==================================
More Reported Claims:
Medal of Honor, Other than Vietnam POWs, Son Tay Raiders, DSC,
DFC, Purple Heart, Silver Star, Bronze Star, Navy Cross, SEALS, Rangers, Pilots,
Special Forces, Green Berets, Combat, Vietnam Helicopter Pilots,
Flying Tigers, DOUBT
EVERYTHING, Don't Encourage
Individuals reported as
of 10/2009
CLAIMING VIETNAM POW STATUS or as
noted
# = on list over 12 years
All claims highlighted in lavender are
eligible for prosecution under the STOLEN VALOR ACT signed
into law Dec 20, 2006.
Note: These individuals are IN ADDITION TO those
investigated and named in the book STOLEN VALOR.
Those
with a "LINK" have records, news articles, pictures or tales
posted.
All names are first checked here http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/.
When not found, an investigation is opened.
Comments in GREEN are
from information contained in military records (or lack of
military records) obtained through FOIA when requested THROUGH the
National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis.
THOSE CLAIMING MEDAL OF HONOR NOTE: In 1996 HLI Lordship
Industries (at the time, the OFFICIAL USG contractor for the Medal of
Honor) admitted selling THREE HUNDRED unauthorized medals for $75.00
each from 1991-1994. They were fined $80,000. NOT ALL of those medals
have been recovered. Offenders in possession of an
unauthorized medal can be arrested, fined (up to $10,000) and jailed
(up to a year). It is the only military medal that CANNOT be bought,
sold, bartered, traded, collected, auctioned, exchanged.... EVERY
Medal of Honor is awarded by act of Congress. Less than 150 REAL Medal
of Honor recipients are alive today.
The
names listed in the next pages have made VARIOUS or multiple
claims that cannot be substantiated or have been proven FALSE.
E -
F
Name
Date Reported
Hometown
Claims
Findings
Eads,
Charles
08/2005
.
Commander American Legion Post 283 in Bonham, Texas stated that Eads
told the Bonham VFW that they were both US Army vets!!!
Veteran pair hits road to support service people Wednesday, July 13, 2005 8:42 AM CDT
By JOHN FOOKS
Texarkana Gazette
John Hoover, 47, served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1979
to 1982, and his U.S. Navy Seal friend, Charles Eads, 48, served from
1975 to 1981. They never knew each other during their time in the
service, but today they are inseparable.
Eads hails from Louisville, Ky., and Hoover is from
Levittown, Pa. Perhaps fate brought then together. They are both
homeless veterans on a mission..... Eads owned a roofing business in
Louisville, but he too suffered a bad family situation. He decided on
April 13 that he needed to hit the road and took off with about $150 in
his pocket, a backpack of clothing and a camo hat on his head....
"I left my house in Jefferson Town...
Two men, Charles Eads and John
Hoover, are walking across America, taking a message about
homeless veterans with them, along with a little white,
16-year-old dog and their travel gear pulled in a child's modified
wagon.
In Sherman, at least one local veterans association was suspicious
of the duo and began some research into their claims. Eads said he
was a member of the U.S. Navy Seals and Hoover stated he was in
the U.S. Marine Corps for two years...
When asked about that, Eads
wasn't completely off-guard. He and Hoover said they had just
spoken with a woman at an organization in Washington who would be
faxing them applications for forms DD-214 (discharge documents)
which they would fax back immediately and expected to have the
DD-214s in hand within a week....
note: and what
"FAX" number did they give to receive these forms??
Only
one man with the last name EADS in the SEAL database… and our man is
most likely still on active duty. Neither our man’s first nor middle
names are "Charles" (although that is the name cited in the
news story). While he may be a military veteran, the man reported in the
article (Charles EADS) is not and never has been a member of any part of
the Naval Special Warfare community – UDT or SEAL Teams. Please pass
this information back up the line to the individual who sent you the
report.
Steve Robinson
POW Network Advisory Board
USN 1970-1978
SEAL Team ONE
UDT-SEAL Association
Special Operations Association
SEAL Authentication Team – FORMER Special Investigator
=============================
08/10/2005
They say they are headed to Wichita Falls. [Others state DURANT
OK] I have made sure all of the Vet organizations are keen to them
and they will be asked for credentials:
1. They usually hitch a ride from city to city.
2. They contact the local law enforcement to 'check-in' collect patches
from that agency and thus establish credibility.
3. They then proceed as fast as possible to the local American Legion or
VFW and set up a 'command post' where they demand to speak to the
Commander and win his/her support and then contact all of the local
media saying they will only be there a short while. The media generally
come in quickly partly due to the timeliness of their 'plight' coupled
with the current war on terrorism and the spotlight on veterans. The
quick media coverage further establishes their credibility. Part
of their pitch is that they are sponsored by several national
organizations out of Wash DC, but still nobody can name these orgs much
less verify sponsorships.
4. They do not directly solicit funds, but through empathy, get what
they need, and then some.
5. They do not stay in the same city for more than 2-3 days.
6. Newspaper photos of the pair reveal a fairly fit if no slightly
overweight physique and thus do not indicate that they have hoofed it
over 1800 miles. One even carries a cell phone. When was the last time
anyone has ever seen a homeless person with a cell phone?
Eagle,
Robert War
07/2006
Brooklyn
Moving
to drumbeat of Native Americans
Sunday,
July 09, 2006 BY
BRENDAN BERLS Star-Ledger
Staff
Robert War Eagle's
powwow regalia could be seen as a marriage of sorts.
An eagle feather
rises from the back of his green beret. His
distinguished service cross -- awarded for "extraordinary heroism
in combat" in Vietnam -- hangs from a band of Lakota beadwork.
Two similar bands on his arms announce his veteran status and his years
of service as a Green Beret with the Army.
In a black T-shirt,
black jeans, and colorful, beaded moccasins, War Eagle, 68, was near the
head of the column of Native American dancers who spun and stomped their
way into a grassy arena yesterday at the Sussex County Fairgrounds.
Most of the dancers
were in far more colorful outfits, but War Eagle seemed to attract the
most attention. At one point, during the "veterans dance," a
few dozen veterans stepped into the arena to shake his hand.
"Native people,
we give thanks to our warriors, no matter what the conflict," Cliff
Matias, director of the Redhawk Native American Arts Council, told the
few thousand attendees at the ninth annual Sussex Powwow Native American
Heritage Festival.
"These guys who
returned home (from Vietnam) to not such a great welcome, we welcome you
now," Matias said.
War Eagle, a Lakota,
grew up on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota before moving to
New Jersey in the 1950s, he said. Now a retired locksmith, he lives in
nearby Hampton Township but said he travels to several other powwows
every year.
"It's the only
time that we can play Indian," he said. Then he corrected himself:
"We don't play it; we live it."
The debunking of
Indian stereotypes is part of the Redhawk Council's mission, said Matias,
who was also the powwow's master of ceremonies.
Matias told the
audience that the drumbeat underlying all Native American dance
"represents the heartbeat of ourselves and the heartbeat of the
earth." Then the musical group the Indian Boys segued into that
all-too-familiar rhythm -- one loud beat, three short ones -- from the
soundtracks of countless old Westerns.
"Anybody's
heart sound like that?" Matias asked. "Good. We don't know
what that means. It was made up in Hollywood."
Founded in 1994, the
nonprofit, Brooklyn-based council is made up of and maintained largely
by Native American artists and educators living in and around New York
City. The council hosts four major events per year in the New York area,
but its artists and dancers take part in several others around the
country, including the Gathering of Nations Powwow in New Mexico.
The Sussex Powwow,
Matias said, is the largest Native American event in New Jersey. About
1,000 dancers and artists took part, representing Indian nations all
across North America -- Aztec to Iroquois, Lakota to Navajo.
In the nine years
it's been held there, the powwow has become one of the more popular
events at the fairgrounds. More than 10,000 people were expected to
attend the two-day festival, which continues through today.
The festival clearly
draws repeat customers. When "nonnatives" were invited into
the arena, a few dozen enthusiastic dancers gave it their all. The best
"Sussex County dancer" award went to Stu Roth of Stillwater,
who said he's been trying to win for several years.
"I made the top
three one time, but I never made it this far," he said, holding his
prize -- a dream-catcher. "This is great."
I
found zero info about him with SF, and with American Indians (former
SF-types). Everybody declares “phony” ...
Blessings,
Don
Bendell
=============================
I
have no one by that name as a DSC recipient ...
Doug
Sterner
Home of Heroes
Eberling, Lloyd Edward
Repeated reports
PA
Claims
Korean War POW.
"records in
my possession to PROVE this man is a fake... I want this horrible man
exposed before his death so he knows we all know he is
nothing....." Associated with VVA, Rolling Thunder Chapter 1, and
(formerly a member of) Friends of the Forgotten.
.
EDENFIELD, Orin and Orrin
2000 - Orin Edenfield SS# xxx-x8-5247 --
Claimed Nam 70-72.
2003 - Orrin Edenfield SS# xxx-x8-5287 - Claims USMC
Force Recon, in Nam 1969.
Claims combat wounded - claims received VA disability - ex wife
received checks. Was appealing disability from prison, but no
records could be located. Claims letters from GEORGIA VA for knee
damage in Nam, surgeries, etc. BORN IN 1956. May be using his
FATHERS Navy career and ID numbers. VA
NOTIFIED NO MILITARY RECORDS CAN BE FOUND.
