Veterans mentor says he lied about his military record

chron.com ^ | 8 Feb 2012 | Lindsay Wise

[smokingfrog]

The director of counseling at a nonprofit for veterans in Houston confessed Wednesday to lying about his military record and falsely claiming a Silver Star and other medals.

Paul Schroeder, 40, portrayed himself as a decorated Special Forces sergeant first class who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder after serving in combat in Iraq, Afghanistan, Africa and Central and South America.

In his job at the nonprofit PTSD Foundation of America, Schroeder mentored veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and led group therapy sessions at local churches and the Star of Hope Mission. He also lectured at least half a dozen times at the Houston Police Academy as part of a PTSD awareness program for officers and cadets.

"Veterans helping veterans is such a great tool because we have been there," he said in an interview with the Houston Chronicle last year. "We do understand. We can speak the same language, and if we've confronted those demons and come out the other side, it gives them hope that they can do the same. And that's really the key to defeating suicide and things of that nature is having hope that it will be better."

But the Army has no record of Schroeder ever serving in Special Operations, deploying to Iraq or Afghanistan or anywhere else, and no record of him receiving the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Combat Infantryman's Badge or other decorations he claimed to have earned, said Mark Edwards, spokesman for U.S. Army Human Resources Command at Fort Knox, Ky.

[SECURE AMERICA]

2 words
BACKGROUND CHECK!

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

It is hard to imagine why someone would falsely claim military service and medals he never earned.

[Old Sarge]

Real operators don’t talk about being an operator. That was the first clue that this guy is a poser.

Silver Star, Purple Heart, CIB - he really loaded his resume.

[GeronL]

even if its not illegal to tell others your a veteran, it always is if you gain from it. Looks like this guys whole job is based on a lie.

[jesseam]

A lonely person seeking attention. OIF vet

[taxcontrol]

The bard answers your unasked question the best -

And gentlemen in England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs’d they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.

[SuzyQue]

Really? Is that tongue-in-cheek?

[USNBandit]

The not so suprising thing is that you never hear of any pretend vet saying they worked in the motor pool. Every one of them was an Airborne Special Forces Recon Sapper SEAL, on a secret mission deep behind enemy lines.

[GeronL]

lol. So true.

or “I was the bathroom attendant at the Pentagon”

[Tucker39]

To borrow a line from Eddie Murphy in “TRADING PLACES” when confronted by the Philadelphia police: I lost my sight in Nam, man! Agent Orange? Dat wuz me.....Agent Orange....top secret. I served in Poon Tang, Kum Som, all them dangerous places! (Paraphrase).

[SandRat]

Try him under Stolen Valor then make him pay back all of the “stolen” wages and “benefits”.

[Little Bill]

Everyone wants to be a hero.

[ConorMacNessa]

"But the Army has no record of Schroeder ever serving in Special Operations, deploying to Iraq or Afghanistan or anywhere else, and no record of him receiving the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Combat Infantryman's Badge or other decorations he claimed to have earned, said Mark Edwards, spokesman for U.S. Army Human Resources Command at Fort Knox, Ky."

What a pathetic individual - why couldn't he just settle for being a non-combat vet? As far as I'm concerned, he's no different from a civilian who makes the same claims and should receive the same level of punishment.

And it's not a free speech issue - it's fraud pure and simple.

There should be some unique form of punishment for these crimes of a nature sufficient to shame the perpetrators. Just my $.02.



Etiam non princeps sed usque ad genua, Principis Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[Sarajevo]

You forgot “Ninja”. That goes right between “Sapper” and “SEAL”.

[texican01]

That’s right. It comes as a Form DD 214.

[texican01]

To my opinion, there are getting to be too much PTSD carryings on; just like the Agent Orange from Vietnam and Gulf War Syndrome from Desert Storm. Too many scammers and “camp followers" to the cause!

[RaceBannon]

I think it is funny to tell the truth about military service

during the hostage rescue attempt, at the actual time of the events and crash, I was guarding the brig on board the USS Okinawa, 400 miles away

got a bunch of medals for it, too :)

[cmomm44]

Or in my time a NavPer 553-—WW2 that is

[ops33]

Exactly!