Got lied to about a Medal of Honor today….

[willysmb44]

I got pretty chapped at my office today. We had a customer come in to discuss some issues in person. That’s pretty unusual (as I work in a call center) but I went downstairs to talk with him. Among other things, the guy told me about his health issues then told me his medical woes from being shot down as a Marine fighter pilot in Korea. The guy started laying it on pretty thick, stories that really didn’t make all that much sense, such as being awarded one of only two “UN Air Medals” ever awarded. I just nodded. But when he’d told me he’d been awarded the Medal of Honor for taking out a Chinese machine gun crew at Chosin Reservoir (I known Marine pilots are trained as grunts, but still…), I immediately looked up the people who’d been awarded the medal when I got back to my desk. The old guy lied like a cheap rug. I’ve heard of several people claiming to have been awarded the medal, just never met one before. I was at a loss. If I reported the guy for committing a Federal crime under the Stolen Valor Act, I’d certainly get in trouble at work for getting one of our customers in trouble. So I just need to swallow it and forget it. Still, it really rubs me the wrong way.

My company right now is putting a huge stress on retaining customers. I won’t go into what I do and certainly not what company I work for, but I discussed this with my boss and although he totally agreed with my disgust over this, he said if I rolled on him and it somehow got back to us, my job could very well be in jeopardy. Besides, the guy could just say I had misunderstood him. He was in very poor shape medically anyway. Not looking for anyone to do anything here, just venting as I’m pretty steamed over this.

NOTE: please don't PM me asking for this guy's info. I’m not putting my job at risk over something like this. I won’t respond to any PMs on this subject. Besides, I can now honestly say I can’t recall the guy’s name at this point.

[Jim Baker]

I wouldn't sweat it. Just some old guy trying to be important. In the great scheme of things it really doesn't matter.

[kjones5452]

I wouldn't sweat it. Just some old guy trying to be important. In the great scheme of things it really doesn't matter.

Yes,really if you look at it hard,just an ole feller probably lookin for just a little attention.It's a shame really.

[nicolas75]

i think i would say to him

 

"oh why don't i help you to have the benefit of your courage. Really, let's go us both to go further maybe for an other medal by claiming with your credentials. I you want, i'll go with you in the next vet desk, you'll deserve it worth !!"

 

or

 

"you know i'm found of militaria stuff, i would be very interseted to see your medals, pics and diplomas for my own collector pleasure..."

 

 

I hope he'll pee his pants as a real coward :thumbsup:

[TLHSS]

I think when folks get old and ill, they sometimes get confused on the facts.

 

He may have been awarded some type of valor medal during his service (like a bronze star, for example), but said the words "medal of honor".

 

I've seen it happen with other veterans I've spoken to. Not a stolen valor act issue; just the effects of age and illness.

 

Tim

[MAW]

I would not personally support the Stolen Valor act.....or make any effort to turn somebody in.

 

To me the whole situation is sad. Something is missing in that guys life that makes him feel he has to lie about his military service.

 

They don't deserve jail time....they might deserve public humiliation or fines. I won't act like a gestapo for the government though.

 

jmho

[kfields]

Years ago, there were two fellows that "pretended" to be members of the original special forces. Questioned and pressed on the issue, they eventually admitted they were not as they claimed. Pressed some more, they said they did it as a "joke".

Some people are just "dumbaxxes" and go through life that way.

 

My best suggestion is for you to ignore the drama (and the poor pathetic fellow) if you can. It isn't worth getting high blood pressure over.

Kim

[topdcnut]

what a messy situation! at the begining of the war on terrorism I was in the uniform shop at a NEX and heard the lady say sorry we are out of bronze stars, hmm, could be the medal itself or stars for a GCM or repeat awards for a number of awards. Time has an effect also and others have made note of this I have seen a sad number of Obits note that the Vet earned 3,4.5 bronze stars when clearly they "only" spent a TON of time in theater. I guess that I wish that funeraldirectors would partner up with someone who could read the military documents, but would the general populace care or make note? Maybe not, I think it would just be more respectful of the veteran and his or her service. Some of these guys are still living what they experieced adding a LOT of time and a ton of little or no real information. I hope this was fairly clear but I suspect not. The main reason, I'm sorry the second reason I bring this up is that in my minute history I earned a Navy Expeditionary medal was a member of the VFW fell away wanted back in and they reread by record and rejected me. Time and information is a funny thing, lieing however is a whole different thing.

[willysmb44]

I think when folks get old and ill, they sometimes get confused on the facts.

