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spatchDid you know that there's quite a large number of people out there who pretend to be veterans who saw overseas combat in order to get sympathy or money or hired or laid or all four?
That they often pose as POWs or Navy SEALs ("oooh!") and tell incredible stories of hardship and death, all completely fictitious, to reporters or classrooms full of wide-eyed students?
That they frequent gun shows and Army/Navy stores to find medals and accoutrements and claim to have received all kinds of nifty medals for merit and valor and whatnot, and even go so far as to apply for and receive Purple Heart license plates, which don't appear to require any kind of background check in some states?
That there are groups of actual veterans devoted to tracking down the impostors and publically shaming them on crazy investigative websites?
Well, there are. And quite a few of 'em, too.
Color me amazed.
That they often pose as POWs or Navy SEALs ("oooh!") and tell incredible stories of hardship and death, all completely fictitious, to reporters or classrooms full of wide-eyed students?
That they frequent gun shows and Army/Navy stores to find medals and accoutrements and claim to have received all kinds of nifty medals for merit and valor and whatnot, and even go so far as to apply for and receive Purple Heart license plates, which don't appear to require any kind of background check in some states?
That there are groups of actual veterans devoted to tracking down the impostors and publically shaming them on crazy investigative websites?
Well, there are. And quite a few of 'em, too.
Color me amazed.
Keith
Date: 2004-03-23 11:01 am (UTC)He's never actually released his military records, but the rumors are that he was in charge of handing out towels at the gym in the Phillipines. And while he was a Frogman/UDT, he was never in the Navy Seals. After he left the military, they merged the two groups into the Seals. He seems to think that entitles him to the title Navy Seal.
Get me a fresh towel, Jesse.
Re: Keith
Date: 2004-03-23 12:13 pm (UTC)Now I've written SEAL so much it has nearly lost all meaning.
Re: Keith
Date: 2004-03-24 02:25 pm (UTC)I'm rather surprised. Good for him. But I still wish he'd shut up about it.