Posted on 05/18/2010 7:43:09 PM PDT by kristinn
Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, trying to save his campaign for the Democrat party's nomination for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Chris Dodd after he was exposed for falsely claiming to have served in the Vietnam War, turned for support today to a veteran who himself was accused of wearing service medals and rank he had not earned.
The man, Elliot Storm, actually served in Vietnam, unlike Blumenthal, however Storm was called out by the POW Network several years ago for embellishing his decorations.
According to Ct News Junkie, Storm was invited by Blumenthal's campaign to stand with Blumenthal at his campaign event today at a local VFW hall where Blumenthal spoke about his lies about serving in Vietnam.
Storm is shown in this wire photo taken today. Storm is second from right in a dark jacket and striped shirt. Blumenthal is front center wearing a suit.
The POW Network published e-mails from Storm , aka William Joseph Trumpower, begging forgiveness for his trangressions ("I am sincerely sorry. I am getting old and tired, I would hope you would find some mercy in your heart to forgive a tired Nam Vet Marine who made some errors in judgment and pride ...Chuck and Mary you have done some gr8 things with your network, and you have gotten alot of good information out to so many, and so has Gary. I would rather join you and help than fight and cry anymore. Please accept my sincere and absolute apology.") listed at the site as:
CLAIMING BRONZE STAR w/VALOR device. Claims 2nd Lt, Claims/wears 3 Purple Hearts, 2 Bronze Stars w/V. The jacket in EARLIER pictures boasted 8 ribbons. This NEW pic has more and includes V device on Bronze Star and 2nd Lt bars.. Claims he worked with Ollie North.
The POW Network lists Storm's earned decorations:
ACTUAL - National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Purple Heart w/1*. Served 11 Oct 1968 to 30 Jan 1970 as a USMC rifleman (MOS 0311). Has enlisted service number (not officer's)
Ct News Junkie wrote about Storm's appearance with Blumenthal today, apparently unaware of Storm's scandalous history:
Elliott Storm is a Blumenthal supporter. The campaign called him and asked him to show up; he called up his friends in the “Vet Pack” to join him, friends who, like him, travel around the country talking about ex-soldiers who contend with post traumatic stress syndrome.
Storm, who lives in Milford, wrote a book on the subject, called These Scars Are Sacred.
“If a man wore a uniform during those turbulent times, they were rejected and called ‘babykiller,’” Storm said at Tuesday’s event “People are still attacking veterans who served in Vietnam.” The Times story about Blumenthal’s service is a yet another example of that, he claimed.
Storm's background was first pointed out today by Vietnam veteran Viper Ash in a posting on Facebook:
You want to hear a real joke? one of the guys on the stage with Blumenthal is on the POWNetworks wall of shame for wearing medals he didn't earn..his name is Elliot Trumpower..that news conference pissed me off ..all those dumb ass Marine's backing that peice (sic) of sh** up
FreeRepublic's Race Bannon, a Marine who served in the late Seventies, alerted Freepers with this thread here.
Since then, the story is starting to be picked up in the blogosphere.
High Fives To Race Bannon!!!
I totally agree with you, and thank you for your REAL service to our country. Heck, even I could have done Toys for Tots! Please post if you receive an answer back as to why this was allowed to happen at a VFW post. We asked our local VFW if we could borrow a flag for a Constitution Rally (type of Tea Party) and were told no-it was too political. Then they let this scum stand there looking like all the vets in the world are behind him.
Col. Daniel Bruno, commander of U.S. Army Garrison West Point, today will relay a simple yet profound message of gratitude to the men and women who sacrificed life, blood and limb in defense of America and the principle of liberty.
“I’m going to say, ‘Thank you’ for what they do, what they’ve done and what they represent,” Bruno said Friday during a reception held for him and his wife, Kitty.
The event was held at the home of Elliott Storm, a disabled Marine Corps veteran and district judge advocate for the American Legion 2nd District.
Bruno is a speaker for the American Legion, Department of Connecticut, weekend Mid-Winter Conference at the Rocky Hill Marriott.
SNIP
Storm on Friday gave Connecticut service men and women a chance to meet Bruno, as well as friends, neighbors and state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, a Marine veteran who is seeking the Democratic Party nod to run for the U.S. Senate.
Oh there is protest. Earlier threads in the day were chuck full of interesting links and protest. Just put Blumenthal in the FR search.
Bump
Earlier today, Carley spoke on the phone with the VFW headquarters and they put out a statement against using the VFW building for the announcement that Blumenthal is a liar.
Please just search on FR the name Blumenthal and you will get all you need.
Elliott Storm will regret the day he decided it would be a good idea to get on stage with Blumenthal the rest of his life.
Thanks, mojo.
I don't know what the post commander could have been thinking. I consider it absolutely shameful that any VFW post would allow itself to be used for this dog-and-pony show.
At the very least, they should have covered the VFW logo. Its presence in the photos is implied backing of Blumenthal by the VFW. How many people will even notice that there are no VFW members (at least no VFW patches or hats) in the photo?
Trumpower suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.He's been on disablity for decades but....well...I'm not a doctor but he doesn't seem all that disabled by PTSD to me.He has been on the disability roll since returning home, with a case of PTSD so severe that he cannot tolerate fireworks on the Fourth of July. He cannot sit in a restaurant without his back to a wall. He cannot go to crowded places by himself. He has not attended the cinema in years. When triggered by something or someone's behavior or remark, he often retreats to a darkened room he calls the "bunker" where he can be alone, even apart from his wife, Debbie. But he has found a career that makes him nationally recognizable: under his pen name, Elliott Storm, Trumpower travels the USA, speaking at Border's book shops promoting the novel he has self-published about PTSD, called "These Scars Are Sacred."
He also lectures on PTSD, and how it relates to veterans returning from the wars of today, in talks at military colleges and veteran's halls all over the United States . . .
He and Debbie, a teacher at Central High School in Bridgeport, pack their cats and tour the country on speaking engagements in a big diesel-powered motor home that gets 12 miles per gallon.
They were preparing Monday for a month-long tour of California., and were excited about it.
"We have 17 stops in 26 days. Most are at Border's stores," Trumpower said, pointing out that he has an agreement with Border's to sell his books, nationwide . . . full text
I was an Army brat living in Okinawa during part of that time frame. My dad was SF in Nam at the time.
bttt
As for those who falsely claim to have been there, I have NO use for. That is a very special brotherhood, and there really aren't THAT many of us left. I believe less than a million of us are left now. Correct me if I'm wrong.
Nam Vet
Blumenthal's buddy on stage is POW HALL OF SHAME-BREAKING!!
Thanks RaceBannon and kristinn!
Yep... we've got some work to do over the next 5-6 months. ;-)
One chant we used on 9/12/09 while marching down Pennsylvania Ave. toward the Capitol should come in handy: "You lie! You lie! You lie!"
Well, whaddya know!
Thanks for putting it all together, kristinn and for linking Race’s thread.
It was good to learn how the slug was first spotted. Good work by you, (again) Race!
God bless our veterans and honest people everywhere!
Thanks for the ping, mutmeg.
Thanks, all.
Libs = lying cretins
http://www.google.com/search?q=blumenthal+phony&hl=en&rlz=1T4GGIC_enUS220US220&prmd=n&start=0&sa=N
Boy, is this story NOT going away!!
no biggie...we all know registered Democrats are pure scum.
Lies, big lies, damn lies and dem lies.
Blumie brought this on himself. He’s a wretch of a human being and lots of people have seen through his persona for years. I think, like me, many are glad to see the hell he’s going through.
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