how many fake vietnam veterans are there

Of those who said they were in-country most appear to be fake. Burkett, who served as an Army lieutenant in Vietnam during the war -- he stresses he was no hero and simply did his job as an ordnance officer -- has investigated more than 2,000 cases and found that some 1,500 were frauds on either a large or a small scale. I called my alleged Ranger back, said I wanted to clear up the unit name and asked him twice to repeat it. Same for number of active duty personnel during this period (in No. ALL STATISTICSHAVE NOT BEEN VERIFIEDOR FACT And rather than doing the hard work of actually trying to become that person, they just do a shortcut of claiming to be that person., DePaulo believes that most people who tell such lies probably are doing so consciously. Retired That in no way suggests dismissing most Roswell witnesses. ", "This was real people dying real deaths. A Different Perspective: Vietnam Faker Statistics - Blogger None were real. I retired in the year 2001. The news must have been slow that day, because the reenactment was the lead story. All others should not be accepted to have served either on land or at sea in Vietnam. Now, they are being seen as heroes,' said Dr. Betsy Tolstedt of the Veteran Administration's outreach clinic in Chicago. has said that for every real SEAL he identifies, there are a thousand who were But they soon discovered that Maughn was a fake, one who had earlier flim-flammed other vet groups, employers and newspapers. The My Lai Massacre and other news stories created for some a public image of troops as baby killers, an image since exacerbated by films such as 1986s Platoon. The post-Vietnam period recorded countless news accounts of hundreds of thousands of angry and sometimes homeless and desperate veterans. So it becomes At Pointe du Hoc., As you might imagine, I almost fell out of my chair. So he found, in his own backyard, Glenna Whitley, a veteran journalist and senior editor at D, a monthly magazine about Dallas and Fort Worth. Someone says, Hey, Joe, youre of the age for Vietnam. Between March 1, 2008, and Feb. 25, 2009, the VA investigated 96 cases of stolen valor fraud, according to James ONeill, assistant inspector general for investigations. confusing and contradictory, but I think they were referring first to the 1995 an ex-Marine who survived combat during two tours of Vietnam, a record he used as a motivational tool. Members of chapter 239 of the Vietnam Veterans of America rushed to his aid. But he'd like it if some of this eased up. But experts say the figure, whatever it might be, is small compared to the tens of thousands of ex-warriors who still suffer emotional wounds from Vietnam and who would rather not even talk about the war. that in the 2000 census the number had jumped to 14 million, but again, this In Atlanta, VVA chapter officer Ashe estimates that about 20 percent of the up to 200 men who contacted his group since December, saying they are combat vets and asking for help, were frauds. Reporters often interviewed local veterans of the war, Burkett said, and the things they [the veterans] were saying were just bogus as hell. "The ones who always hit me up on the streets, I ask them, 'What was your MOS?' It is totally made up, apparently to push the author's and other veterans political or emotional agenda.The same goes for Don Shipley and his alleged 10 million fake Navy Seals. We have been reduced to repeating ourselves and you actually point me to a source that I pointed you to in the beginning. In 2007 the effort snagged eight people who were receiving VA compensation for combat injuries, although none had served in combat and two had never served in the military. Military discharge records can be obtained through the Pentagon. But as I soon learned, this fellow was hardly the only person who has fabricated or exaggerated wartime exploits. Vietnam veteran - Wikipedia 'You can normally tell who is a phony. He brought out a shadow box filled with decorations and a folded flag; his kids had made it for him, he said. It is not. Originally published in the March 2010 issue of Military History. served in-country, on those who served in areas surrounding Vietnam such as The source of this data is explained thusly: Data were estimated starting with veterans place of residence as of April 1, 1980, based on 1980 Census of Population data, extended to later years on the basis of estimates of veteran interstate migration, separations from the Armed Forces, and mortality; not directly comparable with earlier estimates previously published by the VA.So the number is only partially based on actual Census data from 1980 plus estimates of normal mortality, migration, etc. Burkett, but flights of fancy can also be shot down. Cooley was forced from office in 1996 and was later convicted of a felony for lying in Oregon's voters' pamphlet. David, David, David I tried to end this diplomatically but you just cant let it go. I was a Ranger. How Many Vietnam Veterans are Alive Today? - CherriesWriter Thats not true. The Vietnam War was the nation's longest and costliest conflict of the Cold War. This is guide to other statistical publications and sources both in print and on the Back at the office, I started typing up my notes, shaking my head at times. 