Stolen Valor Fraud Caught By Real Veteran In Mall

[ky wonder]

basic for me was at ft. Knox, Infantry A.I.T. at fort Polk, jump school at ft. Benning, ranger school was based at ft. benning with other training at (mountain)Dahlonega GA, and (swamp)Eglin AFB FL, Pathfinder course was at Ft benning,

but that was before the two guys in the confrontation were born.

I have seen people doing this for years, once had a guy in fatigues with 82nd airborne patch and a set of metal jump wings pinned on over his right chest pocket at a rest area, ask for money so he could get back to base

when asked how many (PLF's )he had made ?

, he stated that he did not know !

how high are the tall towers at Ft benning,

he stated he had never been to ft benning!

today I am old and fat but there was a time when I was young

and I still remember how many parachute landing falls I have completed, and that the tall towers are 250' and how much I hated that momentary stall at the top before they brought you up the last few feet for release on that first silk ride.

but I did survive, I think,

 

[rwsmith]

I don't think.....

My above post is of course meant in jest. People who must play that they were in the military should be made to serve. Then they would deserve the accolades. Myself I don't ask about a veteran discount. I wasn't in combat or even in a combat zone. I just repaired teletype machines on an air base. No big deal.

Germans on Quadalcanal. That wasn't too hard to pick out, pecos.

 

[rwsmith]

IT AIN'T THE DISCOUNTS...

i heard about this several times on the radio and dont understand what the big deal is.

sure, the guy is a pathetic loser and deserves to be called out, embarassed and fined, but stealing a discount at the mall hardly seems like national news. im sure this scam happens daily throughout the US.

Discounts? Who cares about discounts? That's the last thing on anybody's mind. His posing is putting himself in the place of people with honor who risked their lives. Pathetic loser I'll go along with, though.

PS: I thought Rangers were out of style. Now they have to be a retired SEAL.

 

[hoosierone]

That's just embarassing. Made me think of newspaper publisher Duke Tully in Phoenix. Mr. Tully posed as a decorated Lt. Col. and fighter pilot for years, but never served in the military.

BTW hoosierone, that General Order question might not actually be an accurate test. I did spend a year as a TC in the Central Highlands of Viet Nam, but admit I have not thought about General Orders since leaving basic training. I would have flunked your test;-)

Good point. btw, someone upthread has the wrong one, its "To take charge of this post and all govt property in view". I still remember being terrified I would forget them and incur the wrath of the CO. You did get me to thinking though. Have to come up with another "test". Actually, if you talk to a pretender for a few minutes you can sniff the BS.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

What gets me about these poseurs is that they never do their homework or a character study. Yes, those of us who have been through Jump School know about Zero Week, Ground Week-the 34 foot towers in my day (1969), Tower Week, Jump Week, the Swing Landing Trainer-know what a "Black Hat" is. The different types of PLF, etc.

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

Beware of counterfeits.

 

[BigBoy99]

All that is needed is to have the store which is giving the discount to insist that the person present their "United States Uniformed Services Identification Card" DD Form 2. The uniform is not sufficient to get the discount. The card must be presented to get the discount. Make the policy, No Card - No Discount.

 

[MOONDAWG]

Gee....looks legit...

 

[eb07]

Update, he also faked being a law enforcement officer by wearing an officer who was killed in the line of duties uniform pieces:

Man Confronted in Viral Video for Allegedly Posing as Army Ranger Is Also Accused of Another Equally Dishonorable Act | Video | TheBlaze.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E88HEuwInno

 

[Rustyt1953]

Gee....looks legit...

Cpl Agarn and I served under him at the Fort Courage used horse lot.

 

[Rustyt1953]

He should be made to go to Arlington and apologize to all its residents.

 

[Aticus]

Germans on Quadalcanal. That wasn't too hard to pick out, pecos.

I've been taken to task on this forum because I thought the members would be able to understand what I posted or see the humor in what I posted but some couldn't so I tend to explain myself. That was kinda obvious though wasn't it.

I once worked with a guy who liked to talk about his military time. Most of us had served and didn't mind talking about it some butnot when it changed the subject of discussion. That's when someone would bring up about fighting the Germans on Guadalcanal.

 

[OldDominion]

I enlisted in the USAF a month before my lottery drawing in 1972. My number came up something like 37. I ended up at Offut AFB in Base Supply. I would never accept any discounts or free drinks or any thing else offered. Nor will I ever sign up for VA medical benefits. Mostly because the system is overtaxed trying to care for those with combat injuries and they belong at the front of line. Back then we were "advised" not to wear our uniforms on leave or while traveling. Then it was because of the problems with the anti-war protesters calling anyone in the service a "baby killer", etc. These days, it's because some lunatic may try to slit your throat. I wonder if these posers have thought about that before they go parading around.

 

[the ringo kid]

Ringo, On a couple construction sites I worked on the stone mason was a man named Lothar Gunter. He was 14 and a resident of Berlin when the war ended and once we got to know each other he would talk a little about his experiences during WW2. One Monday he was complaining that he had gone to a local gun show to try and find a Hitler Youth knife like the one he had as a kid. He was complaining about the price and said most were fakes anyway. I asked how he could tell and he explained he had worked in a German military medal factory at the end of the war.

If made in April of 1945 its authentic, if made in August of 1945 it's a reproduction. They used the same machines and raw materials and in many cases they medals were made by the same people. Said they cranked out more right after the war than during the war as the Americans were a ready market.

He helper was a Cambodian refugee with scars on his legs where his sister had tripped a mine during their escape from Cambodia. The two did not communicate verbally very well but they seemed to work together great.

