There is a special place in hell for those who embellish or flat out lie about their service or lack thereof.

OP does a wonderful thing for us true veterans, and anyone who takes advantage of his kindness should get a good old fashioned @ss whoopin.

I have said this many times, I have met more former Special Forces guys sense I've been out than I met while I was in. I know as soon as they open their mouth they are lying. It is a shame they try to live a made up life.

Texas drivers license has veteran stamped on it now

You have to go to the DL office with proper paper work to get the Veteran stamp on your DL. It ain't on mine. But then I have a retirement ID card and a VA card. Not to many people carry around their DD214 in their pocket either. We have a lot of Vets that never saw combat but they served and are vets.

I was just in Vegas at the NASCAR race this past weekend and came across a young Navy guy that had a Master EOD badge tattooed on his back. Being ex-EOD myself and that the EOD community is a very small, I asked where he served...he said he failed out of EOD school in the first few weeks. I asked him why he had the badge tattooed on his back...he said he felt he had earned it since he attended the school. I told him he was a POS and a disgrace to all whom have earned the right to wear the badge! "Initial Success or Total Failure"

Amen

I believe these people should be punishable under UCMJ rules if they want to play soldier. let them spend some time in Ft Leavenworth doing HARD TIME, they'll think twice about ever calling themselves "Ranger". "EOD", "Special Forces" ever again!! If I were them I'd be embarrassed to even call myself a former SOLDIER after the shenanigans these clowns pull!! RANT OVER!! LOL

I know my employer requires a copy of the DD-214 when hiring former service men and women. Have for at least 30 years that I can attest to. I will say that just volunteering to go makes you a hero in my book. Whether a behind the scenes support personnel or a special operations group operator they are all necessary to the mission of protecting the freedom in this great nation.

I just don't understand why the losers LIE about being something they're clearly not, never have been nor will they EVER be. I just don't get it. It burns me up....and I never served. I can't imagine how infuriating it is to the heroes that did serve.

Makes me a little more proud to admit that I was mostly a staff weenie. I did get a decon platoon in a chemical company for about 18 months. Otherwise, it was battalion or brigade staff. I was nowhere near the theater of operations during the first Gulf War, either. I was stuck in an assignment in Army Recruiting and couldn't get assigned.

For y'all that are doing and supporting activities for veterans, thank you. You can only do what you do, and have to rely on the honesty and integrity of the people you serve.

David

I worked for my company in Austin for a little over four years, ending about 10 years ago, personally interviewing Veterans for job placement. I interviewed an average of 34 Veteran's a week-day over that time period, you do the math. If everyone who said they were truly was there must have been a Green Beret under every tree, bush, and shrub in "The 'Nam," as they all called it. I was fortunate enough to meet some genuine heroes, but also a BUNCH of lying a-holes in that town. I learned fast, and I'd let them know, after hearing their story, that I'd been given special access to computer files to verify service information. As soon as my fingers hit the keyboard the ohs, ahs, and buts would start flowing. There is a web-link to verify Purple Heart recipients, though. I think I still have it on my office computer and I think it's public. If that would help I'll forward the link to the OP. Speaking of, thanks for what you do.

Those links will only include the people that provided the information to that site. Like this site, http://www.thepurpleheart.com/faqs/ I am a member of the Military Order of the Purple Heart and an officer of the local chapter, and I have been a life member since the 1980's when our local chapter was organized, I am on the list, based on info provided by the MOPH.

My son told me about an old vet that came in his Fuzzys everyday. He said he was a Seal. I warned him and told him that if he said he was a Seal it was a lie because he was older than me. I was at his bar drinking free beer and the old dude came in and sat down on the next stool. He had a OD green marine flat top cover with Navy embroidered on it. We started talking about the old days and he mentioned that he was UDT. That made more sense because there were no Seals in the 60's. I also had requested Underwater Demolition Team. Turns out he is the real thing. He was as honored to meet me as I was to meet him and all I did was fix planes and train pilots to fly and shoot. He said he had been shot four times and stabbed twice. He was disabled and rode a scooter. All these years and finally met a hero. That's how rare they really are.

I seen a marine who had army jump wings tattooed on his arm. I said I didn't know there were airborne marines. He went on this story how he went to army jump school but only did one jump oh and his jump school was 6 months lonf. I instantly called him a liar in front of his wife. Then went on to break down his story piece by piece.

While the badges differ. Marines do attend jump school at Ft. Benning.

I know a Marine that earned his jump wings while in the Army. After his first enlistment in the Army he enlisted in the Marines. His third enlistment was in the USAF, there he finally found a home, he retired from the Air Force with 20 years of combined service.

Thank goodness the frauds are being flushed out. My pet peeve are the guys who claim to be veterans from the Viet Nam era but turns out they were in the National Guard during Nam. During the Viet Nam war, some guys were doing everything they could to get into the National Guard. Why? It was a sure way of not being sent to Viet Nam. My son's father in law claims to be a Viet Nam era veteran, he is now 76 years old, and has military patches, metals, etc. all over his house and loves to tell how he hitchhiked from Tulsa, Oklahoma to South Carolina for his monthly National Guard meetings! The sad part is this guy is a church deacon and has collected disability for the last 30 years from an injured back but plays golf three times a week. He goes to Appleby's and Golden Corral in Arlington annually for the free meals. There are alot of others just like him. Probably said too much but got it off my chest. Thanks

Yes, Marines attend Army jump school and the basic jump wings are the Army's. Although I'm a former Marine, I have a 101st AB Screaming Eagle tattoo on my left arm because I attended their jump class. It does say "USMC" in the banner, though, and not 101st AB Div.

I never knew Marines were excepted to Army jump schools. That is good info right there. I appreciate that being posted up here.

I think everybody goes to Benning for jump school. I hate the liars myself. I'd love to have a talk with the black guy that got called out by the marines at the funeral. I'd embarras him on the spot. But then he'd know some answers to questioins that he probably didn't know before, and be able to sound even more legit when someone else questioned him.

Sure there were....my bro was one in VN 1967

BillyBob is right. There is a difference in their training and mission today compared to back then. Same as with all the special units we had back then.

Between fake guys, guys that only want to set up their buddies, people telling you that you are to crazy for how much money you spend, to guys not showing up, to taxidermist not following through, to guys wanting to change everything...

It is really hard trying to help people some times. Not trying to bitch but I get it. Funny how 7 or 8 bad hunts can ruin 400+ good ones.

If this brian culp is the same guy I am thinking of he was actually in Iraq as a infantyman but for some reason wished he had been in Somalia as a ranger instead.......don't feel too bad about being tricked by him he was running breach and clear site training for TX army national guard guys getting ready to deploy on an invite from a Sgt Major. Talked to a guy who said he was a d bag of biblical proportions and wanted to punch him in he mouth the entire time. I thought he said he was wearing Corporal stripes?
I could be confusing two together there seems to be plenty but I think he was convicted in San Antonio.

Nathan, you are so right. I have been doing this only 4 years with Lone Star Warriors Outdoors. For the most part, the guys are great, but I do have a list of people that I would and will NEVER take again or recommend. I wish there were a sight that could help to weed these people out, but at the same time you would not be able to fully trust it is there would be mistakes. Unfortunately not always are a DD214 correct. If you do not keep on top of it, things can and will be left off.

Also on the Jump School. If I am correct I think all branches that offer jump status attend the Army training at Fort Benning. I know it is that way with a lot of signal/comm trainings as when I was at Ft. Gordon, there were Marines/Navy and I think some AF guys.