Jade
Edwards
was never in Army Special Forces or the Navy SEALS.He is not a Gulf War veteran.He was never in
Somalia
.He
was never wounded in action.He does not have PTSD because of a war.He never saved the life of his team by rolling atop a live
grenade. He
is not jump qualified.He does not speak a second language as required by Special
Forces.His
father was not a Navy SEAL and he never had a twin brother who got
killed.
He
was in the National Guard and did go to Army boot camp and did take a
13 week NBC school in 1988.During the school and boot camp time he was considered
“active”, but it did not qualify him for VA health care because
schooling doesn’t count for “active”.
Edwards, Martin Bennett
09/2005
Memphis,
TN
Over the course of his past 3 years in
the Tennessee State Defense Force, he has systematically claimed more
and more prior veteran status to the point that he is now wearing
military decorations on his uniform including a Bronze Star with combat
V and a Purple Heart with cluster. He insists that he was in
MACV-SOG and he even carries around a DD-214 where the
"only" unit he was ever assigned to was MACV-SOG. The
DD-214 is a very bad, copied multiple times version.
Edwards claims when he "landed in
Vietnam, he had to cut off his skivvies so that the communists wouldn't
be able to identify him as an American". Additionally, in
order to have earned Master Jump Wings, he would have to have
participated in the 35 parachute jumps. Something almost
impossible to do since his claim of service in the US Army is from 71 to
73 with 2 years stateside and 1 year in Nam.
Edwards is wearing a CIB, Master Jump
Wings, and ribbons including: Legion of Merit, Bronze Star with V,
Purple Heart with cluster, Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Good
Conduct Medal and the two Vietnam Medals (yet he can produce no
certificates of award for any of these medals).
Employed by the Shelby County School System, Memphis TN,
as a General Foreman in their operations division.
Reportedly has resigned from the Tennessee State Guard since
the investigation was opened.
St. Louis could locate NO MILITARY RECORDS
(with TWO filed requests) using all necessary identifiers.
Sgt. Brannon Lynn
"Bubba" Ellis, 32, of Bryant died Monday, May 9, 2005. He was
born Oct. 15, 1972, in Altus, Okla.
Sgt. Ellis was a graduate of
Bryant High School. He retired from the 3rd Battalion, 5th Special
Forces Group of the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Ky.
Brannon served two consecutive tours of duty, taking part in the Battle
of Maja Sherieef in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was a
Bronze Star recipient and received a Medal of Honor with a
letter from the president of the United States for his service in war.
He also was a prince in the Masonic Fraternity.....
Services will be at 11 a.m.
Saturday at Griffin Leggett-Forest Hills Funeral Home, 10200 Arkansas 5
North in Alexander, with the Rev. Benny Grant and chaplain Ron Webb of
the 5th Special Forces Group officiating. Burial will be in Pinecrest
Memorial Park with full military honors provided by Army personnel at
Fort Sill, near Lawton, Okla.....
Brentwood
Jewelry and Gifts An
American Success Story
Brentwoood
Jewelry and Gifts owner Salem Emamalie, came to the United States at the
age of sixteen to live with his uncle and learn the craft of
jewelry-making and repair. His training had to be put on hold when, as
he was awaiting his citizenship papers, he was drafted into the Army. He
served three tours in Vietnam as an Airborne Ranger and ended up being
invited to Washington D.C. where he received not only his citizenship
papers but also a Medal of Honor from President Nixon himself.
With
his Army days behind him, Salem moved to Nashville and returned to the
jewelry business by opening a small shop downtown. He worked there for
several years and finally saved enough money to build a store in
Brentwood, where he’s been for the last 27 years. .....
Has
made speeches and public appearances, wearing Jungle Fatigues with the
MOH around his neck.
It continues in 2008.
Ft Lewis, Ft Benning, Germany, Panama, Honduras, Nicaragua, Saudi;
Participated in Desert Storm I, Recon VII Corps, and body recovery
operations in support of Desert Storm.
Member of 3rd Ranger Bn, 115th Company during this period.
ONLY Awards
National Defense; Expert Badge w/ Grenade Bar; Army Service Ribbon;
Sharpshooter Badge / Rifle. Transcript of Court Martial not in file.
Discharged a PV1. Records do not show any service outside of Texas.
Sentenced in Nov 2006 to a year in Substance Abuse
Facility - Prison and then 10 years probation. This was his 15th felony
conviction (not counting two in Travis County.)
WASHINGTON - ...
[clipped] Others savored the day.
Navy veteran Elton Ensor, 84, of Warfordsburg,
Pa., whose arms were tattooed from his service in three wars, sat
smoking a cigar with his wife, Tonya, 47. As the parade roared past on
Constitution Avenue, he said, "It's Christmas for me."
Ensor, who said he was a former Navy frogman and SEAL, had a thin
moustache and wore a tattered green beret at a jaunty angle. His military-style
vest was festooned with buttons and medals, and he sported three
earrings.
"I'm so proud to be his wife," Tonya Ensor said.
"Because I see how people come up and hug him and shake his hand
and tell him how much they appreciate him.
"For me to see how happy that makes him feel makes me feel
good," she said.
By AFP/Getty Images, Getty Images Comment
| Recommend
War veteran of World War II, Korea and Vietnam, Elton Ensor, 83, Navy
frogman and SEAL, leans against the Vietnam Memorial Wall in
Washington, DC, on May 23, 2008. Ensor is among thousands of bikers
and non-riders who will be participating in the 2008 edition of the
"Rolling Thunder" annual bike rally which this year marks
the 21th anniversary of the event staged during the Memorial Day
weekend as a sign of support to the United States Armed Forces and its
soldiers. Rolling Thunder began 21 years ago to draw attention to US
troops missing in action in Vietnam, some of whom they say may still
be alive or whose remains need to be returned to their families.
Elton Ensor, 83, a veteran of World War II, Korea and Vietnam, stands by
the Vietnam Memorial Wall on May 23, 2008, in Washington. Many gather on
Memorial Day weekend to commemorate the fallen soldiers in wars.
(YASMEEN GHOLMIEH/AFP/Getty Images)
PREVIOUSLY NOTED
AT VERISEAL AS A PHONY SEAL
NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH Elton E Ensor, Vietnam
USMC Vet, age 62.
Epperson Carl James, "LtCdr" - convicted felon
aka Epperson, Carl J.
aka Epperson, Carl James Jr.
aka Epperson, James
aka Epperson, Little Reb
aka Epperson, Tex
aka Epperson, J.D.
aka Epperson, James David
aka Epperson, Reb
aka Davis, James (SPADES on line)
aka Emmerson, Carl James
Claiming SEALS and/or
Frogman...
2005
"... was reading his emails for apology... agree with whom ever wrote
that he only uses things to get pretty much what he wants.... He
did divorce Rita his wife in south GA.... also
requesting that his name not be taken off this list... believe his name
needs to be left on until he is no longer with us physically.... believe
his emailed apology is bogus.. hope he does not hurt anyone else...."
Eppley,
Arthur
04/2006
.
The Marine Corps Mustang Association made the fatal mistake 3 years
ago by endorsing a book by member LtCol Arthur Eppley. I scanned
portions of the book and jumped out of my skin when this LtCol relates
that he was the CO G/2/4 Starlite, 1965-66. As a former 2/4 member Co
Gy Hotel and OPs Chief 63-66.
I knew every person in the Battalion and this guy never was in
2/4. I exposed him to the Mustang Association and there BOD accepted
his resignation. Eppley refused to comment on his book but said he
stands by his writings.
I had to get affidavits from the former CO, XO and Gy for that
period. During all this bullshit I was the one being critesized for
exposing this LtCol.
I had a friend obtain a walk through Freedom of Ino act and obtain all
of his Enlisted and Officer records. He claimed Korean War, Drill
Instructor, Force Recon (of course) and 2d tour in Vn. No such thing
according to his records. He was Asst Pers Officer G-1 3d Mar Div as
an 01.
Eppleys book is self published "A Marine Mustang"In order to
purchase you must call Canada and order. The book cover has Eppleys
picture of himself in Blues with Korean ribbons, scuba device, Bronze
Star
etc.
Ed
[previously]
Department
of Veterans Affairs, St. Louis Regional Office
Claims Special
Forces, records and missions so classified it took armed guards to bring
file out of Records Center in INDIANAPOLIS. Told Navy SEAL he knew the
"secret" word to pass the query by retired SF group. Stated he
"invented MACVSOG", worked in Hue and An Khe, and his job was
listening posts for Phoenix (ALL disputed by REAL SF). Stated he was in
Nam 70-72.
Also claims SSG, served 68-87, Nam March 68 - April 71. Was given
EVERY opportunity to correct his statements, apologize or admit he had
NOT served with SF....
Claims Member MACVSOG
Army Sniper
After Vietnam he worked with very convert Army or Defense Intelligence
special projects
“Covert of covert of covert” he claims.
Operated in Korea for several years
Was in Desert Shield/Desert Storm
Claims if he went back to Nam he would "Get
all messed up."
CLAIMING
GULF WAR STATUS
"My name is Alex Estrella,
former Army vet with 82nd airborne, 1st 75th rangers, special
forces, and 101st airborne, participant in panamanian conflict and
desert storm...."
