Col John A Schramm USMC Scout/Sniper

[MWalsh]

Ya know, kinda makes a guy sorta sad that he didn't get a chance to know the good "Colonel"...

 

With the lengths that this guy went to in making himself a master warrier via computer printer, I would bet that over the years he seriously honed his story telling skills to a sharp edge, to where I bet he could have you on the edge of your seat listening to his "war stories", which although were all BS most likely, but were probably somewhat riveting! :w00t:

 

MW

[MWalsh]

Last four. Thanks for sticking around Dave!

 

1983 (first two) he is up to Lt Col. Last two (1991 & 92) he is Col.

 

Will post some more stuff tomorrow.

 

Steve

 

 

 

Hey Skio, don't feel bad...

 

I have a medals group that I have without a doubt, 100% proven to be fake, and to a Stolen Valor faker. The real problem I have with my group is that the guy is buried in a National Cemetery as a Marine Corps Staff NCO, and his headstone lists the Purple Hearts, Silver Stars (x2) and Navy Cross awards that he never received in hius real service, which was 2 years he spent in the USA as a Pfc. tank mechanic, and prior to the start of Vietnam...

 

I need to get to my U.S. Senator's local office and out the fraud, even tho he's dead and gone...

 

MW

[shrapneldude]

Truly astounding.

 

All the effort this jackass put into a lie, and some pretty expensive framing and so on...he could've just enlisted and gotten the stuff for free! haha

 

If you find out where his grave is, do let us know...curious what it has / says on it. Wonder if he was buried in dress blues?

[AustinO]

If I were you, I'd keep everything as is, documented. Then either donate, or keep in your collection as an example of the physical remains of the "faker." Really makes a good story, and who knows how much of this stuff will be around in future years?

Well done, hope you didn't lose out on some good stuff to get this junk.

[teufelhunde.ret]

This is - TOO MUCH - DISGUSTING! :mad:

[USMC_GAU-21]

You guys might know this....but in post #44 it says he finished "Combat" scuba school and is eligible to wear the "combat" bubble. in 1971?

 

Didn't the combat bubble not come out until the late 80's - 90's? I might be all screwed up but was the "combat" bubble around in 1971? and if so were Marines authorized to wear it?

 

:think: :thumbdown:

[Dave]

Steve:

 

Where did these come from, location-wise? There's a John A. Schramm who died in 2005 in NY, born in 1931...might be a close match.

 

Dave

[skio]

Hey Skio, don't feel bad...

 

I have a medals group that I have without a doubt, 100% proven to be fake, and to a Stolen Valor faker. The real problem I have with my group is that the guy is buried in a National Cemetery as a Marine Corps Staff NCO, and his headstone lists the Purple Hearts, Silver Stars (x2) and Navy Cross awards that he never received in hius real service, which was 2 years he spent in the USA as a Pfc. tank mechanic, and prior to the start of Vietnam...

 

I need to get to my U.S. Senator's local office and out the fraud, even tho he's dead and gone...

 

MW

 

 

Yep,I guess it is one of those things that a collector believes happens only to others till it happens to ones self! I bet he could tell some stories.

[seanmc1114]

These two are dated 1967,one to Staff Sgt (SERE Course in Jan) and the other to 2nd Lt Schramm (Armed Forces Exp Medal in JUne) for combat ops in Quang TriProvince with 3rd Force Recon Co

 

Setting aside the other issue of whether or not certificates were actually issued for service medals, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal was not authorized for service in Vietnam after the build-up began in mid-1965. A Marine serving in Quang Tri Province in 1967 would receive the Vietnam Service Medal, not the AFEM.

[skio]

Wow - I'm in awe! This guy had some serious time and creativity on his hands!

 

I wonder where he got the templates for these certificates? As far as I know, there are no certificates for the National Defense Service Medal or Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal. Unless, of course, I got jipped when I got mine... :pinch:

 

Dave

 

Dave,

Looks like the certificates are available on line for less than $10.00 each. The website Stinger Gunner USMC posted had most all of these that I showed including the ones that do not exsist. Name,dates and rank included! No documentation needed with the exception of the Silver Star, Bronze Star etc that require a copy of a DD214. Could explain why there is no cert for those in the lot.

 

This all comes from Panama City, Florida. He died in the last few months in New York. I have a envelope that has a Pensacola address for him from a mail order Co where he purchased a cheesy looking palm device for one of the Vietnamese ribbons. It is about the lenth of a ribbon and a half.

 

Steve

[skio]

You guys might know this....but in post #44 it says he finished "Combat" scuba school and is eligible to wear the "combat" bubble. in 1971?

 

Didn't the combat bubble not come out until the late 80's - 90's? I might be all screwed up but was the "combat" bubble around in 1971? and if so were Marines authorized to wear it?

 

:think: :thumbdown:

 

 

From what I just looked up the Combat Bubble was autherized for Marines in 2001, looks like shortly after it was created. Seems no such badge exsisted in 1971. Imagine that!

[skio]

If I were you, I'd keep everything as is, documented. Then either donate, or keep in your collection as an example of the physical remains of the "faker." Really makes a good story, and who knows how much of this stuff will be around in future years?

