then.


Yes I was that young once-------- but just as grumpy.


AlxUSMC
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Armed Forces Europe, United States
Member Since: December 04, 2008
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Posted: Thursday, May 14, 2009 - 10:36 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Question from Europe:

Why would anyone claim to be a Marine without having been one? Is the mythos behind the USMC that big in the US or does one gain a benefit/better job change?




Its not necessarily that it gives you a better job...its the title...its just the fact that you are one. Ive found out that most of the fakers were infact in the service...but a pfc or private that worked in the chow hall or was a company clerk pretending to be a grunt or recon Marine.
AlxUSMC
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Armed Forces Europe, United States
Member Since: December 04, 2008
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Posted: Thursday, May 14, 2009 - 10:45 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Personally, I would just leave it.

Those who have earned the title of United States Marine know who they are. The others are just litlte boys in big bodies playing dress up.

Semper Fi,
Dave



After all the [auto-censored] we go through to earn that title to have some pansee that claims it without earning it to your face makes me want to knock them the out...but you're right...its hard to swallow, especially after all our brothers (and one sister RIP Cpl Jenn Parcell) we've lost. Its good to get some advice from former Marines....it makes the soul rest.

Semper Fidelis

Alex
18Bravo
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Colorado, United States
Member Since: January 20, 2005
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Posted: Thursday, May 14, 2009 - 03:43 PM UTC
Your timing is impeccable. The big news in Colorado today (and around Ft. Carson) is of Richard Strandlof, AKA Rick Duncan. He is the founder of the Colorado Veterans Alliance, which, by and large has proven itself to be quite legitimate. Mr Duncan's story, however, is not. Mr Duncan claims to be a graduate of the Naval Academy, a Marine Captain with three Iraq tours to his credit, and to have a steel plate in his head from an IED.

He has never served in the military.

Other members of of the Colorado Veterans Alliance were stunned to find out their founder was in fact a crook, who may have been pocketing contributions to their organization as well as being a fraud.

He is currently a guest of the Denver County Sheriff's Dept.

On a related subject, I'm a member of a very small fraternity myself. I've been given the quiz more than once, generally because of my ring. Usually the production of a coin replaces the usual bona fides. For instance, almost every one will remember their commandant at the Q course. Mine happens to have been Major (at the time) Bob Howard, arguably the most decorated member of the US military - ever. We have a few standard questions which quickly establish who we are. I've run into a few phonies over the years myself. I pity them more than anything. However, what I do find particularly distasteful is a current fashion company displaying our unit patch on their quasi-military fatigue jackets - upside down. I've politely informed two people I saw wearing it, and to my surprise, they both agreed to remove it completely. One even enlisted my help. They had no idea of the significance of what they were wearing.

Sadly, even one of our own members of Armorama chose to question whether I am what I say I am, but I'll say again: As he couldn't even carry my rucksack, I don't sweat him.
AlxUSMC
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Armed Forces Europe, United States
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Posted: Thursday, May 14, 2009 - 07:31 PM UTC
It's very unfortunate that people don't see this as a big issue....it should be a felony to impersonate ANY service or falsely claim certain valor that real men and women have earned. I have questioned several people, but I never assumed that it would be family. I had the same issue with those faux shirts with our ranks on them, I politely asked a student at University of Houston to remove his rank of Marine Cpl, which I was at the time...he refused, I happen to be with several boot camp buddies that shipped out from Houston with me, lets just say we took it from him along with the upside down flag on his shoulder. Anytime I see an Eagle, Globe, and Anchor, I approach the person wearing them and I have never encountered any doubts except for the instance with my wife's father and step father. As far as your claim of Col Howard being the most decorated person...I have to respectfully claim LtGen Chesty Puller....goodnight Chesty, wherever you are!!

milvehfan
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North Carolina, United States
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Posted: Thursday, May 14, 2009 - 08:22 PM UTC
He has a DD FORM 214 or does'nt he ? That will give the service info . Just my 2 cents. milvehfan
lespauljames
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England - South West, United Kingdom
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Posted: Thursday, May 14, 2009 - 09:52 PM UTC
a small comment, but hopefully relevant,
you can be charged for impersonating a police officer so surely impersonating any rank in any military service( impersonating, im sure fncy/dress parties would still be ok. )
should result in a charge
AlxUSMC
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Armed Forces Europe, United States
Member Since: December 04, 2008
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Posted: Thursday, May 14, 2009 - 10:31 PM UTC

Quoted Text

He has a DD FORM 214 or does'nt he ? That will give the service info . Just my 2 cents. milvehfan



