Veteran Owns Medal He May Not Have Earned

WJAR-TV, Rhode Island ^ | 5/21/03 | Alison Bologna, News Channel 10

[Lazamataz]

People who brag about military awards they haven't actually earned are just a tiny bit higher on the food chain than flag burners.

I got the Distinguished Red Heart Cross with Oak Leaf Clusters for my service in England during the Spanish - American war.

No really, I did.

[SwinneySwitch]

"People who brag about military awards they haven't actually earned are just a tiny bit higher on the food chain than flag burners."

I think they both have to look up to see a snakes belly!

[Psycho_Bunny]

I used to wear my father's flight jacket from time to time.  He was a Marine F-4 driver in Vietnam....the coat's plastered with the patches from the air groups he flew in and carriers he landed on.

I stopped wearing it because people kept thinking it was mine.  I didn't mind explaining to people who asked that it was my dad who was the ass-kicker - not me - but I realized that there were all those people who didn't ask and thought it was my coat. 

Made me feel like a fraud even though it was just a flight jacket:  I couldn't imagine wearing one of his metals. 

[Lazamataz]

I don't get it. A Silver and Bronzed Star, Soldiers Medal, Purple Heart and he still needed more?

Does he have the Distinguished Red Heart Bronze Cross with Silver Oak Leaf Clusters for his service in England during the Spanish - American war???

I don't think so.

[Republicus2001]

thanks for the correction...sure was a lotta killings at the WH in those days tho' - I wonder if the rate of GW's friends suicides is similiar to BC's... it would be interesting to do an actuarial or statistical analysis

[Lazamataz]

I think they both have to look up to see a snakes belly!

That's why I'm glad I can back up my claim that I earned the Distinguished Red Heart Bronze Soldiers Cross Medal with Silver Oak Leaf Clusters.

[Lazamataz]

It was for my service in England during the Spanish - American war, y'see.

[MEG33]

I googled and found Boorda is his name.Admiral Zumwalt is the one who said he clearly deserved to wear the Combat V.

[ErnBatavia]

Mitchell Paige (Congression Medal of Honor - Guadalcanal) has made it a secondary career in debunking more than a few who claim to be Medal of Honor recipients.

[aardvark1]

Kennedy's information source? Jayson Blair.

[strela]

Got mustard gas wounds all over ma body!!

[BluH2o]

I wonder if there has ever been a correction to an obituary?

Doubt it ... which gives me an idea! ;)

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Wow, this is bad. If the guy was mistaking wearing a lower ribbon like a service unit commendation or something like that, where your whole unit is authorized en masse to wear it and it shows up on your DD-214 later, I could maybe be a little more understanding. But, it's still pretty sloppy to not check your DD-214 carefully and make sure you're not claiming anything that isn't explicitly on the form. But with the Distinguished Service Cross, there's no mistaking that. There's a specific citation that goes with it and it gets awarded at a ceremony. (Heck, this was even the case for my Navy Good Conduct Medal, which is nothing like the DSC in question here.)

Unless the Army screwed up royally, this guy has some serious 'splainin' to do.

[windcliff]

Stolen Valor ping

[onedoug]

I won the Croix De Guerre for almost restoring colonial Vietnam to the French. They surrendered to the paperwork though. Sacre bleu!

[ken in texas]

Well, Laz, unless you've got at least three of those clusters you're not going to impress me!

[stands2reason]

Weren't the smarter life insurance coverers asking during the 90's, "Do you know Bill Clinton personally? If yes, how close are you to the President?"

[Kenton]

I used to wear my father's flight jacket from time to time. He was a Marine F-4 driver in Vietnam....Made me feel like a fraud even though it was just a flight jacket

Oh, I don't think you need to feel at all guilty for wearing your Dad's flight jacket. It just sounds like you were proud of him. But I respect your decision not to wear it for the reasons you've stated.

[Tijeras_Slim]

I used to wear my father's flight jacket from time to time.

A good friend (Major USMC) gave me a grey sweatshirt with MARINES printed on the front. I've never been in the military. I wear it around the house, but I won't wear it in public.

[Kenton]

When one seperates or retires from the DOD the single most important piece of paper is the DD214 as it will be your single record of accomplishments and validation for retirement, employment or medical benefits.

When I got out of the Navy in 1970, I grabbed my DD214 and ran as fast as I could back to civilian life. I never even bothered looking at all that crap in my service folder until many years later. When I finally checked it out, one thing that I noted was that it contained no mention at all of one of the ships that I served on (I was on 3 ships in 4 years).

Clerks make mistakes, I never even considered trying to get it corrected. I never even noticed if all awards were listed. I guess I was just too happy being a civilian again to care that much...