Gold Chevrons

[MotherGoose]

This is the only time these chevrons are authorized for wear.....

>Ch 5 b. Blue Dress Sweater. Gold-plated (brushed brass) metal insignia of the design illustrated in figure 4-9 will be worn centered vertically on each shoulder strap of the blue dress sweater, single point inboard, and placed so that it is equidistant from the front and rear edges of the shoulder straps with the lowest point of the insignia's outer edge 3/4 inch from the armhole seam.

Thank you MSgt! I knew it did not seem right. The plot thickens.

[0331 2 0369]

Indiana has a program for Purple Heart recipients in which they can apply for the program and once their information is verified, can receive free tuition, fees, and books (up to 126 credit hours) at any Indiana state college or university. So yes, he is also claiming that he has received the purple heart. I left a voicemail and hope to hear from him soon to see what is going on. I can't imagine that a person would go to such extreme lengths to pose as a Marine and then risk getting caught by coming to a government office for assistance... but if he is posing, then he isn't smart to begin with. I am hopeful there is just some big miscommunication... but those gold chevrons... just made me start wondering...

Was he wearing ribbons when he came in? Did anyone pull his name up to see if he did in fact recieve the Purple Heart? They keep a pretty tight record of the people that recieved the award.

[0331 2 0369]

Here's how this needs to be handled...... Tell him that he is approved but I am his case worker. He needs to come to Quantico Virginia for the final paper work and to recieve his check. Tell him his travel will be reimbursed once he arrives here. I will meet him at the gate and escort him to the back side of Quantico, by Lake Lunga, where I work and that will be the end of it. Never seen or heard from again.

[thewookie]

Sooooo, many stories of posers doing things that would blow your mind,,,so walking into your office and putting himself in harms way by doing so wouldn't surprise me. If it's so....


http://www.moaa.org/todaysofficer/mi...ake_heroes.asp


http://www.pownetwork.org/phonies/phonies1053.htm


http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/news...ine_07_06_2009


http://www.stolenvalor.com/

[zx6rdr]

Indiana has a program for Purple Heart recipients in which they can apply for the program and once their information is verified, can receive free tuition, fees, and books (up to 126 credit hours) at any Indiana state college or university. So yes, he is also claiming that he has received the purple heart. I left a voicemail and hope to hear from him soon to see what is going on. I can't imagine that a person would go to such extreme lengths to pose as a Marine and then risk getting caught by coming to a government office for assistance... but if he is posing, then he isn't smart to begin with. I am hopeful there is just some big miscommunication... but those gold chevrons... just made me start wondering...

Definately sounds like a case of the stolen valor act... that is assuming he is actually a poser.... maybe he was way out of uniform... either way, an @ss chewing is warranted...

[MotherGoose]

Was he wearing ribbons when he came in? Did anyone pull his name up to see if he did in fact recieve the Purple Heart? They keep a pretty tight record of the people that recieved the award.

Yes, and the purple heart ribbon was the first one. We are a state employment office and don't have access to those kinds of records. We have to wait for the veteran to give us proof, or we can order it for them, which requires their signature. Sometimes I can call a VSO and they can confirm if he/she is a veteran, but if the VSO has not seen the person they won't have any info.

I had referred this "vet" to the VSO as he was claiming he was denied disability. I told him to get with a VSO and refile. I talked to that VSO today and the vet never made an appointment. The VSO is going to look into this also and call me back tomorrow.

Is there a way the general public can confirm a purple heart recipient?

I am also sending in an SF180 claiming the Freedom of Information Act. This will only confirm if he does have military service, but won't give me any other info than that. That takes about 2 weeks.

[thewookie]

1. A photo is worth a thousand words. You want to secure a photo of the charlatan wearing unauthorized and unearned awards and accoutrements. This is the core of any Stolen Valor prosecution, and it makes prosecution a slam dunk.

2. You need to document the crime. A copy of the DD214 that the poser is using is critical, as a DD214 is a Federal document. If it is hacked, or modified in any unauthorized fashion, that act is yet another vital piece of evidence. It is also another separate felony. Copies of orders that are falsified are also good pieces of evidence, as the originals can be located.