He doesnt actually have his original one, it was lost in a flood back in Louisiana, and hasnt gone through the trouble of getting a new one. I tried to get his records based on the FOIA, but had no luck.
dropshot
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Provincia de Pontevedra, Spain / España
Member Since: October 23, 2006
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Posted: Thursday, May 14, 2009 - 11:36 PM UTC
Well my sentiments swing between pity & hysterical laughter because I am now of the opinion that when they´ve told the stories so many times,they eventually end up believing them theirselves. An ex president of some Spanish ex-inmates of Nazi concentration camp survivors organization during a considerable time frame was proven a couple of years ago (I think ) as a fake ,so a few can be very convincing. When anybody sets off the alarm on my BS-ometer,I make my excuses & leave because it just goes on & on then up & up, they are like Duracell bunnies,there´s no stopping them without the use of violence & or humilliation. We all know that, that is the last resort so just leave them to humilliate themselves without getting ones-self into trouble. "Walter Mittys¨"
AJLaFleche
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Massachusetts, United States
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Posted: Friday, May 15, 2009 - 01:19 AM UTC

Quoted Text

a small comment, but hopefully relevant,
you can be charged for impersonating a police officer so surely impersonating any rank in any military service( impersonating, im sure fncy/dress parties would still be ok. )
should result in a charge



The issue of impersonating a police officer has to do with attempting to use polilce powers or intimidation where someone is being someone is being aggrieved. You'd have some serious first amendment issues if you tried to legislate blowhards from being blowhards. Now, if htey falsified records and used them to defraud the government or VA, you'd have another issues. As Lincoln said, "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt".

These two dimwits in Alex's life are showing themselves to be idiots and don't deserve the time of day.
Sabot
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Posted: Friday, May 15, 2009 - 01:54 AM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

He has a DD FORM 214 or does'nt he ? That will give the service info . Just my 2 cents. milvehfan



He doesnt actually have his original one, it was lost in a flood back in Louisiana, and hasnt gone through the trouble of getting a new one. I tried to get his records based on the FOIA, but had no luck.


Back in the day, before identity theft, discharged and retired servicemen were instructed to file their DD Form 214s with their local county clerk's office. That way they would have access to it in case the original was lost.

If he's an older jarhead, he would have done what he was told to do and his 214 would be on file.

We had a member here from Germany who said in one post that he was 13 and then in another he was in the German Army about to go to Afghanistan. A few questions from a real German soldier on the site sent that kid packing.
exer
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Dublin, Ireland
Member Since: November 27, 2004
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Posted: Friday, May 15, 2009 - 02:29 AM UTC

Quoted Text

We had a member here from Germany who said in one post that he was 13 and then in another he was in the German Army about to go to Afghanistan. A few questions from a real German soldier on the site sent that kid packing.



People are strange.

He actually said he'd been to Iraq when no German troops were there and he had "Lost a few good men" It turned out from his IP Address that he was living in Canada. He tried to bluff his way out by saying he was on leave in Canada. I think his account was terminated.

Then there was the Spanish woman that said she was a survivor from one of the Twin Towers on 9/1. She was very active in a charity for survivors- it turned out she never worked in the Towers and wasn't even in America on 9/11. She just wanted the attention.
18Bravo
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Colorado, United States
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Posted: Friday, May 15, 2009 - 07:24 AM UTC

Quoted Text

As far as your claim of Col Howard being the most decorated person...I have to respectfully claim LtGen Chesty Puller....goodnight Chesty, wherever you are!!




We could certainly have a polite disagreement on this. Colonel Howard, despite an act of Congress prohibiting subsequent awards of the MOH (around 1912 or so) was put in for it a second and third time, all within about a year's time, for separate actions each time.
He was recently in Iraq with another MOH awardee in support of the troops there.
He was cetainly a life long inspiration for me- I was 20 when I began the Q Course, and I guess he had to have been in his forties. He led every run and ruck every morning, and smoked every single student there regardless of age. And when he said "hit it!" if you could not reach out and touch the ruck in front of you, you failed the ruck march, which was actually a run. Failing any combination of three rucks or runs bought you a ticket on the BlueBird of Happiness- the school bus back to Ft. Bragg from Camp MacKall. The Q Course is longer and has more BS incorporated into it these days (language school as a separate phase now) but I can always say "Oh yeah? We had Major Howard!" It may not have been the last tough class, but it was certainly one of the finest led.
To keep this on track, I doubt ANYONE would be silly enough to ever question Colonel Howard on ANYTHING.
AlxUSMC
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Armed Forces Europe, United States
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Posted: Friday, May 15, 2009 - 11:27 AM UTC
cmon bud im just giving you a hard time...I gotta represent my Marines
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mj
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Posted: Friday, May 15, 2009 - 09:55 PM UTC

Quoted Text

I wanted to know what you guys esp Marines would do



I don't worry too much about it.

There was a time you had to watch your back if you wore a uniform ...

It's nice to know people want to be associated with one again.


Cheers,
Mike