Posted on 07/02/2006 9:19:26 AM PDT by smoothsailing
Law targets those with unearned military medals
By Jason Cato
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, July 2, 2006
Marine majors have accomplished plenty in the Corps' 230-year history, but tales from "The Terminator" just didn't add up.
He'd been a SEAL, a sniper and a pilot. His stories were larger than life, and no one at the Soldiers & Sailors National Military Museum and Memorial in Oakland believed him. But it was the Navy Cross pinned to his dress blues that proved too much to stomach.
"He had more battle activity than eight guys together," Ron Gancas, museum president, said about John Eastman, who faces federal charges of impersonating a military officer. "Why he picked this place to B.S. I don't know. Everybody was in the military here."
Eastman, 58, of New Galilee, Beaver County, is accused of falsely wearing a major's insignia at a Veteran's Day function in 2004. He was indicted this year and, if convicted, would face a maximum penalty of six months in prison and a $5,000 fine.
If his outcome is anything like that of another imposter prosecuted this year in Pittsburgh, jail time is unlikely. Albert McKelvey, 68, of Richland, faked being a Marine colonel, presenting neatly folded flags to widows at funerals and delivering inspirational speeches to veterans groups. He paid for his transgressions with a $2,500 fine and probation.
A bill -- the Stolen Valor Act -- making its way through Congress would increase the penalties for imposters and help prosecutors go after phonies....
(Excerpt) Read more at pittsburghlive.com ...
Does this mean that I have to quit claiming that I made E-8 in only four years, when actually I made E-4 twice?
I think a big benefit of making it a crime, is that it would force the media to use formal journalistic standards on veterans stories.
Before they could run phony stories like CBS's The"Wall Within", in which one subject claimed to have been a SEAL super assassin in Vietnam at age 16, they would have to verify that their source wasn't committing a criminal act by feeding them lies.
Dan Rather himself did that story, Rather, until he was outed in recent years had posed as a Marine (he isn't)
Hey, I got my DFC for drinking beer and it's the only decoration I ever got that I value!
Of all places to get causgt as a fake
(HEY TONK, Look who's here!)
:-)
I don't recall for the other services, but in the Marine Corps the officers were ineligible for the Good Conduct Medal. :-)
>>>I don't recall for the other services, but in the Marine Corps the officers were ineligible for the Good Conduct Medal. :-)<<<
I believe that was true for the Navy, as well.
>>>Does this mean that I have to quit claiming that I made E-8 in only four years, when actually I made E-4 twice?<<<
LOL.
He apparently based that claim on the fact he reported to boot camp, but was discharged in less than 4 months as being "physically unfit" to be a Marine..
As every puke and whale turd who reported to P.I. learned with seconds - is that you're NOT a Marine until your Senior D.I. welcomes you into HIS Marine Corps immediately AFTER graduation ceremony.
4 months - about he same time Rambo Kerry spent in Vietnam to "earn" his Silver Star and THREE Purple Hearts without bleeding.. Rather has been a purveyer and believer of his own myths for decades... Only in America can a lying, weak, spineless, communist admiring asshole become a wealthy "news" reader..
F'em.
Semper Fi
Same in the Army. I got mine as an enlisted man and was allowed to wear it when I later became an officer.
Some of the best officers I knew had started out as grunts, and to them the GCM was proudly worn.
When you've been both officer and enlisted, you respect the guys who make things happen.
More times than not, it's the sergeants with the stripes, and the officers who respect them.
Yep, that's how we could tell when the zeroes were worth anything. If they had a Good Conduct medal, you knew they were mustangs (prior enlisted).
Just kiddin'! I worked with some darn fine officers in all services that were able to overcome their lack of enlisted service. :-)
And also charged with sedition.
Oh, oh, John Kerry's in trouble again.
LOLOLOL
LOL:)
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