Some people.... this guy should be shot if he's a fake

zukracer

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This one is just too much to stomach.... If he's full of it, as the story eludes to, then he should be drawn and quartered and then shoot whats left :thumbsup: Some things just shouldnt be taken advantage of, claiming false awards/rank in the military certainly is at the top of that list.

Marines investigating Onslow man's military heroism claims :: WRAL.com

Thoughts? Any of our Marines heard of this guy? ???
 
exactly, his service was enough in my and most folks books, but to take it to this level, to wear a COL rank when in fact his record shows PFC as his highest rank... thats just an insult to anyone that served but definitely to his fellow Marines.
 
Does say in article he had some mental issues but does not say whether or not he actually saw combat duty in Vietnam.
If he did and his mind went away I still salute him.
He can play colonel all day.
I know its not right but since I did not serve I cant take anything away from him.
Not right but.....
 
I dunno man, mental or not, its not right. Its hard enough to make it to colonel in any service and maybe its just a perception thing but a Marine Colonel seems more elite (or bad ass :whistle:)

Would your opinion change if he was 20yrs younger and wearing a major or lt col rank with fewer awards? If he wasn't listed as serving in a war but just having served?

I think its a disgrace either way you slice it and his "condition" or not doesn't excuse his lack of respect for the very uniform he once wore with proper rank/insignia.
 
You don't go from Enlisted to Commissioned without going Warrant Officer, or attending Officer Candidate School. Both options take more than two years to complete. Even in combat you don't make the leap without leaving the combat theater to attend school. That's not much of an option for a PFC.
 
your right 100% but I still salute him for having served and I hope it does not go much farther than local news.

He has taken some away from all who actually have earned the rank for sure.
 
no doubt he should get credit for having served but I think he lost all respect the day he pinned on the rank & awards that he never earned. I too hope its limited to local news but who knows, maybe someone will want to save that stupid vice principle in cali by diverting attention to this :banghead:
 
There was another younger guy in news a few months ago who had not served at all ever and was walking around in uniform.
Now thats much worse.
 
There was another younger guy in news a few months ago who had not served at all ever and was walking around in uniform.
Now thats much worse.

yes and no, this guy was telling war stories to other vets the other guy was just a poser looking for a break.

either way it sucks and I wish people would show more respect to our men & women in uniform.
 
There is sort of a rub here. For a Marine to do this - and in front of other Marines specifically - well much worse than someone who didn't know any better. The problem is two-fold -
1. With the gaul it would take to do this in front of Marines, wounded Marines, combat veterans from the last several wars - well... it wouldn't be questioned right off because - who would do that?
2. It is difficult for officers to question each other; it flies directly in the face of "special trust and confidence" ... it is a professional courtesy to accept an Officer's word... kind of hard to explain...

Here is another article about him:
Marine officials are investigating the guest speaker at a Vietnam veterans’ recognition day who critics said never went to Vietnam.

Michael Hamilton, who says he’s a former Marine colonel, gave an emotional keynote speech at Saturday’s Vietnam Recognition Day, held at Jacksonville’s Vietnam Memorial. Each event attendee received a copy of Hamilton’s impressive biography, showing a rapid rise from the rank of private first class to colonel between 1961 and 1969 while also accumulating 80 medals and ribbons, including two Navy Crosses, four Silver Stars and eight Purple Hearts.

But, local Vietnam veterans say, none of it is true.

John Cooney, the adjutant of the Beirut Memorial Chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, said veterans attending the ceremony had their doubts even before Hamilton began to speak.

“Nobody is decorated that much,” Cooney said. “We’re positive that everything is bogus that is in that bio.”

Hamilton’s name appears in the Phonies Index at the website P.O.W. Network. According to the listing, “Claims that his records were redacted and that he has been trying for 24 years to prove that he was in the incident … Military records so far show NO OVERSEAS DUTY, NO COVERT OR TACTICAL COMBAT TRAINING.”

Where his name doesn’t appear is in the Hall of Valor database, maintained by Military News, benefits, careers, photos, discussions - Military Times HOME. That site contains the names of all recipients of distinguished awards, including the Distinguished Service Cross, Navy Cross and Silver Star.

The creator of the database, Doug Sterner, said there is no chance whatsoever that Hamilton is who he claims to be. Only six service members have received eight Purple Hearts in a military career, he said, and no Marine has received more than six.

Hamilton, who spoke to The Daily News on Monday from his home in Richlands, said the reason for the dearth of evidence on his service was that he was engaged in covert operations in Laos and Cambodia and sworn to secrecy for political reasons for 25 years after his medical discharge from the Corps in 1969. He said that the operations were so secret that when a platoon he commanded was wiped out in combat, their names could not even be added to the wall of the Vietnam memorial.

“As far as every medal that I have been awarded, every ribbon, they’re mine; and I’d give them all back for the 286 men I lost,” Hamilton said.

Hamilton refused to share documents of proof, including a VA claim grant he said gave him 90 percent disability pay for combat wounds, with The Daily News, but held fast to his claims.

“Anybody that doesn’t believe me and wants to face me face-to-face, I’ll strip my blouse any day of the week and meet him outside,” he said. “The Marine Corps taught me 101 ways of blowing things up and killing people. I am not one to mess with.”

According to military records originally requested by Mary Schantag at the POW Network and reviewed by The Daily News on Monday, Michael Delos Hamilton entered the Marine Corps July 18, 1961, and left the Corps as a private first class at Camp Lejeune on April 30, 1962. His awards include rifle qualification badge, good conduct medal and national defense service medal.

