My friend Brandon Webb at KitUp! discuss the Stolen Valor issue and Retired SEAL and Tidewater local Don Shipley’s efforts to uncover the fakers. Unfortunately, this issue goes even deeper than these extreme cases. Somewhere between the guys who never served a day in their life, yet wears the trappings of a hero and the guy at the VFW who did serve but wants to embellish how many Viet Cong he killed barehanded lies an entirely different breed of predator who uses innuendo to imply that they are something more than the truth. Sure, they served, but they bilk the unknowing using some well placed comments and ingratiate themselves with the real deal in order to establish bonafides by association. Fortunately, the more they play their game, the easier it becomes to unmask them for what they truly are. In this day and age it’s hard to hide a fake for long.
Read about some of the most blatant here – kitup.military.com/2011/11/stolen-valor-exposed
Tags: KitUp!
AMEN SSD!
Always wondered what would be the best way to bust the F’N fakes that spread BS…after reading some of the posts on your link, I’ve now got a game plan for when something doesn’t add up…act flattered, get some pics, contact info, confirm the story, and expose the POS!
Been to pownetwork.org several times, great resource! Some shocking information there about some rather well known folks.
Known to Brits as Walter Mittys or more usually as Walts. There is the Waltenkommando forum on the Army Rumour Service (ARRSE) dedicated to exposing these pathetic individuals.
Wow, these kind of lies are too easy to figure out. I used to think that the offender would get thiers in the end due to the bad karma that this generates. My opinion has changed some, my friends that are decorated are the most humble that I have ever seen. It now is evident that our duty lies in exposing the liars. How pathetic someone must be to actually think they are getting away with this stuff.
“If you steal, you’re gonna lie, if you lie you’re gonna steal” truer words have never been spoken. That was from my 1SG when I was in processing at Fort Jackson.
Remember, these guys don’t just want free drinks they want to get free stuff. Many have *robbed* people, including other vets. Something the media overlooks when they downplay stolen valor.
It never stops at tall tales. From “Wolfgang Hammersmiths” book of BS (for an extra $5, he’ll shoot it and send you a book with a bullet hole) to Jessie “cuttin’ off heads” McBeth, it’s about the money.
Thanks for being another voice and another force taking these losers down.