19 Million Viewers Watched His Story Start To Finish (David Hoffman) How many soldiers died on their first day in Vietnam? Someone Robert French tells us about his remembered involvement with the Roswell crash, but his military record did not support some of his claims. Since you are so death on fraudulent Roswell witnesses, as you should be, I think you would be equally outraged by phony, clearly fabricated statistics, fraudulent references given in support (U.S. Census), and fraudulent veterans charities taking advantage of veterans. He was driven out of the group. I guess the spell has broken and we are dropping like flies now. Blumenthal made a handful of false and misleading statements about having . found it which, I think, adds some legitimacy to the figures and does suggest a Since the . ', 'For years, Vietnam vets were portrayed as crazies. what I think happened. There have been hundreds of fakers exposed in the press in the I had something I wanted to say, but I can't continue being the enforcer of this thing around the nation. (He is in constant demand as a speaker and recently gave a seminar to wide-eyed FBI agents who apparently had had little experience rummaging through the labyrinth of decades-old military records.). Some of the statistics being Senator Richard Blumenthal misrepresented his record of military service during the Vietnam War. I then told him what Id learned and asked, Did you lie to me?, In a voice that suddenly sounded creaky and 10 years older yet sort of childlike, as though fearing a reprimand he replied, slowly, Yes.. Like many people who had never served in the military -- a growing number in this country, given that the draft ended on June 30, 1973 -- Whitley had only a vague and disconnected notion of a war in Southeast Asia that was tearing the nation apart when she was growing up. I had decided that I would How to Spot a Military Impostor? - The Most Effective Method He apparently fabricated documents claiming hed been awarded the Medal of Honor during his Vietnam War service. Scott Beaton, Statistical Source. This After killing a prison guard, he said, hed been transferred to a labor camp in French-governed Algeria, where, after years of torture, good behavior had earned him a job as a prison tailor. Any number of personality flaws might drive someone to fabricate a military background, no matter what their station in life. How Many Vietnam War Veterans Are Still Alive? He said he was a decorated ex-Air Force fighter pilot and former prisoner of war in Vietnam who couldn't get a job. "It all started when I was shooting my mouth off in bars 35 years ago . If you are also in a position of power or authority or prestige, then you might also feel less vulnerable, because you think that people wont challenge you, she said. connection to a census though the connection is not identified. More than a few 20th century men tried to pass themselves off as the last surviving veterans of the Civil War. Thus the Census provides the total numbers of ALL people claiming to have been active duty veterans during Vietnam, but not the number claiming service in-country. (If you are interested in pursuing this, just type Stolen Valor into your search engine and see the numbers of those caught pretending to be what they are not.). I think you can find fakers very far back, said Bella DePaulo, a visiting professor of social psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, who studies the communication of deception. think I have been able to deduce what has happened. I still get shaky today just thinking about it," Yandle told Boston Globe columnist Mike Barnicle. claiming Vietnam service who were not there and that there are many claiming The following year, Alvarez was sentenced to more than 400 hours of community service, three months probation and fined $5,000 for violating the Stolen Valor Act a 2005 federal law named for Burketts book. Yandle apologized publicly and was returned to prison. much of this other than there were 2.7 million service members who were He searched for the vagrants record and discovered the man had been kicked out of basic training after three weeks on a psychological discharge. Fazio, though, praised Castagna for organizing the convoy, which is expected to total thousands of vets when it reaches Washington on July 4. Whenever I mention Vietnam service, I always point them to the 187th AHC web page. ", Finally, after years of scrambling for money, Burkett's group got their memorial. Vietnam War veterans, and their families, are being invited to this event to be held at the National Mall on May 11, 12, and 13. It was endless," he says. Although it was said that no reputable site had posted b. Well, to cite my own anecdotal experience, I have run into many people claiming to be