Rules for Posers

[Griff Murphey]

Actually, I know at least two guys, real vets, whose exes disposed of their memorabilia. It's not the first thing most men think of removing from the house when they leave

[louis]

I've got a story for you all. I was a Marine during the near end of the Vietnam War. It was about 2 am if I remember correctly waiting in a double line on Okinawa to board a plane for Vietnam when some officer came in and announced that President Nixon stopped any more troops from going to Vietnam and walked up to me and said the line ends here. So make a long story short most of us went to Iwakuni Japan. I was there when the North invaded the south and troops where sent to Thailand and Danang. There was a fellow who I knew that volunteered for headquarters as a remington raider (for you new people that is a typewriter so he was a typest). When we got back he had this chest full of medals and I asked where did you get all of those? He tried to explain that he went to Vietnam and was awarded them. I was suspicious and looked into it, my first discovery was that he had two awards for being at two different places at the same time. I looked into it further by asking his friends about him and found out that he never left Japan! He and his sergeant wrote up their names on the awards lists as they saw fit! I reported this to our CO but nothing ever came of it and I was fed up enough not to make a career out of the usmc and left not too soon later. What a phony! Bragging to the younger Marines I almost punched him square in the face one day but he was a corporal and I was sergeant and wanted to stay one.

[louis]

Oh and by the way I still have my uniforms and the one that I had on the last day still hangs in my closet. I'm not a fat guy but hell I can't even get the jacket on and I can't even attempt the trousers! I think THE UNIFORM shrunk that has to be the only expanation, yep thats it they shrunk witout a doubt.

[blackhawknj]

My uniforms have hung in the closet since I retired from the Reserves in 1998, I have a foundling BDU field jacket-no badges-that I wear on cold weather. Turned in all my gear when I left Vietnam, traveled home in khakis. Haven't worn jungle boots or jungle fatigues since.
Also I was told that constantly telling "war stories" was the mark off an insecure bore. I may be boring but I'm sure not insecure.

[louis]

Well I too in occasion would tell war stories but over time I realized nobody listened and they looked at each other as if it was a tall tale. So I don't any more, another thing also the younger people want to hear stories about thugs and prison life more than what I have to say. I blame that one on the media always glorifying that type of lifestyle. One thing for sure I have to agree with blackhawknj I'm not insecure I enjoyed my time in service and never regreted it even if nobody ever told me thank you (I sure did get spit on, yelled at, cursed at, threatend and fought a lot) we just laughed at it all.

[browningautorifle]

It's like Loius say's, no one listens but they think you're telling tales. I realised this when I got out after time served and tried to be an armoured car guard. People would ask questions and I would answer straight up without though. I found out later they thought I was crazy. (So what if I am?) I actually had a young woman (my partner at the time) say "Hold it, are these just stories or did this happen?" That's when I realized civvies don't have much of a life.

Later while I was still serving with the reserves I found out my unit was deploying to Afghanistan. I was in the middle of a medical release so I was done for. I told the young troops not to tell stories when they came back because these people wouldn't understand and it would be held against them. One individual I keep in touch with didn't listen and has now found out it's true. It's cool to have been over there, but when you tell them about a particular firefight or major incident they have nothing to compare to so they look at you strangely.

I expect very shortly to have the wanna be soldiers come forward claiming to have been in the recent unpleasantness.

[Jon Field]

I found you could talk to those who had been through it, but that was it. To everyone else you were either a good joker or story teller, because they could not comprehend something like combat. I remember when we landed at Norton AFB, we went through the administrative red tape and then an Air Force full bird Colnel told us " Things have change here in the US, you need to change out of those Marine uniforms, you were safer in the jungles of Viet Nam than on the street of LA." Over the nest 2 hours we were departing by bus, taxi's, family cars, I was about the last to leave waiting on an uncle, and I distinctly remember that not one Marine, had changed out of uniform. I stayed with my uncle and cousins for about 2 weeks before I finally bought a car and headed for Maine. It was a nice little 68 Cougar, 289, 3 speed, I got stopped on the PA turnpike, I topped a hill, doing about 105 and the state trooper was under a bridge about a 1/2 mile ahead, his lights came on and I just slowed down and pulled in behind him. He walked up to the window, got my license and registration, walked to the back bumper, came back and said, "you sure slowed it down fast", I said Yes Sir, it's got those new disc brakes on the front. He saw my Winter Service Marine green blouse hanging in the rear window, Sgt strpies and ribbons, he said, "You on your way home", I said Yes Sir! He reached in the car, shook my hand, patted me on the shoulder and said, "Thanks for want you did and for want you went through, now keep it on 80 and you be all right, but be careful, get home safe." That was the only thanks I really enjoyed for the whole 40 years since. But you know if I could do it again, I believe I'd go if I could!!

