He rallied for the troops and lied about his past (Liberals out to discredit rally Patriots)

timesunion ^ | April 11, 2003 | DENNIS YUSKO

[TLBSHOW]

He rallied for the troops and lied about his past Halfmoon-- Don Neddo, who always wanted to be a paratrooper, claimed to have fought in Korea

By DENNIS YUSKO, Staff writer First published: Friday, April 11, 2003

Don Neddo, the force behind the region's biggest pro-U.S. troops rallies, will no longer organize the demonstrations after admitting Thursday that he fabricated his combat service.

Neddo, 70, never parachuted into Korean enemy lines with the Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade during the Korean War and never suffered frostbite overseas, as he claimed in a Times Union story on March 29.

Neddo is not even a veteran.

"I'll resign because I don't want to hurt this thing," Neddo said, referring to the rallies, one of which drew 5,000 to 7,000 people on March 29 in Clifton Park.

Confronted with the fact that the 173rd Airborne never served in Korea, Neddo broke down and said he actually was a private with an anti-aircraft New York State Guard unit in the New Scotland Avenue Armory in Albany during the 1950s. The unit never left the country.

Neddo said he falsified his Korean War service because he always wanted to be a paratrooper like his seven brothers.

The Army wouldn't accept him as a combat soldier because he had a wife and kids, Neddo said.

"How do you think I felt when all my brothers went into combat and I was the only one not to," he said.

New York Guard soldiers are not considered veterans, according to the state Division of Military & Naval Affairs.

The division could not verify Neddo's service in the Guard.

Neddo organized pro-troop rallies in Albany, Glens Falls, Clifton Park and Cambridge on recent Saturdays. His Clifton Park event was publicized by radio station WGY and embraced by the town's Republican Committee.

The Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade were inactive from 1947 to 1963, said Richard Baker, lead technician of the Army Heritage and Education Center in Carlisle, Pa.

"They received no credit for campaign participation in Korea simply because they technically didn't exist," Baker said.

Neddo serves as executive vice chairman of the Saratoga County Conservative Party and is an active member of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 236 of Albany. He was the regional coordinator for the state Committee to Draft Ross Perot in 1992 and was elected twice to the Waterford-Halfmoon Board of Education.

Conservative Party leaders and veterans in the county reacted with dismay.

"He disgraced his office," said Frank Scirocco, the former county chairman of the Conservative Party.

Robert Mitchell, director of the county's Veterans' Service Agency, said veterans don't appreciate such fish stories.

"It really brings discredit upon himself if it's true," Mitchell said.

Neddo seemed disappointed he wouldn't be conducting future rallies. "We were bringing a lot of comfort to the mothers of those serving," he said.

[TLBSHOW]

This is the big story on WGY radio Albany New York today. Don was just on and has apologized and said his reason for his tall tale was he felt he was not good enough to be doing rallies and that he had wanted to support the troops that he loves and do something meaningful. He has 3 or 4 more rallies already in the works and will help out from the background now. He grandson called him from Korea this morning who is in the service there and said gramps me and the troops here support you fully. (His mom had called him and told him what the Albany times had written today) Other troop families from Albany area are calling him all day today and leading their support and want him to go on with the rallies.

Scott Allen Miller host of the WGY radio show is telling of the papers trying to discredit him and Clear Channel after he promoted the rallies for weeks. In separate stories.

Scott said as for Don that he should not of lied about it as people would of supported the rallies anyways as the rallies were not rallies for Don but for the troops. He says its the liberals way to discredit rallies and clear channel across the country. He is slamming the Times and liberals but Good today.

[Support Free Republic]

We Replaced Patrick Leahy's Brains With Folger's Crystals. Let's See If Anyone Notices!
	Donate Here By Secure Server Or mail checks to FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794 or you can use PayPal at Jimrob@psnw.com
STOP BY AND BUMP THE FUNDRAISER THREAD- It is in the breaking news sidebar!

[Only1choice____Freedom]

At least he didn't throw somebody else's medals at any body.

[TLBSHOW]

I an so sick of the liberal press that I am spitting nails right now.

[sharkhawk]

Why? If this had been a liberal, leading anti-war protests, everyone here would have been breathing fire. Lying about your military history is just as disgusting from a right winger as from a left winger. In fact, I would consider it more disgusting as we honor our fighting forces while they consider it a joke.

[TLBSHOW]

He would of been supported just for doing the rallies without the tall tale. As Scott said every liberal that calls the show calls (Scott) a chickenhawk for not serving but supporting the troops as much as he does. I have no use for any liberal rat they are all disgusting people.

[Sir Gawain]

Looks like he discredited himself.

[TLBSHOW]

Yes he did. Scott Allen is replaying the interview again right now.

The rally this weekend Don set up may get 20 thousand people there. Most of the calls today are supporting Don.

Scott just said he was man enough to admit he was wrong and again its the agenda of the lberal media to stop these rallies.

He is taking calls again now

1-800 talk wgy

[doug from upland]

I don't like this at all. Our side doesn't need to lie. We have righteousness on our side and are better than the lying RATS. It is embarrassing.

[TLBSHOW]

try and call in if you can doug, the host is now exposing the antiwar gropus as commies and said they will look into Don as a rally helper and not the antiwar people and their agenda. Caller now asking if the times ran with the CNN Iraq deal. And of course they didn't instead the times is slamming Clear Channel for Pro Bush rallies.

[TLBSHOW]

Don't get the host wrong he says Don should not of lied.

(But) this is all a liberal hit from the Albany slimes which this liberal paper supported Scott Ritter and the protesters but not the patriot rally people.

Now a caller says God Bless Don and all the good he has done for the troops which is what it was about and not Don.

Now another caller says he was there to support the troops and with his son says God bless Don and what he did was wrong but the Albany paper is worst. Don did admit he was wrong which no liberal would admit.

[cardinal4]

FWIW, I just returned from a day of fishing in southern MO. (Two trout caught on my new fly rod!) On the way back to STL on I-44 near Rolla, there was about 75-100 people waving flags and yelling support our troops. People like this are the reason the 2002 elections went the way they did. I wish the guy didnt lie about his service, but it seems most Americans are more concerned with America and patriotism than liberal media's leftist hate America lies. Thats just my opinion.