Veterans' Web Sites Expose Pseudo Heroes, Phony Honors

Wall Street Journal ^ | 5-6-2005 | AMY CHOZICK

[Cagey]

Fake Navy Seals pins, patches, medals and sweatshirts are sold in stores.

[wideawake]

I love the 300:1 fake SEAL to real SEAL ratio.

i wonder how many Americans have successfully completed BUD/S training since the inception of the program?

[Cagey]

POWnetwork.org, HomeOfHeroes.com, AuthentiSEAL.org and VeriSEAL.org, among other Web sites, provide concerned citizens with a free investigation into a person's military status.

[ArrogantBustard]

Ping.

[cripplecreek]

I can't help but wonder how many of the fake Navy Seals pins, patches, medals and sweatshirts end up proudly displayed at anti war marches.

[Cagey]

Every time I see a person with a bumper sticker that says something like "Veterans against Bush" I'm tempted to ask them what unit they served with. I'm willing to wager far more than half have never spend a day in uniform.

[Cagey]

You're freaking me out, CC. That's twice in two days now.

[Skeeve14]

I think that means Veteran Liberal against Bush..Or a Veteran at protesting...something silly like that...

[Ron in Acreage]

Bikers are notorious for this. You see them get in arguments over it all the time. Some of these guys would have been 12 while in Nam.

[Niteranger68]

"Every time I see a person with a bumper sticker that says something like "Veterans against Bush" I'm tempted to ask them what unit they served with. I'm willing to wager far more than half have never spend a day in uniform."

I think you are misreading that sticker. It believe it says "Vegetarians against Bush".

[wideawake]

I'll bet you're right.

I'm not a veteran myself, so I'd hate to confront a guy and find out that he actually was a legit vet, but I suspect taht even the half or less who are actual vets are guys who didn't serve in a forward area.

[mountaineer]

The president of a local college, a flaming liberal, has on his resume two years Navy service as a Lt. in the early 1970s. He claims to have been a diver, though not a SEAL. He didn't serve in Vietnam. I'm wondering if there's any way I can find out whether his discharge was other than honorable or his claims are the least bit truthful. Given his current behavior (cracks under the least bit of pressure, can't make a decision, utterly dishonest in other matters), I can't see this guy in Little League, let alone as a naval officer.

Would the sites you mentioned help me in this investigation?

[A Balrog of Morgoth]

...."Veterans against Bush" I'm tempted to ask them what unit they served with....

No kidding.

[ladtx]

You're right. Some of the dummy wannabes don't realize that the minimum age for a Vietnam vet today is about 47-48 years old.

[wideawake]

I just can't figure out what kind of thinking separates the two and doesn't understand why we must have warriors.

I hate the painting but I love the painter!

I hate the meal but I love the cook!

[Cagey]

Would the sites you mentioned help me in this investigation?

The sites I show in post #3 are from the article and I suspect one or more may help you if you investigate. Good luck if you do.

[A Balrog of Morgoth]

He would have had to through Dive School.

[A Balrog of Morgoth]

He would have had to through Dive School.

[wideawake]

Yup.

In fact, the youngest volunteer who could possibly have served in Vietnam would have turned 47 last week.

Saigon fell to the almost exactly Communists 30 years ago - April 30/May 1 1975.

An imaginary volunteer who theoretically signed up on his 17th birthday on April 30th and was magically deployed to South Vietnam the same day would have been 47 last week.