Ex-Marine pleads guilty to wearing unauthorized medal

[thedrifter]

March 26, 2004

Ex-Marine pleads guilty to wearing unauthorized medal

By Jay Reeves
Associated Press


BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The head of an organization that honors military heroes faces a possible prison term after agreeing to plead guilty to wearing an unauthorized medal.
Dallas R. Ricker, 69, admitted wearing a Navy Cross medal he hadn’t been awarded, prosecutors said Thursday. The medal is the military’s second-highest award for valor after the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Ricker, a retired Marine sergeant from the Birmingham suburb of Hoover, had been chairman of the Marine Honors Society, a nonprofit group that recognizes military leaders. His current status with the group is unclear.

He agreed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor federal offense that carries a maximum of six months imprisonment and a $10,000 fine. Under the law, Ricker could also get probation. No hearing date was set.

Neither Ricker nor his attorney immediately returned telephone calls seeking comment.

In a statement, U.S. Attorney Alice Martin said part of honoring military heroes is policing the awards system that recognizes them.

“Those who violate the law by wearing decorations which they have not earned may expect to be prosecuted,” she said.

An investigation began last summer after Ricker brought a group of Medal of Honors recipients to Washington for an event that was supposed to be free, said Carol Cepregi of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.

The recipients wound up having to pay for the trip, she said. Federal agents were tipped off that Ricker was seen wearing a Navy Cross and began a review, she said.

After checking Ricker’s military records, the FBI determined he had not earned the medal, Cepregi said.

“We hear about these phonies at least once a week,” she said.




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Copyright 2003 The Associated Press.

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/stor...58-2768291.php

Ellie

[sgt.lane]

Fry his balls in hot oil............................................... ..........

[MillRatUSMC]

There's no ex-Marine, this Marine has Dishonored himself by wearing something that other better men than himself have been honored for acts of valor by the Navy Cross.
He was retired so that makes a Marine till he dishonored himself.
They should give him the max, so others might learn.
I just feel sad that he had to resort to wearing a medal to up his self-esteem...sad...

Semper Fidelis
Ricardo

[CAS3]

I believe he is the poster child for an X Marine...any piece of crap that would pretend to be something he is not.

Up until this event, he would have been a former Marine.

[charlie222]

" Once a Marine, always a Marine", well, once you have Dishonored the Corps YOU are NO longer a MARINE! You lost the ability to use the title forever. charlie222 out.

[leroy8541]

Thats hits the nail right on the head, there is no such thing as an ex-Marine, unless you were dishonored by the corps. If at one time you were a good Marine then became a sh!tbird and got kicked out you are one of the few for sure, an Ex-Marine.

[USMC-FO]

I believe "ex marine" is the correct assessment here.

[ivalis]

Need some help here.

When is it kosher for a non-active personel to even wear a uniform?

[charlie222]

The answer is yes." Retired Marine Corps personnel may wear either the uniform prescribed at date of retirement or any of the current active duty authorized uniforms". (See Uniform Regulations). " While, Honorably separated wartime veterans may wear the uniform authorized at the time of their service". But,"non-wartime service personnel separated(other than retired and Reserve) are not authorized to wear the uniform but may war their medals". charlie222 out.

[Soon2BkidTx]

Well i understand that this guy dishonored our Corps. Maybe when he was a Marine, he felt he did something great and was not awarded for it. You all know how the system works. Some one has to see it and live to tell about it for it to be recognized. Yes we are going to bash him down for doing this, but then and again we dont know this Marines story. I dont know about you all, but i have seen many Marines doing great things and never awarded....I have seen it and i have heard about it from generations of my family being in the service.

Im not saying what he did was right, bc thats as wrong as you can get, but former Marines, Marines today, and future Marines should know the system, how it works, and do glorify all the Marines that have the highest honor of tradition, but dont forget all the other Marines that were on there side doing the same thing they did to get what they got......OOH-RAH! & Semper Fi

[charlie222]

What? Marines know the name "Honor" and Marines also know never to dishornor the "Corps". He was wrong and wearing the 2nd highest award is below any standard of commitment to being in our mist. In my unit in Vietnam a person put in for a Purple Heart for a bite by a snake. But the snake was already dead, was killed by the 1st Sgt. and put in a bucket. He (you quess it) put his hand near the bucket and was bite. This was funny at the time cause he could have been killed by the verom of the Cobra, but what was not funny was when the word got out of his paper work for the P.H. He didnt't get it, but had to see the Bn., CO. and tell him his story. That's when a policy of getting any P.H. you almost had to be dead by enemy action was sent to each Company. Also, most Marines know it never about getting personal awards, but doing things that get the job done. Most times it's not rewarded by Medals. charlie222 out.

[vision836]

I thought I saw this story on JAG well any way put his name on the list next to Pete Rose.

[CAS3]

Originally posted by Soon2BkidTx
Well i understand that this guy dishonored our Corps. Maybe when he was a Marine, he felt he did something great and was not awarded for it. You all know how the system works. Some one has to see it and live to tell about it for it to be recognized. Yes we are going to bash him down for doing this, but then and again we dont know this Marines story. I dont know about you all, but i have seen many Marines doing great things and never awarded....I have seen it and i have heard about it from generations of my family being in the service.

THAT IS WHAT SEPERATES MARINES FROM SOLDIERS.
WE DO NOT JOIN OR DO OUR JOBS IN ORDER TO GET A MEDAL.WE ARE MARINES AND IN MY OPINION, SCREW GETTING A MEDAL FOR ANY ACTION. IT IS OUR JOB, LIFE, AND WHO WE ARE.
THE ARMY DISHES MEDALS OUT LIKE THEY ARE CANDY.

[Robert Carnot]

A MEDAL!

There are no EX MARINES; There are those who have been mis-guided; those who have visions of grandeure, and those who are just plain losers. They are our brothers, regardless of their infraction. Let us not judge them; unless we are ready to judge ourselves. CAS3, where do you get your authority to speak? (90-91)? I, as many of us have seen a lot in our days in The Corps. and medals are not what it is about. This is about an individual and we will deal with it and keep the "EX" from our Corps!! CAS, I hope you do not take offense------WLYB!!


Bob C.

[USMC-FO]

Col:

I think your shot at Cas for her service in 90-91 is a not so subtle effort to intimidate. She may not take offense but I do. Her tickets on this site are well known and appreciated.

Secondly I am curious to know if you would tag a Marine as "ex" if he were given a DD or perhaps "drummed out" ? If not why not ?. If so then I would argue that this question of tagging an "ex" in front of a person who clearly seems to be running some sort scam including wearing an unautorized Navy Cross then becomes only a question of where the line of dishonor begins. I suspect for most people this fellow is well past that line and thus clearly warrents the "ex". As I noted previously I certainly do.