He may have been awarded some type of valor medal during his service (like a bronze star, for example), but said the words "medal of honor".

I've seen it happen with other veterans I've spoken to. Not a stolen valor act issue; just the effects of age and illness.

That’s a good point. Everything he was saying, it was either like he was making it up as he went along, OR trying to recall it. I couldn’t tell which. But it was clear he wasn’t what he said he was. I’ve met several people who have really been awarded the MoH over the years, most of them from WW2. In every case, you’d never know it except for the fact they were there for an event where it was already known. One told me, “If I’d known my life would never really be my own afterward, I’d have told [President] Harry [Truman] to go stick that medal where the sun don’t shine!”

But this guy was really in bad shape. He’ll make his peace pretty with all this soon by the look of him.

[gunbarrel]

For the past few years society has been using the word "hero" very freely. Like "my kid made an A in Math in 2nd grade"--he's my hero! Grandpa was in WWII--he's my hero! Well, they may be your heroes, but they are not heroes; they just did their jobs. This old guy sounds like a charlatan, to me. Just because he's old and a military vet (maybe), it doesn't mean that he's not a liar. Most guys who took out a MG nest while fighting a war don't brag about it; much less about being awarded the MOH. I think in this case I would have called his bluff and told him how you never had such an illustrious customer and would he mind if I called the local newspaper; so, they could write an article about him. Somewhere along I would be sure to tell him how there are fakes out there (not him, of course!) and about the Stolen Valor Act and how they are throwing liars in the slammer left and right for lying about non-existent military awards. Watch him cringe and start sweating bullets.

[THAT GUY]

For the past few years society has been using the word "hero" very freely. Like "my kid made an A in Math in 2nd grade"--he's my hero! Grandpa was in WWII--he's my hero! Well, they may be your heroes, but they are not heroes; they just did their jobs. This old guy sounds like a charlatan, to me. Just because he's old and a military vet (maybe), it doesn't mean that he's not a liar. Most guys who took out a MG nest while fighting a war don't brag about it; much less about being awarded the MOH. I think in this case I would have called his bluff and told him how you never had such an illustrious customer and would he mind if I called the local newspaper; so, they could write an article about him. Somewhere along I would be sure to tell him how there are fakes out there (not him, of course!) and about the Stolen Valor Act and how they are throwing liars in the slammer left and right for lying about non-existent military awards. Watch him cringe and start sweating bullets.

 

The word hero has been missused for along time. Especially in WW2 w the veterans.

 

Sam

[willysmb44]

It gets funnier. Today, a co-worker who sits right next to me had to go downstairs to talk to the same guy on the same issue. She came up saying I would have liked to have talked with the guy and I just knew it had to be him. I started describing how I recall him looking and she was understandably surprised that I was right. Same guy, she found my notes from the 2010 conversation in his file. He told her a bundle of new lies, about President Bush personally calling him and saying if he could get the remains of his crashed F-9 fighter out of where it sat in Korea, he could have it. It got deeper, too, with a story that he had it barged all the way to the US and he gave it to a museum in Texas. She gave me the name and I Googled that story as well. Nothing but BS, too. My co-worker (and our boss once he heard) thought it was hilarious about the coincidence. I’m still seething that the old coot is making up all this stuff. But in all fairness, he didn’t make up any medal stories with her.

[Jack's Son]

Relax.......the office has another two years to wait for his return. By then, you'll want a new story!

[Bob Hudson]

Okay, we give this guy our first USMF Pinocchio award.

 

[ajbUSWM]

I would not personally support the Stolen Valor act.....or make any effort to turn somebody in.

 

To me the whole situation is sad. Something is missing in that guys life that makes him feel he has to lie about his military service.

 

They don't deserve jail time....they might deserve public humiliation or fines. I won't act like a gestapo for the government though.

 

jmho

 

Isn't it odd ... that politicians passed a law so that we can arrest this old man for saying foolish things. But they didn't stop there .. they expanded the law to allow for the confiscation of private property because one senator and one congressman don't think we should own one.

 

Seems like Medal of Honor recipients fought and died to preserve our rights as free men and women. And yet two politicians longing for attention, pass a law that slaps every MOH recipient in the face and takes away our freedom .... SVA.

 

I suspect liberty and freedom was not on their agenda that day... or ever.

[Patriot]

Okay, we give this guy our first USMF Pinocchio award.

 

 

Ha! That's great!

[shrapneldude]

Isn't it odd ... that politicians passed a law so that we can arrest this old man for saying foolish things. But they didn't stop there .. they expanded the law to allow for the confiscation of private property because one senator and one congressman don't think we should own one.