There is nothing that indicates he ever served overseas.

The director of Camp Lejeune’s retired activities office, Randy Reichler, said he has dealt with Hamilton before.

“We turned him in about three years ago,” Reichler said. “He’d come in and he was angry because we wouldn’t submit a claim for him for VA benefits. Nobody gets two crosses, four Silver Stars — there’s no such thing.”

Reichler said he’d encountered Hamilton while in his former position as Jacksonville chapter commander of Disabled American Veterans. Hamilton applied to complete community service in 2007 in connection with a charge of impersonating a police officer; and once Reichler viewed his military records, he said, he refused the request.

According to a clerk at the Onslow County court house, Hamilton was charged with impersonating a police officer in Sept. 2007. He completed 50 hours of community service and charges were dismissed in Jan. 2008, officials said.

Hamilton said the charges were a result of a misunderstanding: He was employed by the Clark County, Nev., Sheriff’s Department and Metropolitan Police after leaving the Marine Corps, he said, and did not realize that it was illegal to carry his badge in North Carolina. A spokeswoman for Clark County said there is no record of Hamilton ever being employed by the Clark County Sheriff's Department and Metropolitan Police.

The president of Jacksonville’s chapter of Vietnam Veterans of America, Michael Carr, said the organization scheduled Hamilton to speak on Saturday in good faith, but now believes that he is a faker.

“This is the first time this has happened to us before,” Carr said. “There’s not too many people that impersonate a colonel.”

Carr said Hamilton sent the organization a copy of his bio, and when the scheduled speaker for Saturday’s event, a Navy nurse who served in Vietnam, had to cancel at the last minute, the timing seemed fortuitous. Reichler and Carr said Hamilton has also been known to impersonate a lieutenant general in Onslow County.

“You know how he got by with it, was the arrogance, the arrogance that he would do something like this in a military town,” Reichler, “There had to be a lot of questions when they looked at that bio; something like that couldn’t slide by.”

A spokesman for Marine Corps Installations East, Maj. Nat Fahy, said that Camp Lejeune’s Provost Marshal’s Office was investigating Hamilton as the event took place on land maintained by the base.

According to the Stolen Valor Act of 2005, unauthorized wear or claim of any military medals and decorations is a federal offense and punishable by fines and up to a year in prison.
 
This old guy is sad. He seems to have some serious mental issues for sure. I myself am a former Marine and a present Soldier. I don't think he really would have done this without having serious issues or problems mentally. He's just crying for attention and going about it by doing injustice to himself, US Marine Corps and all those who have served both past and present. Semper Fi
 
Being a former Marine, and now Soldier, I totally agree with you hunt1je. I was an 0811 ( Field Artillery) 4 years in Hawaii, and loved every bit of it. Was able to do 2 pumps to Okinawa, saw mainlans Japan, and climbed Mt. Fuji. Where are you in S. Korea? I was in Hovey from 2000-2001. Waiting for my Busa to get here, anxious to ride some of the hills, and see the country side. Best of luck to you! Semper Fi, Brother!:beerchug:
 
To one who has never served and onlt from what I know to become decorated is something that is usually done in public correct ?
In front of others the medals are given but again only going from what I think I don think they award folks who do covert ops like he says he did, right ?

Covert ops are just that covert ?
I dont think there would be public medal ceremonies for one who did things that cannot be talked about would there ?

They dont bring Navy Seals up and give them medals for capturing terrorists do they ?
Thats the life you choose. To not be in the public eye ?
 
This guy is doing the fellow devil dogs wrong.

I'm in Yongsan, I did 1 West Pac back in 95 as a 0311 and prior to that Secruity Forces in Panama.
 
To one who has never served and onlt from what I know to become decorated is something that is usually done in public correct ?
In front of others the medals are given but again only going from what I think I don think they award folks who do covert ops like he says he did, right ?

Covert ops are just that covert ?
I dont think there would be public medal ceremonies for one who did things that cannot be talked about would there ?

They dont bring Navy Seals up and give them medals for capturing terrorists do they ?
Thats the life you choose. To not be in the public eye ?

Regardless of doing "Covert Op". Any awards earned would still be noted on your DD 214(discharge papers).
 
Regardless of doing "Covert Op". Any awards earned would still be noted on your DD 214(discharge papers).


Ok I see.
But again let me ask you if awarded medals for covert ops do they display them in public or just treasure them for what they are ?

Just strange to me how if real he would be walking around with all of them.
What would he say when asked how he got them.
"I could tell you but then I'd have to kill you" ?


Lastly still going back to the 'covert' aspect.
Many of these things cannot even be acknowledged , correct ?
And to not be able to admit they happened would that not negate ability to award medals for 'something that never happened' whether given in public or private ?

If its 'covert' or 'black' op and 'never happened' how could commanders award medals to ones who 'werent there' ?

Just asking
 
covert ops and awards is not something that I've had to deal with, but i do know that every award given is recommened by someone for some reason or another. This recommendation is always on paper. Again, if an awarded is given to someone that is nolonger in the service, it should be on their discharge papers. If a award is worn on a uniform then you better be able to validate it with paper work or whith what we call orders for that particular award or awards.

Lastly, covert ops would be classifed and not acknowledge especialy depending on the classifacation. I would take that as no awards would be given.

This old dude is just wrong.
 
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