Posted on 05/06/2005 6:32:31 AM PDT by Cagey
From the minute FBI Special Agent Thomas A. Cottone Jr. saw Walter K. Carlson, he suspected that something wasn't quite right about the decorated war hero. The two men met at a Washington Township, N.J., funeral service for Marine Second Lt. John Thomas Wroblewski, 25 years old, killed in Iraq in last spring.
"Thousands of people were there, but when that captain walked past me wearing the Navy Cross and a chest full of medals and ribbons," Mr. Cottone says, "I whispered to my friend, something is wrong with that guy."
Mr. Cottone, whose duties at the Federal Bureau of Investigation include investigating military imposters, subsequently followed his hunch, determining, he says, that Mr. Carlson, 59 years old and a local bus dispatcher, didn't earn the medals he was wearing; in fact, Mr. Cottone says, Mr. Carlson never even served in the military. Mr. Carlson declined to comment.
It is illegal under federal law to wear an unauthorized military uniform or unearned decorations. Mr. Carlson was arrested, released on $10,000 bond and ordered to surrender all military materials. A trial was averted when he agreed to a pretrial probation program, says Mr. Cottone.
With patriotism at a high plateau of late, the U.S. military currently receives a level of respect not seen since World War II. Unlike the Vietnam War era, today even those who oppose the war in Iraq profess to be staunch supporters of the men and women who serve there. The heightened admiration has given way to a growing number of military impostors, and in turn sparked an impassioned group of crusaders determined to expose the mock heros who festoon themselves with unearned medals.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
"Communists almost exactly"
That's what over half he country thought of last year's Presidential contender.
There was a panhandler complete with sign that said "Homeless Vietnamese Vet" on the corner near where I used to work. He was also a good 20 years too young to have been in the military during that period.
Since he was black, he didn't look too Vietnamese either...
I'm not trying to play mulit-post cop or anything, but I swear I read this article a couple months back.
Anyway, I don't understand these wanna-be's pinning bogus medals & ribbons (not an interchangable term, JFK). Why can't people either be proud of their not-so-glorious service or lack of service. I was never in any combat, but am still proud of my service, even if one of my duties was to pump off the poop tanks weekly.
"Communists almost exactly"
LOL! I know how you feel, sometimes my fingers get ahead of my brain.
A fake Indian Navy Seal would be the best.
It's a new article in the WSJ today - I read it on the ferry this morning in my low-tech edition.
It didn't come out better the second time. ;)
I think you are recalling the actual story of this Carlson clown being found out by the FBI agent who had attended the Soldier's funeral in New Jersey. I recall that story being on this forum a few months ago too.
I don't doubt you a bit. Here's the article I was thinking of:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1123209/posts
You are right. You posted it! LOL!
Same guy posted that story too. Weird.
John Kerry teaches at your school????
The two years of service says it all. The guy probably left under pressure, or he simply saw the handwriting on the wall. If you apply yourself, it's not that hard to get a commission, your leadership isn't tested until you're on the job. There are also a surprising number (not huge, just surprising) of Democrats and liberals in the military. Most come by their liberalism from their family and friends, some are opportunists (during a Democrat Presidency), and some are simply contrarians.
"I hate the meal but I love the cook!"
I would back away from that statement. ;) I know many women who destroy everything they try to cook. Their husbands still love them. They just eat out. LOL!
"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."
Sounds like material for a GREAT FReeping/PW protest rally sign!
Background Check MOAB (mother of all banners)...
... Take a wireless laptop to FReeps, ask for Name, Rank and Serial Number of all wearing camo ...
WooooHooooo!
He may as well be Effin Kerry. This college president ignored a directive from the governor to lower the flags statewide when a state resident - and graduate of this very college - was killed in action in Iraq, but he did try to lower the flags when another student was killed in a drive-by shooting while out bar-hopping at 3 a.m. There was some opposition, needless to say, and a couple of vice presidents had to explain the "flag flying" rules to him.
Hmmm...what about other pseudos & phonies, of the bishop, priest, and deacon stripes? Maybe we need to start a parallel group.
Verrrrrrrry interesting!
(It should be noted that it's hard to tell whether Armitage himself is responsible for promoting the myth that he was a Navy SEAL. But as the website states, Armitage "does not go out of his way" to correct the many media stories portraying him as a former SEAL.)
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