Vietnam vets. I believe we can put all this behind us and return to UFOs, treasure hunting, and other areas of strangeness that interests us. Burkett, who at the time was verifying records for the Texas State Archives, discovered he could get military records by request. We should be tripping over them in daily life.But just to cite my own anecdotal experience, I have never in my life run into anybody claiming to have been a Navy Seal and only one person bragging about their exploits in Vietnam in Special Forces who I strongly suspected of being a bullshitter. Accounts vary as to how Daubmanns lies unraveled, but five months after his glorious return, he admitted hed never served in the German army. He eventually amended his senate If fact it is close to the total that served and suggests that Viet vets don't die as quickly as others.Either the 2010 figures haven't been digested yet or I could not find them. I have found references that suggest the number came from the Veterans of Kristofer Goldsmith, the former chief investigator for the Vietnam Veterans of America, spent years researching how disinformation - including Pro-Trump propaganda - has targeted veterans. The project, it would turn out, had a profound effect on her. In 2007 the project listed 49 Medal of Honor recipients on its Web site. aircraft into Vietnam had a financial incentive.) I run into far more than my share of World War II fakers, said Sterner. Another at a Veterans Day celebration couldn't identify where he had served other than up north somewhere and seemed unfamiliar with the tactics employed. Really?As for another claimed but phony reference used by vet websites, the Census Statistical Abstract of the United States: 1995, that allegedly has that 13+ million Vietnam veterans statistic, that Census Report can be found here:www.census.gov/library/publications/1995/compendia/statab/115ed.htmlThis provides a link to Section 11 pertaining to military and veteran statistics:www2.census.gov/library/publications/1995/compendia/statab/115ed/tables/defense.pdfWhere, AGAIN, nowhere can be found anything like 13 or 14 million people that allegedly the U.S. Census documented people saying they were Vietnam Vets. That same web site published an article, Who Are the Real Viet The Schantags discovered that 24 of those were false entries. The work led to 48. Like the nonexistent Census data of 10 million fakers, this seems to be all totally made up by Shipley to push his own agenda. He wasnt a Vietnam veteran, Burkett said. Good grief, I thought. 'It was out of the high esteem that I hold for you that I took your honor as my own and in doing so did you a grave injustice.'. You're a person of value," says B. G. "Jug" Burkett, a Vietnam veteran who was the first to expose military imposters in a systematic way, and who coined the term stolen valor. An Oregon newspaper learned that Cooley hadnt finished training until nearly a month after the signing of the 1953 armistice. That negative image was fresh in Burketts mind when he decided to help a friend in Dallas raise money for Vietnam veterans a quarter century ago. Although In 1990 and again in 2000, there was a question on the census long form that asked if the respondent was a Vietnam era veteran, and the number generated there was about 8.4 million. Burkett verified that the movie tough guy was indeed a former Marine but had been discharged in 1963, before any Marines were sent to Vietnam. ), It seems, I wish a month of my pay could afford a new basic Rolex.. (not the specialty models like this guy could afford). I said that was funny because I didn't remember seeing him there.Anyway, there are statistics that suggest several million and really comes down to the sources you wish to cite. It is noted that these dates may differ from those used to define various veterans benefits. Disclosure of the facts contributed to his demise. Projections also indicate that the veteran population will become slightly younger, with 33% of veterans being younger than 50 in 2046 compared with 27% in 2021, even as the overall U.S. population continues to age. Vietnam Vets, Are There Any Vietnam Vets Still Alive Fully Explained The numbers quoted by me were based on all these sources, though it had been suggested, and I followed suit, that some 13,000,000 had lied on the census form. They shouldn't bother. Kevin, the only reason I waded into this whole Stolen Valor thing to begin with was because you used this Stolen Valor statistics as justification for dismissing most Roswell witnesses, who you said you previously believed. of those who served in Vietnam were still alive as of August, 1995 (census 'A lot of them are groupies. Is this evidence of ~200,000 fakers, or is there some other explanation, such as how you define active duty military personnel? Poor or nonexistent record keeping makes such fakery difficult to track much further back in history. Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa was caught up in this. from it to arrive at the 9.4 million. "I said no such thing. but then remembered that if you set foot in a combat zone even for an hour or REALITY: He was a Marine football player in Okinawa. The Nazis, in particular, lionized him. Military vets were among the Capitol Hill rioters, protesters | CNN Intercepted: Virtue Signaling as a War Policy Other careers, in a variety of fields, have been damaged by similar disclosures. Blank says despite the problems, fakes can be screened out, often through military records, sometimes just by having them interviewed by vets. to an Illinois judge who claimed he had been awarded the Medal of Honor though he Scam artists will try anything, sad to say. But tracking this back to the US The suspicion, however, is that it has probably been around as long as people have been on the planet. whole record for the breakdown of the numbers. You took part in one of the greatest assaults in U.S. military history?. There are no firm estimates on the number of fake combat vets. Missing in Action: How Military Families Spurred the MIA Movement - History . So I turned the television on and checked the local news. the extreme figures on phonies claiming service in Vietnam (in-country in the Back in 1987, I was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. A military impostor is a person who makes false claims about their military service in civilian life. Burkett was able to prove that Yandle had never been in combat. In 1997 Wes S. Cooley, a sitting first-term eastern Oregon congressman, was convicted on charges hed lied about his military service in official state voter guides. You can reject, out of hand, the 13 million figure and the military web sites that use it, but I have traced it to its point of origin which was a survey conducted by The Vietnam Veterans Fund and by Captain Scott Beaton so that we have a good source on it.I reject out of hand because there is no evidence to support the statistic, certainly not in the source ALWAYS given (U.S. Census). So were 47 claiming to have earned service crosses. few: http://www.uswings.com/about-us-wings/vietnam-war-facts/, http://www.military.com/forums/0,15240,84591,00.html, http://www.veteranstoday.com/2009/02/26/vietnam-facts-vs-fiction/. Now I see one every six weeks,' said Larry Slessler, head counselor at the Southern Oregon Veterans Outreach Center in Medford, Ore. The event will include displays related to the Vietnam War, a jump by the Golden Knights (Army parachuting team . I did (it) when I was young and stupid - to impress people.". The Secrets and Lies of the Vietnam War, Exposed in One Epic Document. In 2003, he addressed a rally in Bridgeport, where about 100 military. Too good to be true! But mistakes have been made. There is no hard count of how many people have lied about their military service, but one of the best sources on the topic thinks the number is in the millions. But at the dedication ceremony, despite the hundreds of "normal-looking" vets in the audience -- suits, jackets, neckties on some -- the television news teams immediately gravitated toward "the guys in fatigues and boony hats, the bearded bums. People are impressed. Aren't those the guys who are unemployed and on drugs? Maybe creating phony statistics on nonexistent vet imposters was designed to get vets understandably angry so they would send their hard-earned money to scam vet charities like the VVF. veterans of which according to other sources, about 2.7 actually served in By Elizabeth Becker . All you need to do is look at the numbers he supplies and his agenda is sort of like mine it annoys me that the fakers are out there spouting their nonsense. that. VVA's national office has distanced itself from a nationwide convoy by vets to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. France lets aged African army veterans finally 'go home' (The ONLY question EVER asked by the Census, NOT if they were actually serving in Vietnam.) A casual mention of military service. A "Wall of Shame" compiled by former Navy SEAL R.D. Last year, he dropped out of the state's gubernatorial race, admitting he never got closer to Vietnam than peacetime Korea. claiming Vietnam service and have been exposed as frauds. Williams was said to be 117 years old at his death in 1959 in Houston, Texas. REALITY: Cooley's Army records indicated no Korean service - he did not even finish training until after the war ended. combat air patrols over Vietnam but all he had done was fly repaired or new How many times do these real FACTS have to be repeated?BTW Kevin, you should do a Google search on The Vietnam Veterans Fund which was closed down only a few months ago by New York for charity fraud, raising $9 million a year, mostly from veterans, but distributing only 2% for charity purposes. For the past three years, Burkett has worked behind the scenes with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General on Operation Stolen Valor, aimed at uncovering people in the Pacific Northwest whove fabricated military service in order to obtain VA benefits.
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