Newspaper reveals bogus war medals

There's a special place that awaits this kind of scumbag!

 

Um, how about the fancy watch on his wrist? Pretty sure that is against protocol too!

 

Jeez!!!! I missed the watch LOL.

 

Equally sad and pathetic

Hunt is on for phony POWs

Rampant false claims spawn cottage industry of war watchdogs

By Steve Mills | Tribune reporter December 23, 2008
Mary and Chuck Schantag of the P.O.W. Network say they have explosed close to 1,900 people who have falsely claimed to be prisoners of war and another 2,000 men who falsely claimed they served in elite units. (Mark Schiefelbein / For the Tribune / December 23, 2008)


The story that Richard Barr Cayton has told of his Vietnam War service features a torturous march through the jungle in January 1971, his arms tied to a branch across the back of his neck and shoulders. He was a prisoner of war, he said, until a bombing distracted his captors, and he and a fellow soldier escaped.

Cayton recounted the episode for a Texas newspaper in 2002, saying that he and the other Army Ranger, David Meyer, traveled by night and hid during the day until they were found.

For all its drama, Cayton's story of captivity and a flight to freedom is not supported by military records or interviews with his fellow soldiers. Records show that Cayton was a soldier but never a prisoner of war, and he admitted that in an interview with the Tribune.

"I made a mistake," Cayton said. "I did something wrong and apologized for it."Cayton's tale is perhaps one of the more dramatic examples of someone who falsely maintains that he was a prisoner of war. Such claims are so common that a cottage industry of sorts has emerged to expose phony POWs, Navy SEALs, Green Berets and others falsely claiming that they served in elite military units.

A recent Tribune investigation highlighted a similar problem that is just as pervasive: false claims of earning the military's top medals for valor, a lie that also is now a criminal offense.

The private watchdogs who investigate such claims are vigilant and aggressive. This summer, an Oklahoma newspaper published the story of a man who claimed he was a former SEAL who, during Vietnam, was held in a bamboo cage for four years. Former SEAL Steve Robinson, who wrote a book about exposing phony SEALs, immediately suspected the man was a fraud. He checked a database of real SEALs to confirm his suspicions, then wrote the newspaper to say it had been hoodwinked.

"When I read the story," said Robinson, "right away I'm thinking something is up."

Less than a week later, the man admitted to the newspaper that he had lied.

The POW watchdogs who exposed Cayton are retirees who work out of their home in the tiny Missouri town of Skidmore.

By their count, Mary and Chuck Schantag of the P.O.W. Network have exposed close to 1,900 impostors since 1998, when they began to check POW claims. They say they have exposed another 2,000 men who claimed they were in elite units.

"It's taken over our lives," said Mary Schantag. "We check reports of phonies when we get up in the morning and before we get to bed at night."

Their motivation is simple. "The lies are changing history. It's wrong. It causes the real heroes to be grouped with the phonies and frauds," she said. "The integrity and honor should be given to those who really earn it."

Their job is made easier because, compared with World War II, the Vietnam War produced relatively few American POWs—766—and the military has thoroughly documented them, said Larry Greer, a spokesman for the Department of Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office.

Consequently, it takes only a few keystrokes to determine whether someone claiming to be a POW is telling the truth; the names of prisoners from the Vietnam and Korean Wars are posted online.

On their Web site, the Schantags detail the cases they make under the heading "Phonies & Wannabees," with stories of the frauds and, sometimes, apologies from soldiers and sailors who lied.

Similarly, online sleuths in recent years have sought to expose people claiming to be Navy SEALS.

Recently the Tribune did its own analysis to gauge the frequency of such fabrications. Whether found in Who's Who, obituaries or news articles, nearly half of the 89 people identified as having served in the Army's Special Forces or the Navy's SEALs had no association with those elite warriors, according to their official military files.

In addition to barring false claims to medals awarded for bravery, the broadly worded federal law known as the Stolen Valor Act prohibits claiming, either orally or in writing, a false entitlement to any "decoration" or "badge" worn by the Armed Forces. According to the FBI, people have been prosecuted under the act for falsely claiming to have served as a SEAL or a Green Beret.

Making a bogus boast of POW status, however, is not against the law, though many in the military consider it equally offensive.


