Posted on 10/03/2007 7:28:52 AM PDT by rocksblues
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.
snip
In the meantime, state Assemblyman Jim Whelan (D-Atlantic), a former Atlantic City mayor and lifeguard as well as a longtime friend of Levy, complained that the mayor's unexplained absence has "paralyzed" the city. Atlantic City officials fought over who was entitled to fill the void, and Council President William Marsh hired a legal adviser. But at City Hall, where workers planted colorful mums in planters, Domenic Capella, the city business administrator and self-described acting mayor, said Atlantic City was functioning just fine.
snip
The government left no doubt that Levy had a distinguished war record. He was awarded two Bronze Stars for valor over two tours in the combat zone. Yet for some reason, Levy told people he'd also been a Green Beret.
snip
Over the years, so many Vietnam veterans have made false claims about having been Green Berets that actual Green Berets have taken to trying to expose people who have told the lie.
(Excerpt) Read more at nj.com ...
“War hero”? This guy got three “nicks”, two of which may be manufactured and took advantage of a little know Navy Regualtions that said you could rotate out of country if you had 3 purple hearts. So like a “good officer” he left his men long before his normal tour would have been up. “War Hero”...I want to puke.
I disagree. Any one who embellishes their service for whatever reason is a phony. If they will lie about themselves they will lie about anything.
You illustrate the point I was making in my post. Thank you.
Do you not even see how absurd and hysterical it sounds to try to lump this fellow in with Benedict Arnold or John Kerry? Hizzonor did not take arms against the US, nor did he meet with US enemies in time of war while also making speeches undercutting US policy. The original article shows the mayor stubbed his toe big time with the exaggeration. Even so he remains a legitimate war hero, and none of this makes him a traitor in any sense of the term.
Applying a little common sense proportion isn’t a bad thing.
He’ll claim post traumatic stress, and if he’s a democrat, he’ll float.
Phoney green berets! We former astronauts and CIA agents are outraged! ;-)
Phoney green berets! We former astronauts and CIA agents are outraged! ;-)
Phouc Ngai
I don’t see any posts calling Hizzoner a traitor, a phony yes but not a traitor.
How many of the customers of this vendor would you suppose are the real thing?
My best guess would be that 100% are poseurs, and that anyone who buys patches etc also buys a “certificate” suitable for typing your name into.....notice that there is plenty of SVN SF stuff here, too.
http://search.stores.ebay.com/special-forces_Vietnam-1961-75_W0QQfrtsZ0QQsacatZ36060QQsifZ1QQsofpZ4
You got part of the story wrong. Somehow Kerry got his boatmates out with him at the same time.
One of the NCOs in my reserve unit was on his boat.
I don’t mean to cast him as a traitor as the others were. It was an example in the extreme perhaps (as was permitting Kerry’s own claims of being a “hero”).
Making false claims or providing aid and comfort to the enemy does not take away from any valiant service in defense of this country and its interests but such service does not shield one from criticism over other actions.
The guards at Abu Ghraib shamed the US military by their actions and those actions were used to slur the entire US military. No one has offered any defense for their subsequent actions saying that they volunteered and should be championed as stepping up for this country.
Hate the sin, love the sinner.
Kerry told his share of white lies too like claiming in the Congressional Record to be Irish (and later distancing himself from that as the work of a “staffer”).
Padding a resume/bio is still padding.
I’m sure that there are a number of people who’ve made claims that would make us wince. Especially when some people don’t see that they have more than enough in their history to begin with. Still does not excuse the behavior.
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