Is the American Legion Commander lying about his service?

[BOSSHOG]

Per the Boston Globe, Paul Morin who is current commander of the American Legion refers to himself as a Vietnam Veteran however his service consists of a two year tour at Fort Dix in the early 70's.

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003467772

It would be fair to refer to him as a "Vietnam Era" Veteran but he never served in Vietnam. Crap likes this pisses me off and it apparently pisses Max Cleland off who called the claim a lie. Morin is the knucklehead who was so "outraged" at John Kerry's knucklehead comment about getting stuck in Iraq and demanded an apology. Well now Morin legitimately owes all real Vietnam Vets an apology but being the good conservative leader he is I doubt it will be forthcoming.

Caveat: I enlisted in 72 but never served in country Vietnam and would never refer to myself as a Vietnam Vet because it would be the wrong thing to do. And, unlike American Legion members I would not give george bush a standing ovation for anything.

[Captain Hilts]

1. Isn't the legion for folks that never left Ft. Shit, Texas? and the VFW...

for folks that did go overseas to fight? He would get the crap kicked out of him at a VFW meeting.

And you know what? There's nothing wrong with serving but not going overseas - unless you lie about it.

Hell, the VFW wouldn't let in submariners for years because they technically weren't, "in country." Still won't let in most bubbleheads.

Bastards.

[blm]

2. The antiKerry crowd scorn Kerry for 'only' 4mo. in country in Vietnam and ignore

the year before that he spent on ship detail. No matter that his 4mo were facing the most dangerous assignments with the highest casualty rate at the time.

And fools like Morin and Bush and Cheney and Rush get a pass with this group.

[sarge43]

8. VFW wouldn't let in servicewomen for years,

So on one hand there was the nurse with a PH from having her ward blown up or ship sank and, on the other, the dude who sat in some semi-hell hole counting beans, worse injury - a paper cut. And no I'm not slamming the dude; we do our duty as it is given to us to do and being a paper puke myself who never heard a shot fired in angry I'm in no position to thump chest.

Just saying :wtf: did gender have to do with it.

[LynnTheDem]

3. "I've been to war" -George w bush

Was that a lie?

Hell yes.

[Monkeyman]

4. Boss this is the same puke

Who called the ACLU terrorist and never fought one budget cut on veterans. Ft Dix is a long way from Nam

[BOSSHOG]

7. I was TAD to Ft Dix in the 90's

Nice place, no enemy fire. Budget cuts for Veterans Services will very soon come back to bite us (taxpayers) all on the ass. And last but not least, I'm a member of the ACLU (a card carrying member) but not a member of the American Legion. morin can kiss my six good conduct awards. I have more time in the shitter then he has in uniform and yet he's the "Commander."

[sarge43]

5. It's a shading of the truth

which is often worse than an out and out lie. It's the same as Bush in one of his campaign bios claiming he flew in the Air Force for several years.

I'm reminded of a line from Lawrence of Arabia spoken by the diplomat Dryden "A man who tells lies, like me, merely hides the truth. But a man who tells half-lies has forgotten where he put it."

Both my husband and I are Nam era vets; however, he has the right to wear the Vietnam Service Medal and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal. I do not. That's the difference and it's an important one.

[BOSSHOG]

6. "Shading of the truth" makes one a hero in the mind of lemmings

My wife and I are also Vietnam Era Vets but neither of us were in country nor have ever claimed to have been nor ever will. morin is an embarrassment to the American Legion. I suggest he apologize to all Vietnam Veterans then resign in disgrace as the typical lying republican he apparently is. I will not hold my breath.

and I agree Sarge, shading the truth is sometimes worse then a lie.

[Lowell]

9. The American Legion has a tradition

of challenging any members claims that anyone thinks are false. If this assclown has worn any Vietnam campaign or service medals then he is toast. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061203/ap_on_re_us/veteran_challenged. But if the moron is just claiming to be an "era" veteran then his claims will stand.

This is beginning to become a real problem in many of our service organizations. We are finding more and more phonies showing up in not only the American Legion, but also the VFW. I honor all those who served, but I find those who claims are not true to be very disturbing. Each members service was valuable and I just don't understanding a veterans need to embellish their record.

[4bucksagallon]

10. WTF, LOL!!!

"I am a Vietnam veteran," Morin, of Chicopee in western Massachusetts, told the newspaper. His biography on the Legion's Web site also describes Morin as a "Vietnam veteran of the US Army."

The Legion's top spokesman, Joe March, backed Morin's position. He said any current service member stationed in the United States at present could claim to be an Iraq war veteran."


The Bob Dylan song "times they are a changin'" comes to mind, soon Rush Limbaugh will claim he is a Vietnam "veteran" simply because he had a draft notice, during the Vietnam war. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm I love the smell of roasted chickenhawk slowly wafting through the AL. Tells me I made the right decision many years ago not to join the John Birch branch of the AL.

[BOSSHOG]

11. Don't you know

in limbaugh's sick little fantasy world he is a decorated war hero. You know he hates it when the subject of veterans comes up and he's lost. He has his talking points about it, but it just grates his hateful bones that he has never been nor ever will be one of the boys. He's reduced to buying friends to go to the Dominican Republic with him.

He'd be like the John Larroquette character in Stripes.

