Yesterday I had an interesting conversation with a guy and wonder what y'all thoughts are. A little background...
I have known this guy for years very casually. His daughter and my daughter are the same age and both of them being athletes in high school we sat through a lot of various sporting events together. Nowadays it's grandkids and we are once again sitting around watching volleyball, basketball and softball games. This gentleman is always decked out in some sort of Army apparel, usually of the Vietnam era. Shirts, jackets, hats with "Vietnam Vet", Ranger tabs, jump wings, CIB, POW, ect. He keeps a POW flag and 101st Airborne Screaming Eagles flag flying in his front yard. I had always assumed he saw action in Vietnam. He has a CIB pin on his hat and CIB patch on his jacket. People often tell him "thank you for your service," and one day a guy introduced his son to him as a hero. "Look son, this man is an Army Ranger and was a POW in Vietnam." The guy in question always acknowledged the thank you as if it were fact.
Yesterday we ended up sitting beside each other at a basketball game and had a one hour break between games. That gave us some time for conversation and I asked about his service in the Army. I was surprised when he told me he never went to Vietnam. He enlisted and served in the Army from 71-75 and his only posting out of the US was to Germany. He was a crewman on an APC and was a trained as a mortar man. He said he was later "attached to the 101st". No talk of earning a Ranger Tab, CIB or of POW.
Seems pretty disingenuous to me. Is this a case of Stolen Valor?
Absolutely Stolen Valor.
Especially the CIB. And if a real Ranger caught him pretending to be one, a butt kicking would not be out of the question.
I beat the draft by enlisting in the Army in late 1967. After Basic and AIT i was assigned to a field artillery unit at Fort Carson, Colorado.
One winter at Carson, going to the field with the guns in below zero temps and FEET of snow was no place for a Florida Boy.
I volunteered for a lot of places trying to get out of there, but kept getting turned down. They accepted my request for overseas service in the Republic of Vietnam, however.
I was assigned to a brigade that was on loan to the Marines, and operated with them along the DMZ. It was known as Indian Country.
I spent my year behind the wire on an infantry base camp. Got to dodge rockets, mortars, and the occasional sniper, but at least I wasn't out beating the bush.
The only people eligible to EARN a CIB have the MOS of 11B (Infantry). I was not, but was awarded a Meritorious Bronze Star Medal instead. But, I never wear it, nor the Army Commendation Medal I was awarded, either.
I DO wear caps identifying myself as having served in the 5th Infantry Division - I'm damn proud of that.
To me, anyone who raised their right hand, took the oath, and served honorably, is my Brother or Sister.
I don't care if they served stateside or in a combat zone, Europe or Korea, or somewhere else. In the sky or at sea. War time or peace time.
None of that matters to me. Each and every one of us went where we were told, did what we were trained to do, and made the choice to die for our country if it came to that.
Brothers and Sisters. And I'm honored to be in their company.
