Question about Stolen Valor

Lets see, first big thing was the blockade of Cuba.
Ship had some kind of engineering problem and spent a week or more in San Juan, PR at local bars getting drunk & other things sailors do..

Last was CMC, Naval detachment at Dover AFB, Port Mortuary, Desert Storm.
That one sucked, even with the bourbon I had almost every night....

11B Lifer said:

The general public doesn't know very much about how the closed military culture works much less about what all those badges and ribbons signify.
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Story.....

Last Spring.... I decided I needed a new ball cap as my old one a "Duluth Trading Company" was ratty and sweated stained.....

I hate logos and Sports team "stuff"......the Duluth hat was from before anyone had heard of Duluth........it came free with an order and I kinda liked the bear.

Anyway around "the burgh"..... 95% of ball caps are Steelers,Pens or Pirates..... throw in a few College, Under Armor or "business" caps.......that's about it to buy.

Was looking on Amazon... and found.... those caps that take patches $10..... and a Pennsylvania State Seal patch $4.50........figured I needed something for the back patch of velcro or it would just gather dirt..... for $8 got my last name.

So for $22 had a new hat....something different, looked good ......my wife was happy that my old cap was on the way to do duty at the cabin......

Since I got it ..........I've had one person thank me for my service and one ask if I was "National Guard?"

I like the hat..... but....wondering about dumping it!????!

Maybe start wearing that free "Larue Tactical" hat they sent with an order.... LOL


_______________________

Edit: the NG question..... was in a Grocery store and I was wearing Wranglers and an untucked LL Bean flannel lined shirt ...to .... well you know! The guy who asked me.... 10am was wearing matching windbreaker and hat both with stitching for the "(next Twp.) Football" that' s only won one game in something like 5 years......

Tell'em you never served.... but the hat did.

I do have to detour a little and relate a humorous incident while I was a prisoner escort:

I had to escort a young recruit through his outgoing processing at Ft Ord. He had been trying to get out of the military for 2 years or so. Now, Ft Ord is in Monterey and this guy, literally, was from Haight Ashbury. He had gone AWOL maybe a dozen times and was finally getting a DD (Dishonorable Discharge) after doing some minor stockade time as the result of some Article 15s and a General Court. He was being giving Terminal Leave and was no longer under military control as of midnight (that's like "Go home, wait w/o pay and we'll mail you a discharge").

Anyway, the MPs brought him over in cuffs right after breakfast and I was told to go check out a 45, holster and one loaded clip. We un-cuffed him and sat him in a chair while they instructed in what to do. I pointed out that (1) he wasn't going to "rabbit", cuz he had gotten what he wanted (a discharge and a ride home) and (2) if he did, I still likely wouldn't shoot him. They said "fine", just escort him through payroll, quartermaster, a final check-up, lunch and put him on the 2:00 bus to "Frisco".

Well, I took him around to check out, with the physical being last. I showed his bus ticket, so we were advanced to the front part of the line. Since I was dressed and armed, we were put towards the front of the line.

Right in front of us was an MP taking some prisoners through, who were heading for Ft Leavenworth, Kansas (Military Prison for hard timers). He was also processing through for his own discharge.

Now, a military physical is set up for efficiency. Everyone (but me and the MP sergeant) was buck-naked except for paper hospital slippers. I was wearing fatigues but the sergeant was a sight! He was naked EXCEPT for slippers, his pistol belt and 45, an armband saying MP and his cover. He was bald, hairy, fat, and chewing an unlit cigar! He looked at my pistol, asked me if I knew how to use it. I said I've been shooting 45s for almost 10 years (while choking back a laugh). He said" I tell you to shoot, sonny, you shoot!

We finished, I put pvt. MacPheirson (still remember his name) on the bus and went back to the company. Sure had some WEIRD dreams that night!

Knew two guys who gave different BS stories about their service. I didn't call them on it as I figured to what end. Several years ago I bought an Army cap to show support. I've had people come up and thank me for my service and a grocery store gave me a 10% military discount over Memorial Day. My wife was in a tourist trap buying stuff and the clerk asked me if I was in (had the hat on) I said yes, but it was many years ago. She said I'm giving you a discount anyway!. God bless America!