Well done, hope you didn't lose out on some good stuff to get this junk.

 

I have almost deciced to keep most of it and some day set up a display at the SOS. It would make a good story and if a catagory exsists in the display compitition, the field would be small. :w00t:

 

Have not missed out of other stuff but it has stretched my collecting budget to the point where I have some things I still owe others for. Should have that cleared up in a few days though. :thumbsup:

[skio]

Setting aside the other issue of whether or not certificates were actually issued for service medals, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal was not authorized for service in Vietnam after the build-up began in mid-1965. A Marine serving in Quang Tri Province in 1967 would receive the Vietnam Service Medal, not the AFEM.

 

I did not know that. Thanks for clueing me in on that!

[skio]

Truly astounding.

 

All the effort this jackass put into a lie, and some pretty expensive framing and so on...he could've just enlisted and gotten the stuff for free! haha

 

If you find out where his grave is, do let us know...curious what it has / says on it. Wonder if he was buried in dress blues?

 

Dan,

 

I will see if I can nail that down. Seems his dress blues were held for ransom by an ex-girl friend from what I was told. He never got them back.

 

Steve

[teufelhunde.ret]

I have almost deciced to keep most of it and some day set up a display at the SOS. It would make a good story and if a catagory exsists in the display compitition, the field would be small. :w00t:

 

You would undoubtedly have a hit...!

[USMC_GAU-21]

Well go figure. I knew the "combat" bubble was not around in '71.

 

Wow this guy went all out. The website with the certificates available for $10.00 bucks is freaking amazing! Well as we have seen in the last few months, these guys are everywhere. Like I said before, these guys should have permanent latrine, head, duty at Bethesda and Walter Reed to remind them everyday of the REAL heroes in our midst.

 

r/Gy Dan

[Jason G]

Sweet holy moses LOL. It's not funny but the lengths this guy went, to prove his total BS is incredible. As others have mentioned, the combat diver wasn't authorized until '01. And most of the time, the certificate the Marine Corps gives you for things isn't nearly as elaborate as these!

 

Last bit.....the promotion from SSgt to Lt is ALL jacked up! "The Marine Corps of the United States"???? WRONG. Had I seen this on his wall, I'd have called him out IMMEDIATELY. Try "United States Marine Corps", dickhead! And what's with that funky bird? Furthermore, note the lack of Service Number on the cert, as well as the font being used! All screams "bogus".

 

What a toilet weasel.

[USMCRECON]

Setting aside the other issue of whether or not certificates were actually issued for service medals, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal was not authorized for service in Vietnam after the build-up began in mid-1965. A Marine serving in Quang Tri Province in 1967 would receive the Vietnam Service Medal, not the AFEM.

 

Absolutely right. I served in 1967-1968 and I received the VNSM. I didn't receive an expeditionary medal until many years later for a totally differend theater.

[USMCRECON]

Too bad this walking, talking rectum is dead. I'd like to have seen him prosecuted under the Stolen Valor Act.

[DiGilio]

Wow. What a piece of crap.

 

How come all these placees where you can get cirtificates and military stuff made up not shut down because of the stolen valor act? Although most of us can tell the difference between them and the real thing, they seem the most dangerous to me since they will actually put your info on them. I understand these places will request a DD214 for some things but Im sure you can probably make one with crayons and some would send you the stuff.

[skio]

Wow. What a piece of crap.

 

How come all these placees where you can get cirtificates and military stuff made up not shut down because of the stolen valor act? Although most of us can tell the difference between them and the real thing, they seem the most dangerous to me since they will actually put your info on them. I understand these places will request a DD214 for some things but Im sure you can probably make one with crayons and some would send you the stuff.

 

How true. The sites I looked at require a DD214 for only medals like the Medal of Honor,Navy Cross,Silver Star,Purple Heart and Bronze Star. That explains why he has no certificates for those awards which would surely be there had he earned them.

[kammo-man]

Stunning !!!!!!

 

 

I am numb from reading this one .

 

 

owen

[skio]

I think I have found where he is buried. Date of death and location match with what I was told. Does anyone live near this cemetery? If so, would it be to much trouble to get a pic of the headstone? Thanks!

 

Steve

 

SCHRAMM, JOHN A

CPL US MARINE CORPS

VIETNAM

DATE OF BIRTH: 11/18/1948

DATE OF DEATH: 10/22/2009

BURIED AT: SECTION 34 SITE 4714

CALVERTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

210 PRINCETON BOULEVARD RT 25 CALVERTON, NY 11933

(631) 727-5410

[DaveP]

Steve,

try this site.

 

www.findagrave.com

 

 

Dave

[Javelin4life]

It's a good thing I came across this thread. Today at the flea market I came across the uniform belonging to this imposter, medals and all. When I took a closer look at the medals, it just screamed out "modern day Rambo". The vendor had the same story- he got it from an estate sale from the widow whose husband passed away a few years ago. It appeared too good to be true, and while I was sorely tempted to buy it at the time, I'm sure as heck now glad I didn't! When I get home I will post pictures of the uniform. I was also able to snag a picture of the DDSM w/ FIVE subsequent awards with his engraving on it as well.