MEDIA COVERAGE 
DECEMBER 2008
http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2008/dec/23/nation/chi-stolenhonordec23

The Richard Barr Cayton story


Man Charged For Lying About Purple Heart
WFtv.com - Orlando,FL,USA
The US Attorney's Office announced Tuesday that two misdemeanor charges of violations of the Stolen Valor Act of 2005 have been filed against Charles T. ...

Feds Charge Man Over False Claims Of Purple Heart
News4Jax.com - Jacksonville,FL,USA
POW Network posted a letter from the National Archives and Records Administration saying it had no record of Charles T. White having ever been a POW. ...
See all stories on this topic

POW/MIA speaker found to be a hoax
Florida Times-Union - Jacksonville,FL,USA
By Timothy J. Gibbons The Times-UnionCharles T. White lied at a POW/MIA Recognition Observation about his military involvement in September. ...

Fake medals: Where's the honor?
Florida Times-Union - Jacksonville,FL,USA
The topic of "Phonies & Wannabees" isn't a heading most people would expect to find on the POW Network Web site. It's a shame the group that prides itself ...
Web Posted: 12/14/2008 12:00 CST

Invalid valor: Vet lied about his service

By John MacCormack - Express-News

Boasting a military record that included two Purple Hearts, decorations for valor and combat service in Somalia with the Army Rangers, Brian Culp seemed the perfect war hero to be honored last year as grand marshal in LaVernia's patriotic parade.....

click the link for the entire story
 
Veterans Raise Money to Oust Fakes
13wmaz - GA,USA
This holiday season, they're supporting a Missouri-based website, the POW Network, that exposed military frauds. The frauds are fakes who claim to be ...

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News - The Sun News   http://www.macon.com/197/story/554407.html

Friday, Dec. 12, 2008

Vets raise funds to help stop military fraud

By Gene Rector - grector@macon.com

WARNER ROBINS — Middle Georgia’s informal group of Vietnam veterans has another fundraiser.

Last year, it was help for military families with a mom or dad deployed overseas. About $3,700 was turned over to the Salvation Army for that purpose.

This year, it’s support for a Missouri couple who maintain a Web site for rooting out military frauds — wannabes who claim wartime exploits, especially prisoner of war status.

The group — about 45 strong — meets at BoJangles off Russell Parkway in Warner Robins every Monday and Friday at 8 a.m. They call themselves ROMEOs, short for “retired old men eating out” — a title one of the wives hung on them.

Their meetings are informal. “Only one rule,” Tom McLendon said, “and that is we don’t have any rules.”

That lack of structure does not rule out a serious side. “We meet and enjoy the fellowship,” McLendon said. “But we post the American flag, the POW flag and a ‘we support our troops’ flag. And at 9 a.m., we stand and say the Pledge of Allegiance.”

It’s in these gab sessions and war story exchanges that ideas gain consensus — the latest being support of the POW network, www.pownetwork.org.

Months ago, the group was burned by a POW wannabe who claimed exploits that proved to be false. Members don’t plan to be fooled again.

“Chuck and Mary Schantag in Skidmore, Mo., run the Web site,” McLendon said. “They have hundreds of pages of information on wannabes. They can tell you within minutes if someone is a phony.”

The group will be manning a booth at the Galleria in Centerville near the entrance to Belk during the next two weekends beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday, offering $1 chances on four items.

One is a lamp replica of the Three Servicemen Statue at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Another is a framed eagle feather painted the yellow and red of the Vietnam Campaign Ribbon.

It also contains a small set of dog tags with a “welcome home” inscription.

Two identical flags complete the collection, each depicting an eagle with its wings spread. Under one wing is the American flag. Under the other, the POW/MIA flag. An inscription reads: “All gave some. Some gave all.”

George Pappas of CONUS in Warner Robins provided the lamp at cost. Keith and Hope Meredith of Macon donated the three remaining items.

“When people buy one ticket, they’ll have a chance at all four,” McLendon said.

More than 800 tickets have been sold. “We sent the Schantags the money and they were tickled to death,” he said. “We only have about 1,500 tickets altogether, so the chances are pretty good.”

A drawing for each of the items will be held at the mall on the afternoon of Dec. 21.

McLendon said the group welcomes company at the Galleria location, whether a ticket is bought or not.

“They can just stop by and talk to us,” the Vietnam vet said. “The men can sit down and talk while the wives are shopping. That’s how we meet most of our new members anyway.”

To contact Gene Rector, call 923-3109, extension 239.

Army alerts feds of possible Stolen Valor case
ARMY TIMES

By Brendan McGarry - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Dec 15, 2008 12:50:32 EST

Discrepancies in the service record of a Vietnam veteran seeking a Medal of Honor have prompted the Army to alert the FBI of a potential violation of the Stolen Valor Act, sources close to the investigation said.

The case involves Terry Richard Calandra, 59, of Forks Township, Pa., who is commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart Chapter 700 in Glen Gardner, N.J.

“After review of Mr. Calandra’s records, a number of potential discrepancies were noted and the matter was referred to civilian law enforcement for investigation of the potential violation of the Stolen Valor Act,” said Lt. Col. Richard McNorton, a spokesman for Human Resources Command.

The legislation, signed into law in 2006, makes falsely claiming a military decoration or medal a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and/or a fine.

