Faux Ranger MacBeth: "I'm Proud Of My Battle Buddies"

Sweetness & Light ^ | May 23, 2006 | N/A

[Sam Hill]

Here’s a “column” Jesse MacBeth wrote for the Arizona State University's student online paper, the Web Devil. It is a response to an earlier ASU article which can be found here.

Anyone who has seen his video interviews, heard his (probably paid) anti-war speeches or read his anti-war screeds, maybe surprised at his earlier attitude towards US soldiers:

Guest Column: I never wanted to protest

by Jesse Macbeth
Special to The State Press
Friday, April 23, 2004

There are several things I would like to mention that Lucia Bill and Brian Clapp of The State Press failed to mention or distorted to fit their opinions.

But before that, let me tell you why I protest. I don’t protest for the homeless people because I know most of them are homeless because that is the way they choose to live. They like that life. I am doing my protest against Coffee Plantation on the basis that they banned me from their property for the sole reason that I was in my military uniform, in case some of the boneheads who own Coffee Plantation and those in the press who advocate for them have forgotten. This is America. We are still at war. Soldiers and civilians are still dying. So why would someone boot an American soldier who is drinking coffee that he paid for and talking quietly to friends?

They booted me on my appearance alone. If they do not like green or BDUs, then that is their problem. If they don’t like American servicemen, then why are they in America? Yes, I told the security guard and the employee who said I couldn’t be there because of my uniform to f— off. And I will tell them that again and anyone who bans an American serviceman who is peacefully drinking bought product from their store. I would understand if I was being loud and disturbing people, if I stank so bad they were losing customers or if I was disturbing their business in any way. But I was doing none of those.

I understand they’re upset about the homeless bathing and panhandling in the store. I would be upset about that, too. But again, my problem with them and the Free to Camp Coalition’s problem are way different. I would gladly sit down with Coffee Plantation and discuss a way we can resolve this, because I’ve really got better things to do than protest. I am on the verge of being reshipped out. If Coffee Plantation will agree to change some things, then I will no longer protest. Some of the things include not banning people based on appearance or social status. If people are bathing in your bathroom, then ban them. But if they are paying customers and they are quietly sitting down and enjoying a drink like everyone else and you ban them because you don’t like what they’re wearing, then that is not right. If they were worried and customers were complaining, then I might understand.

I served in Iraq 16 months as a U.S. Army Ranger. Coming back home and being treated that way angered me. Coffee Plantation is not the enemy or my enemy. The owners who discriminate are the enemy. I used to go and hang out there all the time. I would play chess and buy food there all day sometimes.

Lucia Bill and Brian Clapp, it works better if you print the whole truth, not shape it to fit your opinion or Coffee Plantation’s. Your column is just another example of how the media mistreats the people. I love America. I would fight a million wars and die a million times to ensure the safety of America and the American people. So if that makes me a jerk or a socialistic pig, then so be it. I have a lot of pride in my country, my service in my uniform and all of my battle buddies out there right now fighting and dying. I won’t set that aside for anything. If Coffee Plantation wants to sit and talk to resolve this, I will gladly.

I won’t discuss the day I’m being shipped off. But we need to arrange talks ASAP if Coffee Plantation wants to talk.

There is no evidence that MacBeth was subsequently shipped anywhere, except perhaps to jail for credit card fraud.

But compare MacBeth's remarks here with those he made in a subsequent interview with the Socialist Alternative:

The War the Media is Not Reporting — An Iraqi Veteran Speaks Out

Apr 26, 2006
By Justice

Jesse Macbeth, formerly a Special Forces Ranger in Iraq, is now active with Iraq Veterans Against the War in Tacoma, Washington. The Rangers are elite units sent door-to-door in Iraq to combat the insurgency. They were also sent into Fallujah to crush all opposition to the occupation of that city. Justice recently interviewed Jesse.

How did you end up in the military?
I grew up on the streets. I got into trouble for fighting. The same judge that I’d been dealing with my whole life told me that I wouldn’t have to do adult time if I signed up for the military immediately. Sometimes I kinda wish I went to jail instead.

How did you become a Special Forces Ranger?
Basic training was easy for me. Growing up on the streets, I was used to running from cops. I was used to not eating for days. I got picked to go to Ranger School.

What did your division do?
I was in the Third Ranger Battalion. Our job was to strike fear in the hearts of the Iraqi people.

We would go into people’s houses and plow down entire families. We would interrogate people. If we didn’t like the answers that they gave, then we would kill the youngest child. If they gave more answers that we didn’t like, then we’d move on to the rest of the family. They could’ve been innocent people.