Hi Walnut--and what that man told you is totally true too. Before the fighting had ended--they were churning out medals like crazy. Also, I know the guy here in the States--who owns the original machinery that German helmets wer made on.His helets are exactly spot on--and the only way to tell them from the roiginals--is because he's honest enough to have stampd somewhere in the helmets--the word: Repo--otherwise--you cant tell the difference between his lids and the original ones. You can get ""combat Weathered""paint jobs too--and you cannot tell the difference. He is making the German M-35 helmets--which are the most popular amongst collectors.

 

[the ringo kid]

Ringo, On a couple construction sites I worked on the stone mason was a man named Lothar Gunter. He was 14 and a resident of Berlin when the war ended and once we got to know each other he would talk a little about his experiences during WW2. One Monday he was complaining that he had gone to a local gun show to try and find a Hitler Youth knife like the one he had as a kid. He was complaining about the price and said most were fakes anyway. I asked how he could tell and he explained he had worked in a German military medal factory at the end of the war.

If made in April of 1945 its authentic, if made in August of 1945 it's a reproduction. They used the same machines and raw materials and in many cases they medals were made by the same people. Said they cranked out more right after the war than during the war as the Americans were a ready market.

He helper was a Cambodian refugee with scars on his legs where his sister had tripped a mine during their escape from Cambodia. The two did not communicate verbally very well but they seemed to work together great.

Hi Walnut--what he said is totally true. In fact--places like France and such--where a few medals factories were located in-started churning out German medals well before the war ended. I know the guy here in the States who owns the machines the Germans used (Quist I THINK??) which made the more popukar M-35 helmets that collectors favor. The only way to tellhis are not wartime pieces--is that he purposely has stamped in them somewhere--Repo. He has them detailed to peoples taste--and you cannot tell the difference from factory ""combat wear"" to tat of the original combat wear..

Luckily for me--about 95% of all my WWII German collectables--came fromthe vets who originally earned them. They kind of looked on me as the caretaker of their awards. )

 

[the ringo kid]

Ringo, On a couple construction sites I worked on the stone mason was a man named Lothar Gunter. He was 14 and a resident of Berlin when the war ended and once we got to know each other he would talk a little about his experiences during WW2. One Monday he was complaining that he had gone to a local gun show to try and find a Hitler Youth knife like the one he had as a kid. He was complaining about the price and said most were fakes anyway. I asked how he could tell and he explained he had worked in a German military medal factory at the end of the war.

If made in April of 1945 its authentic, if made in August of 1945 it's a reproduction. They used the same machines and raw materials and in many cases they medals were made by the same people. Said they cranked out more right after the war than during the war as the Americans were a ready market.

He helper was a Cambodian refugee with scars on his legs where his sister had tripped a mine during their escape from Cambodia. The two did not communicate verbally very well but they seemed to work together great.

Hi Walnut--what that guy said is totally true too.In fact, before the war ended--factories in former occupied lands--likein France--were churning out awards for sale. I knew the guy who owns the equipment used by teh Quist factory? that made German M-35 helmets. This guys stuff are produced same machinery and you cannot tell the differene between his aand the originas--had he not purposely stamped in the lid somewhere--the word: Repo. His weathing is exactly spot on too--you cannot tell the difference between actual "Combat Weathering" with that of his.

Im lucky in that about 90-95% of the stuff I have--I got from the vets themselves. They looked at me as a caretaker of their stuff.

 

[Bkreutz]

I wonder if these posers have thought about that before they go parading around.

Hopefully not.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

Me, I wouldn't recognize a fake soldier (Army) if I saw him. The Army has so many patches spread around their uniforms that I never could tell one from the other. Marines just had rank, Eagle Globe & Anchor & campaign ribbons. Least that's all I ever had.

In the Army we used to joke about these things. Used to call some guys "third lieutenants in the Polish Underground Balloon Corps Reserve", and other uncomplimentary expressions of disgust.

In the Army Infantry units of my time the commanders had to specifically state "all awards and decorations" in the orders of the day for uniforms (such as parade formations, etc), otherwise most of us displayed only the Combat Infantryman Badge (which kind of says it all, been there, done that, traded bullets with my country's enemies and lived to tell the war stories). Other ribbons and foo-foo **** usually stayed in a box or drawer. Yes, we did wear our current unit patch on the left shoulder, and our last combat unit patch on the right shoulder (probably a social thing, like "Oh, you were with the 101st? Which unit? When were you there?" and so forth). Those with parachutist qualifications, pathfinder badges, ranger tabs, and other advanced skills usually wore the appropriate badges or tabs. Otherwise less was more, as long as the Combat Infantryman Badge was over the left breast pocket.

All the National Defense Service ribbons, Good Conduct Medals, campaign ribbons, and other such stuff didn't impress anyone very much.

Of course, I will always remember a certain mess sergeant at Fort Benning, GA, who held the Congressional Medal of Honor from WW2. Officers saluted HIM when passing by on the street. Staff Sergeant (E6) with over 25 years in the Army when I knew him, so probably not the sharpest tool in the drawer, but he continued to do his job day in and day out running a decent mess hall, rather than being some general officer's driver and display toy. As I recall, he wore a Combat Infantryman Badge also.

 

[Gunhacker]

Gee....looks legit...

What? You don't recognize him?

That's Captain Obvious before he cleaned up and started doing the TV commercials.

 

[LMWIS]

By the way...,

I love the term 'Stolen Valour'. Pretty much sums it up in two words doesn't it?