Doug Sterner, a Vietnam veteran, maintains a comprehensive database with over 200,000 entries that record approximately 40% of all U.S. valor awards above the Bronze Star. Sterner's encyclopedic knowledge of the military's top decoration and keen eye has allowed him to root out "phoney heroes" who falsely claim military awards for bravery, such as Richart Thibodeau who for many years bragged about the Navy Cross that he never earned. Sterner has made this quest his life's mission "driven by a desire to prevent the real heroes from being lost to history".Keep up the good work!
It certainly looked real. It had the right font, the right seal. It was even signed by the secretary of the Navy.
But Doug Sterner, self-appointed guardian of the nation's military decorations, immediately suspected that there was something fishy about the Marine's citation for the Navy Cross, one of the military's most prestigious awards.
First, it said that the president "takes pride" in presenting the prize. "Pride," Sterner knew, is typically used only when the recipient is dead. This Marine was very much alive, which meant the citation should have said the president "takes pleasure."
Then Sterner noticed that the citation was supposedly signed in 1968 by Navy Secretary Paul H. Nitze. But Nitze was secretary only until 1967.
Sterner, who lives in Alexandria, knew that in his obsessive quest to compile a database of recipients of the military's top decorations, he had found yet another phony. This time, the man for years had proudly spun tales of heroism and even had his awards hung in a veterans museum.
Since 2006, thanks to a federal law Sterner helped craft, claiming an unearned military decoration has been a federal offense. The FBI says the crime is on the rise as an increasing number of wannabes impersonate vets coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan with fictional tales of heroism.
Read more about military imposters here.
By: Shelldrake
Whats the deal with these veterans that ride motorcycles and wear a patch called "COMBAT VETERAN MOTORCYCLE ASSOCIATION?" I have a friend who lives in R.I. who is a VNAM VET but was in the rear with the gear and he belongs to this group. He never claimed to be a "COMBAT VET" but now he wears this big Motorcycle Club type patch saying he is. He also told me that R.I. Combat Veteran Motorcycle Association denied membership to a Vietnam Combat Veteran who earned the CIB with the 25th infantry Div. This VNAM combat veteran met all the qualifications to join this group but seems the days of discriminating against Vietnam veterans are not over. The so called COMBAT Veteran Motorcyclist who denied the Vietnam CIB wearing veteran membership was a paper pushing lifer in Iraq and doesn't even have a Combat Action Badge. These people claiming to be Combat Veterans is bogus from where I sit. Talk about STOLEN VALOR!!!
ReplyDeleteGeez, I thought I was the only one that recognized these posers for what they are. I am a Marine Vietnam vet who was a awarded the Combat Action Ribbon along with a purple heart and to think that people who never seen combat call themselves Combat Vets is a disgrace. There probably are a FEW vets in there that are Combat Vets but why align with posers is my question. Hope some MC cuts their patch off for being frauds. I told a few Nam vets who ride with MC's to not let these frauds wear that patch. All they have to do to join that Boy Scout Club is serve in a War Zone. If one served in Thailand during the Vietnam war, even though Thailand was a R&R spot and they rode a bike over 500 cc's, they could wear a patch claiming they were Combat Veterans if they paid the $15 and BOUGHT the patch. I say BS to that. That Vietnam Combat veteran who was denied membership in the poser Combat Veterans Motorcycle Assn. should get a lawyer and throw a law suit at these fake SOB'S.
ReplyDeleteYour not the first Vietnam veteran or real combat veteran who has been put off by the Rhode Island Combat Veterans Motorcylce Association. Last year they railroaded a Gulf War vet who earned a CIB. Think the posers who want to play bad ass motorcycle club has a little jealousy for real combat veterans. Heard the state rep and the old commander were bun buddies in Iraq. The only combat they saw was in the shower when one of those clowns dropped the soap.
ReplyDeleteI just got put out of the cvma for calling them on there bullshit and got a nasty text message from someone claiming to Be a hells angles enforcer I asked the question of why non combat vets parade around wearing a back patch starting they are and they got but hurt oh well I guess I can't be a part of the fobbit club I never was when deployed I was to busy fighting a war.them fobbits are strange in there fobbit ways.
ReplyDeleteI surely would love to see how this U.S.Army Officer claims to be both the youngest Officer and the most decorated Officer of the Vietnam War. He claims to have won the
ReplyDeleteCombat Infantryman Badge
Parachutist Badge
Distinguished Service Cross
Silver Star (2)
Bronze Star (2) with "V" Device
Purple Heart (7)
Air Medal (2)
Army Commendation Medal
Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross (2) with Star and Palm
Air Medal with oak leaf cluster
Army Commendation Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Bronze star with oak leaf and V
Vietnam Service Medal with three 3⁄16" bronze stars
Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with star and palm
Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation with palm and frame
Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Unit Citation with palm and frame
Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal with 1960- device
and many more......
But here is the catch.....was in the Army 3 years, became an Officer from Enlisted in one year to Lt. a Captain after medical retirement.
So he was only in Vietnam 5 months then earning all these decorations within a month plus 7 Purple Hearts....HOW?????
His Name is David A. Christian. Sorry the timeline and information does not jive. The mission of October 29 1968 he earned the SS but he was in a hospital on that day in Japan. Can you be in two places at the same time?