Hunt is on for phony POWs -- chicagotribune.com

 

Lynn man accused of stealing donations

Allegedly posed as veterans agent

By Eric Moskowitz
Globe Staff / December 27, 2008

WOBURN - As an Army Ranger who served two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan, Nick Ford thought there was something suspicious about the man seeking holiday donations for military families at Ford's local Stop & Shop.
Paul K. Guilmain Jr. told shoppers that he was an Iraq veteran and National Guard member, but to Ford he didn't look like anyone who'd seen duty in years. The paunchy 44-year-old slouched, went hatless, and wore outdated woodland camouflage fatigues - the kind with the green, black, brown, and beige pattern, not the more modern design. The rank on his sleeve, corporal, didn't fit with his age.



"It took every ounce of restraint not to rip this guy's face off," said Ford, who opted instead for friendliness and a discreet investigation. His sleuthing led to Guilmain's arrest on Christmas Eve at the Woburn Super Stop & Shop, near Ford's home.
Guilmain, who lives in Lynn, was arraigned yesterday on charges that he posed as a representative of a national veterans organization and pocketed the money for himself.
"I just chatted him up, got all buddy-buddy with him. I even put five bucks in his little jar just to keep it cool," said Ford, a 23-year-old Purple Heart recipient, in an interview outside the supermarket. "He trusted that I wasn't onto him, [but] the second I left this place I was already investigating him."
Guilmain toted a clipboard with a letter that appeared to be from the National Veterans Foundation, and he had the foundation's logo on his collection jar, authorities said. Additionally, Guilmain - who had permission to solicit inside the store from the supermarket's manager - decorated a festive, if grammatically incorrect, poster proclaiming "MILITARY FAMILY'S FOR THE HOLIDAYS."
But Guilmain had no connection with the national foundation, a Los Angeles-based organization that does not solicit in person and that provides counseling and referral services to veterans.
Tyrone Ballesteros, the agency's office manager, said Ford called a few weeks ago asking about the agency's supposed Woburn representative. "I said, 'No, we don't have any representatives in Boston,' " Ballesteros said yesterday, praising Ford's diligence.
"He was the one that actually did really all the work in getting this guy off the streets and getting him arrested," he said. "This Iraqi vet was just so upset and so angry that someone would be representing veterans like that."
Ford said he did not want to "bring the cavalry in" without being certain Guilmain was not legitimate. So he monitored the supermarket, he said, and waited for Guilmain to arrive on Christmas Eve before calling the police. Ford then met Patrolman William F. Murphy Jr. outside the supermarket and led him to Guilmain.
Police handcuffed Guilmain, on an outstanding warrant from Salem; the new charges would follow at the station. Police also confiscated the $150.27 he had collected that afternoon, according to Murphy's report.
With Guilmain still in handcuffs and camouflage cargo pants, a prosecutor in Woburn District Court yesterday cited his criminal history - which she said includes 22 convictions, including several on larceny and stolen-property charges, and the use of multiple aliases - in asking for bail to be set at $1,000.
"This particular case is a case that involves deceit and fraud against society," said Amanda Rowan, assistant Middlesex district attorney.
Guilmain's court-appointed lawyer asked for his client to be released, so he could take medication he missed while spending Christmas in police custody, and so he could resolve a default warrant from Salem District Court, where he owed money related to a past larceny pleading and probation matter.
Judge Margaret R. Hinkle set bail at $500, ordering that Guilmain post bail and proceed to Salem or be taken to Middlesex Jail, where she recommended that he receive medical attention. Guilmain pleaded not guilty to charges of larceny under $250 by false pretense and falsely using an association's name. He did not post bail.
Guilmain apparently lifted the National Veterans Foundation's logo - a stylized eagle, with stars and stripes - from its website, Ballesteros said. "We're angry that we're being misrepresented, and we're not receiving any of the funds to help veterans out," he said, adding that he hoped the matter would not discourage donors from giving to legitimate veterans' organizations.
A spokesman for Stop & Shop said the chain employs a "fairly rigorous vetting process" for charity requests, but the policy would now be reviewed.
"We'll go back and take a really good, hard, long look at it to make sure we don't have this type of repetition in any of our stores," spokesman Gary Lewi said.

Lynn man accused of stealing donations - The Boston Globe

 

Is that Luther Vandross?

My fave one via arrse was a chap who had a photo of himself doing the left-handed salute.

cheers,

 

That one kid in the dress coat and sunglasses had a purple heart on his chest, I'm pretty sure he had some amazing fake story for that one.

 

JCFalkenbergIII:-

I had posted that story early yesterday morning on another
thread (No big deal)but am truly surprised at the observation
that is shown in the last paragraph here.

Talk about a slap on the wrist Geezzzz!!