12/29/2004 81614 AM
Jonesboro Sun
Shooting suspect at large
....... After the shooting, Evans allegedly fled the scene in
a gray 1993 Isuzu Rodeo with a fictitious Florida
license plate number HC8906, Nelson continued.
Evans, an ex-Navy Seal and Vietnam War
veteran, told his friends that he was suffering from a brain tumor and
had less than one month to live, Nelson said in a 1-page police "Be
On the Look Out" (BOLO) alert sent to law enforcement agencies........
Arkansas
authorities have begun proceedings to bring a Florida man,
who confessed to shooting a woman near Wirth and another
in Jonesboro, back to Arkansas.......
Hernando County
Florida deputies arrested Allen Evans, 60, Dec. 29, a day
after a female friend in Florida reported him to
authorities as "missing and endangered," said
Donna Black, public information officer for the Hernando
County Sheriff's Office.......
Evans is a
decorated Vietnam veteran who trained with the Navy
Seals. He received three Purple Hearts and a Navy
Cross for his service, Weaver said...........
Evans
transported back to DOC Published
Thursday June 29, 2006
ASH
FLAT — A man convicted of shooting and injuring a
Jonesboro attorney was transported from the Arkansas
Department of Correction to face charges in Sharp County
Circuit Court Wednesday.
Allen C. Evans is currently serving a 45-year sentence for
shooting Jonesboro attorney Bill Webster and faces felony
charges in Sharp County on an unrelated incident.
According to his attorney Marty Lilly of Jonesboro, a
continuance was granted.
Evans is accused of two counts of aggravated battery and
one count of first-degree battery for allegedly shooting
at Sherman Oakes with a 12-gauge shotgun but missing and
injuring Oakes’ sister, Carol Howell of Coffeeville,
Miss. A shotgun pellet struck Howell’s leg, but the
wound was not serious.
The shooting took place on a Sunday, Dec. 26, 2004, at
Oakes’ home at Wirth.
Evans, 60, had visited friends in Independence County the
day before the shootings and left personal items and a dog
with the friends, authorities said. The search for Evans
centered in Sharp and Independence counties until he
became connected to the shooting of Webster the following
Tuesday in Jonesboro. Webster was shot in the face and
abdomen at close range in front of his office with a .22
rifle and was hospitalized for several weeks.
Sharp County Investigator David Huffmaster said at the
time of the shooting at Wirth that Oakes had financed a
piece of property for Evans several years ago, but took
the property back after Evans failed to make payments.
An affidavit in Craighead County says Evans told
authorities he had paid Webster to help him keep his house
in Hardy and assist in his divorce, but that Webster
didn’t do anything.
Evans was arrested Dec. 28, 2004, by Florida authorities
after being found asleep in his vehicle in a friend’s
yard in Hernando County, Fla.
Evans refused to sign extradition papers and was brought
back to Arkansas after Gov. Mike Huckabee worked with
Florida Gov. Jeb Bush to force extradition.
Evans is charged with criminal attempt to commit murder in
Craighead County. He reportedly confessed to the shootings
to Florida authorities.
He was brought back to Arkansas on Feb. 17, 2005, by two
Jonesboro police officers.
Evans is a Vietnam veteran who
trained with the Navy Seals and later received three
Purple Hearts and a Navy Cross.
Eveland,
Floyd L. Sr.
04/2007
Walters, OK
Claims WWII vet, served in the Navy from 51-54. Joined the Lawton FW
saying he is a vet. ......And or the son of a vet.....or the father of a
vet.....or he was a secret vet....
Never served in the military. He was married young and had too many
babies to join and lost his hand in a milling accident.
St. Louis can locate NO MILITARY
RECORDS.
Refuses to provide DD214 to VFW claiming
"special services" and file classified for 75 years.
A North East man who never served in war has been
indicted on charges he claimed he received Army medals the government said
he was never awarded.
Dale G. Farr is accused of lying about the medals to get a military
discount on the purchase of a car and to get a Purple Heart license plate.
A federal grand jury in Erie indicted Farr, 56, on four counts of falsely
representing military decorations between Oct.5, 2005, and August in Erie
and Crawford counties.
In a separate indictment, the grand jury also charged Farr with two counts
of counterfeiting or forging securities and one count of bank fraud.
In one set of documents released Tuesday, the grand jury said Farr claimed
to have been awarded the Purple Heart, Silver Star, Bronze Star for Valor
and Bronze Star during service with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan after the
U.S.-led invasion of that country in 2001.
The U.S. Attorney's Office also said Farr claimed to
be an Army captain and a member of the U.S. Special Forces. Farr was a
member of the Army, but was an Army private first class who was given a
general discharge for misconduct in 1995, according to the indictment.
The grand jury found that Farr claimed the medals to receive a discount on
an automobile, to apply for a Purple Heart license plate and to help
advertise automobiles for sale in a Veterans Day advertisement. He also
made the claims in verbal and written statements to various people between
November 2005 and August.
Farr could not be reached for comment.
Vance Carter, a member of the National Military Order of the Purple Heart
and a veteran of World War II and the Korean War, said there are several
cases he is aware of in the Erie area where people have claimed military
honors they did not deserve.
"Most of the ones I have encountered are people going into schools.
People telling stories about how they earned their medals, which were
false. They want to feel like they are heroes," Carter said. "It
is definitely a serious affront to (veterans who deserved the awards) --
others trying to cash in on their experiences as a combat-wounded
veteran."
Carter said he has not encountered a person claiming
medals for money or for special discounts, just men who feel like they
want to be part of a more elite club of combat-wounded soldiers.
The second indictment alleged Farr had defrauded the Erie Federal Credit
Union of more than $130,000 by depositing checks drawn on fictitious or
closed accounts into his credit union account, then wiring the money to a
third bank and withdrawing the funds from there.
The grand jury indictment said Farr first deposited $13,475 in faulty
checks in Aug. 14, 2006, and withdrew $14,529 before the credit union
realized the deposits were drawn on closed accounts. On Aug. 23, 2006, the
indictment said, Farr deposited a phony check in the amount of $150,158
payable to himself. Of that amount, he wired $130,000 to an account at a
third bank with which he did business.
After credit union officials discovered the deficient amounts in Farr's
account, he told them he received instructions from the "Itochu
Corporation" to deposit the $150,000 and keep $20,000 for himself,
according to the indictment. Farr then filed a false complaint with the
Internet Crime Complaint Center, claiming he had been a victim of fraud
and presented a copy of his filings to the credit union, the grand jury
found.
STEVEN SWEENEY can be reached at 870-1675 or by e-mail.
Man pleads guilty to faking honors Separate charges for medals bought online, counterfeit checks could lead
to 31 years in prison
By Ed Palattella
ed.palattella@timesnews.com
After buying a Purple Heart, Silver Star and other military medals on eBay,
Dale G. Farr presented himself as a decorated Army captain who had displayed
exceptional gallantry and valor in battle in Afghanistan.
On Thursday, Farr stood humiliated before a federal judge.
The 33-year-old former Army private, who was discharged for misconduct in
1995 and never saw combat, pleaded guilty to charges he faked his military
honors and, in a separate case, defrauded the Erie Federal Credit Union by
cashing three counterfeit checks worth a total of $188,700.
"I'm pleading guilty because I am guilty," Farr told Senior U.S.
District Judge Maurice B. Cohill Jr. "I wanted to do the right
thing."
Farr also told the judge he had received psychiatric treatment in 2005 and
2006. He was not specific about his mental health problems.
Cohill, who accepted the plea in federal court in Erie, set sentencing for
Nov. 25 and told Farr he faced a maximum sentence of 31 years -- a year for
the charge of falsifying military decorations and 30 years for the charge of
bank fraud.
Farr, however, is likely to receive far less than the maximum sentence after
Cohill takes into account the guilty plea and other factors. Farr, who is
free on $20,000 unsecured bond, declined comment after the sentencing, as
did his lawyer, Thomas Patton, an assistant federal public defender. Farr
now lives in Troy, in Bradford County, south of Elmira, N.Y.
A grand jury indicted Farr in November. He was a car salesman living on
Ginny Lane in North East when the FBI began investigating his military
history in October 2006, after agents received a letter questioning the
accuracy of the Farr's claims.
The letter writer, who has not been identified in court records, said Farr
was telling people he was a U.S. Army veteran with two Bronze Stars --
including one for valor -- and a Silver Star and a Purple Heart, all for his
service in Afghanistan.
The FBI said Farr bought his medals through eBay.
The medals were genuine. Farr's claims about his military background,
however, were not, Assistant U.S. Attorney Marshall Piccinini said in court.
He said Farr used the fabricated honors to get a $500 military discount on a
car purchase and Pennsylvania license plate emblazoned with a Purple Heart.
The bank-fraud case grew out of the investigation into Farr's military
persona. The FBI said Farr defrauded his credit union by cashing the
counterfeit checks between August 2006 and February 2007, and wiring
$130,000 from one check into another bank account. Farr spent the money.
Farr, the government said, tried at first to explain the disputed
transactions to the Erie Federal Credit Union by claiming he had been the
victim of an Internet scam.
ED PALATTELLA can be reached at 870-1813 or by e-mail. What's next
Dale G. Farr will be sentenced Nov. 25 in federal court in Erie. He pleaded
guilty Thursday to bank fraud and falsifying military decorations.
