Posted on 05/31/2010 6:51:22 PM PDT by Past Your Eyes
In 1997 Wes S. Cooley, a sitting first-term eastern Oregon congressman, was convicted on charges he'd lied about his military service in official state voter guides. Cooley had claimed Korean War service with Army Special Forces. An Oregon newspaper learned that Cooley hadn't finished training until nearly a month after the signing of the 1953 armistice. A judge sentenced Cooley to two years' probation, a $5,000 fine and 100 hours of community service. Well-known actor Brian Dennehy often shared stories of his service with the Marines in Vietnam. Burkett verified that the movie tough guy was indeed a former Marine but had been discharged in 1963, before any Marines were sent to Vietnam. Dennehy did play football for a Corps team on Okinawa, Burkett reported.
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I did not know that about Dennehy. Disappointing...
I never liked him, but I was surprised to find he was a lying fraud.
Reminds me of “Deep In The Hurtgen Forest”
Not only did Kerry serve in Viet Nam - his worst enemy fragged him twice !
If you didn’t read the whole article, you should. I had a hard time deciding what to use and ended up with what would fit. It’s long but well worth it.
Years and years ago, back when I worked in HR, I had a few come in spouting similar tales. Some were so blatant I just had to shake my head. This one clown tried to sell me on the idea he was a retired Navy pilot. A Lt. Colonel, no less.
Now, keep in mind the company I worked for at the time was a low-end contract service business. The job he was applying for was an $8/hr housekeeping position. There’s nothing wrong with honest work, but I didn’t usually get too many retired Navy colonels applying for the position, ya dig?
Anyway, the guy tells me how he “started off” flying F-4’s for the Navy. (Judging from the guy’s age, I figured he started off flying Sopwith Camels against the Red Baron, but I digress). Then he tells me he was “promoted” to flying F-16’s over in Vietnam (quite a feat for a Navy pilot to fly an Air Force jet that wasn’t even around then, eh?) and “finished up” in Tomcats. Somewhere in that long and illustrious career of his, he got shot down and spent five years in physical rehabilitation before getting back into the cockpit.
The guy was one for the record books, folks.
But could he do housekeeping?
ROFLMAO!!
“Disappointing...”
It is disappointing, but I would make a distinction between and actor who tells lies and a politician who is presumable offering their exaggerated military experience as part of their qualifications for elected office.
Of course, you could have an actor come along and say: I can really play that part since I lived it.
That would be quite bad too.
A Lt. Colonel in the Navy. And I bet he had a brother who was a Petty Officer in the Air Force.
What I really hate are these bums holding up cards at intersections wanting a hand out and the card says “Disabled Vet”. If the guy was a disabled vet he’d be getting a pension. Those people should be arrested and the cop could say “We’re going to let you work for some food.”
I went back and did just that.
I’ve known lots of fibbers in my life and two truly pathological liars. Neither of them did it for financial gain. My MIL had self-esteem issues that manifested themselves in a steady stream of whoppers. I swear she would rather tell a fib than the truth - even when the truth benefited her. She was caught in so many of them - and when she was, she would just go blank for a split second like she was mentally shifting gears, and then go on as if nothing ever happened.
The other was my brothers best friend. This guy really believed that he was God’s gift. He had a lot going for him and squandered it all. He was a handsome guy and had a good singing voice, and the least common sense of any grownup I’ve ever known. His tales were the stuff of pure mythology. A race-car driver, a hydroplane racer, and a paratrooper. That was the one that earned my wrath. He sponged off of people, especially girls, literally telling lies for his supper. The last time I saw him he was mooching beers from people at a bar.
I was taught “Why climb a tree and tell a lie when you can stand on the ground and tell the truth”. I never understood how they could ignore the queasy stomach that comes with a lie.
I guess actors and politicians are inured to it since they have to blur the lines on a daily basis.
Dennehy lied about being wounded in Viet Nam and even accepted an award for claiming to have received a Purple Heart. He's as big a POS as any politician trying to pad his resume.
I hate the bums-you know the ones I mean - the “War vets”
Had a guy lay a line on me - he had been shot 5 times with an AK 49. I looked at him pretty hard - “MY god man, an AK-49?”
“Yup, 5 times.”
I started to walk off, he must have thoought he was loosing an easy mark.
“Hey, where you going?”
“I don’t deal with bull$hiters” I told him, “Everyone knows an AK-49 is an 800 millimeter Vietcong antiaircraft cannon”.
Haven’t seen him at the mall again.....
“Dennehy lied about being wounded in Viet Nam and even accepted an award for claiming to have received a Purple Heart.”
Well that’s pretty extreme. You’d think whoever is giving out awards like that would check the credentials first.
Did John Kerry ever get an award?
I never understand why people tell lies like this, the chances are so good that the truth will come out eventually, then people just think you’re an ass.
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