Stop & Shop allows fake veteran to
solicit donations December 26, 2008
Posted by whitecollarcrimenews in News.
Tags: Crime, Fraud, Holidays, News, Scams, theft

I knew that I would find someone arrested around Christmas
for allegedly using the holidays for illegal personal gain. Sure
enough, I found one that was very interesting both in the way
it was set up and the way it was discovered.

Police in Woburn, MA allege that Paul Guilmain pretended to be
a military veteran and representative for the very real
organization, National Veterans Foundation. He spent about a month
in front of the local Stop & Shop soliticing donations from shoppers.

The odd thing is that Stop & Shop claims that they have a
thorough vetting process for charities seeking to solicit and
that Guilmain was vetted. What exactly Guilmain said and/or
provided to Stop & Shop to convince them that he was legit is
unknown. My guess is that the store manager just dropped the
ball here.

He was caught by a 23 year old former Army soldier Nick Ford,
who thought that his uniform was outdated. Attention to detail huh?
Ford said that this isn’t the first time that he turned someone in
for this type of scam.

I don't see this case going very far. There is no proof that anyone
gave him money, even though there was $150 in his cup. There is
also no proof that he was going to keep this money as he could
have donated it to the charity. Even assuming the State had a
case,$150 0f theft in just any state rarely carries any serious time.

Again Geeezzz!!!!!! Open season for the posers??????


Sgtleo

 

Yeah what a smuck. It good that there are some of us out there that can spot these phonies.

 

and more fake hero stories,
McDaniel

Accused Phony War Hero in Court Today in Texas[/quote]

Yeah this is the Schmuck wearing Army Blues with what appears to me to be a USN Surface Warfare Badge above the Medals, above that what appears to be a USN Small Craft POIC Badge. Below the medals the nearest badge appears to me to be a USN 1st Class Diver (hard hat) Badge and on the far side Military Free Fall qual badge. Of all those scare me badges only the MFF would be authorized the Dive badge would have to be an Army Bubble. The Surface Warfare and Small Craft Badge would have to go, and one would think that if he's such a Heeerow (What with Sliver Star and Purple Heart) he'd be wearing a CIB or a CAB instead of the Navy Qual hardware.

On his right side he seems to be wearing USN/USMC Master Parachutist Wings........course he'd tell ya they were Panamanian or Honduran wings.....if he knew that only foriegn wings go right.......bet he doesn't.

The sad part is this clown is probably thinkin "How'd they catch me?"

Like to feed him those medals and badges.

 

Atlantic City Mayor Levy admits he was never Green Beret
PressofAtlanticCity.com ^ | Friday Nov. 10, 2006 | DEREK HARPER

Posted on Saturday, November 11, 2006 9:09:04 AM by mware



ATLANTIC CITY — Mayor Bob Levy has knowingly misrepresented his military record to family, friends, reporters and the public for decades.

As an Atlantic City lifeguard and as a candidate for mayor last year, Levy claimed he had served during the Vietnam War with the U.S. Army’s elite Special Forces, more familiarly known as the Green Berets. In campaign literature distributed last year, he claimed he had won medals as a Green Beret.


None of that was true. Levy — who has an otherwise distinguished military service record — was never a member of the Army’s Green Berets, he told The Press this week

 

Posers:-

This wearing of unearned medals goes at least as far
back as WW II.

Following the invasion of North Africa and Sicily my brother's
ship was ordered back to Brooklyn Navy Yard for a refit and
some new Radar/Sonar gear and as the men were leaving the
ship they were given their Medal Ribbons - supposedly the
first issued. They were on one of the first ships that had
returned to the States

My brother and a group(4) of his friends were walking to the
gate when they passed two very young sailors who were
wearing IDENTICAL Medal Ribbons. One of the friends who
was a Chief Bos'un"s Mate and had been a Cop in Philly.
Actually all four were CPO's,three of them including my
brother were "lifers" so they were very curious and asked
the young sailors what ship they were on and when did
they get the Medal Ribbons.

Foolishly one of the young guys said ''all we had to do was
to go to the Ship's Service(read that PX) and buy them to
impress their girl friends". Wrong Data!! Without a word the
Chief Bos'un picked one of them up and threw him off the
pier and tore the Medal Ribbons from the second guy.

My brother asked them to get the H**L out of there as he
was afraid they'd get caught and he was the Master of Arms
for his ship and that would have cost him plenty including
the M.A.'s job.

Posers have been around for a LOOONG time!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sgtleo