---------------------------------------
Man sentenced for fake military claims, fraud
The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Jan 20, 2009 22:01:29 EST
ERIE, Pa. — A Pennsylvania car dealer is getting two years and nine
months in federal prison for faking military honors and cashing more than
$200,000 in counterfeit checks.
Dale Farr was sentenced Tuesday in federal court in Erie after pleading
guilty in August to falsifying military decorations and bank fraud.
Farr lived in the Erie suburb of North East when the FBI began
investigating him. He has since moved to Troy, Bradford County.
The 34-year-old former Army private, who never saw combat, was accused of
telling people he had earned honors for service in Afghanistan. The FBI says
he bought medals and misrepresented them as ones he earned.
FASS,
ROBERT
11/2008
12/2008
.
Claims
Special Forces, 3 RVN Tours, DSC/SS/BSM/4@ PH…”The
City Council named Fass the city's "Veteran
of the Year" last week. Fass served in the Army
from 1963 to 1975, including 3cm HALF tours in
Vietnam plus participation in operations in Cambodia, the Dominican Republic
and Nigeria.”
Here’s
a mil.com entry by Mr. Fass…note he shows rank
as Captain, not Major as claimed in article. Claims he served 5th
and 7th SF. No claims to awards in profile.
In this Military.com profile, he identifies
himself as a Retired O3/Captain.
Award-winning veteran and volunteer sets record straight
Thursday, April 23, 2009
By ROBERT McCLENDON
Staff Reporter
As a medic in the Army special forces, Bob Fass once ran into a hail of
gunfire to rescue a wounded comrade after an ambush by North Vietnamese
regulars, a feat that won him the Bronze Star, according to the public
portion of his military service record.
But the war stories of the man who fought for his country — and who
had done notable work with soldiers returning home from overseas, helping
them navigate the Veterans Administration to access medical and disability
benefits — haven't always matched reality, records show.
In November 2008, Fairhope named him its Veteran of the Year, and he
led the Veterans Day parade as grand marshal. In a Press-Register article
announcing his award, Fass made claims he later admitted were false.
Asked about the discrepancies in a phone interview, Fass said his war
record was first embellished by friends of his years ago in New York
during a period of "drinking and tomfoolery.
"It just snowballed out of control," he said.
Fass, 63, was described in the parade announcement as a retired Army
major, and winner of four Purple Hearts, the Silver Star, the Bronze Star
and the Distinguished Service Cross, one of the highest awards the Army
gives, second only to the Medal of Honor.
The claims caught the attention of Doug Sterner, a noted veteran
advocate and debunker of false war claims.
Sterner called the newspaper to warn that the claims could be false,
and the Press-Register in turn filed a freedom of information request to
the federal government asking for Fass' military records.
According to those records, Fass won two purple hearts and the Bronze
Star of Valor but neither of the other, more prestigious medals.
There was also no record of tours of duty in Cambodia, Nigeria or the
Dominican Republic as the story said.
I have a BSMV for SP4 Robert H Fass
earned for action as a medic on 11/20/68 at a camp in III Corps
(which could have been Bu Dop but was not specified). I don't see
him having a DSC nor do I have any information on a commission. But
he was SF.
FONAR Corporation (NASDAQ-FONR), The MRI Specialist(TM), announced
today the installation of a FONAR Stand-Up(TM) MRI for Quantum
Radiology, Atlanta, Georgia. It is located at Medica Stand-Up MRI, 6590
Powers Ferry Road, Atlanta, Georgia (770-953-0108). Located within the
Interstate 285 perimeter in the northwest section of Atlanta, the new
center will service the entire metro-Atlanta area and the surrounding
counties.
One of the first patients at Medica Stand-Up MRI was Richard J. Feldt,
a U.S. Marine veteran from Dallas, Georgia. While serving in Vietnam,
Mr. Feldt suffered the horror of being buried alive, an experience that
gave him a severe case of claustrophobia. Because of Mr. Feldt's medical
condition, his physician wanted him to have an MRI exam......
Claims Navy Seal and a prisoner of war in Beirut, Lebanon.
Has a NAVY SEALS EMBLEM tatooed on his upper back. Directly
under his NAVY SEALS emblem tattoo, are TALLY MARKS which he claims are
"confirmed kills" that he had to do when he was in Beirut,
Lebanon as a P.O.W
In response to the inquiry regarding
Mr. DAVID CLARK "KAWIKA" FELTMAN:
Sir or Madam,
I greatly appreciate your interest
in upholding the honor of the US Navy SEAL Teams, and your search for
the TRUTH. Before answering your questions I must make clear that I am a
private individual, not affiliated with the US Dept. of Defense or any
other government organization. My efforts to expose SEAL imposters are
performed as a service to the public, and in honor of my SEAL Teammates
who gave their lives in service to our nation… men who truly earned
the right to the title “US NAVY SEAL” but who are no longer able to
stand forward in defense of their honor, their reputations, and their
TEAMs.
If the name you provided is spelled correctly, I do NOT find a
listing in the SEAL Database (end of WWII to the Present Day) for anyone
named DAVID CLARK "KAWIKA" FELTMAN. I have also
examined possible alternate spellings, and names with similar
pronunciations without finding any that might be applicable. There is
only one (1) man in the entirety of the SEAL Database with the last name
FELTMAN and that one man graduated from training in 1964 about
the time that the man you know was turning two years old.
Unless he has undertaken the
unlikely action of a legal name change (an action for which there would
be evidence in the form of court documentation) since his claimed
attendance at BUD/S training, and based upon the information you have
provided, I can state conclusively that DAVID CLARK " KAWIKA"
FELTMAN has NEVER COMPLETED SEAL training, and he is not now, nor was he
ever a Navy SEAL or a Navy UDT “Frogman”......
I might suggest that you also ask
Mr. FELTMAN to specifically identify WHICH SEAL Team(s) he served
on, and when. I am in direct contact with several hundred of my SEAL
Teammates whose collective experience covers virtually all time periods
from the Korean War to the present; I can quickly contact those
individuals to verify any specific names, events, or other claims
offered by Mr. FELTMAN. If he feels that his name has somehow
been mistakenly omitted from the SEAL records, I’d be pleased to speak
with him and hear details of his service which would serve to validate
his claims. The Director of the Naval Special Warfare Archives – a
close personal friend and SEAL Teammate – is only a phone call away
and standing by to amend the records if this is ever found to be true.
However, I estimate that I’ve made the same offer to more than 5,000
SEAL imposters in the last eight years, and none of them ever turned out
to be a valid SEAL.
No one gets to the SEAL Teams
without first completing BUD/S Training. There are records of every man
who has qualified for the title of “SEAL”; there have been and will
continue to be secret missions, but there are NO secret SEALs… we know
them all.
I must also make one other extremely
important point - there have never (NEVER!) been any UDT Frogmen or
SEALs captured, detained, or held as prisoners of war... not in ANY war,
not EVER!...
Thank you again for your concern in
this matter, and for your assistance in upholding the honor of the US
Navy SEAL Teams. If I can be of any further assistance to you in this
matter, please contact me at your convenience.
Respectfully,
Steve Robinson RM2(SEAL)
USN 1970-1978
SEAL Team ONE
Inshore Undersea Warfare Group ONE
UDT-SEAL Association - Member
Special Operations Association -
Member
POW Network Board of Directors
Naval Special Warfare Archives - SOF
Analyst/Contributing Journalist
Disabled American Veterans - Life
Member
FORMER Special Investigator - SEAL
Authentication Team
CyberSEALs.org - Webmaster
Author - NO GUTS, NO GLORY -
Unmasking Navy SEAL Imposters
Fendelander, Eric C.
10/2007
10/2009
Bennett,
CO
Claims he was an Army helo mechanic who became a helo pilot, was
critically injured by nerve gas while in a helo in Desert Storm, claims
the Purple Heart, and was only 2 of 6 who survived the attack, THEN he
became an Air Force C-130 AIRCRAFT COMMANDER!, then a C-141 Aircraft
Commander. Also claims he flew Part 135 charter/air taxi in North Pole,
AK, which may be true. He will tell you his "life history"
upon initial contact.
Published January 31, 2009 at 10:36 a.m.
Updated January 31, 2009 at 1:18 p.m.
A Bennett man was arrested Friday evening after holing up in his
house, and telling sheriffs' deputies that if they tried to
apprehend him, he would "take out as many of them as
possible."
Arapahoe County sheriffs arrested Eric Charles Fendelander, 53,
of 45900 E. Harvard Ave., Bennett, on a felony count of attempting
to influence a public servant.
The incident started Friday morning, when sheriffs deputies went
to Fendelander's home to check on his welfare slightly before 10
a.m.
According to a sheriff's office news release, Fendelander had
contacted a representative of the District Attorney’s Office and
stated that if charges involving allegations of domestic violence
against him were not dropped, he was going to “take them out.”
Deputies tried to contact Fendelander once they arrived at his
house, but he hung up the telephone. When they called again,
Fendelander allegedly told police that if police attempted to
"sneak up on him," he would "take out as many of them
as possible."
KUSA-TV reported on its Web site that Fendelander made repeated
calls to the station, saying he was armed and would begin firing on
deputies if the television station did not air information about his
situation.
The station said it did not report on the situation while it was
ongoing at the request of authorities.
