Veterans' Web Sites Expose Pseudo Heroes, Phony Honors

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

[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.

[Americanexpat]

"There's a business near me with a big red sign in the window that says, "LOVE THE WARRIOR - HATE THE WAR".

Probably a smoke screen to keep the guy from getting punched in the nose.

[jec41]

I am a vet and received my airborne training along with several Seals, Pathfinders, and Marine Re con units. We started with about 840 and finished with 72 and were already in the top 10% when we got there. I think that the Seal training is probably the hardest and most diversified training that one can received in the military. Although I am very proud of my service I take notice when I see a Seal who is maybe 1 out of a 1000 who makes it. It usually only takes a few minutes of conversation to determine if they are authentic. Most of these Vets. do not have an agenda and it is usually a tipoff when they start bragging about their deeds. I don't think that the physical training is any tougher today than in the past but I do believe that they are much better trained and equipped overall. i doubt that many are these are homeless and the dregs of society. I think that is a myth. These people are self confident and purposeful and usually accomplish their goals. They usually decide if competing in an endeavor is important to them before committing. I have also notice that most don't require the normal frills of society and money is not the prime objective. My 2 cents.

[Americanexpat]

" Read BG Burkett's book stolen Valor...."

Great book and he points out that these guys do a lot of damage to the real warriors with there make believe war stories, especially when they talk of atrocities that never happened.

[Cagey]

Most of these Vets. do not have an agenda and it is usually a tipoff when they start bragging about their deeds.

I think that is true of most Vets in general. It's only those like Kerry who get on soap boxes and use their real or imagined status for personal gain. Thanks for your 2 cents. It was a good read.

[murdoog]

Ward Churchill comes close. He does claim to have served in Vietnam.

[WolfRunnerWoman]

Ugh! My ex was one of those. I could have forgiven him for the cheating if he would have stopped, but his lying about having served in Viet Nam makes him and incorrigible lying sack of Kennedy in my book.

[Stonewall Jackson]

A few months ago I had a guy work with me for a few days who claimed to be the seventh highest living decorated veteran as well as a former member of the 75th Ranger Division. Unfortunately for him, our boss served with the Rangers (he wasn't actually a Ranger but worked with them as a translator) and still has a number of friends who are still serving. He called the liar on his dishonesty and told him that we were going to run a background check to confirm that he had the master electrician's license he claimed to have. The phony quit that afternoon, just a few hours before we received confirmation that he'd indeed lied about his license.

[Starter]

Back in college, I would often tell coeds that I was a Vietnam vet. (This was during the early 90s, BTW, and I was around 20.) I used it as kind of a test for what type of woman that the prospective date was. If she laughed, I figured that she was intelligent and had a good enough sense of humor to warrant further dates. And if she believed me, well, then she'd probably be gullible enough to fall for the other lies that I was about to spew...

[commonasdirt]

There is a book called Stolen Honor, by BJ Burkett And Glenna Whitley that is all about phony vets. Even actor Brian Dennehy got caught claiming Nam combat experiance he did not really have. The homeless vet ploy is very popular with panhandlers

[Calpernia]

Walter K. Carlson has never served in the military, but that didn't stop him from wearing a Marine dress uniform decorated with two dozen medals at a funeral for a Morris County Marine officer on Wednesday.

I hope they don't stop looking here. NJ has a few more of these VVAW lay overs.

[armymarinemom]

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.

My husband an I went to a local meeting of the Veterans for Peace who were starting a chapter of Military Families Speak Out last year. Most of the families didn't have a spouse of child with boots on the ground. One had a son-in-law and others had cousins etc. Most of the Vets had served in the reserves and never left US soil. Those who had served had served far from the front of Vietnam or Korea. It was sad.

[Calpernia]

Want to meet a few more fake MIL?

http://www.notinourname.net/troops/ivaw-2sept04.htm

Iraq Veterans Against the War has an office right in Trenton NJ.

[Delmont]

That is that weasel Maurice's kid, he taught him how to do that.

[Cogadh na Sith]

Wow, what a timely article!

We had a fraud right here on FR claiming to be a Special Ops Officer.....

[StarCMC]

Very interesting amm. I have wondered about that.

[StarCMC]

Have we gotten the definitive?? I haven't been back to check.

[Cogadh na Sith]

Yeah. He's not in the Servicemembers Database of Army personel on Army Knowledge Online.

It's mandatory to have an account there if you are in the Army active/reserve or Guard.

I searched all over on there and found others I know by Name/rank and branch. I found myself too!

I can definitively say that if he isn't there, he isn't in the Army.

Go back and look that the thread--A Simple Soldier looked for him as well--no dice.

Socomofficer is a fraud.

[StarCMC]

You know, that just sucks.

[A Simple Soldier]

He is also not on the World Wide Locator, but that lists only active duty soldiers.

Turns out he may be an Air Force contracting officer.

[StarCMC]

I hope he is not a fraud. I would hate that someone would imitate one of my heroes and play with our emotions like that.