[Major Hogwash]

12. My gawd! How pathetic can you get?!

This just goes to show you what happens when a liar like Bush gets into office.

It just encourages more phonies to claim they have been "in the bush", yet they never have been.

He was stationed in Fort Dix?!

Brave man, New Jersey sucks.

LoL

[BOSSHOG]

13. Semper Fi Major

Excellent point about how the actions and/or morals of the commander in chief influence others. bush deserted and lied about it so what's wrong with fudging the ole service history a little; besides we are members of the party of integrity. I preferred the 90's when blow jobs were plentiful.

I was TAD to Ft Dix once, rather peaceful environment and absolutely no combat action pay.

[AbsoluteArmorer]

14. I fully support this thread!

I'm glad to see a thread of this nature come to life for it does bring forth some disturbing facts that continues to grow among us here in the US with very little discussion about it. There should be!

Soon after when I first joined Democratic Underground, this same subject matter came about in this Veteran's discussion section. Vietnam Era Veterans and other fakes who lie about being in Vietnam. There was a Vietnam war veteran here who started to shed some light on another poster here who claimed to be a Vietnam Veteran. If I followed the reports of that confrontation correctly, it appeared at one time or another during that person's cyber activities, they claimed to be a Vietnam Veteran as in like 'being there' in Vietnam while claiming to be a Vietnam Veteran. That same person also claimed that they were in another country in SE Asia which qualified him to be called a Vietnam Veteran. It was proven that this person was not in Vietnam which also brought doubt about this person ever being in service at all. This person possibly may have been in service and might also have spent time in a US support country, but because of his actions toward other real veterans, plus some of his apparent lies, he himself, brought on much doubt about his military story.

If this person and others who claim to be real war veterans, when they are not, and are not exposed for what they are, then these problems will only manifest into bigger misleading claims and more confusion among groups of people in forums and our society. The entire attempt only brings mistrust among us. I strongly support the fact that Vietnam Era service members are not one in the same as real war veterans. I do agree that 'Era' veterans during any war should be acknowledged for their support roles while in the service. It ends there!!

Combat War Veterans and Outside Support Veterans are not equally the same in war conditioning experience!!

I think that topics like this thread should ring strong and loud, because as others have already mentioned in this thread so far, not to only breeds more contempt into those who become our society's liars and manipulators who also usually end up some sort of govt authoritative leadership. The Bush Administration has proved that many times over. Those damn Chicken Hawks!

I guess that this will be a continuing problem with today's many 'support' veterans to the Iraq War who are located outside the Iraq war zone who'll also claim to be war veterans on the same level as real war vets. I predict many more in comparison to the Vietnam War's bogus copy cats.

[BOSSHOG]

15. Thanks for the post AA

I don't like the terminology Vietnam "Era" or Iraq "Era." Although its true it is clearly open to abuse. And I don't understand the psychology of claiming such a thing; its a lie pure and simple. I do enjoy the occasional stories that surface of some poor schmuck claiming to be a Navy Seal. Those stories usually end violently. I'm proud of my service which included a short tour in a combat zone. I was just doing my job and I have never mentioned my service in public until November 2002 when I was verbally accosted by a chickenhawk yahoo who was pissed because I had the audacity to suggest we not go to war in Iraq. I whipped out my retiree ID Card, told him a little about myself and asked him where he served. He said he hadn't served "yet." At least he didn't lie.

[Major Hogwash]

16. I think Morin should resign from his position as Commander of the AL.

This really denigrates the real Vietnam veterans who actually left the states and went to the jungles of Vietnam to fight.

When someone says they are a Vietnam vet, that means that they went to Vietnam.
That means they stood on the fuckin' ground, were "in country", not stuck on some shitty base in Jersey.

I have 3 cousins that all served in the military during the Vietnam War, but only 2 went to Vietnam.

The third cousin of mine served over in Germany, yet he has never claimed to be a Vietnam veteran.
Not even a "Vietnam era" vet.
He'll say he's a veteran if you ask him.
He'll say that he served.
But, he'd never even try to claim that he is a Vietnam veteran.

Or, would want to.

[4bucksagallon]

17. Here is his email address send him a message like I am.

[e-mail]

[AbsoluteArmorer]

18. Some deserves the true recognition!

Your post about your family's Vietnam service is extremely honorable Major Hogwash. Especially the part about about your cousin who was also a Vietnam Era service vet who doesn't even claim to be an 'Era' vet. I respect that very much. Just as much as I respect your two other cousins who did serve in country. Over the years, I have learned to accept those who want to call themselves Vietnam 'Era' veterans only in hopes to stop many 'wannabes' or 'dreamers' who wants to claim being an actual Vietnam Veteran. One would think that this would have done that. Sadly, it appears not true. I understand how it gives way to this grey area allowing people to make claims for being war veterans when they really are not. In this case, your cousin who served in Germany during Vietnam, I respect him as being a Vietnam Era veteran and respect him for being that honest. It takes a real man (or woman) to recognize that themselves in which your cousin has done. This, by the way, also includes all other wars and not just Vietnam.

Morin should go down in flames! People like you, Major Hogwash, should be saluted and appreciated for your honesty and correctness in which it appears that also runs in your family. Thank you Sir!