Phony Marine crashes funeral

[thedrifter]

Phony Marine crashes funeral
By Eugene Mulero, Daily Record

Walter K. Carlson has never served in the military, but that didn't stop him from wearing a Marine dress uniform decorated with two dozen medals at a funeral for a Morris County Marine officer on Wednesday.

That is the charge filed against the Summit man by the FBI.

Carlson, 58, was summoned to appear today at 2:30 p.m. at U.S. District Court in Newark before Judge Ronald J. Hedges on charges of illegally wearing military awards at the funeral of Marine Lt. John Thomas "J.T." Wroblewski at Our Lady of the Mountain Church in Washington Township. Wroblewski, 25, who grew up in Jefferson, is Morris County's first fatality in the Iraq war. He will be buried today at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

FBI agent Thomas A. Cottone, who was at the funeral, said that Carlson was at the funeral wearing a Marine Corps dress uniform with 24 medals. The uniform bore insignias indicating rank of captain.

"When I saw him wearing those medals, I knew right away what he was doing," said Cottone, who specializes in apprehending people who illegally wear military awards, particularly Congressional Medals of Honor.

Cottone, a parishioner at Our Lady of the Mountain Church, said Carlson first claimed to have earned the medals but later admitted that he had never served in the military.

"I know about 90 percent of all highly decorated officers in the state, and I didn't recognize him," Cottone said.

According to Carlson, who spoke with the Daily Record by phone Thursday, he attended the funeral to personally feel respected and also to honor Wroblewski. He admitted to dressing up as a Marine on almost a dozen other times prior to the funeral. Carlson said he had attended Veterans Day and Memorial Day events in Morris County.

"I did this for myself, nobody else. I always wanted to be in the Marines. I knew one day I would get caught," Carlson said, from his home during the phone interview. "Growing up I was picked on."

Carlson said he never had a psychiatric evaluation, but takes medication for his diabetes. He has lived in Summit almost all his life and works in Dover.

Carlson said a friend who is a veteran gave him access to a military store where he could purchase Marine uniforms and medals.

Agent Cottone explained that common reasons why people decide to impersonate military officers is to impress others, financial gain or because they always wanted to be in the military.

"People who wear these medals falsely do a great disservice to those who earned them. Many Marines have died to serve our country and rightly earn their awards posthumously," Cottone said.

Cottone was made an honorary Marine by the Commandant of the Corps for his work. Cottone is also the FBI's national case agent for investigations into illegal wearing of military awards, he said.




Walter K. Carlson, center, attends the funeral for Marine Lt. John Thomas "J.T." Wroblewski. Directly in front of Carlson are Wroblewski's parents, Shawn and John Walter Wroblewski. Dawn Benko / Daily Record

http://www.dailyrecord.com/news/arti...alsemarine.htm

Ellie

[usmc4669]

According to Carlson, who spoke with the Daily Record by phone Thursday, he attended the funeral to personally feel respected and also to honor Wroblewski. He admitted to dressing up as a Marine on almost a dozen other times prior to the funeral. Carlson said he had attended Veterans Day and Memorial Day events in Morris County.
"I did this for myself, nobody else. I always wanted to be in the Marines. I knew one day I would get caught," Carlson said, from his home during the phone interview. "Growing up I was picked on."
Carlson said he never had a psychiatric evaluation, but takes medication for his diabetes. He has lived in Summit almost all his life and works in Dover.
Carlson said a friend who is a veteran gave him access to a military store where he could purchase Marine uniforms and medals.

[b]Sometimes you have to feel sorry for these poor Bast*rds,

[MillRatUSMC]

A picture of a FOOL
quote;
"I did this for myself, nobody else. I always wanted to be in the Marines. I knew one day I would get caught," Carlson said, from his home during the phone interview. "Growing up I was picked on."
unquote.
Now which medals was he wearing.
A few years in prison, might help this FOOL to readjust his thinking.
Or is that too hard?
Should we pity the FOOL?

Semper Fidelis
Ricardo

[mrbsox]

HONOR ??? Honor a MARINE by faking it ???

He KNEW it was wrong

He KNEW he'd get caught

He NEEDS to spend time.

Now he can get picked on.... be some bodys 'conjugal visit' !!