[Thaine]

Spent 22 years as a Navy Tradevman, retiring as a TDC in ’88. One of the funniest “posers” I have seen was a kid who came to FASOTRAGRULANT Det Brunswick when I was there in the last half of the 70’s as a TD1 (E-6 to those that don’t habla Navy). He checked in as a TD3 with about 3-4 rows of ribbons. Claimed to be a cross rate from the AQ (Aviation Fire Control Tech) rate. Guys finally got tired of his BS and one of them asked me how he could have done all this when his LES showed he wasn’t over 2 for pay yet. I had access to his files and pulled them. It was so was easy to trace his career. Boot camp, 2 weeks leave, NATTC Memphis (in on orders to be an AQ – out as a TD3), 2 weeks leave and then to us. My intent was to jack him up at the next uniform inspection when he was in full glory, but the other TD1 on our shift felt sorry for him and let the Chiefs know. Only guy I ever saw that made PO2 three times before he managed to sew it on.
Best non poser I knew was a Navy Lt. (O3) that only wore his top three decorations when in daily uniform. Wasn’t often, since he was a P3 pilot and usually in a bag. Most didn't pay too much attention to them until a full blown service dress inspection. This was an active reserve base and he had a chest full of ribbons and medals. His top 3 were the Silver Star, DFC and Bronze Star. Had been an Army helo pilot and crossed over to the Navy when the cutbacks were going on. Seems he kept flying his helo in to bring out folks after it was no longer safe to be doing so. Good guy who just did what was necessary at the time.

[Griff Murphey]

Not really the subject, but I was drinking in the BOQ bar at the marina at Pendleton with my friend Major Egan, spring 1976. A Navy Ensign walked in with a chestfull of Army Ribbons and a CBI. Obviously an ex-Army mustang who had gone over to the Navy. Major Egan said, "Doc, you ought to tell that Ensign to take that combat infantry badge off!" technically the Major was correct, but I told him I was not about to suggest that to the man. I think that is one of the best awards an individual can wear and I think it is a shame it cannot be worn by Navy men who are ex-doggies.

[Guamsst]

I think that is one of the best awards an individual can wear and I think it is a shame it cannot be worn by Navy men who are ex-doggies.

You sure about that? Things have gotten so mixed up during the most recent wars that interservice awards are being allowed. He may or may not be authorized. I don't know the current rules for squids but wouldn't be surprised if it is allowed now.

[BlitzKrieg]

Welll, my old SF team sergeant used to say: " worst thing that can happen to a war story is a eye witness".

Stolen valor is a crime. I hope they all get caught and suffer for lying about their fake service.

[coastie]

USCG 1966-1970.
[aka draft dodger]
Not yet have I been shot at, want to keep it that way.
Now I have gone to sea on that "dark and Stormy night" a couple of times.
Chief Bos'n and Chief Warrant at my first duty station were "old school". Did not recognize what their awards were when I saw the only time they had dress uniforms for a ceremony, but there were enough, they never said what they did, but were long enough on service to have been in WW II.
Also the WO had a reserve commission as a Lt. Commander
For you who were "real", many thanks.
Paul

[Dolt]

I joined the Marines in 1971 to go to Vietnam and be a hero like John Wayne. I still remember the second reality hit me. We were sitting in bleachers in Camp Pendleton and some old salty gunny started giving a class on how to set up the proper ambush. He said it was unlikely anyone would escape alive from a well planned ambush. Right then and there I said to myself "Holy Sh..., this is the real deal, not the movies, not the comic books and not Vic Morrow in Combat on tv. From then on, I was very congnicent of what a chicken I really was. I remember we were issued live ammo, Geneva convention cards and had to update our last will and testament while we were on ship off the coast of Vietnam. I was one scared puppy. Closest I ever came to combat was watching Arc Light strikes on North Vietnam by our Buffs. We were on ship about 10 miles off the coast and I could still feel the concussion from those bombs thump my chest everytime they went off. It actually made me feel sorry for the North Vietnamese regulars getting the shi...kick out of them. The feeling didn't last long though. No hero here.

[Barryeye]

I have a good friend who served in the army for a number of years. Only because of the way the dice rolled he never saw active service. For perverse reasoning that I can understand he was in a way a little embarrassed by this. He worked out a good response to those who asked about his military service. He would politely smile and say “I’d rather not talk about it”. Not a lie at all but it gave him kudos he enjoyed. He let the questioner draw their own conclusions from his short response.

[pvtragman]

It is inexplicable to me that any veterans organization would protect posers, but that's what has happened in MO. I have watched this individual become a detachment commandant, Marine of the year, Devil Dog, and ultimately state commandant. The offices mentioned were all the result of single candidate elections and during the entire process, she was telling me and others, that she was never a Marine. In a newspaper interview, she described her "extensive firearms training" before she dropped-out after three weeks of OCS on her own request with no other service (at formal ceremonies, she wore dress blues with sergeant's stripes and a good conduct ribbon). When asked by league members to produce a 214, she was protected by league officials and it was not disclosed, one Midwest District official going so far as to state that anyone with even one day's service, is a Marine! The situation came to a head last spring when a 100% disabled Vietnam combat Marine refused to salute her. The result was that the national level of the MCL suspended the genuine Marine for two years and pronounced her to be a Marine. I can't make any sense of this situation.