A 'Walt' exposed?

[Tez3]

http://www.lep.co.uk/news/local/vet...hate-campaign-1-5377299#.UQ16vtoLUkI.facebook

This story is eliciting strong feelings from both sides of the coin as it were. Paras and ex Paras as well as other regulars are furious that he's posed as an ex Para, they don't believe his story about a senior officer buying him a uniform for one thing ( tbh honest nor do I, it's very unlikely) and are furious at his behaviour. On the other hand people are saying well he has served and has PTSD so should be excused his behaviour. I don't believe that threats should be made but I can understand why the Paras are upset, I don't understand though why he should pretend to be a Para when, if true, his own record of service is a good one. It's all a bit strange.

 

[ballen0351]

We have fake heros here too here is my favorite

http://images.search.yahoo.com/imag...b=12mparlvm&sigi=12h3aacl9&.crumb=GUnQO6ARL/a

 

[Tgace]

We have fake heros here too here is my favorite

http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=A0PDoX3JdA5RpDwAGVKJzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBlMTQ4cGxyBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1n?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3Fp%3Dfake%2Bmarine%2Bmaster%2Bsgt%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D1&w=531&h=720&imgurl=www.militaryphotos.net%2Fforums%2Fattachment.php%3Fattachmentid%3D176729%26amp%3Bd%3D1333475607&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ar15.com%2Fforums%2Ft_1_5%2F1307575_This_fake_Marine_was_allegedly_arrested_today___Video_.html&size=63.6+KB&name=This+fake+Marine+was+allegedly+arrested+today.+Video.+-+AR15.COM&p=fake+marine+master+sgt&oid=0f5b7b85895ae202f99c64234bc8850e&fr2=&fr=&tt=This%2Bfake%2BMarine%2Bwas%2Ballegedly%2Barrested%2Btoday.%2BVideo.%2B-%2BAR15.COM&b=0&ni=40&no=1&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=134sq4eo7&sigb=12mparlvm&sigi=12h3aacl9&.crumb=GUnQO6ARL/a

He's another one like Tez's example. 20 year retired Marine who is lying about his record and even wearing medals and decorations that a Marine would never wear. There has to be some type of mental illness there.

Of course the Martial Arts has a number of people who do/have done the same thing..lying about military/LE/tactical experience...to bolster their "warrior creds".

 

[celtic_crippler]

Well... the article said he was diagnosed with PTSD.

Looks like he was on his way to being a "Para" until he got injured. It seems like it meant a lot to him. As Tez also pointed out, his actual record is definately one to be proud of.

In this particular case, I actually feel bad for the guy. I understand the pride involved in becoming an "elite" due to the blood, sweat, and tears involved in getting there but that's no excuse to make this guy's life a living hell. He's already been there.

 

[Tez3]

To be brutally honest only the Paras think the Paras are an elite, they actually aren't elite or spec forces. They are infantry who are supposed to parachute in to the battle something they haven't done since Suez. They have a mystique they have built up, mostly because, frankly, no one would join them if they didn't big themselves up. You can see by the violent and death threats this guy has had that the Para community isn't big on understanding. They are big on recruiting the more shall we say thuggish types.
It's a shame this guy lied but he really didn't need to, his was perhaps a more dangerous and worthwhile service than if he had joined the Paras. The Para training is the same as the infantry, they do just do 12 days on P Company extra. All this chap missed out was the P Company bit in his training. However there is also All Arms P company something which a lot of soldiers from other corps and regiments have gone through, he could have done that later. 2 Sqn RAF.Regt. does everything the Paras do, with the added bonus of actually jumping freeefall something the Paras don't learn. All Royal Marine Commandos train longer and harder than the Paras. I'm not down on the Paras, most are actually good guys but they do think they are more special than they are.
This guy could have done the All Arms P Company at any time if he needed to prove himself to himself but he has actually done his service and got his Iraq medal so he really doesn't need to prove anything to anyone. I'd hope he'd be left alone but I've just seen new threats against him on FB by a Para I know as well as a few more by 'insulted' others.