3. You need to get a copy of the genuine DD214 via FOIA. It does not take long to receive a reply from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). A few weeks at most, and often less. Compare this official document with the one that the poser is distributing. Any discrepancies should be obvious.

3a. It is possible that a poser will have false information in his military records, and this information can show up on a legit DD214. Demonstrating fakery of this magnitude involves specialized investigation. As an example, the fake POW poser CSM Richard Cayton is a prime example of the phenomenon. CSM Cayton was a genuine soldier, a genuine veteran of Vietnam, and a Ranger veteran of Vietnam, in fact, but he somehow felt compelled to embellish his already worthy war record with false claims of POW status and escape. He was busted cold.

4. Once you have the above steps completed, take stock of where you are. If your poser is illegally drawing VA benefits, for example, notify the VA Inspector General. Do it in writing, be specific, and request a written reply. Do not be angry if they send you a form letter stating that "no further investigation is warranted." If you know that the poser is fraudulently drawing benefits, that VA investigator just handed their head to you on a platter. If you suspect that the VA IG made a mistake, then patiently and politely reply to the person who signed your letter, and tell them so, and why. Ask them to reconsider their lack of action, and to inform you of their decision in writing.

5. Gather all materials together into an organized document with tabs for supporting materials. Make duplicate copies. Send a copy to the US Attorney (AUSA) in the jurisdiction in which the crimes have occurred. These are the folks who will prosecute your poser. Include a cover letter explaining who you are and why you are sending them the information. Politely ask them to review your data and then prosecute the poser under Stolen Valor statutes. There is nothing wrong with including a copy of those statutes in the document, and citing specific clauses and violations in your letter. Be certain to cite specific dates, times, venues, witnesses, and evidence. Finally, ask the AUSA to confirm receipt, and to advise you of their ultimate course of action.

6. One thing that you must not forget to do is to document how the fraudulent activities of the poser have benefited him. Be specific, and do not shy away from documenting precise dollar amounts. If the benefits are more vague, list them, but emphasize how they harm others. In any case, you need to document how the fraudulent activity of the poser has harmed others. It is not enough, generally, to simply state "so-and-so violated the law." You have to say that much, specifically cite which law, and then wrap it up with statements that make clear that the violations harmed Federal agencies, private firms, and specific individuals.

7. Finally, when you hit a brick wall, and no one will do anything, you take copies of all of your correspondence with the VA IG, and the AUSA, and anyone else, and you present it to your elected officials. You can find them using www.house.gov for Congressional representatives, and www.senate.gov for Senators. Write them a cover letter stating that you referred a case of Stolen Valor to the VA IG or to the AUSA for prosecution and that they failed in their duties. Elected officials have staffers whose entire purpose in life is to handle guys like you. They will review your packet, and if they see that you do indeed have a case, which should be immediately apparent if you have carefully followed the guidance in this post, then you will suddenly start to receive phone calls or emails from AUSA's and VA investigators and other people who previously were blowing you off. This is because the staffers who work for your elected representatives will send them letters asking them for formal replies to inconvenient questions.

8. Follow your case all the way through to prosecution and sentencing. Post here and on other websites. We will help, and we can, in often magical ways. Also keep the good folks at the POW Network in the loop. They are the real experts at poser busting.

9. Once everything is said and done, write letters of appreciation or letters of complaint to the bosses of those people who either helped or failed to do their jobs. If a Federal employee receives a letter from someone that is reasoned, calm, and precise, and it details that someone under their supervision failed to do their job, that can be pretty shocking.

[MotherGoose]

Thank you, I printed those directions wookie and will keep everyone posted on the progess. How I wish I had a camera at my desk the other day!!!!!!

[thewookie]

Thank you, I printed those directions wookie and will keep everyone posted on the progess. How I wish I had a camera at my desk the other day!!!!!!

I was thinking, he might be spooked now that he ran into a REAL MARINE. Might be tough to get him back in your office, especially in uniform.