Terry

[bpowelltx]

Tell the idiot if he is going to impersonate a Marine, he needs to look like one...get a haircut and trim the moustache. Hard to tell from the picture, but he might need to loose a few pounds also. In stead of prision, how about a few months at Marine Corps boot camp?

[usmc4669]

Tell the idiot if he is going to impersonate a Marine, he needs to look like one...get a haircut and trim the moustache. Hard to tell from the picture, but he might need to loose a few pounds also. In stead of prision, how about a few months at Marine Corps boot camp?

I agree with you 100%, then look around you, how many former Marines do you see that needs a haircut, lose a few pounds, heck lose a lot of pounds. I bet if every former Marine on Leatherneck.com would post a picture of then looking the way they do today, you would find that we would have a lot of beer bellies showing up. I retired at 115#, after 35 years I have put on 25#, it's the American way, eat sleep and make love, well for me it's eat and sleep.

[Toby M]

Got picked on??? I remember a few cases that made the "national spotlight" regarding kids who got picked on also. They took their frustrations out on their fellow citizens by taking guns into schools and killing several students. Maybe we should feel fortunate that Walter K. Carlson (aka Walter Mitty) chose to remain a "closet hero"! Hope he enjoys prison...

[Sparrowhawk]

The SCUM of the Earth!

[namgrunt]

I'm finding myself in a Kind and Generous mood today.

I say give Walter Carlson the chance to make it up to ALL the Marine families he has disrespected by his performance.
Put him in his store bought Dress Blues, with all his phony decorations, and send him to Fallujah.
Have him march in front of our convoys as they head into firefights, carrying a sign which reads "I AM A PHONY!".
Let Carlson EXPERIENCE what it is to be shot at, and maybe injured, or killed.
IF he survives a week there, then bring him back and let him think on his SIN, while spending the rest of his life behind bars in Guantanamo.
Should Carlson be KIA, then return his body to the states, and let him be buried in a Pauper's Grave, with the saying "I AM A S***BIRD WANNABE!", printed on his marker.
If he refuses to go, send him straight to Jail without parole forever.
Walter Carlson deserves to be USED as an EXAMPLE of what happens to JERKS!

I'd say that is merciful.

Semper Fi!

[usmc4669]

namgrunt

You are too kind Marine. Then would you give him a PH if he got a scratch? LOL

[namgrunt]

Naw, Gunny.

Carlson has to BE a Marine or serviceman, before he could receive a PH. To the best of my knowledge, civilians don't get military awards for valor or injury, regardless of the circumstances. By his own admission, he has never been in any branch of the service.

But, ain't I just a prince for giving this t*rd a chance to comprehend the depth of what he has done?

[CPLRapoza]

What's up with this whack jobs ear?

[usmc4669]

namgrunt

Carlson has to BE a Marine or serviceman, before he could receive a PH. To the best of my knowledge, civilians don't get military awards for valor or injury, regardless of the circumstances. By his own admission, he has never been in any branch of the service.

Kerry got one for getting shot in the A**, sorry just had to say that.LOL

[ridingcrops]

Are you all surprised?
Do you know how many I've run into today who were Marines in the Nam. All their heroics make me feel like a fool. All the Rambos who would have saved my ass and wiped out the yellow hordes.
This is nothing new and it will keep going on as long as there are Marines and those who wish they were.
I even ran into a guy in Annapolis who claims to have been a Corps medic. When I pointed out to him that they were Navy medics, with brass balls, he proceeded to tell me that I didn't know what I was talking about and he was a Marine.
So maybe it's me who is wrong and it was all a dream. A nightmare of Nam but the honor of being a Marine.

[naclyknine]

That's kinda sad. I feel kind of sorry for the geezer. Reminds though of a funny story. My dad graduated from dental school in 1965 and was contracted to go into the air force. He went in for his final physical and was declined due to screwed up knees so the retired him as a second lieutenant. No pay mind you, but he has an ID card. Last Veterans Day, Lowes offered 10% discounts to retired and active duty service personnel. Dad never spent a day in uniform and he got the discount on my table saw for me...I did 8 years in the Corps, but I do not qualify for the discount. Ain't that a knee slapper! He also is eligible for insurance through USAA (officers only). I get to insure through them because my Dad is a retired officer! that just cracks me up!