 

[celtic_crippler]

Why isn't the brass reigning these knuckleheads in? Surely they don't endorse this type of behavior?

 

[Tez3]

Why isn't the brass reigning these knuckleheads in? Surely they don't endorse this type of behavior?

They may well be ignoring it tbh, they tend to smirk and go 'well it is the Paras and you know what they are like'. The Paras have Royal approval, with Charles as the Col in Chief, it means they get away with a lot. http://www.1in12.com/publications/archive/stories98/clegg.htm. clegg is now a Sgt and is still in the Paras, he was 'cleared' of murder and returned here as cocky as hell, my partner and I caught him trying to blag his way into somewhere on the Garrison he shouldn't have been and we got a right mouthful as in 'don't you know who I am' and 'I can do anything I want to'. We did everything we usually did (including laugh like drains) but he wasn't disciplined at all by his bosses. All we could do is shrug it off. On the better side he has done his tours in Afghan.

 

[Tgace]

They may well be ignoring it tbh, they tend to smirk and go 'well it is the Paras and you know what they are like'. The Paras have Royal approval, with Charles as the Col in Chief, it means they get away with a lot. http://www.1in12.com/publications/archive/stories98/clegg.htm. clegg is now a Sgt and is still in the Paras, he was 'cleared' of murder and returned here as cocky as hell, my partner and I caught him trying to blag his way into somewhere on the Garrison he shouldn't have been and we got a right mouthful as in 'don't you know who I am' and 'I can do anything I want to'. We did everything we usually did (including laugh like drains) but he wasn't disciplined at all by his bosses. All we could do is shrug it off. On the better side he has done his tours in Afghan.

Well..this touches on a sensitive subject I have been mulling for a while. The "Im a vet so treat me differently..." thing I run into every once and a while. I of course am a vet too so that line gets about 0' downrange. But it makes me wonder how many other coppers let people "slide" on it?

 

[Tez3]

We've had soldiers who have been up on domestic violence charges claim it was because they had PTSD until it was established they had a record of violence which predated any deployment at all. I've no doubt that some are playing on being ex forces, the trouble is telling who is and who isn't sometimes.
This guy has been diagnosed with PTSD but I can't see how claiming he was a Para fits in with that, it's like we have lots of people claiming to be 'cage fighters' because they somehow think it's cool, I think that is what this case is, plus I think he may have been paid for his TV appearances.

 

[celtic_crippler]

Smh

 

[K-man]

We have had our fair share too.

Star impostors
In the past month, two of ANZMI's star impostors have been exposed in major metropolitan papers.


Peter McInnes is the fighting padre, a self-styled "archbishop" who lives in Queensland.


McInnes appears in his ANZMI profile, donning priestly vestments and large gold cross. The outfit is complemented by a colourful array of medal ribbons indicating that he is a veteran of peacekeeping operations in Somalia and Cambodia. Another picture captures McInnes in the uniform of a Royal Australian Navy commander.


Queensland's Sunday Mail has revealed that McInnes' real military service was somewhat less heroic: A stint with the Army Reserve in Tasmania.


Then there is the be-medalled Gordon Tisdell. He became the international face of the ANZAC spirit after his picture was snapped at Sydney's Shrine of Remembrance last year. His image was beamed around the world, and reportedly appeared in Life magazine.


Tisdell is also on the ANZMI site sporting an impressive array of Vietnam campaign medals on his left breast pocket. On his right, what appears to be the gongs of half the campaigns since the Anzacs went ashore at Gallipoli.


But Tisdell's photographic career has come to an abrupt end after being outed by the Sydney Morning Herald under the headline "Decade of deception ends as veteran claims exposed".
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2010-09-20/virtual-veterans-pursued-online-for-stolen-valour/2267364

RSL Queensland chief executive Chris McHugh said fake war heroes were attracted to the camaraderie, bravery and achievement of veterans.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/sham-hero-resigns-as-rsl-flag-raiser-after-being-outed-by-veteran/story-e6frg6n6-1226495019024