The very last marine in Vietnam was on the helicopter that lifted off the roof of the embassy in April 1973. At the time I was working the 8th AF Command Post in Guam. What a goat rope! Believe that marine died while working as a civilian in the Pentagon on 9/11. As to Phillips, I’d like to see his DD 214. If he’s 64, I doubt if he was ever in country.
My dad is a 69-70 vet and is 68. He went over at 19.
If this guy was born in 1954, he would have been 17 in 71, when the earliest time he could have possibly entered. Which means at best he enlisted during the drawdown. It’s possible but something tells me he’s probably Vietnam era, at best. Probably signed up in 72 and did some regional deployment
Since he also claims to be a Marine, it is possible that he’s a Vietnam vet at 64. There was an embassy there until the fall of Saigon in 1975 so there were Marine Security Guards. Also the Mayaguez incident is considered the last battle of the Vietnam war. This took place in May 1975. Those Marines who were killed during that battle are listed on the Vietnam Memorial Wall.
With the above being said, the amount of Marines involved in MSG post 1972 and in the Mayguez incident are so small that yes I am very skeptical of this guy. However, unlike the press I won’t outright call him a liar until his claims are proven false. However, in the 50’s western vernacular, red man smells like heap big Stolen Valor....
FYI I’m 67. Was drafted in December 1971 after 2 years of college. Missed going to Vietnam by about 2 weeks.
The truth is more than half the fight.
(no link)
Pow wow gives life to past and present
July 2, 2007 | Blade, The (Toledo, OH)
Mr. Phillips served in the Marine Corps in Vietnam from 1972-76
Why doesn’t someone ask him which battalion and unit he was in and where his duty station was?
It is a simple matter for anyone who served in his unit to vouch for his service.
Unless he is another stolen valor candidate.
My SO was 17 when he began his enlistment and served, but he was born in 42.
https://www.vogue.com/projects/13542941/return-to-standing-rock/
This says he was 64. It was printed almost a year ago. Which means he might be 65 now.
DD214 time.
Doubt it. I was in 76-79 Vietnam Era. Evacuation of Saigon April 25th 1975. I’ll be 63 in two weeks, entered Army at 20.
I had a draft card and went thru a couple lotteries. No one was getting drafted.
Ypsilanti is only a medium sized town of less than 20,000.
There should be records available. Someone should be able to find when Phillips was born.
He probably has a drivers license.
An actual, verifiable birth date would be very useful. How about High school year books for 1970-73?
There are records out there.
A real birth date would be very helpful.
Very interesting take and good catch!
My oldest brother is 64 years old and I recall his was the last high school graduating class in the U.S. that had draft numbers drawn - he had a number, IOW.
But, shortly thereafter, it all ended and he never had to report.
It’s possible he served in the same unit as Richard Blumenthal.
I mean, you never know.
ON the other hand, if he is a military veteran, it will make little difference in the narrative if he never went to Vietnam. We aren’t even positive that he identifies as a “vietnam vet” or just a “vietnam era vet”; the media could be messing up the reporting.
ANd even if you could prove he was lying about being a “vietnam vet”, the left would just say you were denigrating an actual soldier anyway.
Meanwhile, the media and the left don’t seem to care that he lied to them about this story, with at least two different false narratives.
I’m also 66 and know a couple my age that actually put boots in Nam but not many...he may have entered when Nam was still not officially over but being a vet from that period and being a Nam vet are not the same things...outside chance he was assigned to clerk part of the pull out chores.
Thanks to all for the information posted here and your service to our country.
Here’s a short film Nathan appears in. Promo video says he served in Vietnam and became an alcoholic afterwards at age 20.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/37503939/between-earth-and-sky
Also says he can pray cancer away.
He says he was in the Marines 72-76. Paris treaty was January 1973. This smells...I hope it is followed up on by someone who knows more.
Interesting here: Article calls him a Vietnam-era veteran. Different than Vietnam veteran.