11/2009
... I hate to tell you but this is a common
occurrence. There are over 2,000 phony POWs (Vietnam
era) who are wannabes. People ask why they do this.
The best answer I have come up with over the last ten years
is my own analysis: They are folks with low self
esteem who feel that they need a boost in respect and
admiration from others. They vary from guys who are
making a hit on a girl at the local bar, to a man who needs
admiration from a co-worker at work, or a guy who feels that
he needs a little admiration from his buddies, his
grandkids, or from a girl he is trying to win over to marry
him. We humorously call it the "POW sob
story."
Strangely...it works! Most folks do not want to
question a man who makes such a claim. It is in our
human nature to want to believe him. When we do
question him, he modestly says "Well, it was a secret
mission which I still can't discuss," as he casually
dismisses his miraculous escape as "not a big
deal." Please read my attachment. It is a
paper I worked on a couple of years ago...but it is still
current. It will give you a few ideas.
|
MACS
FACTS - Challenging a
P.O.W. Claim -- by Capt. John Michael McGrath, USN
RET [Former Vietnam Prisoner of War - Past
President of Nam Pows, Inc. ***] |
Another thing to ponder is the action (or, non-action) of
various chapters of the VFW, American Legion, etc. who
choose to dismiss these revelations as inconsequential.
Most service organization commanders put off the
inconvenient truth by saying, "Sam is such a wonderful
man, he has done such good things for our chapter, he has
helped the blind, the sick the poor, and volunteered for
every duty we have. I just can't believe he would be
lying about such a thing. I choose to believe
Sam."
Well...that is their perrogative. That is one of the
reasons I do not belong to service organizations. Most
of them ignore the numbers of men who have submitted
falsified copies of DD-214s, falsified their verbal (and
undocumented) claims, etc. Many men want to belong to
service clubs to enjoy the camaraderie and bar privileges.
To Post Commanders, the
numbers of members who pay dues and are all around good guys
outweighs the unpleasant task of weeding out those who do no
legitimately belong to such an honorable organization.
Not a single wannabe POW in the last 35 years has proven
that the PMSEA list (Department of Defense) has mistakenly
left them off the list. Don't be fooled by the
crocodile tears, the aggressive protestations, or the
feigned anger directed toward anyone who would question
them. It is all a charade. Liars are liars.
For most of their lives they have bullied others with a
strong presentation of their boastful exploits. For
me, the solution is simple. Simply ignore them and
never associate with them again. They can live in
their own house of cards, with their lies. I want no
part of them as they are
not honorable men.
Having said this, I am not adverse to accepting an apology,
an admission from the man as to what he has done. An
honorable man will have the strength of character to
apologize to all to whom he has lied. He will admit he
was wrong and he will work hard to make amends and to regain
the trust of his friends by living an honest life.
Such a man deserves a second chance. .....
Mike McGrath
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