Posted on 10/10/2007 7:00:20 AM PDT by shhrubbery!
By all accounts, Robert Levy, now the 60-year-old mayor of Atlantic City, was a fine soldier during his two tours of Vietnam.
The former lifeguard came home with two Bronze Stars. He was a native son who, before enlisting, had risen above his own family's prejudice to marry a local African-American woman. After his homecoming, he remained in the military until he became eligible to retire, with 20 years of service.
But at some point, Levy began to embellish his service record in Vietnam by saying he had been a member of the Green Berets, the elite special force of the Army and stirring figures in the popular imagination. During his campaign for mayor in 2005, the trim 6-footer even campaigned as a former Green Beret.
Since then, Levy has been outed by the local newspaper, The Press of Atlantic City, for padding his résumé, and he has admitted the lie. Last Friday, amid reports that the federal government was investigating his military record, he abruptly went on medical leave and dropped out of sight.
Yesterday, as federal sources confirmed the investigation, Levy remained missing. His spokesman, Nick Morici, said he was in a hospital somewhere.... [snip]
(Excerpt) Read more at nj.com ...
At least he’s reappeared.
Democrat I presume...
More benefits?
Just plain CRAZY?
Maybe he should voluntarily admit himself to an insane asylum.
BUT of course - a Demoncrat!
Now that’s jumping the gun.
I recommend you see a psychiatrist before you become an unperson.
/sarc
I don’t understand why he felt the need to embellish in the first place! Vietnam vet, 2 bronze stars. That’s a pretty darn big accomplishment, you think? With all the people out there claiming to be forming SF, I’m beginning to wonder just how “Special” the Special Forces really are.
Up his benefits?
I just don’t get this one... The guy served with distinction, 2 bronze stars, exemplory record, there was absolutely no need or reason for him to embelish it.
Its one thing where you have the “Winter Soldier” guys who just lie flat out about their service... either never having served at all or were booted out or served in the mess hall as a potatoe peeler or something. This guy had a record of service to be proud of... I have no idea why he did this.
Some of the news reports seem to indicate that he allegedly “padded” his resume in order to obtain increased military benefits. But how does earning the GB accomplish this? I don’t get it.
Atlantic City Mayor Robert Levy Resigns, Lawyer Says
Effective immediately.
Absolutely, this just doesn’t make sense.. he had a 20 year service record to be proud of... why would he needlessly embelish it?
Makes no sense.
The words New Jersey politician should be enough to figure that one out.
In a recent poll in NJ, people overwhelmingly said that they would vote for a corrupt Democrat before they would vote for an honest Republican.
The ole’ saying, “You get the Government you deserve!”
Funny, I tried to confirm that by using a word-search for both "Republican" and "Democrat" in both the Star-Ledger articles, but nothing came up.
Now why would that be, I wonder? [/s]
Next I tried a google search to see if this guy was a Democrat, and came up with Michelle Malkin's excellent article from a couple of days ago:
Rumor: Democrat mayor of Atlantic City, still missing, to resign over phony military claims
And yeah - after a few beers - I was once a space shuttle door gunner
I dunno 2 bronze stars in Vietnam is nothing to sneeze at. I wonder if an advisor told him to claim to be “green beret” because it’ll sell better. (Not excusing his actions, just can’t understand why someone with a recorded 20 years of exemplory service would do this.)
Its one thing when you get the complete fake soldier or the booted soldier or the soldier who didn’t do much of anything claiming to be more than they are or were... but why oh why embelish an already exemplory record? I just don’t get it.
“Why did the Demoncrat LIE about being a Green Beret?”
Same reason as they all do....first and foremost the “oooooh and aaaaah” factor; and whatever potential political/occupational advantage it can translate into.
To the best of my knowledge, being a real Special Forces soldier in and of itself does not confer increased VA entitlements/benefits upon a Veteran.
The pollsters conveniently avoided polling me or people like me.
I wonder if there are more shoes to drop. I.e., maybe even more of his military record is phony than the Green Beret claim.
OTOH, Jeremy Boorda also had a distinguished record of service, yet allegedly pinned at least one undeserved ribbon on himself.
Mayor’s Green Beret fakery leaves A.C. wounded
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1905868/posts
On a related note...?
PHONEY: not genuine or real: as a (1): intended to deceive or mislead
I’m glad RUSH has made it safe to properly use the word phoney.