We would leave the bodies in the streets and blame it on the Shi’ites or the Sunnis. [In Fallujah] we were ordered to go into mosques and slaughter people while they were praying. I won’t go into full detail because I’m still haunted by the memories.

What was the assault on Fallujah like?
Fallujah is where we slaughtered people in mosques. We provoked the people there. Some people escaped from the mosques and saw us. We would dig holes and leave mass graves of children, women, and old men. We were ordered to let people die on the street. We were told that the Geneva Convention means nothing to us in combat.

We were ordered to fire on peaceful protesters in Fallujah. Somebody threw a rock at us, and an officer said that he thought it was a grenade. Then we were ordered to fire. When it’s daylight in Iraq, it’s daylight! Nobody really thought it was a grenade.

What medals did you get in Iraq?
I got a lot. I got a purple heart. Half of them, I don’t remember. I got five or six medals just for landing. I got a bronze star.

What injuries did you get?
I got stabbed many times. I got shrapnel in my knee. I got shot in the back.

What do you think is the role of the U.S. in Iraq?
The military is terrorists there. Soldiers thought we were going to fight terrorism, but we became the terrorists. We were told we were going to liberate the country and find weapons of mass destruction. The real aim is to have the U.S. own the country. The U.S. wants oil.

How has the government treated you since you got back?
Like shit. I hate them. I’m not gonna be a terrorist or anything, but I hate them. They killed my battle brothers. They used me. They messed me up. They didn’t care about me. They turned me into a beast, a machine.

What Veteran’s benefits have you gotten?
I ain’t getting nothing. A card and that’s it.

Where do you work?
I’m an Iraq vet, and I work at Wendy’s.

How did you get involved in IVAW?
Veteran’s Affairs told me they had no money for me. I always knew the war was fucked up, but that motivated me to say something about it. The government throws us away. They did the same thing after Vietnam.

Why do you think people should get involved in the antiwar movement?
Because it’s gotta stop. Innocent people are getting killed. Bush says we have to stay the course and that it’s hard work. Bush doesn’t know what work is.

Anything else you want to say?
Yeah. The news here is controlled. The military lets information out that serves their purposes. We slaughtered a sovereign nation. Reporters got killed.

When I was growing up, everyone thought I’d be a criminal, but they were wrong. I’m gonna be one of the leaders of the revolution.

But who can believe that a man who had been through what MacBeth claims to have been through would spend so much time “protesting” rousting bums (like himself) from the johns of a coffee shop? (Which was probably the real cause of this "protest.")

It is just hilarious that the leftwing lunatics fell for this obvious fraud.

But they never could resist liars.

[rwa265]

:-)

[Grampa Dave]

Does the Army have any groups like the Seals to expose frauds like this POS?

[BeHoldAPaleHorse]

Jesse Macbeth, formerly a Special Forces Ranger in Iraq

Special Forces and Rangers tend to be exclusive of one another--I have never heard of anybody who did both the Special Forces Q Course at Camp Mackay and Ranger School at Fort Benning. (If they are out there, my hat's off to them--to pass one such course is remarkable, to pass both would be truly exceptional.)

Why do the phony vets always have to be Rangers, Breen Beanies, or SEALs (or, worse, all of the above at one time)?

I mean, I did my year in Vietnam after Uncle drafted me. I was a cook. About the most danger I was in was when I accidentally started a grease fire.

[Sam Hill]

"Another sociopath on the loose. Maybe Cindy can adopt him?"

It wouldn't be the first time:

Cindy’s Marine Is A Liar | Sweetness & Light
http://www.sweetness-light.com/archive/marine-told-tales-for-fame/

[Sam Hill]

"So ya got the normal CYA - he must be a paid plant by some vast right wing conspiracy."

And yet MacBeth was a featured speaker for them for quite some time now.

As I've noted elsewhere, it of course smacks of the Al Hubbard story.

Al Hubbard helped to start the VVAW (the parent of the IVAW). He handpicked Kerry to be his second in command.

Hubbard claimed to be a pilot who was wounded flying combat missions in Vietnam. He appeared alongside Kerry on Meet The Press, the day before Kerry made his appearance before the US Senate.

Turns out that minutes after the MTP program aired the National Review outed Hubbard as a fraud. He was a Sergant who was never in combat, probably never in Vietnam. And his "injury" came from playing basketball.