At 4:15 P.M., the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team
responded to the scene. At about 7:45 P.M., as the suspect exited
his home, he was taken into custody without further incident.
Fendelander is being held at the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office
Detentions Facility on a $500,000 bond. He has a court appearance
scheduled for Monday.
Numerous firearms and rounds of ammunition were removed from the
residence.
Ferguson, Benny Wayne (B. W.)
aka Benjaman Walks With Thunder
aka online:
Injun,
DiZinjun, DissInjun, BuDa
07/2004
Mountain Rest, SC
often online
Claims: Army, rank of Lt. Colonel, was a POW in
Vietnam. Claims "black ops" all over the world to this day.
Claims to have been running the satellite link that allowed our
soldiers in Afghanistan to watch the Super Bowl in January 2002.
Claims to have been awarded the Medal of Honor in 1975. Claims to have
graduated from Clemson University in 1972, and later earning a PhD.
Claims to have played as a backup drummer for the Charlie Daniels
Band, the Marshall Tucker Band, and knew practically everybody in the
music world personally.
May never actually served in the military; called up,
but may have been kicked out after only a few weeks for unclear
reasons.
Norman Gregory
Fernandez hails from Southern California. He was the National President
of a Motorcycle Club that he was building thru the Internet via Delphi
forums. (American Cruisers Riding Club). This is an honorable Motorcycle
Club who knows Fernandez is a Fake and have taken steps to rid
themselves of him.
Mr Fernandez is known personally by numerous people and for the last
couple of years, they have been treated to stories of his being a member
of the 7th Special Forces "can't talk about it" "won two
Purple Hearts" "Sneaked into the Service at 15" "one
of only a few surviving members of his A Team" yada, yada, yada,
Those and more stories about other items than you can shake a stick at.
Norman Gregory Fernandez list his law firm at:
Firm:
The Law Office of Norman Gregory Fernandez Address: 18375 Ventura Blvd.
#412
Tarzana CA 91356
Country:
Phone Main: 818-998-1584
But the Phone number traces to:
Francis X Schwartz
8800 Eton Ave Apt 94
Canoga Park, CA 91304 Phone: 818-998-1584 (private residence)
You will notice the Special Forces Patch on the left lower side of
Norman's vest in the above Photograph. No real Special Forces Veteran
would wear the Special Forces insignia in this fashion.
(see website http://www.phonyveterans.com/Fernandez.html
for photos!)
Since several ex-military members of Norman's American Cruisers Riding
Club discovered Norman was a Fake, a liar and an imposter, e-mail f lew
out over the Delphi forums. Norman has spent the last few weeks hunting
down all the Web Pages he lied on and deleting them.
Besides being a Phony Special Forces Veteran, Norman runs several
"SCAMS" on the Internet. Everything from how to beat a
Speeding Ticket to how to become a Lawyer and pass the Bar Exam. All at
prices ranging from $25 to $50 dollars.
Far from being a "War Hero", Norman is a small time crock and
con artist.
If you come in contact with Norman Gregory Fernandez, stuff cotton in
your ears and keep your hand on your wallet.
=======================================================================================
01/2005
The wannabe from Calif, has tattooed on his right inside forearm a
"SOG" patch. This was how he got people to believe his bull
crap. I helped the LTC in the Air Force to bust this creep. I used to
be on the Motorcycle Forum. And I had actually talked to this POS on
the phone and asked him questions he couldn't answer. He was really in
the Air Force for a few years and was kicked out. He was a radio
operator. Rank was
a E-4.
JL
Ferrier, George
M
05/2007
09/2007
.
Joined
Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 310. He has a DD-214 plus a 3-ring
binder with a print-out of all of his medals and commendations.
Outrageous number of commendations, etc. in the binder. Included are the
weapons that he qualified on; including the “bazooka.” He claims to
have been a POW at Tora Bora.
He is a member of a VFW Post. His DD214 was accepted for his
membership. He claims that he was a POW for 30 days in
Afghanistan.
.
FIELDING,
JOHN
09/2008
Virginia
Has
Silver Star license plates. Silver Star, Virginia 08 - SL1206
=====================================
Is Virginia veteran's car plate a crime?
Thursday, Sep 18, 2008 - 11:13 PM
By REX BOWMAN
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
John Fielding's license plate says he won a Silver Star for his
combat service during the Vietnam War, but the truth is the former
Marine never won the prestigious decoration.
Now, an organization devoted to exposing phony war heroes has
targeted Fielding, turning in his name to the FBI and pushing for
criminal prosecution as part of a nationwide campaign to stop what
it calls an epidemic of bogus claims of bravery.
"The case is the tip of the iceberg," said Doug
Sterner, head of Home Of Heroes, a Colorado-based organization that
works to track down those who falsely claim military honors.
"It's not at all uncommon. And the shame of it is, anybody
who wears the uniform already has the right to be proud."
Fielding, who won two Purple Hearts during his tour of duty in
Vietnam in 1968-69, acknowledged yesterday he did not win a Silver
Star -- the military's third-highest honor behind the Medal of Honor
and the various service branches' crosses -- but he said his
purchase of Virginia's Silver Star specialty plate was the result of
a misunderstanding.
"I regret it," the 67-year-old said. He has removed the
tag from his Cadillac.
Fielding said he came to own his tag this way: Several years ago,
he received a letter from Marine Corps headquarters alerting him
that his combat record was being re-evaluated for a possible upgrade
of medals. He interpreted the letter to say he would receive the
Silver Star, he said, so he joined an organization called the Silver
Star Association and used his membership card to obtain the
specialty plate.
"I guess I acted on something a little early," he said.
"I regret it. But I had the membership card, and we truly
anticipated getting [the Silver Star]."
Fielding said he no longer has the letter from Marine Corps
headquarters.
The nation's Stolen Valor law, passed in December 2006 at
Sterner's urging, makes it illegal to wear any military decoration
or medal not rightfully won.
A recent Chicago Tribune investigation found at least 20
prosecutions under the law nationwide since its inception, but
Sterner said his organization has worked on 50 prosecutions in the
past year. The maximum penalty is a year in prison.
In Texas recently, a state investigation found that 14 of 67
holders of its Legion of Merit license plates might have been
obtained fraudulently. Most of the 14 plates either were returned or
canceled by the state.
Pam Goheen, spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Motor
Vehicles, said there are 322 Silver Star plate holders in Virginia,
and she knows of no instance of anyone obtaining the tag under false
pretenses.
Applicants must show paperwork that they received the award, and
if DMV workers are at all suspicious about a document, they can
demand further paperwork.
Sterner, though, said forged military documents are used
routinely by those looking to inflate their war records.
"An investigation into military license plates in Virginia
would reflect scores of military license plates that are not
properly authorized," he said, adding that in some cases phony
war heroes never served in the military.
Sterner said he gladly would help Virginia conduct an
investigation into its Silver Star tags.
In the meantime, Fielding said he plans to return his Silver Star
tag to the DMV.
He plans to exchange it for the state's Purple Heart tag. Contact
Rex Bowman at (540) 344-3612 or rbowman@timesdispatch.com.
Served
USMC Nov 61 to Jan 73. Discharged an E6, MOS 9711/0369
NO Silver
Star is noted in military records.
Fields,
James L
11/2006
Kansas
City Kansas
Claims
Navy Cross, Col, USMC
------------------------------------------
A ceremony honoring the
nation's veterans will be held this Saturday, Veterans Day. The event
will begin at 11 a.m. in the Chillicothe armory.
The speaker for the ceremony will be Jim Fields, a Brookfield native and
former U.S. Marine.
Organizers say that Fields was born in Brookfield, but raised in Clay
County, enlisting in the Marine Corps in 1967 and serving until 1969.
In those two years, he was awarded two Purple Hearts, the Bronze Star
with a “V” and the Navy Cross.
Fields spent four months in the hospital recovering from battle wounds
and his travels as a veteran's spokesman have taken him as far as the
White House in Washington, D.C.
Fields has held many local and national level positions in the Veterans
of Foreign Wars, and he says he is dedicating his life to helping
veterans and their families with claims and medical help. He currently
serves with the Missouri Veterans Commission. . . .
Jim Fields did not
receive the Navy Cross: The USMC Awards Branch has no record of a Navy
Cross being awarded to him.
E3 FIELDS JAMES L entered the
USMC 15 April 1968 and served in Vietnam with an MOS of 0351 which was
Assaultman.
"...have inquired on several
fronts and a Jim Fields is not known within the Mo. Veterans Commission."
----------------------------------------------------------
Published August 20, 2008 10:52 pm
- Former Navy SEAL leads Boy Scout
troop John Oxford
MOULTRIE — Whether in the jungles of
Vietnam or on the streets of Moultrie, Marcus Flannigan knows the
importance of the Boy Scouts of America.
Flannigan, 55, said he was born in Albany
and lived there until he joined the U.S. Navy in 1971 after graduating
from Albany High School. He actually was notified he had been drafted
the Saturday before his Monday graduation, so he chose to join the Navy.
While in the Navy,
Flannigan said he became a Navy SEAL and was sent to fight in Vietnam in
1972. He remained in Vietnam until the end of the war in 1975 and
returned to Albany, working in shipping and receiving and other jobs....
....
