Mudville Gazette

[Missileer]

I read articles on this site pretty often. This article is about Vietnam War veteran fakers and the problems that they caused the real veterans. I bought "Stolen Valor" and was surprised at how many people used lies and falsified records to pump up their egos and reputations by claiming to be something they're not. This is an informative and entertaining site with a world of information on it. Good read all around for all ages. Take care VN Vets, you may want to hurt someone over this.

http://www.mudvillegazette.com/archives/000421.html

"B.G. "Jug" Burkett received the Army's Distinguished Civilian Service Award on Monday from former President George H.W. Bush at the Bush Library in College Station.

"Burkett started his own research to find out who fought in Vietnam and to debunk some of the myths about Vietnam veterans. Through the work, he exposed more than 1,200 people, including politicians and entertainers, who lied about or exaggerated their claims of serving in the Vietnam War.

"I'm a little overwhelmed because none of what I've done exceeded just doing my duty," said Burkett, a financial adviser who served in Vietnam in the late 1960s.
Burkett said he's happy to receive the Army's award because it will help bring the right type of attention to his comrades.
"It brings the focus back to the message," he said. "And the message basically is that the people who served in Vietnam are the finest troops we ever produced."

More....

 

[Chief Bones]

Hear hear.

 

[tomtom22]

Will the real VietNam Vet ever be known?

I read the article in the website cited above. This is the part from his book that has really pissed me off all these years:

Still, the popular perception of Vietnam veterans as victims tortured by memories - drug-abusers, criminals, homeless bums or psychotic losers about to go berserk in a post office with an AK-47 - did not fit me or anybody I knew who had served in Vietnam, even those who had been horribly wounded or captured and tortured by the enemy. Certainly their lives were not always perfect, but their problems could not be attributed to their experiences in Vietnam. I brushed off the negative caricatures thinking, "That's not reality."
Only a few weeks into the fund-raising effort in 1986, the truth slapped me in the face: America accepted this pervasive stereotype, and it was constantly reinforced in a variety of subtle and not-so-subtle ways. For agreeing to serve their country in Vietnam, an entire generation of veterans had been tainted with the labels of victim, loser, and moral degenerate. The men who had served in the military only 20 years earlier during World War II had received honor and respect for their efforts. Why had Vietnam been so different?

The media continues to this day to portray the VietNam Vet as described above, which is a total :cens: lie.

 

[bulldogg]

Until I joined the Army and was under the wing of a Vietnam vet or too I had also laboured under the same impression of Vietnam Vets. I have not met one who was what I would consider a psychopath. I met quite a few who had hit the booze pretty hard but they never took it out on anyone other than their own liver. I do recall one "vet" I met in Indianapolis back about 1993 who was a new face in the VFW out the back of Fort Harrison where I would occasionally ride a stool. He spun story after story until by chance one day his tongue went a story too far. He went on about some place he had been "under fire in the Nam" and this one ol' boy who I had never heard ever say a word other than "Howdy" and grunting for a round from the bartender turned in his stool and in one move came across and hit this other fella square in the jaw, knocked him off his seat to the ground. Then he began with "Bull :cen:ing :cen: you was there..." he went on to inform this poor bastard how he was the 1Sgt of said unit and finished with "It would behoove you to never darken this door again." I sat there stunned, lesson learned.

Hard part is, if you weren't there how the hell can you tell? I have heard some guys tell the stories of a battle and they were in the same unit and it sounds like night and day. In the case of Vietnam, you guys are my elder generation and it does feel a might awkward asking enough questions to verify or deny someone being a fake. I got no truck with asking somebody younger or my own age but not a guy as old as my father. It feels disrespectful as all get out.

 

[Italian Guy]

America accepted this pervasive stereotype, and it was constantly reinforced in a variety of subtle and not-so-subtle ways. For agreeing to serve their country in Vietnam, an entire generation of veterans had been tainted with the labels of victim, loser, and moral degenerate.

Interesting thread, thank you Missileer. I have repeatedly debunked some VN myths and common misperceptions on my blog and it really is something uncommon for my country. Just thought VN Vets here should know some young men don't trust the "pervasive stereotype".
:salute: