Suicide Rise in Special Ops Spurs Call for Review
Tampa Tribune
By Howard Altman
Tribune Staff
Published: April 29, 2014
Concerned with the increase in commandos taking their own lives, a subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee is calling for the Pentagon to review Department of Defense efforts regarding suicide prevention among members of the Special Operations Forces and their dependents.
The call for a review is included in proposals by the Military Personnel Subcommittee as part of the half-trillion dollar-plus military budget request for the fiscal year beginning in October. If the measure passes, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel would have three months after passage of the budget to report the findings to the House and Senate Armed Services committees.
“If the final bill calls for a report, we will work with the Department of Defense to ensure they have all the information they need to report to Congress,” said U.S. Special Operations Command spokesman Ken McGraw.
The subcommittee is also calling for a look at the overall issue of troop suicides, as well as how the military is handling sexual assaults, military health care costs and other health and well-being issues.
Earlier this month, Socom commander Adm. William McRaven told a Tampa intelligence symposium that commandos are committing suicide at a record pace this year. Though he offered no figures, he was repeating a concern he first raised in February at a Congressional hearing on his budget.
“The last two years have been the highest rate of suicides we have had in the special operations community and this year I am afraid we are on the path to break that,” McRaven, whose headquarters is at MacDill Air Force Base, said at the GEOINT 2013* Symposium in Tampa earlier this month.
read more here
U.S. special forces struggle with record suicides
Showing posts with label Green Beret. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Green Beret. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Special Forces: commandos are committing suicide at a record pace this year
Consider this. If the DOD and the Pentagon "efforts" to prevent suicides did not even prevent them in Special Forces, why did they keep doing it? Why did they keep saying that "most had not been deployed" when they were all trained with Comprehensive Solider Fitness? Why did they say the numbers were down when in fact the number of enlisted also went down leaving less to count?
Monday, April 7, 2014
Green Beret Earned Silver Star after answering wife's text
Michigan soldier earns Silver Star for Afghan duty
Battle Creek Enquirer
Chuck Carlson
Apr. 7, 2014
BATTLE CREEK, MICH. — In the middle of it all, with the bullets whizzing and the bombs exploding and the situation deteriorating, Bob Hinsley returned a text message.
From his wife.
“I didn’t know where he was and I sent him a text message because I was worried,” Jesse Hinsley told the Battle Creek Enquirer. “I saw something on the news and I was worried. Stupid me, I shouldn’t be watching the news but I texted him and asked ‘Can you call me?’ “
Hinsley, a U.S. Army Green Beret, happened to be deep in a firefight in a rebellious Afghan province facing an enemy force twice his unit’s size.
But, being the dutiful and considerate husband, he returned the text. And his response? “He said he was busy,” Jesse said with an ironic laugh.
read more here
Battle Creek Enquirer
Chuck Carlson
Apr. 7, 2014
BATTLE CREEK, MICH. — In the middle of it all, with the bullets whizzing and the bombs exploding and the situation deteriorating, Bob Hinsley returned a text message.
From his wife.
“I didn’t know where he was and I sent him a text message because I was worried,” Jesse Hinsley told the Battle Creek Enquirer. “I saw something on the news and I was worried. Stupid me, I shouldn’t be watching the news but I texted him and asked ‘Can you call me?’ “
Hinsley, a U.S. Army Green Beret, happened to be deep in a firefight in a rebellious Afghan province facing an enemy force twice his unit’s size.
But, being the dutiful and considerate husband, he returned the text. And his response? “He said he was busy,” Jesse said with an ironic laugh.
read more here
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Corrupted Valor Broken Trust
Corrupted Valor Broken Trust
Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
March 25 2014
There are so many things that happen right under our noses and we never see it. We never seem to question when someone reports something because we all want to assume the news is truthful. After all, if we cannot trust what you read, then what can we trust?
Eustace Horne was a local legend. It was said many times he was “one of the highest decorated veterans in Florida.” I assumed what I heard was true because the people telling me about Horne were all veterans.
Within a couple of hours searching news reports, it was clear no one checked the claims made by Horne over the years.
The first report I found was reported November 13, 2013. News 13 did a feature on Horne called Everyday Hero. In the article, he became Retired Major Eustace Horne.
It was reported he served three tours of duty in Vietnam. He was awarded the Silver Star, three Bronze Stars with Valor, Purple Hearts and more. “But while the museum is a place filled with stories, his is not one the former Green Beret wished to share.” When asked to talk about his service "It's something that's personal for me, and I don't want to talk about it. It's just between me and my God," said Horne.
The next report I found was from MyFOX Orlando reported on May 27, 2013.
In a year, Horne went from Green Beret, to Captain, to Retired Major.
The truth is Horne was a Staff Sgt and did a tour in Vietnam where shrapnel wounded him and he earned a Bronze Star for valor.
Valerie Boey of My FOX Orlando used "she" instead of "he" in her report.
The truth about the war? Didn’t anyone think to check the validity of the claims?
At the time he was “Horne, a Vietnam veteran who left the United States after returning from Vietnam because he felt ashamed.” He didn’t leave the United States for Germany because he was ashamed. He served in Germany according to his service records.
There is another issue regarding visitors to the museum. Seminole Chronicle in November of 2012, "Horne estimated that 3,000 people visited the museum last year, and the number keeps growing." to 15,000 when interviewed by My Fox Orlando in May of 2013 to 16,000 when interviewed by Bay News 9 in November of 2013.
Didn’t anyone think to check the validity of those claims?
In 1989 Horne was interviewed as President of Vietnam Veterans of Central Florida by Mike Oliver of the Orlando Sentinel. Horne said the group was trying to raise $6.5 million to build a “research center” and they were looking for land and seriously considering 40 acres near the East-West Expressway.
In 1985 there was a street party and $6,000 was raised for Vietnam Veterans of Central Florida center. It was not until 1996 Orange County granted a 25-year lease for the property on Tanner Road to be used for the museum because it was “surplus” property. “In all, the veterans invested $80,000 in materials to remodel the building.”
My FOX Orlando report that “Vietnam Veterans hope to relocate the museum” when Horne claimed to have been a “Captain” and trying to move the museum to the B-52 Park in Orlando near Orlando International Airport in 2013.
There is no building there. There is the B-52, a park, an observation deck directly across from the B-52 and nothing else.
It was dedicated on April 17, 1985. The list of donors appears on this stone.
On February 4, 2014 there was a celebration for Vietnamese New Year and in an interview by Caitlin Couillard for Central Florida Future this came out.
2014 is the first year that both organizations had a different President. From 1999 until 2013 the same person held the office of President for The Cpl. Larry E. Smedley National War Museum and Vietnam and All Veterans of Central Florida organizations simultaneously.
As more and more information was discovered, it seemed this story would never end. The Green Berets were contacted along with other investigators. Soon it was discovered that Eustace Horne Jr. had not been a Major, or a Captain or a Green Beret. He was not awarded the Silver Star. He was not awarded three Bronze Stars for Valor. He did earn one. He had not been awarded Purple Hearts. He did have one.
That is the most troubling thing of all is that according to the documents, Horne had nothing to be ashamed of. So why wasn’t his real service good enough? What did he hope to gain by all of this?
When we read about Stolen Valor cases, it is hard to figure out why they do it as much as it is hard to understand why they were able to pull it off. It isn’t as if Horne was staying in the shadows and just whispering into ears about his “accomplishments.” He was telling reporters what he wanted them to hear and they just repeated the claims without checking.
No one checked on what they were being told until a little over a month ago. The fabrication had gone on for years and people believed him including school-aged children touring the museum.
You can see all the documents and links investigators found here.
Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
March 25 2014
There are so many things that happen right under our noses and we never see it. We never seem to question when someone reports something because we all want to assume the news is truthful. After all, if we cannot trust what you read, then what can we trust?
Eustace Horne was a local legend. It was said many times he was “one of the highest decorated veterans in Florida.” I assumed what I heard was true because the people telling me about Horne were all veterans.
Within a couple of hours searching news reports, it was clear no one checked the claims made by Horne over the years.
The first report I found was reported November 13, 2013. News 13 did a feature on Horne called Everyday Hero. In the article, he became Retired Major Eustace Horne.
It was reported he served three tours of duty in Vietnam. He was awarded the Silver Star, three Bronze Stars with Valor, Purple Hearts and more. “But while the museum is a place filled with stories, his is not one the former Green Beret wished to share.” When asked to talk about his service "It's something that's personal for me, and I don't want to talk about it. It's just between me and my God," said Horne.
The next report I found was from MyFOX Orlando reported on May 27, 2013.
"It's a day we have to recognize -- all the men and women who lost their lives, not just in Vietnam, but in every war," said Eustace Horne, who once served as a captain in the U.S. Army.On November 8, 2012 the Seminole Chronicle reported Horne had done “multiple tours of duty in Vietnam as a Green Beret.”
In a year, Horne went from Green Beret, to Captain, to Retired Major.
The truth is Horne was a Staff Sgt and did a tour in Vietnam where shrapnel wounded him and he earned a Bronze Star for valor.
Valerie Boey of My FOX Orlando used "she" instead of "he" in her report.
They plan to meet with the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority later this week. Right now, Horne isn't sure how much it will cost to relocate, but she said all the money would come from private donations. She said it is important to the museum's mission, to give young people the truth about war.
The truth about the war? Didn’t anyone think to check the validity of the claims?
At the time he was “Horne, a Vietnam veteran who left the United States after returning from Vietnam because he felt ashamed.” He didn’t leave the United States for Germany because he was ashamed. He served in Germany according to his service records.
There is another issue regarding visitors to the museum. Seminole Chronicle in November of 2012, "Horne estimated that 3,000 people visited the museum last year, and the number keeps growing." to 15,000 when interviewed by My Fox Orlando in May of 2013 to 16,000 when interviewed by Bay News 9 in November of 2013.
Didn’t anyone think to check the validity of those claims?
In 1989 Horne was interviewed as President of Vietnam Veterans of Central Florida by Mike Oliver of the Orlando Sentinel. Horne said the group was trying to raise $6.5 million to build a “research center” and they were looking for land and seriously considering 40 acres near the East-West Expressway.
"I wanted something permanent," Horne said. "We want to do something that will last forever. We want a place where serious academic research can be done into the total effects of the war."Oliver interviewed Horne again in a follow-up article announcing that an anonymous donor had given the $2 million and Horne said “if everything goes as planned we can break ground in one year.” Horne wouldn’t say where the property was but it should only take 8 months.
"All we want is the truth to be known, because through truth there's knowledge and through knowledge there's no way that another Vietnam will happen again."
The Vietnam Veterans of Central Florida received the money from a private individual who wishes to remain anonymous, said Horne, who is spearheading the project.
In 1985 there was a street party and $6,000 was raised for Vietnam Veterans of Central Florida center. It was not until 1996 Orange County granted a 25-year lease for the property on Tanner Road to be used for the museum because it was “surplus” property. “In all, the veterans invested $80,000 in materials to remodel the building.”
My FOX Orlando report that “Vietnam Veterans hope to relocate the museum” when Horne claimed to have been a “Captain” and trying to move the museum to the B-52 Park in Orlando near Orlando International Airport in 2013.
There is no building there. There is the B-52, a park, an observation deck directly across from the B-52 and nothing else.
On February 4, 2014 there was a celebration for Vietnamese New Year and in an interview by Caitlin Couillard for Central Florida Future this came out.
"Another booth at the festival hoped to spread the word of the relocation and expansion of the National Vietnam War Museum, which is located on Tanner Road as of now.A day after, John W. Martin was recorded by Florida Division of Corporations as President Vietnam and All Veterans of Central Florida.
Christine Doan, president and founder of Joint Ventures, said she is trying to spread the word about the new museum that should be breaking ground this year.
She said this museum is going to be much larger with interactive activities and simulations for younger children to enjoy. She also hopes people understand that the museum is about recognizing both Vietnamese veterans and American veterans who fought in the war."
2014 is the first year that both organizations had a different President. From 1999 until 2013 the same person held the office of President for The Cpl. Larry E. Smedley National War Museum and Vietnam and All Veterans of Central Florida organizations simultaneously.
As more and more information was discovered, it seemed this story would never end. The Green Berets were contacted along with other investigators. Soon it was discovered that Eustace Horne Jr. had not been a Major, or a Captain or a Green Beret. He was not awarded the Silver Star. He was not awarded three Bronze Stars for Valor. He did earn one. He had not been awarded Purple Hearts. He did have one.
That is the most troubling thing of all is that according to the documents, Horne had nothing to be ashamed of. So why wasn’t his real service good enough? What did he hope to gain by all of this?
When we read about Stolen Valor cases, it is hard to figure out why they do it as much as it is hard to understand why they were able to pull it off. It isn’t as if Horne was staying in the shadows and just whispering into ears about his “accomplishments.” He was telling reporters what he wanted them to hear and they just repeated the claims without checking.
No one checked on what they were being told until a little over a month ago. The fabrication had gone on for years and people believed him including school-aged children touring the museum.
You can see all the documents and links investigators found here.
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Combat veterans share their best shots for charity
At a gun range, combat veterans share their best shots for charity
Charity donors get to try heavy firepower and hear tales from elite combat veterans at Shooters World in Tampa, Fla.
By Ken Dilanian
December 28, 2013
Haley Koko shouldered an AK-47 and aimed uncertainly at the human silhouette on a paper target 25 yards away.
Standing next to her, Lt. Col. Chris Robishaw, an active-duty Green Beret, leaned in to offer a word of advice about handling the Russian-designed assault rifle, raising his voice to be heard over the rapid explosions of heavy weaponry in the shooting gallery. Brass shell casings littered the floor, and an acrid whiff of gun smoke sneaked past the air filtration system.
Koko, a 21-year-old bartender, fired off a few rounds — blam! blam! — and then swung around to look at her group with a broad smile.
"That big gun was absolutely insane," she said later.
Here at Shooters World, a Tampa-based temple of American gun culture, Koko and about 50 people took turns on a recent Saturday firing pistols, military assault weapons, an Uzi machine gun and a .50-caliber sniper rifle.
It was a charity event called Shooting With SOF, which stands for special operations forces. Organizers say they have raised $75,000 for military and veterans causes by allowing car dealers, insurance brokers, makeup artists and other ordinary folks to live out fantasies firing some of the world's deadliest guns while being tutored by 20 current and former commandos — seasoned, seen-it-all veterans of Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia and places they can't talk about.
read more here
Charity donors get to try heavy firepower and hear tales from elite combat veterans at Shooters World in Tampa, Fla.
By Ken Dilanian
December 28, 2013
Scott Neil, left, and Tyler Garner, both special forces combat veterans, share their knowledge with donors at Shooters World in Tampa, Fla. Participants also get to fire powerful weapons. Proceeds go to organizations that help veterans.
(Ken Dilanian / Los Angeles Times / November 17, 2013)
Haley Koko shouldered an AK-47 and aimed uncertainly at the human silhouette on a paper target 25 yards away.
Standing next to her, Lt. Col. Chris Robishaw, an active-duty Green Beret, leaned in to offer a word of advice about handling the Russian-designed assault rifle, raising his voice to be heard over the rapid explosions of heavy weaponry in the shooting gallery. Brass shell casings littered the floor, and an acrid whiff of gun smoke sneaked past the air filtration system.
Koko, a 21-year-old bartender, fired off a few rounds — blam! blam! — and then swung around to look at her group with a broad smile.
"That big gun was absolutely insane," she said later.
Here at Shooters World, a Tampa-based temple of American gun culture, Koko and about 50 people took turns on a recent Saturday firing pistols, military assault weapons, an Uzi machine gun and a .50-caliber sniper rifle.
It was a charity event called Shooting With SOF, which stands for special operations forces. Organizers say they have raised $75,000 for military and veterans causes by allowing car dealers, insurance brokers, makeup artists and other ordinary folks to live out fantasies firing some of the world's deadliest guns while being tutored by 20 current and former commandos — seasoned, seen-it-all veterans of Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia and places they can't talk about.
read more here
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Family wants ‘definitive proof’ man in Vietnam isn’t Army sergeant
Family wants ‘definitive proof’ man in Vietnam isn’t Army sergeant
Stars and Stripes
Matthew M. Burke
Published: November 26, 2013
For years, a man living in Vietnam as Dang Tan Ngoc has been claiming that he is Army Sgt. 1st Class John Hartley Robertson, a Special Forces soldier who went missing in 1968 and was declared dead by the U.S. government.
Ngoc’s story was the subject of a controversial documentary, “Unclaimed,” which premiered in the U.S. in May as part of the annual GI Film Festival. The film professed to have found the Green Beret living in a remote Vietnamese village, spurring an impassioned backlash from veterans.
The U.S. government has condemned Ngoc as a fraud, but members of Robertson’s family aren’t so quick to dismiss the claims.
They want to know for sure.
The family wants to exhume the body of Robertson’s mother, Mildred Robertson, from a Birmingham, Ala., cemetery and perform a mitochondrial DNA test to see whether the man living in Vietnam is John Robertson.
“We need definitive proof,” said Robertson’s niece, Cyndi Hanna, who launched a fund-raising effort on behalf of her family to cover the costs of exhumation. “I believe it’s him. I believe it’s him enough to try and confirm it one way or another.”
read more here
Stars and Stripes
Matthew M. Burke
Published: November 26, 2013
For years, a man living in Vietnam as Dang Tan Ngoc has been claiming that he is Army Sgt. 1st Class John Hartley Robertson, a Special Forces soldier who went missing in 1968 and was declared dead by the U.S. government.
Ngoc’s story was the subject of a controversial documentary, “Unclaimed,” which premiered in the U.S. in May as part of the annual GI Film Festival. The film professed to have found the Green Beret living in a remote Vietnamese village, spurring an impassioned backlash from veterans.
The U.S. government has condemned Ngoc as a fraud, but members of Robertson’s family aren’t so quick to dismiss the claims.
They want to know for sure.
The family wants to exhume the body of Robertson’s mother, Mildred Robertson, from a Birmingham, Ala., cemetery and perform a mitochondrial DNA test to see whether the man living in Vietnam is John Robertson.
“We need definitive proof,” said Robertson’s niece, Cyndi Hanna, who launched a fund-raising effort on behalf of her family to cover the costs of exhumation. “I believe it’s him. I believe it’s him enough to try and confirm it one way or another.”
read more here
Green Beret Command Sgt. Major arrested for elder assault
Would anyone like to explain again how the "training" the military has been doing to help soldiers is working?
There was also this out of Fort Carson
Allegation: Fort Carson Green Beret beat up mother-in-law in wheelchair
The Gazette
By Lance Benzel
Published: November 26, 2013
A top-ranking soldier in Fort Carson's secretive Green Berets was jailed Saturday on allegations of physically assaulting his elderly mother-in-law.
Jerry Lentz Lambert, 52, was booked into Teller County jail on suspicion of a crime against an at-risk person, third-degree assault and child abuse after authorities say he forced a plate of food into the 82-year-old woman's face and rammed her wheelchair into a table.
The woman's injuries did not require her to be hospitalized, family members said. Lambert was released Monday afternoon after posting $1,000 bail.
Police decided to pursue a child abuse charge because children were home and witnessed the alleged attack in the 1500 block of Crestview Way, said Woodland Park police Sgt. Thomas Kinney.
The 10th Special Forces Group - or Green Berets - confirmed Monday that Lambert works in the unit as a command sergeant major, the highest rank available to enlisted soldiers.
read more here
There was also this out of Fort Carson
Fort Carson soldier suspected in attempted kidnapping
November 24, 2013
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. — A 28-year-old Fort Carson soldier was arrested after police say he crawled into the back seat of a woman’s car in downtown Colorado Springs and threatened to hurt her unless she drove away.
The Gazette reports Staff Sgt. Matthew Warren was arrested early Saturday and is being held on suspicion of attempted second-degree kidnapping.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Wyoming veterans help escort traveling memorial
Wyoming veterans help escort traveling memorial
Ravalli Republic
By CHILTON TIPPIN
June 29, 2013
LARAMIE, Wyo. – Carl Meloche still remembers his worst homecoming.
“I came back from Vietnam in December of ’68,” the Army Special Forces veteran said. “A bunch of us came in and got on the bus at Oakland. We drove through the gate, and there were a bunch of protesters out there, long-haired hippie people, peace signs and all of that.”
He said protesters, chanting and picketing, circled the bus and blocked its passage.
“The bus driver said, ‘We’re going to have to get the MP to clear the road,’” Meloche said.
The Green Berets on the bus had a better idea.
“We unloaded the bus,” Meloche said. “We walked in front and formed a V in front of the bus. And we moved those people, not physically, but mentally. They decided they didn’t want anything to do with the Green Beret, with the veterans who’d just come back from killing hostile enemies over there.”
Earlier this month, Meloche rode as the point man in the motorcade escorting the American Veterans Travelling Tribute into Cheyenne.
The memorial is a wall bearing the names of tens of thousands of veterans who’ve died fighting in every American war since World War II, and it includes every name of the more than 58,000 service members killed during the Vietnam War.
Meloche and fellow Vietnam veteran, Daniel R. Santistevan – both Laramie residents – said riding in the escort’s vanguard brought back memories of the war, faces of fallen friends and the latent fear, frustration and anguish associated with combat.
And both soldiers agreed: The ride was the greatest honor of their lives.
read more here
Ravalli Republic
By CHILTON TIPPIN
June 29, 2013
LARAMIE, Wyo. – Carl Meloche still remembers his worst homecoming.
“I came back from Vietnam in December of ’68,” the Army Special Forces veteran said. “A bunch of us came in and got on the bus at Oakland. We drove through the gate, and there were a bunch of protesters out there, long-haired hippie people, peace signs and all of that.”
He said protesters, chanting and picketing, circled the bus and blocked its passage.
“The bus driver said, ‘We’re going to have to get the MP to clear the road,’” Meloche said.
The Green Berets on the bus had a better idea.
“We unloaded the bus,” Meloche said. “We walked in front and formed a V in front of the bus. And we moved those people, not physically, but mentally. They decided they didn’t want anything to do with the Green Beret, with the veterans who’d just come back from killing hostile enemies over there.”
Earlier this month, Meloche rode as the point man in the motorcade escorting the American Veterans Travelling Tribute into Cheyenne.
The memorial is a wall bearing the names of tens of thousands of veterans who’ve died fighting in every American war since World War II, and it includes every name of the more than 58,000 service members killed during the Vietnam War.
Meloche and fellow Vietnam veteran, Daniel R. Santistevan – both Laramie residents – said riding in the escort’s vanguard brought back memories of the war, faces of fallen friends and the latent fear, frustration and anguish associated with combat.
And both soldiers agreed: The ride was the greatest honor of their lives.
read more here
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Green Beret shot and killed by 4 year old son
Justin Stanfield Thomas Shot, Killed Accidentally By 4-Year-Old Son In Arizona
06/08/13
PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. -- Authorities in northern Arizona say a 4-year-old boy has accidentally shot and killed his father at a Prescott Valley home.
Prescott Valley police say the shooting occurred just after noon Friday.
The 35-year-old man and his young son were visiting from Phoenix and were at a friend's house. read more here
06/08/13
PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. -- Authorities in northern Arizona say a 4-year-old boy has accidentally shot and killed his father at a Prescott Valley home.
Prescott Valley police say the shooting occurred just after noon Friday.
The 35-year-old man and his young son were visiting from Phoenix and were at a friend's house. read more here
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Vietnam 'veteran found alive in jungle after 44 years' is exposed as a FAKE
FRAUD! US Vietnam 'veteran found alive in jungle after 44 years' is exposed as a FAKE
By JAMES NYE
1 May 2013
The astonishing claims of a 76-year-old man found living in Vietnam who says he is a U.S. war veteran presumed dead 44-years ago have been exposed as a hoax.
The story of Sgt. John Hartley Robertson as told by a new documentary 'Unclaimed' gripped the world on Tuesday - raising the astounding possibility that an American POW escaped from his Vietnamese captors and began a family in secret with a local woman - while his wife and two children grieved back home.
However, it can be revealed that the man is not Sgt. Robertson, rather he is a conman who has attempted to suck in members of the Vietnam MIA/POW community and that the CIA performed a secret DNA test on him 20-years ago that confirmed his lies.
read more here
Unclaimed one man's search for missing
The man claiming to be a U.S. Vietnam veteran missing for 44-years has been revealed as a fakeDaily Mail
Sgt. Robertson crash landed over Laos in 1968 during a special ops mission
Official U.S. Government documents show that the Vietnamese man named Dang Tan Ngoc has been trying to impersonate him for years
Former special forces soldiers have also come forward to pour scorn on his claims to be the former Green Beret
A new documentary claimed to have found him - aged 76 - still living in Vietnam with a wife and children
This would have meant the man who claimed to be Sgt. John Hartley Robertson never contacted his American wife and two children who have believed him dead for 44 years
Despite these new revelations his sister, who is filmed being reunited with him in the documentary, said she knows it is him
By JAMES NYE
1 May 2013
The astonishing claims of a 76-year-old man found living in Vietnam who says he is a U.S. war veteran presumed dead 44-years ago have been exposed as a hoax.
The story of Sgt. John Hartley Robertson as told by a new documentary 'Unclaimed' gripped the world on Tuesday - raising the astounding possibility that an American POW escaped from his Vietnamese captors and began a family in secret with a local woman - while his wife and two children grieved back home.
However, it can be revealed that the man is not Sgt. Robertson, rather he is a conman who has attempted to suck in members of the Vietnam MIA/POW community and that the CIA performed a secret DNA test on him 20-years ago that confirmed his lies.
read more here
Unclaimed one man's search for missing
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Family members charged with murder of Maj. Chester Garrett
Mother, Son Held in 1977 Fort Bliss Slaying
Apr 02, 2013
El Paso Times, Texas
by Adriana M. Chavez
EL PASO, Texas -- The wife and stepson of a decorated Army officer killed in 1977 have been formally charged with causing his death.
Court records show a state district court grand jury indicted Roger Evan Garrett, 54, and his mother, Lisbeth Ann Garrett, 74, on murder charges in the Jan. 3, 1977, slaying of Maj. Chester Garrett, whose body was found in a desert area in East El Paso County.
Last month, Roger Garrett was extradited from Knoxville, Tenn., where he had been living, to El Paso. Both Roger and Lisbeth Garrett remain in the El Paso County Jail on bonds of $1 million each. The bond amounts were reduced from $5 million during a recent bond hearing.
Cheri Ellington, Chester Garrett's oldest sister, expressed joy after hearing the news of the indictments. However, she said she was also disappointed that the bond amounts for Roger and Lisbeth Garrett were reduced because she fears Roger Garrett will try to skip his court appearances.
read more here
Apr 02, 2013
El Paso Times, Texas
by Adriana M. Chavez
EL PASO, Texas -- The wife and stepson of a decorated Army officer killed in 1977 have been formally charged with causing his death.
An autopsy found that Chester Garrett, an Army Special Forces officer and a Green Beret, had a fractured skull, severe brain contusions and numerous stab wounds. He may have been already dead or unconscious when stabbed.
Court records show a state district court grand jury indicted Roger Evan Garrett, 54, and his mother, Lisbeth Ann Garrett, 74, on murder charges in the Jan. 3, 1977, slaying of Maj. Chester Garrett, whose body was found in a desert area in East El Paso County.
Last month, Roger Garrett was extradited from Knoxville, Tenn., where he had been living, to El Paso. Both Roger and Lisbeth Garrett remain in the El Paso County Jail on bonds of $1 million each. The bond amounts were reduced from $5 million during a recent bond hearing.
Cheri Ellington, Chester Garrett's oldest sister, expressed joy after hearing the news of the indictments. However, she said she was also disappointed that the bond amounts for Roger and Lisbeth Garrett were reduced because she fears Roger Garrett will try to skip his court appearances.
read more here
Monday, March 18, 2013
Tampa Tribune gets VA to honor claim of disabled Green Beret
Veterans wage years-long fight with VA for benefits
By HOWARD ALTMAN
The Tampa Tribune
Published: March 17, 2013
TAMPA
As a Green Beret, Scott Neil was one of the first U.S. troops in Afghanistan after 9/11. For years, he fought insurgents there and in Iraq, suffering injuries to his brain and spine along the way.
In July 2010, his service to the nation was ending, but a new battle began.
This one was with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Almost 1,000 days ago, he began the process with the VA to receive benefits for his traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic neck and back pain and hearing loss. It was part of a joint review with the Army, which was trying to determine if Neil was still fit to serve.
The St. Petersburg Veterans Affairs Regional Office picked up the case more than a year ago, in January 2012, but it took until last week, after a phone call from the Tribune, to get a disability compensation rating, a formula that determines the amount of benefits a veteran can receive.
Neil is not the only veteran who's had to wait months or even years for a ruling by the St. Petersburg regional office, the nation's busiest compensation processing division. More than 50,000 claims are pending there, with nearly 35,000 outstanding for more than 125 days, which is considered by the VA to be backlogged.
Neil said he was happy after learning from the Tribune that he was awarded service-connected compensation at a combined rate of 90 percent. He's frustrated, though, that it took, by his count, almost 1,000 days.
"That is almost the same amount of time I had in combat," he said.
read more here
More on VA Claims
By HOWARD ALTMAN
The Tampa Tribune
Published: March 17, 2013
TAMPA
As a Green Beret, Scott Neil was one of the first U.S. troops in Afghanistan after 9/11. For years, he fought insurgents there and in Iraq, suffering injuries to his brain and spine along the way.
In July 2010, his service to the nation was ending, but a new battle began.
This one was with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Almost 1,000 days ago, he began the process with the VA to receive benefits for his traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic neck and back pain and hearing loss. It was part of a joint review with the Army, which was trying to determine if Neil was still fit to serve.
The St. Petersburg Veterans Affairs Regional Office picked up the case more than a year ago, in January 2012, but it took until last week, after a phone call from the Tribune, to get a disability compensation rating, a formula that determines the amount of benefits a veteran can receive.
Neil is not the only veteran who's had to wait months or even years for a ruling by the St. Petersburg regional office, the nation's busiest compensation processing division. More than 50,000 claims are pending there, with nearly 35,000 outstanding for more than 125 days, which is considered by the VA to be backlogged.
Neil said he was happy after learning from the Tribune that he was awarded service-connected compensation at a combined rate of 90 percent. He's frustrated, though, that it took, by his count, almost 1,000 days.
"That is almost the same amount of time I had in combat," he said.
read more here
More on VA Claims
Monday, February 18, 2013
Tampa disabled veterans take on Kilimanjaro to help others
Disabled veterans climb Kilimanjaro to assist research
By Howard Altman
Tampa Tribune
Published: February 18, 2013
TAMPA -- Army Sgt. 1st Class Mike Rodriguez struggled, losing his balance and falling every so often as he worked his way up Africa's highest peak.
But the higher he went up Tanzania's Mount Kilimanjaro, something unexpected happened.
The effects of his traumatic brain injury -- the result of more than 20 years of combat and training as a Green Beret -- seemed to diminish. The often debilitating migraine headaches he suffers at sea level ceased.
"I have a theory that it may be because I was concentrating so hard on breathing to get up the mountain," Rodriguez said.
It is a theory that will be tested 8,000 miles away from Tanzania at the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital, by Stephen Scott, the chief of the hospital's spinal cord injury center.
The eight-day trek up and down the 19,340-foot summit of Kilimanjaro, aided by the Alaska Mountaineering School, was no tourist trip.
Rodriguez, 38, was taking part in a research mission run by the Combat Wounded Veteran Challenge, a nonprofit organization created by Dave Olson, a retired Navy captain from Palm Harbor.
Rodriguez was on a team of men -- some missing limbs, some suffering from post traumatic stress disorder -- helping researchers on the climb learn more about the effects of altitude and stress on their maladies and prosthetics.
And to prove that losing a limb doesn't mean losing the ability to serve.
read more here
Army SFC Michael Rodriguez talks about the TBI research
Army SSG Tommy Costello prepares to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro
By Howard Altman
Tampa Tribune
Published: February 18, 2013
TAMPA -- Army Sgt. 1st Class Mike Rodriguez struggled, losing his balance and falling every so often as he worked his way up Africa's highest peak.
But the higher he went up Tanzania's Mount Kilimanjaro, something unexpected happened.
The effects of his traumatic brain injury -- the result of more than 20 years of combat and training as a Green Beret -- seemed to diminish. The often debilitating migraine headaches he suffers at sea level ceased.
"I have a theory that it may be because I was concentrating so hard on breathing to get up the mountain," Rodriguez said.
It is a theory that will be tested 8,000 miles away from Tanzania at the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital, by Stephen Scott, the chief of the hospital's spinal cord injury center.
The eight-day trek up and down the 19,340-foot summit of Kilimanjaro, aided by the Alaska Mountaineering School, was no tourist trip.
Rodriguez, 38, was taking part in a research mission run by the Combat Wounded Veteran Challenge, a nonprofit organization created by Dave Olson, a retired Navy captain from Palm Harbor.
Rodriguez was on a team of men -- some missing limbs, some suffering from post traumatic stress disorder -- helping researchers on the climb learn more about the effects of altitude and stress on their maladies and prosthetics.
And to prove that losing a limb doesn't mean losing the ability to serve.
read more here
Army SFC Michael Rodriguez talks about the TBI research
Army SSG Tommy Costello prepares to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Green Beret in the classroom
Green Beret in the classroom
By Bayne Hughes
The Decatur Daily, Ala.
Published: February 15, 2013
ATHENS, Ala. - Col. Eli Ballard believes he found the perfect retirement transition from life as a tough guy in the U.S. Army special forces.
The 56-year-old became the lead instructor for the Athens High School JROTC, giving himself a chance to provide the same inspiration he received as a teenager.
Ballard has gone from serving in the Green Beret and Rangers Airborne to high school teacher. He ended his Army career as brigade commander at Redstone Arsenal.
"I'm still working with young people who are trying to discover their place in life," Ballard said.
read more here
By Bayne Hughes
The Decatur Daily, Ala.
Published: February 15, 2013
ATHENS, Ala. - Col. Eli Ballard believes he found the perfect retirement transition from life as a tough guy in the U.S. Army special forces.
The 56-year-old became the lead instructor for the Athens High School JROTC, giving himself a chance to provide the same inspiration he received as a teenager.
Ballard has gone from serving in the Green Beret and Rangers Airborne to high school teacher. He ended his Army career as brigade commander at Redstone Arsenal.
"I'm still working with young people who are trying to discover their place in life," Ballard said.
read more here
Friday, February 8, 2013
Maj. Chester Garrett's widow and stepson charged with his murder
Soldier's widow, stepson charged in '77 slaying
February 7, 2013
EL PASO, Texas (AP) — West Texas investigators say they've solved the 35-year-old slaying of an Army Green Beret with the arrest of his widow and stepson on murder charges in the death.
An El Paso County Sheriff's Office statement Thursday says 74-year-old Lisbeth Garrett was arrested in El Paso and charged in the 1977 death of her estranged husband, Army Maj. Chester Garrett. His stepson, 54-year-old Roger Evan Garrett, was arrested in Knoxville, Tenn. Both have $5 million bonds.
read more here
February 7, 2013
EL PASO, Texas (AP) — West Texas investigators say they've solved the 35-year-old slaying of an Army Green Beret with the arrest of his widow and stepson on murder charges in the death.
An El Paso County Sheriff's Office statement Thursday says 74-year-old Lisbeth Garrett was arrested in El Paso and charged in the 1977 death of her estranged husband, Army Maj. Chester Garrett. His stepson, 54-year-old Roger Evan Garrett, was arrested in Knoxville, Tenn. Both have $5 million bonds.
read more here
Monday, February 4, 2013
Green Beret faker wore black beret
Green Beret faker wore black beret
Army Times
By Joe Gould
Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Sep 12, 2010
To Sgt. Louis Brandwein, something about the “ridiculously obese” man in ACUs at the gun show looked off.
He wore a nonregulation MOLLE belt, Special Forces qualification tabs on both shoulders and a rare Combat Infantryman Badge with two stars.
“Everything was just wrong. As soon as I looked at him, I was like, ‘What the hell,’ ” said Brandwein, a 25-year-old infantryman at Fort Richardson, Alaska.
The man Brandwein saw posing as a Green Beret in Anchorage, and confronted, was con man and serial faker William James Clark. Clark did federal prison time for posing as an Army captain at a 2002 bridge disaster.
Weeks later, Clark was arrested on Aug. 27 at a hotel in Deadhorse, about 500 miles north of Anchorage. He was charged with carrying a firearm while a convicted felon.
Although the federal Stolen Valor Act was ruled an unconstitutional violation of free-speech rights in July, the issue of military fakers remains provocative. Since Brandwein told the story last month on the gun owners website Georgia Packing, it has received more than 800 replies, many full of anger at Clark.
read more here
Army Times
By Joe Gould
Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Sep 12, 2010
To Sgt. Louis Brandwein, something about the “ridiculously obese” man in ACUs at the gun show looked off.
He wore a nonregulation MOLLE belt, Special Forces qualification tabs on both shoulders and a rare Combat Infantryman Badge with two stars.
“Everything was just wrong. As soon as I looked at him, I was like, ‘What the hell,’ ” said Brandwein, a 25-year-old infantryman at Fort Richardson, Alaska.
The man Brandwein saw posing as a Green Beret in Anchorage, and confronted, was con man and serial faker William James Clark. Clark did federal prison time for posing as an Army captain at a 2002 bridge disaster.
Weeks later, Clark was arrested on Aug. 27 at a hotel in Deadhorse, about 500 miles north of Anchorage. He was charged with carrying a firearm while a convicted felon.
Although the federal Stolen Valor Act was ruled an unconstitutional violation of free-speech rights in July, the issue of military fakers remains provocative. Since Brandwein told the story last month on the gun owners website Georgia Packing, it has received more than 800 replies, many full of anger at Clark.
read more here
Monday, January 14, 2013
Orlando Rocks for SFC Josh Burnette
Saturday was the fundraiser tribute to SFC Josh Burnette, a combat wounded Green Beret. Semper Fidelis and the VFW joined forces to help Josh with his healing after losing both legs in service to our country.
This is a highlight video. If you want a full DVD copy of it, email me woundedtimes@ao.com. Fabulous show!
Update.
While putting together the whole video I kept going back to this clip and each time I laughed harder. This is the last of the highlights. You'll just have to order the DVD if you want to see more.
This is a highlight video. If you want a full DVD copy of it, email me woundedtimes@ao.com. Fabulous show!
Update.
While putting together the whole video I kept going back to this clip and each time I laughed harder. This is the last of the highlights. You'll just have to order the DVD if you want to see more.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Orlando bikers and patriots wanted to honor Green Beret Saturday
UPDATES I am not going to be on the pickup truck but will film them on the road.I am going to be on the back of a pickup truck filming the escort to the VFW, so let's make Orlando look good on this! Last year I filmed over 40 events for veterans groups in Central Florida FOR FREE so that someone would be covering how much this area cares about our veterans and how great our veterans are. Well, here's one more of our veterans needing support but above financial support, needs emotional support of the only group in this country knowing what kind of price our veterans paid for what we enjoy.
Here's some sites that reported on this event for Josh.
Benefit for double amputee soldier to help with home repairs
Orlando Nam Knights
When Josh was contacted about this event from Mary he was shocked that someone cared this much about him. His friends told Mary that his emotions changed just by knowing someone thought about him. Imagine that! He gave so much, did so much for this country, yet he felt no one really cared.
So how about it Orlando bikers. Want to give some time on Saturday to lift this Green Beret amputee a bit higher? Call and volunteer to give up some of your day on Saturday the same way you show up to do a poker run. Let's show the rest of this country how Orlando doesn't do anything small when it comes to our veterans!
Oh, by the way, I'm filming the event too!
NOW IS THE TIME FOR ALL GOOD VOLUNTEERS TO COME TO THE AID OF THEIR VFW!
The Honor Guard is in need of more members.
Please contact Clarence Wood to join
ORLANDO “ROCKS” IT FOR
SFC JOSH BURNETTE, US ARMY, GREEN BERET
The VFW Post 4287 and Semper Fidelis America would like to invite you to attend a 3 hour Gala Extravaganza Show being held on behalf of “Our Brother” SFC Josh Burnette. On June 27, 2012, at 0835, SFC Burnette’s life changed forever...He lives...but his life has changed...FOREVER! Before SFC Burnette shipped to Afghanistan, he had plans for his home upon his return. Not expecting to return the way he did, made it all the more important. You see folks, SFC Burnette no longer has his legs! He is a double amputee due to IEDs. He lost part of his left hand as well.
The problem is wheelchairs and sand DO NOT MIX and that is what SFC’s driveway is made of. He has other necessary repairs (which are not considered medically necessary) so it is up to him to repair. Join us Saturday, January 12, 2013 as we honor him in a 3 hour show to help him raise the funds to make these much needed repairs. LADIES: Some of SFC Burnette buddies will be on hand (in uniform) to escort you to your seat! Can you feel it folks? Tickets will be sold on a first come, first served basis. Limited seating available so PLEASE get your tickets early. Contact the VFW Post 4287 for further details. IT IS EXPECTED TO SELL OUT!