Don't let him off the line, set the hook good, and reel him in.....

One last link with good info...

http://www.pownetwork.org/phonies/phonies528.htm


Nothing fires me up more then posers, especially on a day when SFC Jared Monti is posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

[Lisa 23]

I hope this doesn't sound stupid, but you said you work in a state employment office? If so, does the building you work in have security cameras? If it does, I'd go thru the proper channels to request a copy of it, and hopefully you can get a still piture of him from the video.
Just a thought....

[drillinstructor]

Thank you MSgt! I knew it did not seem right. The plot thickens.

NP Mother Goose. Keep that Marine spirit alive...........

[thewookie]

I hope this doesn't sound stupid, but you said you work in a state employment office? If so, does the building you work in have security cameras? If it does, I'd go thru the proper channels to request a copy of it, and hopefully you can get a still piture of him from the video.
Just a thought....

Yeah, good point. I bet the guy is spooked and won't come back, unless he's a rock. Maybe have a co-worker call him and coax him to come back in, then pile drive his azz.

[Old Marine]

My gut tells me that the shirt he was wearing was a tropical shirt and not a khaki one. When I was active duty Marines were authorized to wear this shirt with their dress blue trousers and white barrack cover. The brass chevrons do not sound kosher. Khaki shirts were only worn on mess duty and with khaki trousers. If you get someone with boondockers and leggings, make sujre you get a picture.

[Phantom Blooper]

Try this : http://thepurpleheart.com/recipient/

[thewookie]

Sad but true...

A former Marine corporal and police officer who faked earning a Silver Star during the Gulf War pleaded guilty Tuesday to violating the Stolen Valor Act, U.S. authorities said.
Eric Piotrowski, of Elk Grove, Calif., faces sentencing Nov. 30, authorities said. Under a plea agreement, a felony count of lying to FBI agents investigating the case can be dropped in exchange for him agreeing to serve at least 200 hours of community service in a veterans hospital, said U.S. Attorney Michelle Rodriguez.
“I thought it was fitting that he minister to and care for true war heroes,” Rodriguez said. “It seemed like poetic justice.”
Piotrowski, 41, was arrested by the FBI on May 8. He was honored by the California Department of Veterans Affairs in 2007, with California VA Undersecretary Roger Brautigan presenting him with a Silver Star that Piotrowski said he had earned for actions 16 years earlier during Operation Desert Storm.
Authorities said the medal was never earned and that a citation read by Brautigan — a retired two-star Army general — during an award ceremony was fraudulent. It said Piotrowski earned the medal for actions in February 2007, when he supposedly put himself in harm’s way to allow “breaching units” to move forward, provided suppressive fire to cover an anti-tank team, and guided separated elements of his unit through enemy forces after an assault on Iraqi defenses near Kuwait International Airport.
The citation was wrought with details inconsistent with history and Piotrowski’s own DD Form 214, a document that describes a service member’s assignments and awards upon military separation.
Piotrowski’s service record shows he did not serve in 1st Force Recon and did not earn either version of the Kuwaiti Liberation Medal. The medals were awarded by the Saudi Arabian government to any service member with direct participation in Desert Storm and by the Kuwaiti government for participation in either Desert Storm or Desert Shield.
Piotrowski served from November 1986 to July 1991, according to his Military Report of Separation. His records show that he spent most of his career as a rifleman with infantry units at Camp Pendleton, Calif., but did not see combat.
Marine Corps Times began investigating the case in December, before FBI agents charged Piotrowski. In a Dec. 3 phone interview, he expressed surprise when his citation was questioned, saying he was first notified he rated the Silver Star in 2007 after he sought his military medical records. That prompted an audit of his service record, he said, adding that he later received the citation from the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis.
Pressed on the details of his purported actions in Kuwait, Piotrowski said he remembered the event, “but I don’t recall the specifics of it.”
“I remember being on a Humvee and providing fire support,” he said. “We were out there trying to provide fire support so that we could move the mission forward. That was it.”

http://marinecorpstimes.com/news/200...faker_091809w/