Are you suggesting he is an Armin Tamzarian young man?
However, I posted an update (breaking news - mayor resigns) in post 1, so maybe it's of some use.
LOL, my resident Simpsons expert is absent, so I had to look that one up.
I wonder about those two bronze stars now.
Now that’s funny. I will be using that one, maybe as soon as tonight.
My favorite line to the opposite sex while at a bar: "I'm a sergeant in the navy!" Everyone of them believed it.
The only reason I knew he was a Demoncrat was because a radio talk show stated that. Otherwise, I’d be clueless.
He was STUPID!
Although it is tempting to pile on the guy because he’s a Democrat it appears the guy is a real life hero and served our country well. I wish him well. I think of him as I do Bob Kerry I just can’t understand why he’s a Democrat. Heroes do go astray Duke Cunningham was a hero to me and a Republican. He also turned out to be corrupt.
This really is ashamed. As an infrequent visitor to AC, the city has improved greatly in recent years. He was the first AC mayor to have not been indicted in around 20 plus years. This was really a noteworthy achievement.
You really have to dig to find out his party affiliation.
As Michelle Malkin noted (article linked above), the Star-Ledger has previously admitted Levy is a Dem ... but in the same breath the Star-Ledger tries to minimize that fact by noting that Levy had changed his party affiliation a few years back.
MA was the same way when I bailed from that state. Population of young and productive people are leaving. Old and State employeed, staying.
I think upstate NY, Buffalo, the largest employeer is the City then the state and then the County. Maybe not in that order but that is just the death nail for any region or city.
“I wonder about those two bronze stars now.”
Hmmm...I do also. The wiki article said that there was an investigation of his CIB. Apparently that one triggers some VA benefit. The Green Beret assignment wouldn’t.
The Bronze Stars don’t have to be for valor in actual combat. They can be issued for all kinds of support activities. I’d be interested in seeing the citations.
Whatever makes a man claim what he hasn’t earned probably isn’t satisfied by just a little acclamation. I think they have a tendency to go overboard.
Here is a true sea story about medals: While not related to combat awards I was stationed in my last tour before retiring with a Masterchief Yeoman that had 5 Navy Commendation Medals and 1 Navy Achievement Medal. Usually its the other way around. He never struck me as being particularly impressive or effective either. After a few years in the military you know who is pulling his weight and who isn’t pretty quick.
But, a guy with his job description works directly for the XO. Its not a big deal (if you have no shame) to write and submit your own award recommendation. I would have been embarrassed to wear that many. I never saw another person with that many awards of that medal in my whole 21 years of service.
You might be right, but OTOH might there be more phony claims to drop? I have no info on this, but am wondering.
Don't admire Bob Kerrey, who's a Hillary supporter, socialist school president and suck-up to disgraced donor Hsu. Yes, it was honorable of him to have become a SEAL. And yes, he lost his foot in Vietnam, but that injury happened in an incident that IIRC was questionable, perhaps less than valorous. While I agree we should honor his sacrifice, no matter how the injury happened, what bothers me is that Kerrey exploited that injury to get into office and help the traitorous Democrat cause, a la Max Cleland.
Duke Cunningham, I agree with you there. It was shocking and demoralizing to see a genuine hero like Cunningham go corrupt. However, I think he may be the exception that proves the rule.
....I wonder about those two bronze stars now....
Yeah. Funny that a wireline bunny would earn two bronze stars. Like to see his SF180.
To set the record straight. I’m no fan of the political Bob Kerrey. He did lose part of 1 leg, below the knee due to an enemy grenade during a vicious firefight. He completed all requirements to become a SEAL. ....a real one! He’s called VietNam Nixon’s war. Somehow he forgot about JFK and LBJ.
But I do not honor his service to socialists, political sham artists and the Democrat party whose interests lie in our nation's dishonor and defeat.
Well! Bob Kerry is a Medal of Honor recipient so I’m gonna cut him a lot of slack!
But as I've said above, I honor Bob Kerrey's service. At least he joined the SEALS knowing he'd see some pretty intense action -- compared to John Kerry's expectation that in joining the Navy to avoid being drafted, he wouldn't. (And I'm NOT dissing the Navy --one of my sons served in the Navy btw, and I know sailors see plenty of danger-- but just pointing out that John Kerry dissed it.)
Agreed!
Human nature is endlessly fascinating.
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