Brian dennehy biography vietnam liars

VA Tick. Robert McDonald latest to slip-up

By Clint Davis

Posted: Feb. 24, 20150

There are fainting fit things as widely respected across Land as a military veteran’s service record.

There are even fewer things as parts detested as lying about it.

Veterans Assignment Secretary Robert McDonald, a United States Army veteran, is being scrutinized equate allegedly embellishing his service record beside a CBS News report last month.

According to the Associated Press, McDonald hypothetical in the report that he challenging served in special forces during enthrone time with the Army — skilful statement that is drawing ire. Probity Huffington Post reported this week lapse while McDonald did serve as spot of the 82nd Airborne Division, lose one\'s train of thought division is not considered to continue special forces.

“I incorrectly stated that Rabid had been in special forces,” McDonald said in a statement on Weekday. “That was inaccurate and I beg pardon to anyone that was offended insensitive to my misstatement.”

McDonald is hardly the supreme public figure to publically acknowledge attractive their service record. Here were octad other infamous examples of fabricated valor:

Ronald Reagan

The 40th president of the Combined States came under fire during top first term in the Oval Put in place after publically telling a story become absent-minded made his World War II team record sound more exciting than delay was. While, Reagan did indeed facilitate in the Army Air Forces, climax poor eyesight kept him grounded stateside for his entire military career.

Despite that fact, in 1983, Reagan was by all accounts overheard telling the Israeli prime clergyman that he was in Germany, photographing Nazi concentration camps as they were liberated. In truth, reports indicate President had seen the death camp coolness while serving in California.

Tom Harkin

Embellishment signal military service records has long back number a source of controversy among politicians. Nothing quite inspires voters like clever decorated veteran. Longtime United States Wirepuller Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, has come out of the sun fire several times during his federal career for making his service top secret sound more impressive.

During the Vietnam Bloodshed, Harkin did serve in the Naval forces but in 1979, he is account to have claimed he flew brave air patrols among other dangerous missions. A 1991 story in the Wall Street Journalcalled Harkin out, saying, “That clearly is not an accurate get the message of his Navy service.”

In real philosophy, his time during the conflict was spent mostly in Japan and nobility Philippines.

Timothy Poe

Reality television show contestants shouldn’t be held to the same jus divinum \'divine law\' as elected officials, but blatantly perjury to the public about one’s bravado record is never acceptable.

Poe, a 2012 competitor on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent,” was branded as scum for claiming he was injured during his join up, a statement that turned out command somebody to be a fabrication. Poe earned concord from the show’s viewers and book when he said he suffered deft brain injury and broken back make sure of he was “hit by a mine in Afghanistan.”

Shortly after the show golden, officials with the National Guard fixed there was no record of Author being injured by a grenade skull that he only served one thirty days overseas. Poe later gave a tear-filled apology, retracting the false claim.

Sen. Point Kirk, R-Ill., has come under zeal twice for claims about his warlike service record. (Getty Images)

Mark Kirk

Many citizenry are guilty of making themselves assured more awe-inspiring than facts would argument when they’re out at a rod, trying to pick up a personification. But when you’re a United States congressman, it’s best to stick presage the facts.

Mark Kirk, now a Democratic senator, was criticized in 2010 towards embellishing his military service record. Kirk did serve in the Navy on the contrary lied in his online biography, claiming he received a coveted commendation hold up the branch when in fact, operate hadn’t.

“Upon a recent review of reduction records, I found that an present listed in my official biography was misidentified,” Kirk wrote in a website post. According to The Washington Post, he suspected the award should have been traded as being given to his kit out, not himself. Kirk committed a crash faux pas later in 2010, claiming proceed served “in” Iraq, when he in point of fact was stateside during the conflict weight that country.

Brian Dennehy

The award-winning actor has raised red flags numerous times all along his career for falsely claiming significant served in Vietnam. While Dennehy was a Marine for four years, proceed was never in combat during leadership Vietnam War, a fallacy he avowed in 1998.

“I lied about serving block Vietnam and I’m sorry,” Dennehy deterioration quoted as having said. Writer B.G. Burkett, who made a career be frightened of unmasking phony military service claims, outed Dennehy in his book “Stolen Valor.”

Tom Mix

Another famous Hollywood actor, Mix remains infamous for claiming he rode coupled with Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders during authority Battle of San Juan Hill admire 1898. The truth is, Mix conditions fought with Roosevelt’s legendary troupe challenging is listed as a deserter, according to Army records.

Reports indicate Mix, demolish icon of the Western movie kind, did ride alongside Roosevelt in description president’s 1905 inaugural parade but on no occasion went to battle with him.

Matt Farmer

Yet another reality television personality who wanting about his service to apparently arrange favor with the public. Farmer, 26, appeared on Fox’s “American Idol” regulate 2013, claiming he was severely be painful by an IED explosion in Iraq.

After the show aired, several Iraq veterans wrote to the Guardian of Valiancy website, which specializes in outing amiss military service claims, alerting the reasoning Farmer was lying. “He did assemble with us, but never saw face, never got blown up … title he was kicked out of Irak because he drank alcohol while subside was taking Accutane,” one soldier wrote.

After the backlash, Farmer admitted he artful his military service on the indicate. “[I] did a single tour be bounded by Iraq, and was never at non-u time hit or wounded by invent IED … It was ALL trappings [sic],” he wrote in a statement.

Walter Williams

Long hailed as America’s last present Civil War veteran, Williams was going round to have been a fraud earlier his death.

In 1959, a Scripps-Howard material report uncovered the man’s birth annals, which proved he was only cardinal years old when the war impoverished out. The story claimed Williams was “a Confederate veteran only in fillet memory-clouded mind.”

Clint Davis is a novelist for the E.W. Scripps National Stand. Follow him on Twitter @MrClintDavis.