Many of the books I have seen on Vietnam are about elite units, Specops, etc. Who would buy a book entitled "Combat Cook", "Vietnam Finance Clerk", etc. ? Look up "Rules for Posers" on this forum, I posted a message here a little while back.

As much as I would like to add a Viet Nam service ribbon to my lowly stack, I was about 12 days short of earning one during Tet of '68. I had 18, but needed 30 days. It was a TDY deployment to Nha Trang from an original TDY deployment to Japan.

I didn't earn it so I won't wear it. While close enough to watch and hear air to ground combat and a bit of incoming small arms fire, I was just an unarmed aircraft engine mechanic on the flight line.

LTC

My dad "Pops" was a 20 year Marine and retired a Master
Gunnery Sargent. He was in "Food Service". He ran some
of the biggest Mess Halls at Marine bases on the East Coast.
He was, and will always be my Hero.
I better never run into one of these "Posers".
I know what a proper Marine should look like in uniform.
I won't be calling the police or yelling "stolen valor",
i will personally take the uniform off these types.

God Bless all who serve.

Chuck

I was a door gunner on the space shuttle. I could tell you more, but I'd have to kill ya. Oh, the aliens know...they know...

Me I was just a post Vietnam Air Force dude who spent three years in Korea because the beer was cheap and the local girls freindly. But my boss after the Air Force was a combat medic in the South Pacific during WWII. We shared the usual fun war stories but I always sensed he saw some serious ****. It wasn't until his I was doing some research for his retirement celebration when I was talking to his wife that I found out he earned a silver star for staying with the wounded while his unit had to pull back due to a heavy Japanese offensive. Lucky they weren't found and his unit was able to retake the area . That's how real heroes act. "Just doing my job sir".

I went into the Navy with the intention of serving on submarines. I'd read and seen Hunt for Red October, and figured that was super cool. I was stupid and went as a non-designate striker, which meant I was everyone's whipping boy. I painted that damned submarine more times than I can count. I finally managed to become a storekeeper, but never could manage to make petty officer. I got out in 95 and never looked back. I'm proud of my Dolphins, and some of the things I did. Unfortunately it really doesn't matter, and most people wouldn't give a rip anyway.
I had several occasions to meet SEALS, and UDT, guys. They were never braggadocios, always friendly ,and usually very humble.

I was a Gunners Mate on a DDG, in between VN and Desert Storm. The most that happened while I was in was the invasion of Grenada, and that was a long ways from where I was, which was Pearl Harbor. My favorite "war story" is my shellback initiation!

My experience talking to veterans who saw action, is that the more they saw, the less they want to discuss it. I have a good friend who was a medic in VN. Good luck getting anything out of him! I've met guys who claimed to have been in action, with all kinds of gruesome stories. I figure most of them were in some supply unit, and probably never even got shot at.

I will start by saying that I was 4-F (bad ears) I was told that I could enlist but would probably spend my time working in a warehouse or office or, if I was lucky, maybe military law enforcement. (Not what I planned when I talked with the Air Force recruiter and spent a day taking the battery of skill tests) So I didn't enlist. Anyway, I ended up spending the next 45 years working in warehouses, offices and law enforcement! I have listened to about a gazillion people tell me war stories. My personal belief is that most of the story tellers, the bulk of them anyway, closest brush with combat was a top sgt. with a hangover. The guys I know that were in real combat would tell funny stories or stupid stuff that happened but usually only talk about the tough stuff with other combat vets and then reluctantly. I worked with a man, in the mid 70s, when I started the LE portion of my life, who was a reserve officer and worked for the local wrecker co. that did our towing. He developed a drinking problem and was dropped from the reserve program and latter lost his job due to DWIs. I did not know, until about 6 or7 years ago, when he passed away, that he had been a Marine in WW2 and made several Pacific landings including Iwo Jima. Looking back now, I would guess that most all of his problems were a probably a result of PTSD/ survivors guilt. I do regret that I did not spend my 3 years working in supply or if I was lucky, as an Air Policeman. Another of the woulda', shoulda', coulda' things that I think about now that I am closer to the end than the beginning. Thank to all that did do the time, in whatever capacity. GB

You will find individuals today who did serve in combat, but have MOS or even services branches that make it seem odd. During parts of the Iraq War, it did not matter if you were a supply clerk, working the mail room, etc. There was a requirement that each convoy, patrol, etc needed X number of warm bodies. For various reasons X was not always available, thus warm bodies from elsewhere were needed.

