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View Full Version : False MOH???



Mike Fishbaugh
06-18-08, 09:03 AM
I recently ran across a website at the links below, where a Fred L Brown is
caliming he earned the MOH in RVN but was cancelled. (RVN)This makes no sense to
me. Could it be true or a phony looking for attention. Puts a bad reflection
on those who died and Armed Froces in General. He even posted a
citation on his site. Is he in violation of the "Stolen Valor Act"? He even has a online petition to get it restored.

http://www.angelfire.com/film/fredleobrown/dialup/medal.html

http://www.angelfire.com/film/fredleobrown/military_years/three.html

ggyoung
06-18-08, 10:47 AM
Mike-------Sounds iffy to me. All on line petitions are invalided. They have to have a seigneur with a address written by hand. I believe that if this had happened the whole world would have heard about it.

davblay
06-18-08, 11:39 AM
I recently ran across a website at the links below, where a Fred L Brown is
caliming he earned the MOH in RVN but was cancelled. (RVN)This makes no sense to
me. Could it be true or a phony looking for attention. Puts a bad reflection
on those who died and Armed Froces in General. He even posted a
citation on his site. Is he in violation of the "Stolen Valor Act"? He even has a online petition to get it restored.

http://www.angelfire.com/film/fredleobrown/dialup/medal.html

http://www.angelfire.com/film/fredleobrown/military_years/three.html

During the Nam there were many, many Army units in country, doing covert things and such. There was a lot of citations that were recommended but they were downgraded to lessor awards, not uncommon (even in the Army)!

I had the pleasure...no the Honor, of serving with one of the survivors of "Hamburger Hill", This man was wounded 7 times in that few days battle, but kept up the fight. His primary job was "Dog handler", armed with a sawed off shotgun", When the final battle was over there was one squad leader, one RTO, and Barney! They had spend from May 11th to May 23rd, 1969, taking a hill that was abandoned three days later and given back to the VC!

For his part in that Battle, SFC (E-7) Barney Chapman was recommended for the Silver Star W/V, two Bronze Stars, W/V, 7 Purple hearts, 5 Army commendation medals. He recieved all but the Silver Star which was downgraded to another Bronze Star W/V (total of three Bronze Stars).

In 1985, while serving with him in recruiting, the Secretary of the Army came to our conference and awarded him his Silver Star medal, with apologies from the Department of the Army (20 years late).

As we Marines know the Army was, and still is, big on chest candy. But in those days, in the War in Nam, there were just so many recommendations that they were easier to downgrade than it was to award the medal the soldier was recommended for. It worked for years until some of the vets started raising hell about it and a review board was set up, and still in place, to review any contested awards form that era.

Granted the Army recommended several awards that the Corps would not have, but that is the Corps' way. For instance I once met a Army company clerk that served in the Nam as a clerk in Siagon. Just to prove a point he recommended hmself for the Silver Star for Valor and got it. He never even went to his bunker or fired his M16! But again that's the Army way. his citation was signed by all the approval signature all the way up to Gen Westmoreland himself...I saw it myself!

So is this guy a "wannabe poser", maybe, maybe not! But petitions will not get his records straight (the petition would have to contain members that saw the action that the award was recommended for), that takes a board action of the Secretary of the Army. They review all documents from that time frame and battle, etc, etc, and make the final decision. I don't feel that he will get his MOH, not in his lifetime or his childrens lifetime for that matter. Maybe in a time when we are not at war and the congress is looking for heros, maybe then! But that is just my 2 cents!

Dave

Jim Oliver
06-19-08, 01:30 PM
I don't know. I have heard of the MOH being rescinded once. That was a woman doctor who won it during the Civil War.

She kept it until the 1890's then it was taken away. That was a political thing, I think.

So, it could be true. I know that the guys who served with Maj. Dick Winters are teying to get bhis DSC upgraded to the MOH. And, his actions are well documented.

So, I don't think this guy has much of a chance. He needs to find the men he served with and get them to verify his story. I don't think the Army will move on it based solely on an on line petition.

Even with witnesses it seems to take forever.