Vietnam Vet Posers?

[ohekk]

I read an alarming statistic that FOUR OUT OF FIVE WHO CLAIM TO BE VIETNAM VETS ARE NOT!

I suspect a certain fellow is not what he claims to be.

Is there a website or database that can be checked?

[marco246]

I don't know of such a website or database, but I do know an excellent book on the subject: STOLEN VALOR: HOW THE VIETNAM GENERATION WAS ROBBED OF ITS HEROES AND ITS HISTORY by Burkett and Whitley, Verity Press, Dallas, 1998. The appendices list all POWs who returned alive, all Medal of Honor, DSC, Navy Cross, and Air Force Cross recipients. The thrust of the book is that there are a lot of phonies out there claiming not only to be war veterans, but heroes as well.

By the way, I am not a Vietnam War veteran.

Cheers,
Mark

[crASH]

I had a "runnin' buddy" in the '80s who claimed he was there, but wasn't. I never would have known different had not a third friend of ours, who indeed did see action during the Tet Offensive, wink at me one night at the bar and tell me that our friend was just trying to impress the girls. I thought he was a damn good sport about it, all things considered.

I, too, am not a veteran.

[Tommy]

Keep in mind that the draft was in effect during much of the Viet Nam period, but not everyone was drafted, and of those who served, not everyone went to Viet Nam. I don't know of any database showing who did serve in Viet Nam. ... I seem to recall a politician in the last election who said or implied he served in Viet Nam when he actually served in the military during the Viet Nam period. I suspect that kind of exaggeration is commmon. Those who did serve in Viet Nam ought to be in their mid 60's or older by now.

Correction: As pointed out below, I should have said, "in their mid 50's".

[OZCOBRA]

Check this link for sites in the US.....Related Sites

Australasian Military Imposters, Australian New Zealand Military Wannabes or Wannabees
These guys are active here in Australia and NZ though not totally supported by all as some believe their Vigilanty style and OUTINGS do more damage.....
Under the Australian Defence Act, 1903 as amended, it is a federal offence to claim to be a returned soldier, sailor or airman, subject to six months' imprisonment and a fine of up to $3300. Further it is an offence to wear a service decoration to which you are not entitled, attracting additional penalties.

[crASH]

Originally Posted by Tommy

Those who did serve in Viet Nam ought to be in their mid 60's or older by now.

I'm 55 and the draft in the U.S. ended only a year before I turned 18, in '73, the same year combat operations ended in Vietnam. I believe the U.S. totally withdrew support for South Vietnam two years later in '75.

[tcrist]

I did not serve (double vision) but my brother did. He is 58 now.

[Tommy]

My error corrected above. Sorry.

[LoBelly]

Originally Posted by ohekk

...

Is there a website or database that can be checked?

There is undoubtedly a database - I dont think that it's going to an up to date public access database though.

Just thinking of the privacy implications (and telemarketing intrusion ) that would accompany it.

LB

[mreid]

I joined the Navy in 1974 and went to Pearl Harbor. Obviously, I never saw Vietnam, but I served with many who did. Dress inspections were always insightful as those who were really there had at least three rows of ribbons and the rest of us none. Now you can buy all the ribbons you want online whether you earned them or not. I understand that lately, it is big business. Pretty disgusting.

[undy]

I too am one of the "Vietnam Era" veterans.

I started riding the 7 seas with this Uncle Sam's Navy in 1970. I was an "East Coast" sailor and never made a "West-Pac" (Vietnam) cruise. I shared a lot of sea stories with ones who did though...

I've got 3 or 4 of my DD214s if anyone requires validation.

[SP01715]

When I was a cop I would run into homeless guys that would try and get some sympathy by claiming to be a Vet. I would start asking questions that most civilians would not know (what was your M.O.S, What Branch, What unit, where did you go to basic? Etc...). You would usually find out most of them were lying. Lying about serving is pretty low IMO.

[rustyBob]

I joined the service in '74 and would NEVER make a claim like that....
I never left the states....
i wanted to be a pilot but the bad eyesight kept me from that....

[Silverback51]

My brother is one of those POS's that will lie and say he was there. But he is pretty much worthless in most other respects also.

I turned 18 in 1969 and went in for my draft physical. 4F. I was allergic to bees. Go figure. A bee could not kill me if I was in the service, but the enemy could.

[Ron61]

We have a few of those type around here. You can go into the stores in San Francisco or any other large city here and buy everything but the Medal Of Honor and I am not sure some of the pawn shops won't sell them too. Two of the pretenders that they caught here in a Veterans Day Parade had been ones that ran off to Canada. And all they got was a slap on the wrist. I thought they should have turned them over to the real vets for a while.

Ron

[ohekk]

I worked with a guy who boasted of serving but he couldn't remember his MOS or unit number.

This other guy is now volunteering at drug/ alcohol rehab centers claiming to have served in Vietnam.

I think he's a liar and would like to prove it!

So how do ya catch them if there's not a database to confirm their service?

[marco246]

Google "National Archives and Records Administration." Then click on "Veterans Service Records." Then click on "Access fo Military Records by the General Public." Then click on "Freedom of Information Act."

You can file an FOIA request with the National Archives to get an extract of the veteran's service record. It will have his name, rank, date of rank, service number, dates of service, assignment history, military education, awards and decorations, photo, transcript of court martial proceedings, and place of entry and separation from the service.

There may be a nominal fee to do this.

Of course, when you confront the lying mofo with the facts, his response may be that he was in special forces/rangers/CIA on covert missions, so of course the records are wrong/missing/part of his cover, etc.

The best way to expose one of these fraudulent vets is to have a real vet talk to him.
It should soon become apparent the guy is a fraud.

Good luck!

[SP01715]

Originally Posted by ohekk

I worked with a guy who boasted of serving but he couldn't remember his MOS or unit number.

This other guy is now volunteering at drug/ alcohol rehab centers claiming to have served in Vietnam.

I think he's a liar and would like to prove it!

So how do ya catch them if there's not a database to confirm their service?

Ask him if you can see his DD214. Nobody forgets their MOS...

[terry251]

To make matters worse, the Federal "Stolen Valor Act" (made it a crime to claim service, medals, etc that were not earned - and was named for the book mentioned earlier) has been declared unconstitutional by one of the Federal Appeals Courts. Their reasoning...it is a Freedom of Speech issue. There are a number of steps in the appeals process before (or if) this goes to our Supreme Court, but the outlook is somewhat grim. Falsely claiming military service, in any era, is an obscenity that should subject these jerks to public exposure and criminal consequences.
Terry
91A, 91D, RVN 6/68 - 7/69

[Jamo]

Why waste media space and court time?