Fake 'Generals' volunteer for honors [Archive] - Marine Corps

thedrifter

07-18-04, 11:47 AM

"We are attempting to get official status." To do that, Baumann traveled to Washington, D.C., last year, visiting, according to his itinerary, with a number of congressional representatives and Department of Defense officials.
In an interview on Wednesday, he asserted that Rep. Howard P. "Buck" McKeon, R-Santa Clarita, is fielding legislation to gain official standing and support for groups like his.
Bob Cochran, chief of staff for McKeon, said a meeting set for May 14, 2003, between the congressman and Baumann never happened. He said nothing has been done since, and no legislation is in the works.
Baumann acknowledges his group has no official status with any branch of the armed services, the Reserves or with any element of the California Military Department, which includes the National Guard and CSMR.
But Baumann emphasizes that it's crucial to his organization to wear uniforms barely distinguishable from active duty uniforms so mourners will appreciate an authentic military funeral. And he hopes the snappy appearance of his organization will gain it the official sanction he is seeking.
With such "Approved Provider" status conferred, the group then could seek reimbursement of expenses from military departments for costs incurred in providing military honors funerals according to Page 3 of the USV-Joint Services Command Directive. Such benefits could include permissions to shop in military clothing stores, the acquisition of rifles and obtaining military transport and reimbursement for overnight travel "in the rare case," as well as reimbursement for meals and "other related expenditures."
Baumann insists there is a need for his kind of auxiliary. He said veterans organizations who wear apparel easily distinguishable from the active military are "various and sundry." He speaks disparagingly of military funeral honors rendered "by the French Foreign Legion."
"I have no intention of forming another American Legion or VFW," Baumann said during a 90-minute interview at the offices of the Valley Press. "What we are doing is honorable and patriotic."
It may be patriotic, but a field of what Baumann calls "naysayers and elitists" take issue with the honor of wearing barely distinguishable dress uniforms with top ranks never conferred by a U.S. military service.
Retired Navy Capt. Tom Craft said he openly wondered about Baumann's rank last summer during a "Vietnam Veteran Stand Down" weekend gathering to help homeless veterans. At that time, Baumann was wearing the two stars of a major general. A third star soon followed, along with an honorary certificate signed by Congressman Xavier Becerra, D-Calif. The "promotion" Baumann said in a USV news release was "a major step" to "give the USV commander equal footing with top DoD commanders -- a leveling of the playing field."
The legality Baumann cites is questioned by veterans, active military and Pentagon officials. Section 702 of Title 18, U.S. Code states "Whoever ...without authority, wears the uniform or a distinctive part thereof or anything similar to a distinctive part of the uniform of the armed forces of the United States ... shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both."
Baumann responded that his apparel is legal and his critics "don't know the rules."
In April, Lt. Col. Ronnie Long of the Mortuary and Casualty Support division responded to queries fielded by retired Lt. Col. Craig H. Mandeville. Mandeville has pursued queries about Baumann's organization and apparel and rank claims for the last couple of years.
Over the years Baumann sought congressional approval or Department of Defense support.
The group seeks "Authorized Provider" status, which authorizes installation commanders to train and recognize nongovernment organizations to perform military funeral honors. The group already has done thousands such ceremonies, working with local officials, but Long wrote it has not achieved Authorized Provider standing. On April 6, 2004, Long wrote: "To this date, this office is unaware of the USAVR receiving this formal training."
McCaulley said "his command" attended training recently at Fort Huachuca, Ariz. He said they had not as yet received any correspondence or certification that he could produce.
Long, writing on behalf of the Department of the Army, remarked: "All recognized providers, to include other veterans service organizations, must wear a uniform that clearly distinguishes their organization as a separate entitity from that of the United States Army when performing military funeral honors."
Long continued: "We are concerned that members of the USAVR are performing military funeral honors, or any other volunteer service, while wearing a United States Army uniform with inappropriate rank, which gives the appearance that they represent the Army; not a veteran service organization."
The Pentagon officer concluded, "We have referred this matter to the Office of the Secretary of Defense through the General Counsel, who will advise us of any appropriate action."
Brig. Gen. Richard Pierce, retired, of the California State Military Reserve, said Baumann joined the State Military Reserve after he left the regular Army. Years went by after Baumann resigned from CSMR and Pierce had no contact with him until Baumann turned up as leader of the USV. He was a brigadier general, then suddenly he was a major general and then a lieutenant general.
Pierce said there are five legitimate military organizations in California -- the California National Guard, which includes the Army and Air Force; the U.S. Army Reserve; the California State Military Reserve; the Naval Militia; and the California National Guard.
"All I can tell you is he is not a member of a legitimate military organization in any sense of the word."
Baumann said the state Reserve is a "do-nothing" group that "stands around and drinks coffee." His group, Baumann said, "is bold. There's no question we're on the cutting edge."
Pierce said all authorized organizations have distinct differences between their uniforms and active duty Army, so there can be no confusion. For example, in the state Military Reserve, the name patch on the left breast is blue and says "California."
Pierce said the USAVR Web site includes commendations they award themselves and these include a "Legion of Merit" so similar to the authentic military Legion of Merit that "I defy you to tell the difference," he said.
Mandeville, director of the Orange County Chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America, became suspicious of USAVR when Baumann and colleagues started showing up at funerals and events such as the Vietnamese community's Tet Parade in Westminster.
"Having said all that, we, the Vietnam Veterans of America, have contacted the Department of the Defense, and they have turned it over to the General Counsel to figure out what to do."
Officials at Long's office said this week that they had not yet heard back from the General Counsel regarding the investigation.
"To all appearances, unless you're a trained person, you'd think (Baumann) was a general," Mandeville said. "And the irritating thing about Baumann is he ought to be satisfied with the rank he achieved."
Lt. Col. Stanley Heath, spokesman for the Army Human Resources Command, said
the USAVR is working with the local casualty assistance office to provide support for burials, but the issue is the uniforms.
Heath said it bothers him when people try to represent themselves as something they're not. He has written articles for army publications about posers and impostors. "Veterans who have served their country wear their 'own' uniform with honor and pride," he said. "They don't wear medals they didn't earn and they certainly don't wear insignia they didn't obtain while on active duty," he said.
Lancaster's retired Navy Capt. Craft questions the group's role and the need for it.
"Sometimes the cause doesn't justify the means," he said.
Such people are "naysayers" and "elitists," Baumann responded.

Ellie