Possible poser

[JagsIndy]

Have a local Indiana person who has been passing himself off as a Vietnam era Marine with a Bronze Star (With V) and up to four Purple Hearts . He posted on a NJ site in 2005 for some reason. Was there even a MCRD Platoon 2044 during the 1964/1965 time frame?? Here is the info posted on the NJ site, complete with the errors in it:

Name DONALD VAN-HORN MCRD Platoon 2044
City Terre Haute Date Graduated 05/19/1905
State INDIANA Join Date 11/10/1965
Email DD_1043@MSN.COM Release Date 12/17/1968
Home Page Rank E5

Duty Stations
Ships
Comments LOOKING FOR OTHER MARINES FROM PLATOON 2044
Date Submitted: 09/10/2005

[Sgt Leprechaun]

Those dates are all screwed up...but as I recall, the Platoon numbering system in the 60's was only 3 numbers. I may be wrong.

What I do find as a 'flag' tho is the fact that he's not looking for other members of his old unit (if, in fact, he served anywhere...) but members of his old recruit platoon...?

While it's certainly possible that he served a tour in Vietnam, with this total service time (by my guess, 3 year enlistment), I think the 4 PH story is to be doubted...

[JagsIndy]

Same thoughts I have. I am just trying every means possible to check this poser out. Nothing he says makes sense...

[Sgt Leprechaun]

Doesn't sound like it to me, either. Ask who he was with in RVN. We can research more if you get more info...but my BS flag is goin up the pole...

[USMC-FO]

Sgt Leprechaun:

Certainly up through Oct 0f 62 Platoon numbers were three digits, as I can speak to that directly....I was plt 359 for instance.

Dates above too are odd...I suspect there is a typo with the grad date of 5-19-05 is most certainly wrong..otherwise this was one mightly old recruit in 65! Also how does one have a join date six months after your grad date--assuming that was supposed to be 65 and not 05 ??

[MillRatUSMC]

Which of the two names is the real one?
DONALD VAN-HORN
or
Donald Dean Van Horn

http://community.cnhi.com/eve/forums...523105244/p/24

There's a Donald Dean Van Horn a convicted felon.
Who claims to have served in the Corps and Vietnam.
Being convicted would make him an "ex-marine"...
I go along with the dates being screwed up.
The date could be 5-19-65
The Donald Dean Van Horn is from Terre Haute, Indiana.
So he must be bird claiming all those awards...
I'm starting to think he padding the resume...

[exnitro]

I don't know about the early 60's platoon numbers, but I graduated in Dec. 66, and my platoon number was 3338.

[bebop1956]

I don't know to much about the early 60's,but I finished boot camp on 29 July,1966 MCRD SD-Platoon 3026

[luvmipapa]

what MCRD was he suppose to be in? did he enlist in Indy? If memory serves,there were only 3 numbers used at PI until the early 70's and at that point the dividing line was the Mississippi River, East of the river went to PI, and west went to SD, at least that is what I remember, No not to be taken as fact, but memory. now what as I saying?.

[10thzodiac]

In October 1960 MCRD SD my platoon was 394.

His dates are all over the map and that's allot of purple hearts, did he say he was hosed on the Russian front?

http://www.homeofheroes.com/herobill/index.html

[Rainbelt]

I finished boot camp at MCRD-SD in Dec. of 1963 with platoon 274. I enlisted in Detroit, Mich. and they sent me to SD. I would definately question the four Purple Hearts, since from the info givin, he seems to have been in 3 years, which would usually translate into one tour in Nam. I have a friend (Gunny)who has four Purple Hearts which he received after 3 tours in Nam, and he had to sign a waiver to go back to Nam after the second PH, if I remember right.

[lscarranza]

l/cpl L.s. Carranza
reported At United States Marine Corps
recruit Depot 8 May, 1974 At 2030 Hrs.
went From Civilian To Recruit In 10 Seconds,
it Took Me That Long Get My Feet On The Yellow Foot
prints....mcrd San Deigo Plt. 1047....hope This Helps
on The Time Line

[FistFu68]

THEY STAGGERED THE PLT.DIGIT'S 3OR 4;AS TO THE BRAGGING ABOUT THE IV.PURPLE HEART'S;IF'EN HE DOE'S RATE THEM!BUT I REALLY DOUBT IT? HE'S A LUCKY FOOKER,CAUSE THAT'S THE 'NUMBA OF TIME'S HE GOT AWAY! 10/4~20/20~!!!

[JagsIndy]

Update: Some one has posted that THEY have records from NPRC... how they got them is unknown, but I still do not believe. Devil Dog's, check this out:

"I didn't believe it either, nobody in the local area that was in 'Nam about the same time remembers anything about him, but I've got the official records... Bronze Star with "V", (signed by President), Purple Heart with Gold Star. Two trips to Nam, first in Supply, second in CoA, 5th ReconBn,0311 Amphib Raid Unit. I'm not Marine so you may know what all that means. (We spoke English in the Air Force..LOL). He was discharged December 1968 at the rank of Sergeant. These are from NPRC, St. Louis."

[bebop1956]

I don't know were any-one could have got records from NPRC,in such a short amount of time,even if you file under the "Freedom of Information Act" They take a LOOOOOOng time to reply! I guess since i"am from Missouri, you need to "Show Me" Semper-Fi & OOOh--Rah !!