Place: VFW A.E.M. Post 4287, 3500 S. Goldenrod Road, Orlando, 32822, 407-273-6581
Day and Date: Saturday, January 12, 2013
Doors Open at 1330 hours, National Anthem sung at 1415 hours
Price: $25 each for the first 150 seats; $20 each for seats 151 through 275
Orders will also be taken for copies of a DVD of the show as a keepsake
Or contact Mary at “letsneverforgetthem@yahoo.com” for ticket information
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Combat stress on Special Ops "worse" then they thought
Spec ops troops’ stress ‘worse than we thought’
By Gregg Zoroya
USA TODAY
Posted : Thursday Dec 20, 2012
TAMPA — The nation’s most elite fighting forces — celebrated this year in film and best-selling books — are under more emotional strain after a decade of war than commanders realized, according to the senior non-commissioned officer for special operations.
A tragic part of that is record suicides this year, said Command Sgt. Maj. Chris Faris.
According to Pentagon data, there were 17 confirmed or suspected suicides this year among commandos or support personnel through Dec. 2, compared with nine suicides each of the past two years.
That’s a suicide rate among these troops of about 25 per 100,000, comparable to a record rate this year in the Army and higher than a demographically adjusted civilian suicide rate.
“What we’re struggling with is, OK, what the heck is going on?” Faris said.
“These guys have been under tremendous pressure,” said Kim Ruocco, who assists families of special operations troops who commit suicide. They “have given over and over again without complaining ... and then, when they do have issues, spend a lot of time hiding it.”
The problems arise as popular media showers attention on these troops, particularly the famed SEAL Team 6 whose killing of Osama bin Laden led to best-selling books and the film “Zero Dark Thirty.”
A report last month by U.S. Special Operations Command — which oversees 66,000 troops including the Army’s secretive Delta Force, Navy SEALs with SEAL Team 6, Army Green Berets and Rangers — cites “an increase in domestic and family relational and behavioral problems, substance abuse and self-medication problems, risk-taking behavior, post-traumatic stress and suicide.”
Faris said, “It’s worse than we thought.” But he added that despite signs of strain, this select category of troops remains capable of meeting any missions they are given.
Ruocco, a director at Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), said she has worked with the families of a Green Beret and a Navy SEAL who killed themselves this year.
read more here
By Gregg Zoroya
USA TODAY
Posted : Thursday Dec 20, 2012
TAMPA — The nation’s most elite fighting forces — celebrated this year in film and best-selling books — are under more emotional strain after a decade of war than commanders realized, according to the senior non-commissioned officer for special operations.
A tragic part of that is record suicides this year, said Command Sgt. Maj. Chris Faris.
According to Pentagon data, there were 17 confirmed or suspected suicides this year among commandos or support personnel through Dec. 2, compared with nine suicides each of the past two years.
That’s a suicide rate among these troops of about 25 per 100,000, comparable to a record rate this year in the Army and higher than a demographically adjusted civilian suicide rate.
“What we’re struggling with is, OK, what the heck is going on?” Faris said.
“These guys have been under tremendous pressure,” said Kim Ruocco, who assists families of special operations troops who commit suicide. They “have given over and over again without complaining ... and then, when they do have issues, spend a lot of time hiding it.”
The problems arise as popular media showers attention on these troops, particularly the famed SEAL Team 6 whose killing of Osama bin Laden led to best-selling books and the film “Zero Dark Thirty.”
A report last month by U.S. Special Operations Command — which oversees 66,000 troops including the Army’s secretive Delta Force, Navy SEALs with SEAL Team 6, Army Green Berets and Rangers — cites “an increase in domestic and family relational and behavioral problems, substance abuse and self-medication problems, risk-taking behavior, post-traumatic stress and suicide.”
Faris said, “It’s worse than we thought.” But he added that despite signs of strain, this select category of troops remains capable of meeting any missions they are given.
Ruocco, a director at Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), said she has worked with the families of a Green Beret and a Navy SEAL who killed themselves this year.
read more here
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Decorated Vietnam Veteran running for Senate
Can Democrat Richard Carmona win the Arizona Senate race?
Posted by Sean Sullivan
October 8, 2012
It’s been almost 18 years since there was a Democrat in the Senate from Arizona. Hoping to reverse the trend in November, Richard Carmona (D) has moved himself into a close competition against Rep. Jeff Flake (R) with about four weeks left until Election Day. But he faces glaring challenges: the Republican tilt of the state, and the consistency of the GOP advantage there in recent years.
On paper, it would be tough to find a better recruit for Arizona than Carmona. He’s a decorated Vietnam War veteran who has also worked in law enforcement and public health. He served as surgeon general under George W. Bush, and was recruited by President Obama to join the Arizona race, lending credence to the claim that he isn’t beholden to one party all the time. And he is Hispanic, in a state with a sizable – and growing – Latino population.
read more here
Posted by Sean Sullivan
October 8, 2012
It’s been almost 18 years since there was a Democrat in the Senate from Arizona. Hoping to reverse the trend in November, Richard Carmona (D) has moved himself into a close competition against Rep. Jeff Flake (R) with about four weeks left until Election Day. But he faces glaring challenges: the Republican tilt of the state, and the consistency of the GOP advantage there in recent years.
On paper, it would be tough to find a better recruit for Arizona than Carmona. He’s a decorated Vietnam War veteran who has also worked in law enforcement and public health. He served as surgeon general under George W. Bush, and was recruited by President Obama to join the Arizona race, lending credence to the claim that he isn’t beholden to one party all the time. And he is Hispanic, in a state with a sizable – and growing – Latino population.
read more here
Friday, March 9, 2012
Fort Bragg Green Beret to be buried with daughters at Arlington
N.C. girls to be buried at Arlington with dad
The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Mar 8, 2012
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — The two young daughters of a decorated Green Beret who died trying to rescue them from a burning house near Fort Bragg will be laid to rest with their father at Arlington National Cemetery.
read more here
Fort Bragg Green Beret dies trying to save kids from fire
The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Mar 8, 2012
U.S. ARMY SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND VIA APChief Warrant Officer Edward Cantrell died March 6 along with his daughters, 6-year-old Isabella and 4-year-old Natalia. He and his daughters will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — The two young daughters of a decorated Green Beret who died trying to rescue them from a burning house near Fort Bragg will be laid to rest with their father at Arlington National Cemetery.
read more here
Fort Bragg Green Beret dies trying to save kids from fire
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)