There are several errors included in that quoted text, not the least of
which is the fact that Mr. MARCUS
FLANNIGAN’s name does not appear in the Navy SEAL Database (end of
WWII to the present day). Unless he has undertaken a full legal name
change since his claimed SEAL training (an action for which there would
be verifying court documentation) I can conclusively state that MARCUS
FLANNIGAN is not now and never was a US Navy SEAL or UDT
“Frogman”. ...
Very
Respectfully,
Steve
Robinson
USN
1970-1978
SEAL Team ONE
Inshore Undersea Warfare Group ONE UDT-SEAL
Association - Member
Special Operations Association
POW Network Advisory Board
Naval Special Warfare Archives - SOF Analyst/Contributing Journalist
Disabled American Veterans - Life Member
FORMER Special Investigator - SEAL Authentication Team CyberSEALs.org
Webmaster
Author of the book NO
GUTS, NO GLORY - Unmasking Navy SEAL Imposters
Scout Law
TRUSTWORTHY
A Scout tells the truth. He keeps his
promises. Honesty is part of his code of conduct. People can depend
on him.
Flannigan,
Patrick M
11/2007
MN
Veteran’s medals arrive after 23 years James
Bordewick Park Rapids Enterprise
Published Friday, November 09, 2007
Recognition for Patrick Flannigan’s military service may have come
a bit late, but it was no less deserved.
Lance Cpl. Flannigan served as a special forces Marine stationed in
southeast Asia between 1974 and 1976.
While serving, he earned a Silver Star, among other decorations, for his
role in missions to evacuate the US embassy in Saigon and the recovery
of the merchant ship Mayaguez.
Marine Lance Corp. Patrick Flannigan of the 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines
displays his decorations next to the memorabilia in his home. Flannigan
earned a Silver Star for his efforts in the Vietnam War, including the
evacuation of Saigon and recovery of the US merchant ship
Mayaguez.(James Bordewick/Enterprise)
He received his medals 23 years later, after the Department of Defense
declassified other missions he was in.
Flannigan grew up in the Frogtown neighborhood of St. Paul. As a child,
he recalled getting into scrapes often.
“In the military, the people who excel are the ones who look for
trouble. I’ve always looked for trouble,” he joked.
After high school, Flannigan trained as an S2 Reconnaissance officer for
the Marines, specializing in mines, booby traps, camouflage and stealth
movement.
When Saigon fell in 1975, he was the pointman for the machine gunners
during the rooftop evacuation of the US embassy.
“My job was to watch the ladder and to make sure if you weren’t an
American, you weren’t on the ladder,” he said.
Following the fall of Saigon, his unit in the 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines
was sent to recover the US merchant vessel Mayaguez, captured by the
Cambodian Khmer Rouge.
The 2nd Battalion assaulted the island of Koh Tang in the Bay of Tonkin
May 14 and 15, 1975.
According to Flannigan, his unit of about 80 Marines encountered several
hundred Khmer Rouge. Fifteen Marines died and 40 were wounded in the
operation, with another three missing and presumed dead.
Flannigan’s transport helicopter was shot down early on in the
assault, but the helicopter managed to land safely. Flannigan helped the
captain scuttle the vessel by setting explosive charges.
“I gave the captain the button, and when he pushed it, the explosion
lifted it 10 feet off the ground,” he recalls.
Flannigan was one of the wounded in Koh Tang, the last official military
action of the Vietnam War. He was shot while carrying the body of a
fallen squad leader.
“Marines don’t leave their dead,” he explained.
Flannigan also participated in prisoner of war rescue efforts in Laos
and Cambodia after the US officially pulled out troops.
“When I heard President Ford say there were no forces left in
southeast Asia, I was sitting over there,” he said.
He ran missions as part of a four-person team into enemy territory,
using his stealth skills to seek out suspected POW camps.
Flannigan said his service often required surviving for several days
with limited supplies under extremely dangerous conditions.
“Out here it’s a piece of cake. Out there, it’s life or death,”
Flannigan said.
Flannigan moved to Park Rapids six years ago and works now as the
caretaker of an apartment building on Main Avenue.
He also worked for five years as an inspector at RDO.
In his free time, he crafts furniture out of diamond willow and other
found lumber out of the woodshop in back of the apartment complex.
Flannigan said, “I believe wars are a necessary evil, if it’s going
to harm American lives… sometimes you have to fight, when all other
options have fizzled.”
He said he credits the sacrifices of soldiers for the prosperity the US
enjoys.
“I’ve been in five countries, and this one is the best one, hands
down… when soldiers are fighting abroad, the only thing they think
about is making it back home,” Flannigan said.
My Life Biography
After I graduated I went on to Harvard and received PHd in
psychology. Next I went on to Yale where I received my law
degree(tops in class of course). Unfortunatly, the Gulf War
broke out and I was off to do my patriotic duty. As a
commander of an F117 squadron flying penetration raids to
knock out Iraqi military communication structures, I was shot
down behind enemy lines. Using standard evasion and escape
techniques I managed to return to my unit where I was awarded
the congessional medal
of honor.
I met my current wife(Nikki Taylor) during my ticker tape
parade in New York. I will be unable to attend the reunion due
to my wifes hospitalization as a result of her recent
accident. Best wishes Dr. Daniel B. Flynn.
Foltz, Elwood H
.
Snyder City, PA
Claims
Korean War POW. FORMER
life member American Ex-POWs - failed to provide supporting
documentation - membership revoked.
Claims
he went to the middle east to be a body guard for some prince -
came back within 3 months. Also claims he is going on secret missions on
the weekends. Claims he is a VIETNAM NAVY SEAL.
Avon police officer Steve Ford is leaving
for Iraq in less than a week to train Iraqi police officers.
... The Avon Police Department might be short one
man for a while, but the opportunity awaiting officer Steve
Ford was too good to pass along.
In just a few days, Ford will begin his
training so he can train Iraq police officers
for the International Policing Program for the U.S.
State Department. Ford leaves for Iraq March 3.He
will spent two weeks in Virginia first for orientation and
conditioning, then venture to Texas for additional training.After
Texas, he will travel to Iraq.
He will be one out of 300 law-enforcement
officials hired to train police officers in Baghdad.
Thanks for checking
with us we greatly appreciate your interest in
upholding the honor of the US Navy SEAL Teams, and your search for the
TRUTH.
If the name you provided was spelled accurately, we do NOT have a
listing
for anyone named Steve, Steven or Stephen Ford in our entire database of
slightly more than 10,000 names. Please be aware that I also checked for
possible spelling variations and alternate pronunciations but found none
that matched.....
claims to have
been a POW and recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor
(Vietnam). Claims to have medal in his possession and has shown it
to unsuspecting victims. Claims locked in a bamboo cage for
6 months, survived by eating his own feces, under attack and
called for cover and a chaplain was sent in instead to give last
rites, saved the lives of many by carrying them one by one out of
fire ... Of course this was all a "Secret Mission", his
reason for no records of anything, including the MOH being on
file.
.
Forvis,
Marcus
03/2005
.
Office of Public Affairs
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
03/28/2005
DISGRACED SOLDIER ARRESTED AFTER LYING TO GET CITIZENSHIP
A month after Army discharge for refusing Iraq duty, he wore uniform
to interview and ceremony
NEW YORK-- Federal special agents arrested an ex-soldier who used his
uniform and enlistment to obtain citizenship even though he was
discharged from the U.S. Army in disgrace for refusing to deploy with
his unit to Iraq.
Marcus Forvis, a citizen of Haiti, was arrested Wednesday by U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and deputy U.S. Marshals
working as a fugitive task force on charges of making false
statements.
"It is a slap in the face to every soldier who has earned
citizenship by honorably serving in the United States military,"
said Special Agent-in-Charge Martin Ficke, who leads ICE
investigations in New York. "If he had served honorably, then he
may have been entitled to citizenship. This action shows us that his
personal integrity appears to be as weak as his sense of honor."
Forvil, an enlisted soldier, was ordered to deploy to Iraq April 9. He
failed to report and was subsequently convicted at summary court
martial of two counts of being Absent Without Leave (AWOL) and two
counts of "missing movement." He was reduced to the rank of
private. Forvil was discharged from the Army Aug. 5 under "Other
Than Honorable" conditions. This is one of the least desirable
type of military service discharges.
Forvil allegedly appeared at a naturalization interview Sept. 5
wearing the Army uniform he was no longer entitled to wear and
presented an identification card that showed he was still on active
duty status even though he was discharged a month earlier. Forvil also
allegedly stated to a Department of Homeland Security immigration
official that he had never been "arrested, cited or detained by
any law enforcement office, including military officers, for any
reason."
Based his statements at this interview and the fact that he was
presenting himself as a volunteer soldier during the war on terrorism,
Forvil was approved for citizenship. On Sept. 17, Forvil became a
naturalized U.S. citizen by swearing his oath of allegiance to the
United States while wearing a U.S. Army uniform.
The women who testified at Dr. William Fouche's
sentencing on Wednesday knew him as part of their church family, a
trusted friend and even a gynecologist......
The troubling details were among a series of new
disclosures to emerge Wednesday during a sentencing hearing for Fouche,
59, who was ordered by 1st District Judge Fred Gibler to serve four
years in prison on one count of video voyeurism. Fouche must serve at
least a year behind bars before he is eligible for parole.