 

Seems like Medal of Honor recipients fought and died to preserve our rights as free men and women. And yet two politicians longing for attention, pass a law that slaps every MOH recipient in the face and takes away our freedom .... SVA.

 

I suspect liberty and freedom was not on their agenda that day... or ever.

:thumbsup:

+1

Don't you know? BS lies and inanimate objects are threats to national security, and the very nature of freedom is at stake!

It's not enough to just expose these crooked phonies and say "Joe Smith here is a LIAR!" he must also be jailed at taxpayer expense, and while we're at it, every well-meaning, non-lying collector too.

[rmoore456]

It gets funnier. Today, a co-worker who sits right next to me had to go downstairs to talk to the same guy on the same issue. She came up saying I would have liked to have talked with the guy and I just knew it had to be him. I started describing how I recall him looking and she was understandably surprised that I was right. Same guy, she found my notes from the 2010 conversation in his file. He told her a bundle of new lies, about President Bush personally calling him and saying if he could get the remains of his crashed F-9 fighter out of where it sat in Korea, he could have it. It got deeper, too, with a story that he had it barged all the way to the US and he gave it to a museum in Texas. She gave me the name and I Googled that story as well. Nothing but BS, too. My co-worker (and our boss once he heard) thought it was hilarious about the coincidence. I’m still seething that the old coot is making up all this stuff. But in all fairness, he didn’t make up any medal stories with her.

 

I don't know where you are at but about 2 years ago I saw an F-9 being trucked south through central Illinois. Coincedence?

 

Ray

[Nack]

I don't know where you are at but about 2 years ago I saw an F-9 being trucked south through central Illinois. Coincedence?

 

Ray

 

Well, IL is a bit out of the way for a Korea-to-TX trip, so that was probably another plane you saw.

[SFMike]

I saw a M41 Tank with Korean Markings on a flatbed in Illinois on I 57 Headed South at I 72 a few years ago.....

 

Honestly, unwad your shorts---"report" a crazy old man for running off at the mouth?

To whom? Local Gestapo reenactor?

Why? Last I heard the only illegal thing is to make money off a lie or misrepresentation. It's still legal to be crazy all day long.

 

Other than this guy, who is just a nut, some vets will take fun from blowing smoke up the rears of folks dumb enough to believe the stuff they spew.

 

The wider the eyes get, the better the story gets. Ihave a friend, serious combat vet who is merciless. He never tells real stories-they would make your hair stand up. He has good tales to spin.

 

I alsways laugh at "provenance" other than a documented event, its just some guy's story.

 

Be careful or you will find yourself owning a big bridge in the Eastern US one day.

[67Rally]

Remember, buy the story - NOT the...wait...is that backwards?

[1940Desoto]

I saw a M41 Tank with Korean Markings on a flatbed in Illinois on I 57 Headed South at I 72 a few years ago.....

 

Honestly, unwad your shorts---"report" a crazy old man for running off at the mouth?

To whom? Local Gestapo reenactor?

Why? Last I heard the only illegal thing is to make money off a lie or misrepresentation. It's still legal to be crazy all day long.

 

Other than this guy, who is just a nut, some vets will take fun from blowing smoke up the rears of folks dumb enough to believe the stuff they spew.

 

The wider the eyes get, the better the story gets. Ihave a friend, serious combat vet who is merciless. He never tells real stories-they would make your hair stand up. He has good tales to spin.

 

I alsways laugh at "provenance" other than a documented event, its just some guy's story.

 

Be careful or you will find yourself owning a big bridge in the Eastern US one day.

 

 

OUTSTANDING...I like the 'Local Gestapo RE-ENACTOR' bit :thumbsup:

[SlaterDoc]

and yet ................

some politicians who lie about their military service and/or records get elected!!! :mad:

But then again, what do they gain? Certainly not any monetary benefit!! I jest!

[338thRCT]

My late father-in-law, who was a combat veteran of the 333rd Inf/84thDiv, when later in life was talking about his war experiences would many times relate how, "I was at Omaha Beach!"as if he had been there on 6 June. I never chimed in to whoever was listening that yeah, he was at Omaha Beach..in September 1944..when the unit landed at the port facility there. He never overstated his achievments though;his awards spoke for themselves as did his wounds, but he got very crusty and codgery as he got older and seemed to forget alot of the facts like many of his age do. ( and as I do sometimes)

Mike W.

[juvatwad]

PooPoo, we used to tell lies to the girls at the bar all evening long (or however long it took)......and we were active duty!

 

Ian