Phony Vietnam Vets Proliferate

[Sgt Leprechaun]

While I "Swang wid da wang" myself, far too young for Vietnam.

The Stolen valor thing really annoys me, as anyone around here can attest.

To me, though, a 'veteran', is anyone who served in the military. They did there time and rate that title. It's not dependant on combat service, in my opinion; there are far more 'noncombat' service types out there than trigger pullers anyway.

I have issues with dirtbags claiming veteran status who aren't, dirtbags claiming brave heroics while in the rear with the gear, and such things. Seems like every drunk I locked up in the mid 90's claimed some sort of Nam service....and every single one of them, without fail, when investigated by me (to see if I could get them VA benefits and such) ended up with zero service. Couldn't prosecute em then....now it's possible.

The phenom of kids claiming Iraq war time will continue, sad to say. That's why it's up to those who have served in THIS war to be on guard for these dirtbags. Sadly, I've taken to assuming most people are telling me BS about their so called 'combat' time until proven otherwise...just sooo damn many posers out there.

[Deduke]

> At the weekly meeting of my PTSD group this morning, a new guy showed up.
> His pants were cut into 2" strips from mid-thigh to the ground. He wore a
> tie-dyed tee shirt, and tie-dyed headband. His hat is what my drill
> instructor referred to as a " catch-me-****-me-hat" , which was covered by
> every type of pin and hat badge you could imagine.
>
> Long story short, his entire extended family was investigated by the
> federal government before he went to Air Force boot camp, he did his
> survivor training in Death Valley, and he was a Blue Beret who was
> attached to the Green Berets, who were, in turn, attached to the Marines
> at a base " way up north".
>
> I just couldn't stand anymore, and called him a liar and a poser. I then
> indicated my intention to pull his head off and **** his neck, whereupon
> he gathered up his **** and walked out. I was so livid that my hands are
> still shaking 6 hours later. I found out later that he has been in the VA
> system for at least 25 years.
>
>
> You know, I sort of understand the logic behind going to a bar and
> spouting this kind of ****, since there is an outside chance somebody may
> believe it. But to come to the one place on Earth where everybody present
> knows he is a ****ing liar just escapes me. Maybe he is suicidal. If so,
> it damn near worked.
>
Deduke

[Sgt Leprechaun]

Typical. Can't say I'm surprised, tho. And, when you think about it, that either means I'm too damn jaded, or it's become a freakin sad world out there.

[RON 68]

LOL---I was a winger in Nam before the Marines moved to Da Nang from Soc Trang. And the answer to your phrase is---"Eat the apple and FUK THE CORPS". How's that for a "winger"?

OH MY GOD i have not heard that since "71"....and figured i'd never repeat it.glad to see i was not alone,i was out in dec.71 so missed all the action later.which i heard was not too much since just about everybody was pulled out in "72"

i am sure five ot ten year's from now we will have iraq phoney war vet's.or those who were never in the service stating they fought in the heat!!however i guess that 's true with most loser's...they want to feel important in a ever changing world. semper-fi. RON 68

[Manymoonsago]

Believe me I was just joshing with you Air Wing guys. As a matter of fact I think there were only Air Wing guys there after April '71 and I know that some of those guys were still in helicopters because I met one that was just back when I got out at Treasure Island. It's also why I suspect that the guys in '72 who were casualties were probably in choppers. The guy that didn't know the rest is a friend of mine and he worked with Officers so it probably wasn't as common with them.

I haven't been to the VFW or Legion in about 10 years (can't stand the cigarette smoke anymore) and that was where I'd usually hear the tales of valor. Actually, I recall one occasion when I was talking with a guy from the 5th Division and an Air Force vet, who was a friend of his and a really good guy made a comment about something, I forget what it was, but it was so obvious that he didn't know what he was talking about that we were both embarassed for him.

The latest thing that really bothered me was some obviously phony bull**** some idiot posted about Iraq. I'll post it here if I can find it:

"An Army LT who was deployed to Iraq, had a MySpace account that he used as a diary to document the details of his time there. He had photos of
himself in his uniform in most of the places within a tent city (military
base). He talked about Army tactics and how they were changing in response to the anti-coalition militia (ACM) threat. He documented his days, down to the hour: where he was at what time, what times the chow hall was open for lunch and when it was most crowded, when his sleeping schedules changes because of his duties to participate in patrols, etc. One day the tent city was attacked by ACMs with mortars, fortunately no one was harmed. That night, the Army LT went on his MySpace account and documented the incident. He stated where the ACMs positioned their mortar tube in regards to the base perimeter, what rounds they used, how many, and best of all (if you are an ACM reading American MySpace accounts), the LT stated "if those /////// had placed the launcher slightly farther away on higher ground it would have been a //////// direct hit". Two days later
three ACMs launched another attack.

This time they followed the Army LT's advise and didn't miss... two fellow
Army Corporals and a Private First Class were killed in the follow on
attack.

Please know that you do, for better or worse, directly effect lives with
your MySpace accounts (bloggs and emails)...don't give the enemy anything, sanitize your website, bloggs and emails, like you would sanitize your gas mask or uniform.