There were also fair numbers of IAs, Individual Augmentees, from the Navy who ended up serving in Army units. In some cases it made sense, such as Masters At Arms going to MP units, Corpsmen going to medical units, etc. But not always. Sometimes a guy who had been peeling paint and mopping floors in the Navy would find himself driving trucks for the Army.

Many of the Corpsmen my wife served with had spent time serving with Army units.

Izzydog said:

I went into the Navy with the intention of serving on submarines. I'd read and seen Hunt for Red October, and figured that was super cool. I was stupid and went as a non-designate striker, which meant I was everyone's whipping boy. I painted that damned submarine more times than I can count. I finally managed to become a storekeeper, but never could manage to make petty officer. I got out in 95 and never looked back. I'm proud of my Dolphins, and some of the things I did. Unfortunately it really doesn't matter, and most people wouldn't give a rip anyway.
I had several occasions to meet SEALS, and UDT, guys. They were never braggadocios, always friendly ,and usually very humble.

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I'm proud of my dolphins too...
Brother of the phin!!!
JIM....................

GatorFarmer said:

You will find individuals today who did serve in combat, but have MOS or even services branches that make it seem odd. During parts of the Iraq War, it did not matter if you were a supply clerk, working the mail room, etc. There was a requirement that each convoy, patrol, etc needed X number of warm bodies. For various reasons X was not always available, thus warm bodies from elsewhere were needed.

There were also fair numbers of IAs, Individual Augmentees, from the Navy who ended up serving in Army units. In some cases it made sense, such as Masters At Arms going to MP units, Corpsmen going to medical units, etc. But not always. Sometimes a guy who had been peeling paint and mopping floors in the Navy would find himself driving trucks for the Army.

Many of the Corpsmen my wife served with had spent time serving with Army units.

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The Army here in Columbia, at Fort Jackson, trains the Navy augmentees...My Submarine Veterans Base goes to the Graduation parties and wishes the fair winds and following seas..
JIM............

Izzydog said:

I went into the Navy with the intention of serving on submarines.

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Well, I enlisted specifically to become a corpsman...and after I went to Hospital Tech school, Operating Room Tech school, and Optician Tech school, I applied for Submarine Medicine school. I was approved, but the approval came with a 3 year extension on my enlistment. I declined, and I got orders to Cherry Point, NC, where I did the last two years of my enlistment.

Over the years since, I have sometimes wished I had gone ahead and extended my enlistment...who knows, I might have made it a career.

When I got out ever body claimed to be a Green Beret or Ranger. Frankly I never new we had so many Green Berets. Sarcasm.

Just Artillery. Cannon Fire Direction. I did do some prisoner escort.

I do have veterans plates on my vehicles and my Harley. I'm proud to have served when so many wouldn't.

There is more than a little irony in the "sure I was a Vietnam veteran" crowd. When I got back from part 2 of my senior trips to SE Asia, I melted into the crowd and disappeared. In 1969, no one and I do mean no one ever 'fessed up to being a Vietnam veteran. Nope, not me, I can't even spell it.

Fast forward 40+ years and everyone is now a Vietnam veteran. It is so popular that politicians and other morons have proudly proclaimed that they were "over there" even though they would have been 12 years old when it ended.

Why do they do it now? It certainly wasn't popular way back when. I don't have an answer for you but I find it really strange.

Larry
15JUN67-17SEP69
240th Assault Helicopter Co. and, yes, the Tet Offensive was a bitch.