An investigator for the FBI declined to comment on the case.

Calandra said he was “baffled” by the Army’s action.

“All I know is I had eyewitness accounts on this,” he said. “I’m going to stand on my military record. … If the Army wants to change their mind, that’s their business. I’ll send my medals back. I don’t need them.”

Calandra’s discharge paperwork states he received the Distinguished Service Cross, the military’s second-highest award given for “extraordinary heroism in action against an enemy,” as well as the Silver Star, Bronze Star with “V” device for valor (second oak leaf cluster), Purple Heart (fourth oak leaf cluster), the Army Commendation Medal with “V” Device for valor (first oak leaf cluster) and other decorations from a six-month tour in Vietnam in 1969, according to portions of his service record provided by the National Personnel Records Center in response to a Freedom of Information request from Army Times.

The general orders and citations in Calandra’s official service record for the two highest awards — the Distinguished Service Cross and the Silver Star — conflict with records at the National Archives and Records Administration, according to copies of the documents obtained by Army Times.

General orders are issued by various commands to announce awards, among other news, and are published in chronological order in a given year.

In Calandra’s file, the U.S. Army Vietnam general order announcing his Distinguished Service Cross is numbered 9,580.

According to the National Archives, U.S. Army Vietnam only issued 4,519 general orders in 1969. The most general orders USARV ever issued in any year during the conflict was 7,149 in 1966.

In Calandra’s file, the 9th Infantry Division general order announcing his Silver Star is numbered 5,293.

That general order number corresponds to one at the National Archives announcing a posthumous award of the Army Commendation Medal for a different soldier, Spc. Larry Brown.

The documents contain other inconsistencies.

The Army most recently began reviewing Calandra’s file in August after U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., forwarded an inquiry from Calandra about his Medal of Honor nomination.

“Mr. Terry Calandra has contacted my Allentown office inquiring on the status of his nomination for the Congressional Medal of Honor,” Specter wrote in a July 18 letter to the Military Awards Branch. “Since the request falls under your jurisdiction, I have forwarded you a copy of his request.”

Specter later told a local newspaper editorial board that Calandra should be considered for the military’s top award.

In an e-mail to Army Times, spokesperson Kate Kelly said, “Sen. Specter’s office has been briefed by the Army concerning the questions surrounding Mr. Calandra’s service.” She declined further comment.

In October, Pennsylvania state Rep. Richard T. Grucela introduced a resolution “memorializing the Congress of the United States to award Terry Calandra the Medal of Honor for valorous service during the Vietnam Conflict.” The bill, which was co-signed by dozens of representatives, died in committee.

Grucela’s office didn’t return a call seeking comment.

Photos courtesy of The Express-Times
From: Kent SgtMaj Carlton W 
>> Sent: Friday, May 15, 2009 5:45
>> SgtsMaj, MGySgts, CMDCMs,
>>
>> We have received numerous e-mails and phone calls IRT to the atttached
>> photo.  The individual in the photo was never a Marine and is being
>> charged  for this violation.  Semper Fi.
>>
>> SgtMaj Kent

Phony Marine nabbed at Lititz vet's funeral

Mourner bought full uniform on eBay. Cop says ‘I can’t explain it.’
Lancaster New Era
Published: Dec 17, 2008
10:26 EST
Lititz

 

By TOM MURSE, Staff Writer

Justin McDade was decked out for a Vietnam veteran's funeral last week in his crisp U.S. Marine Corps dress blues — a scarlet "blood stripe" up the trousers, sergeant stripes on the blouse, white hat and all.

One problem: The 21-year-old Lititz man is not, and never was, a Marine.

He picked up the elaborate military getup on eBay for about $200, police say.

When an on-duty Lititz police officer assigned to escort the large procession on Thursday recognized McDade — and knew he was not a Marine — he walked over to him.

"You need to leave," Officer Ken Wolfe told McDade.

The young man left the service and walked down to headquarters.

He turned over the uniform and was arrested on an obscure, rarely enforced law against misrepresenting yourself as a member of the military and dealing in medals and decorations. Police were still preparing the charges this morning.

"It's a weird charge. It's not an often-used section of the crimes code," said Lititz police Sgt. Kerry Nye. "The issue is, he was in full uniform."

McDade, who lives in the 400 block of West Marion Street in Lititz, admitted to the offense, police said, but did not offer any explanation.

"I can't explain it either," Nye said.

McDade could not be reached for comment this morning. A telephone number listed for him in Lititz was not in service.

The criminal charge, dealing in military decorations, is a third-degree misdemeanor and punishable by up to a year in prison under the law, which was enacted in the early 1970s.

A person is guilty of the charge "if, without authority, he purchases, sells, or offers for sale, or accepts as a pledge or pawn, any medal, insignia or decoration granted by the United States for service in the armed forces."

McDade was among an estimated 150 mourners who packed the funeral home on South Broad Street for the late 65-year-old Vietnam veteran, a Lititz resident who had served in the Marines and was widely known in his hometown. Police declined to identify the veteran by name.

McDade was an acquaintance of the veteran. "It wasn't like he just walked in to someone's funeral," said Nye.

The young man was, however, the only one there in uniform — and, as one witness put it, "stuck out a little bit."


Staff writer Tom Murse can be reached at tmurse@LNPnews.com or 481-6021.