In late September, the doctor pleaded guilty to the
single felony charge as part of a plea agreement to avoid trial on that
and four other counts of video voyeurism, as well as a count of
possession of sexually exploitative material. The plea agreement also
ensured that Fouche will avoid any requirement to register as a sex
offender.
The acts of video voyeurism occurred between April and
August 2004......
Siebe described Fouche as "a good
person who did a bad thing" and said that Fouche suffered from
post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of his wife's death and his
experiences as a Navy SEAL during Vietnam.....
NEVER A SEAL
Prelim search shows only William "E" served
in Vietnam.
No SEVES Massacre can be located in historical records.
Fralick,
George Leslie
07/2009
Denver/Boulder
CO
Claims to have been trained
secretly for a secret unit which deployed to Somalia. He claims to
have been in the Battle of Mogadishu with his secret unit.
Claims to have been
‘attached to” Special Forces”/Rangers and Black Ops.
Claims he signed “secrecy
documents” and documents that prevent him from writing a book or
making a movie.
Claims he is the only
survivor from his unit, as the others who survived have all
committed suicide.
Claims he did time in
military jail, where they released him to the street wearing only
underwear and carrying no money.
Claims another branch of the
military “made him a better offer” when he was in the air force
and he “opted out” and took the better offer which was of
course, TOP SECRET and he would have to kill anyone he told.
Claims to have been wounded,
claims to have been decorated with the Purple Heart and claims to
have other decorations he cannot receive because everything about
his service remains TOP SECRET.
Claims that the type of
activity he was involved in, (services “shopping” each other for
soldiers for “secret missions”, etc.) is something the U.
S. Military has done only during the past 2 wars.
According to his military
information from the NPRC (National Personnel Records Center) in
St. Louis, which was received pursuant to a Freedom Of Information Act
request, he was not even in the military when the Battle of Mogadishu
took place in October of 1993.
He did NOT complete one
enlistment in either the Air Force or the Army. He NEVER left CONUS….EVER.
Branch of Service: US
Air Force
Date of Service: 1-27-1991 to 7-15-1992
Duty Status: Discharged
Rank/Grade: AMN
Branch of Service: US
Army
Dates of Service: 1-5-1994 to 12-9-1994
Duty Status: Discharge
Rank: Private
Francis,
John James
10/2007
Waukegan,
IL
Killeen, TX
Houston, TX
Kenosha, WI
Claims
he has made two tours to Iraq and had earned a Purple Heart for being
shot. He has made up heroic stories, in detail, about these
"tours". He claims he was in Iraq when the Sadaam
statue was brought down. He claims to be a Staff Sergeant in the
Army and has access to VA loans, medical benefits, and is set for
life. He says he is now in the reserves.
Claims
his Purple Heart was framed on a wall at a local night club here in
Kenosha called Big Shots. (Club owner denies)
Has
very large tattoos on upper arms, including an army chevron
about the size of a grape fruit - it is the rank of a Staff Sergeant
which he claims he is.
Claims
he had to leave for a third tour to Iraq in October 2007.
Last known employer:
Iris Co. in Pleasant Prairie, WI.
Mr. Franklin claims to be a Brigadier
General in the N.C.S.G. He also claims to have 6 years in the
Navy from 64 to 70 as a Navy SEAL. Although the NCSG is the
North Carolina State Guard, an all volunteer, non-paid group who rank
themselves, help police departments with traffic control and natural
disasters, Mr. Franklin lets people believe that his is a real Army
general.
Here is a bio that he has on a website
that he is involved in.
http://www.goosetrailers.com/story.html
[ CLICK HERE IF
LINK FAILS] The NCSG can not be activated as they are not part of
the US Army or the NC National Guard. He claims while serving in
the NCSG he was involved in the Iraq war and was about to go to Iraq
in 2003 before leaving the State Guard for health reasons.
He received an award as a home town hero
from the Volusia County Baptist Church he appears on a video of the
Church's God and Country celebration in the last ten minutes of the
video. On his general's uniform he wears the Navy SEAL trident.
The video can be access on the church's web site www.vcbc.info .
Please pass this
information along in response to the inquiry regarding Mr. BENJAMIN
FRANKLIN and his claims of being a US Navy SEAL.
I
greatly appreciate your interest in upholding the honor of the US Navy
SEAL Teams, and your search for the TRUTH. Before answering your
questions I must make clear that I am a private individual, not
affiliated with the US Dept. of Defense or any other government
organization. I am one of about a dozen men in America who possess a
copy of the SEAL Database, a comprehensive and regularly updated listing
of all men who trained and served with the Naval Special Warfare units (SEALs,
UDT, NCDU, S&R) from the end of WWII to the present day. I also have
access to archival sources who can verify/deny claims of service DURING
WWII. As a former US Navy SEAL myself, I am fully familiar with the NSW
training program and the standard operating procedures used by the
Teams, as well as an in-depth personal knowledge of many of the
‘insider’ events and incidents which UDT “Frogmen” and SEALs
offer as a part of their bona fides. My efforts to expose SEAL imposters
are performed free of charge, as a service to the public, and in honor
of my SEAL Teammates who gave their lives in service to our nation…
men who truly earned the right to the title “US NAVY SEAL” but who
are no longer able to stand forward in defense of their honor, their
reputations, and their TEAMs.
If
the name you provided is spelled correctly, I do NOT
find a listing in the SEAL database of successful graduates for anyone
named BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. I
have also examined possible alternate spellings, and names with similar
pronunciations. There are only two (2) men in the entirety of the SEAL
Database (end of WWII to the present day) with the last name “FRANKLIN”;
neither of those two men has either a first or middle name “BENJAMIN”
or any variation thereof.
Unless
he has undertaken the unlikely action of a legal name change (an action
for which there would be court documentation) since his claimed
attendance at BUD/S training, and based upon the information you have
provided, I can state conclusively
that BENJAMIN FRANKLIN has NEVER COMPLETED SEAL training, and he is not
now, nor was he ever a Navy SEAL.
It
is quite common for those making fraudulent SEAL claims to cite a
“secret” training class, “special selection and skills which
allowed them to bypass BUD/S training”, or “secret missions” as an
explanation for the lack of military documentation to back up their
stories. They also tend to claim their military records are “sealed”
and cannot be accessed. I would caution you that despite anything the
man might have said, there are NO secret SEALs. Before any classified
operations may be undertaken, a man must first successfully complete the
totally unclassified BUD/S Training program. No one gets to the SEAL
Teams without completing this training. There have been and will
continue to be secret missions, but there are NO secret SEALs… we know
them all.
The only men
who can legitimately call themselves SEALs are US Navy sailors who have
completed the entire SEAL training program which lasts approximately 2
years and who have received a formal/official designation as
“Combatant Swimmer [SEAL]” with an attendant entry in their military
records of a specific Naval Enlisted Classification Code (NEC). There
are no SEALs in any other branch of the US military armed forces. The
claim of “working WITH the SEALs” is often offered by imposters who
have been called to account for their false claims of being a SEAL;
generally the imposter suggests that his comments have been
“misunderstood”, and that he only claimed to have “worked with the
SEALs”. Of course that statement, like the false claim of actually
being a SEAL, carries the implication that somehow the claimant has
acquired the knowledge and skills required to be a SEAL Team operator.
In truth, every member of the US Navy whose tasking requires interaction
of any sort with members of the SEAL Teams can truthfully state that
they “worked with the SEALs”, including cooks, mail clerks, truck
drivers, small boat crews, ships’ crews, aircraft crew members,
barracks managers, and many more. The
simple fact is that there are no sister-service, support elements, or
support personnel “working with the SEAL Teams” whose members
carry/hold SEAL operator qualifications.
“Ben
Franklin was a Navy Seal during the early years of the Vietnam conflict
and later left the Navy to become an officer in the North Carolina State
Guard. Involved in the first Iraqui incursion in 1990, he was disabled
out as a Brigadier General when it was found he had prostrate cancer
before being shipped overseas in 2003.”
Firstly, as
clearly stated above, no one named BENJAMIN
FRANKLIN has completed the US Navy’s BUD/S training program
or served on a US Navy SEAL Team. Secondly, the US Navy does not use the
rank designation of “BRIGADIER
GENERAL”; that rank designation is used by the Navy’s
sister services, USAF, USA, USMC, by the Reserve components of those
three sister services, and by the nation’s various National Guard
contingents. ...
An amendment
to Title 18 USC, Section 704, called the “STOLEN
VALOR ACT” (S.1998), was signed into law on 20 Dec 2006,
and now makes it illegal to even make false VERBAL
claims of receiving “any of the
service medals or badges awarded to the members of such forces, the
ribbon, button, or rosette of any such badge, decoration, or medal, or
any colorable imitation of such item”. It must be presumed
that since the earning of the status of US Navy SEAL carries with it a
special Naval Enlisted Classification (NEC) code and a unique breast
insignia (SEAL Trident badge) that the offering of false verbal claims
of being a SEAL would fall within the jurisdiction of this amended
version of the 18USC. This matter, of course, would be for the courts to
determine.
Thank
you again for your concern in this matter, and for your assistance in
upholding the honor of the US Navy SEAL Teams. As noted in my opening
paragraph, I am a private individual and am in no way affiliated with
the US Department of Defense or the US government. The responsibility
for reporting the individual named in your inquiry to the federal
authorities rests with you and with anyone else who may have personally
heard or received these claims from the individual himself. I would
recommend that you bring the man’s web site, and photographic proof of
his wearing of the SEAL Trident insignia to the attention of the federal
authorities. However, whether or not you decide to report him to
the federal authorities is entirely up to you; at least you now know the
truth regarding his bogus claims.