Oh yeah, the Lt. was released from duty on 17 July 2006 due to "Conduct
Unbecoming an Officer" and "Unauthorized Disclosure"."

An earlier version had the ranks and names of the three guys who were killed by the mortar. Of course, the names "CPL Juan Juarez, PFC Benjamin Hillman, and PFC William Santoros" were not on the casualty list from Iraq.

Was anybody here in mortars?

[Sgt Jim]

I served from 1969-1973,never stepped foot in viet nam,does that make me any less of a Marine ?. You tell me !.I served my country by joining the Corps.I did not have to go in the military at all.Had a good friend who had joined the Marines,did his tour of nam,when i had told him i had joined the Marines he told me that he should go ahead and shoot me now so charlie would not get the chance.Didn,t stop me from joining.You tell me?

[Sgt Jim]

If any one wants to reply to me ,it will have to be here,my aol has shut down on me,have not gotten it back up yet

[Zulu 36]

Believe me I was just joshing with you Air Wing guys. As a matter of fact I think there were only Air Wing guys there after April '71 and I know that some of those guys were still in helicopters because I met one that was just back when I got out at Treasure Island. It's also why I suspect that the guys in '72 who were casualties were probably in choppers.

Actually in April 1972, MAG-15 (F-4s) was sent to Danang and then subsequently to Nam Phong (aka: Rose Garden), Thailand. MAG-12 (A-4s) was sent to Bien Hoa, RVN in May 1972 and stayed there until the Jan73 cease fire. I was at Bien Hoa with VMA-211.

We also had I/3/9 (Rein) assigned as "MAG-12 Security Detachment". We were never allowed to refer to them by their real unit designator - after all, no Marine gound forces were in-country any more.

VMA-311 had a pilot KIA and VMA-211 had a pilot POW, plus a corporal KIA in a rocket attack. MAG-12 also suffered a number of WIA on the ground due to rocket/mortar attacks. There was also at least one accidental death, of a Marine armorer shot by an Air Force armorer who was fooling around with a .45 pistol.

Also, 1st ANGLICO had a detachment still in RVN, plus USMC advisors (of which then-Capt John Ripley was one), MACV staff, and of course the embassy Marines (including a extra contingent of infantry Marines who manned the perimeter wall and side gates, a job assignment made after Tet 1968).

[FistFu68]

I'M A VIET-NAM COMBAT VETERAN-AND DAM PROUD OF IT

[davblay]

I served from 1969-1973,never stepped foot in viet nam,does that make me any less of a Marine ?. You tell me !.I served my country by joining the Corps.I did not have to go in the military at all.Had a good friend who had joined the Marines,did his tour of nam,when i had told him i had joined the Marines he told me that he should go ahead and shoot me now so charlie would not get the chance.Didn,t stop me from joining.You tell me?

Sgt----The fact that you didn't serve in country makes you no less a Marine! In 1969 my Platoon had 75 recruits, there were 4 platoons in our series. Only about 1/3 of us wound up with WESPAC orders, and only about 2/3 of those went to the Nam! So you are as much a Marine as any us. You served your country proud, and willingly. I have no idea where you served, but if you were in the Pacific, then you were indirect support of us that were in country----where as if you served anywhere else you were still indirectly supporting us Marines that were in the soup!

Sgt the only differance in you and us is the fact that we did our duty in country, where as you did yours somewhere else! You would have gone where ever the Corps sent you, and I am sure you did. You must have done something right----you made SGT!

Thank you for serving in our Corps, Welcome Home, and Semper Fi---MARINE!

[Eric Hood]

We need to start a post--the Phoney Marine--we have all met him. My favorite was the one who did boot at Camp Lejeune.
Sempers

[OLE SARG]

Very well put davblay and I agree.

SEMPER FI,

[DWG]

From the day I set foot on Parris Island no one ever asked me where I wanted to go!

They TOLD me where I was going, how I was going and when I was going! I proudly kept the tiajuana hordes in check until I was discharged from MCRDSD (Comm-Elec).

Had the Commandant asked my advice, I would have chosen Jacksonville, Fl for my duty station (closer to home), but like I said. nobody ever ASKED me!

I know a lot of guys from those days whose stories are a lot different now than they were then. Hard chargers all; now!

[bigdog43701]

i work correction in a local jail. a few weeks ago i had someone come in and as i was booking him into our facility i asked him about mediacl insurance. he stated that he got va disability and that he was in viet nam. i aked really and he stated yea. his age was 50. i then asked him bout the nature of his disability and he stated PTSD. i then asked what years he was there and he stated 1972. i then asked him about what unit he was with and he said 1019. now keep in mind i have a USMC tattoo on my right forarm and wear a brass EGA belt buckle, so he had no dobt that i am a Marine. after getting all of this information i came unglued on him to the point that all the other officers came running because they thought i was in deep kimchee. they also heard me yelling at this guy on the 4th flloor of the jail complex. it almost got to the point that i was going over the booking counter to give this guy an alignment.

long story short he went in the Marines in 1972 and had never been in combat and some how had BSed the VA to get benifits. he is now under investigation by the VA.

[Sgt Leprechaun]

Absolutely typical.