(He was also a Black Panther. Or at least he claimed to be.)

Still, Hubbard stayed on with the VVAW and eventually went to Paris, then Hanoi to negotiate with the NVM and VC.

He later was awarded one of the Soviet Union's highest honors for his service to their cause.

Kerry's Mentor: Black Panther And Phony Vietnam Vet, Al Hubbard
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1080094/posts

[Andy28]

You'd think this would count as some sort of fraud, at least...

[litehaus]

"Sounds like a Forrest Gump story."

Nah, can't recall the name of movie but the Hero was playing a video arcade game and this "stramger" appears and takes the kid off to fight as a gunner in a space ship and saves the universe. This ahole musta seen that movie....

[VRWCmember]

About the most danger I was in was when I accidentally started a grease fire.

You know, you could have submitted yourself for a Purple Heart. After 3 accidents you could have got yourself sent home.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

The movie was "The Last Starfighter."

[Sam Hill]

From the US Code:

TITLE 18 > PART I > CHAPTER 33 > § 702

§ 702. Uniform of armed forces and Public Health Service

Whoever, in any place within the jurisdiction of the United States or in the Canal Zone, without authority, wears the uniform or a distinctive part thereof or anything similar to a distinctive part of the uniform of any of the armed forces of the United States, Public Health Service or any auxiliary of such, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/search/display.html?terms=uniform&ur l=/uscode/html/uscode18/usc_sec_18_00000702—-000-.html

[VRWCmember]

Nah, can't recall the name of movie but the Hero was playing a video arcade game and this "stramger" appears and takes the kid off to fight as a gunner in a space ship and saves the universe. This ahole musta seen that movie....

The Last Starfighter

[Future Snake Eater]

I have never heard of anybody who did both the Special Forces Q Course at Camp Mackay and Ranger School at Fort Benning.

No, it's quite common to be SF and Ranger qualified. You just can't belong to both units at the same time. Having a Ranger tab means you graduated from the school, not that you were assigned to the Ranger Regiment. Typically, young NCOs/officers go to Camp Mackall for SF training and, once completed, are sent to Ranger school for the additional training.

[Waverunner]

How can we get this guy's contact info to the Arizona Cardinal's. I'm sure there's a linebacker or two who'd like to hear his Ranger stories. After all they know what a real Ranger from Arizona looks like -

http://diodon349.com/Vets_stuff/Vet_images/in_memoriam.jpg

I'm sure they would have a spirited discussion of life in the military.

[Billthedrill]

BTT. I did kinda like the "shoot the youngest child" story but then I used to read Sgt Fury comic books, too. And it does remind me a little of Congressional testimony by a young feller named Kerry.

[Mr. Silverback]

How appropriate that his name is MacBeth. He will need to work hard to wash off the blood of his comrades...it will take more than water to expunge his betrayal:

Macbeth: Will not all great Neptune’s oceans wash this blood clean from my hands?

(Lady Macbeth enters with blood covered hands)

Lady Macbeth: My hands are of your color. Come, a little water washes away the deed.

MacBeth, Act II, Scene II

[Mr. Silverback]

I got stabbed many times. I got shrapnel in my knee. I got shot in the back.

For some reason, this line struck me out of all the BS he said. One does not get "stabbed many times" by jihadis. Hand to hand is uncommon in Iraq, and people who have been stabbed many times during hand to hand in any war are as rare as dragon's teeth.

[Mr. Silverback]

Oh ho, and THEY were right after all!

If there's a revolution, I hope he gets napalmed.

[Mr. Silverback]

The person who discusses this on wikipedia gets it 100% right, except for this:

Of course, the line about "go into the Army or go to jail" is vintage TV script not heard since the 1960s.

Actually, it still happens all the time, though not as much as during the days of the draft. I know of at least one kid who got that ultimatum and ended up serving on USS Theodore Roosevelt during the invasion of Afghanistan.

[dighton]

How appropriate that his name is MacBeth.

Damned Spotty

[Mr. Silverback]

Why do the phony vets always have to be Rangers, Breen Beanies, or SEALs (or, worse, all of the above at one time)?

Two reasons:

1. Your average fake vet lies about serving because he views himself as deficient and is grasping at glory to cover his deficiency, so why not go for the brass ring?

2. The fake vets who work for the Fifth Column claim to be in special forces so that when someone says, "That never happened" they can say, "It was on a super-secret classified operation." That's not something you can do if you say, "I was in 3rd ID and I machine-gunned an elementary school class on the way into downtown Baghdad..."