Very
Respectfully,
Steve
Robinson
USN 1970-1978
SEAL Team ONE
Inshore Undersea Warfare Group ONE
UDT-SEAL Association - Member
Special Operations Association - Member #2440-GA
POW Network Advisory Board
Naval Special Warfare Archives - SOF Analyst/Contributing Journalist
Disabled American Veterans - Life Member
FORMER Special Investigator - SEAL Authentication Team
CyberSEALs.org Webmaster
Author of the book NO
GUTS, NO GLORY - Unmasking Navy SEAL Imposters
Rick Robertson, Mike Fraser and Kenneth Gardner are military veterans
who served in Vietnam and now the three men will share one more thing:
a trip back to the land where they fought. Robertson and Fraser served
in the U.S. Air Force and Gardner served in the U.S. Army....
Fraser was a special forces medic who was
assigned to SAR (Search and Rescue) and SOG (Study Observation Group).
He was also at the siege of Khe Sanh for 77 days and in the Ashau
Valley.....
JULY 2009
War-hero impostor busted for fraud again
Mercury-Register -
Oroville,CA,USA
Sterner, who lives in Colorado, helped to author the Stolen
Valor Act, and said Fraser's ... Sterner said the
penalty for violating the Stolen Valor Act is ...
Oroville Man Accused Of Saying He Was Awarded Two
Purple Hearts
POSTED: 4:40 pm PDT May 7, 2008
UPDATED: 5:11 pm PDT May 7, 2008
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- An Oroville man who allegedly created a story
about serving in Vietnam and being shot at by AK-47 rifles pleaded
guilty Wednesday, officials said.
Michael Allan Fraser, 62, was sentenced to serve 100 hours of community
service helping veterans and to pay a fine of $500, officials said.
Fraser allegedly gave an interview to the Oroville Mercury Register and
claimed he was awarded two Purple Hearts and two Bronze Stars.
Fraser also claimed he had gone to Vietnam with two actual veterans to
"bury the ghosts of his past," officials said.
Fraser did in fact serve in the military, according to investigators,
but he never served in Vietnam and didn't receive any decorations.
"Those who do, do. And those who don't talk about it," Judge
Edmund Brannan said during sentencing, according to a news release.
Fraser was sentenced on charges that he violated the newly-enacted
Stolen Valor Act, a misdemeanor.
Freshour, Wayne
04/2004
.
Claims
Korean War POW, Airborne Range, O-6, 3 Purple Hearts, Intel
Specialist, CIA, Mafia go-between and SOOOOO much more. Claims
service from 1951-1983.
KERRVILLE — A misdemeanor perjury charge has been filed
against an U.S. Army veteran who falsely testified at a child
custody hearing here that he'd received the Medal of Honor.
Russell Fris of Palmer admitted Friday that he'd gotten no such
honor for service in Vietnam and blamed his testimony on
miscommunication caused by his poor hearing and the influence of
post-surgery medications.
“Unless someone is looking at me in the face, or I have a
phone right up to my ear, I can't hear what people say,” said
Fris, 56, who was released from Ellis County Jail after posting
$5,000 bail. He'd spent a week behind bars.
However, Fris previously had spun the same tale of receiving
the armed forces' highest award for valor in action against enemy
forces, according to his girlfriend, Jennifer Knoulton, and the
attorney of her former husband, John Knoulton.
“He's told me several times,” said Jennifer, who accepts
Fris' explanation that he isn't on the official list of the 97
living medal recipients because his records are sealed.
Fris made the same claim on the stand at the March 6 hearing
where Kerr County Court at Law Judge Spencer Brown granted John
Knoulton's request to temporarily modify custody of the Knoultons'
children.
A hearing transcript shows that after telling John Knoulton's
lawyer, Pat Maguire, that he'd won the medal, Fris said: “There
ain't no way you could have found out about it. My records are
congressionally sealed.”
After inquiring of the Medal of Honor Society, Maguire alerted
local authorities to possible perjury by Fris and the Federal
Bureau of Investigation of the possible violation of the Stolen
Valor Act of 2005.
The federal law bars falsely representing oneself as having
been awarded any decoration or medal authorized by Congress for
the armed forces, and expanded prohibitions against wearing,
making or the unauthorized selling of military decorations.
Maguire, who has yet to hear from the FBI, said: “I just want
him held accountable for lying.”
When Fris was asked Friday why Jennifer Knoulton contradicted
his denial of previously making the false medal claim, he said:
“I've got Purple Hearts, Distinguished Flying Crosses, medals
for valor. I don't even know what all medals I do have.”
An Army veteran was placed on 18 months probation Tuesday for
lying at a prior court hearing in Kerrville by claiming to have
received the Medal of Honor, officials said.
Court records show Russell Fris, 56, of Rockett pleaded
guilty to misdemeanour perjury before Kerr County Court at Law
Judge Spencer Brown, who sentenced Fris.
“I don't want to talk about it,” Fris said later.
Prosecutor Ilse Bailey couldn't be reached.
Attorney Pat Maguire filed a police complaint over Fris'
testimony about receiving the medal at a March 6 custody hearing
concerning the children of Maguire's client and the client's
ex-wife, who was Fris' girlfriend.
If
the name you provided is spelled correctly, I do NOT
find a listing in the SEAL Database (end of WWII to the Present Day) for
anyone named THAD
FURLONG.
I have also examined possible alternate spellings, and names with
similar pronunciations without finding any that appear to be applicable.
In point of fact there are no listings in the SEAL Database for anyone
with the last name FURLONG.
Unless
he has undertaken the unlikely action of a legal name change (an action
for which there would be evidence in the form of court documentation)
since his claimed attendance at BUD/S training, and based upon the
information you have provided, I can
state conclusively that THAD FURLONG has NEVER COMPLETED SEAL training,
and he is not now, nor was he ever a Navy SEAL or a Navy UDT
“Frogman”.
It is quite
common for those making fraudulent SEAL claims to cite a “secret”
training class, “special selection and skills which allowed them to
bypass BUD/S training”, or “secret missions” as an explanation for
the lack of military documentation to back up their stories. SEAL
imposters also tend to claim their military records are “sealed” and
cannot be accessed due to the controversial or borderline “unlawful”
nature of their actions which they claim to have performed at the
direction of their superiors. Occasionally inventive imposters claim
their records were destroyed in a fire at the National Personnel Records
Center, or were destroyed by an ex-wife or ex-girlfriend, or are
classified/sealed and tucked away under government lock and key in the
interest of national security. I would caution you that despite anything
the man might have told you, there are NO secret SEALs. Before any
classified operations may be undertaken, a man must first successfully
complete the totally unclassified BUD/S Training program; the names of
all those who successfully graduate from that training program are
compiled in the SEAL database. Later participation in classified
operations has no impact on whether or not a person is listed as a
graduate of the training program. No one gets to the SEAL Teams without
completing BUD/S training; there are NO EXCEPTIONS! The graduates of
that training program are listed in the SEAL database – an
unclassified document which is nonetheless considered “highly
sensitive” and therefore not available for general public circulation.
There are records of every man who has qualified for the title of
“SEAL”; there have been and will continue to be secret missions, but
there are NO secret SEALs… we know them all.
The important
point to consider in this matter is that Mr. FURLONG
has presented MySpace readers/viewers with false information.
Whether his motivation was for employment purposes, monetary gain,
increased social status, “dating” opportunities, or personal
notoriety, it is clear that his personal ethics have not prevented him
making false statements about his military background. If the
man’s personal ethics do not prevent him from offering such a false
statement about his background, you must ask yourself what other false
statements he might have made, or might be willing to make.
Thank you
again for your concern in this matter, and for your assistance in
upholding the honor of the US Navy SEAL Teams. If I can be of any
further assistance to you in this matter, please contact me at your
convenience.
Respectfully,
Steve
Robinson RM2(SEAL) USN
1970-1978
SEAL Team ONE
Inshore Undersea Warfare Group ONE
Defense Analyst – Soviet Threat specialization 1981-1993 UDT-SEAL
Association - Member
POW Network Board of Directors
Naval Special Warfare Archives - SOF Analyst/Contributing Journalist
Disabled American Veterans - Life Member
FORMER Special Investigator - SEAL Authentication Team CyberSEALs.org
- Webmaster Author
- "NO
GUTS, NO GLORY - Unmasking Navy SEAL Imposters"
==================================
More Reported Claims:
Medal of Honor, Other than Vietnam POWs, Son Tay Raiders, DSC,
DFC, Purple Heart, Silver Star, Bronze Star, Navy Cross, SEALS, Rangers, Pilots,
Special Forces, Green Berets, Combat, Vietnam Helicopter Pilots,
Flying Tigers, DOUBT
EVERYTHING, Don't Encourage
RE: ANY NAME ON
THIS PAGE:If anyone has viable proof of their
captivity [or claims] which is accepted by the American Ax-POWs, NAM-POWs,
DoD and DMPO -
PLEASE contact us immediately. We will take
corrective action and work with them to be recognized for their sacrifice.
