View Full Version : Hero or con man?
http://m.kinston.com/news/kinston-74888-recalls-army.html
He claims a pair of Silver Stars, a Bronze Star, three Purple Hearts, 23 Army Commendation Medals, 31 Army Achievement Medals,an award from the emperor of Saudi Arabia. All earned during his time as a U.S. Army Ranger.
He also claims he was one of the characters portrayed in Black Hawk Down where his femoral artery was severed but he was able to survive the night and was evacuated the following day and he can walk on that leg today. He said he was shot in first in Panama during the invasion and again in the Gulf War.
According to Wikipedia, Adelbert Waldron holds the most confirmed sniper kills in the US military at 109. Mr. Harris claims 316. Maybe the wiki needs to be updated. As far as I know, though, he may be legit.
The folks at professionalsoldiers.com (http://www.professionalsoldiers.com/forums/index.php) might be interested in this if you haven't sent it their way.
Keep us updated, please.
The good folks at SOCNET seem to have some more info for you...
http://www.socnet.com/showthread.php?p=1058005315
I do believe Mr. Harris' problems have only just begun... :suicide2:
I do believe Mr. Harris' problems have only just begun... :suicide2:
GOOD!
I saw this on LF and wanted to share it here. I shot Paul Howe a PM with the links.
The good folks at SOCNET seem to have some more info for you...
http://www.socnet.com/showthread.php?p=1058005315
Glad those guys are on it. They seem to have a good handle on it.
Suwannee Tim
07-04-11, 20:50
The Emperor of Saudi Arabia gave me an award. Or was that the King of Sweden? No, he gave me a new Cadillac. Or maybe that was the King of Siam. Hard to keep it all straight.:D
That guy wears too much jewelery. I get the creeps from a guy that wears too much jewelry.
Littlelebowski
07-04-11, 22:47
I hope his life is ruined.
Army Chief
07-04-11, 22:52
The DSC is mentioned as an afterthought? The PH certs are obvious Photoshop jobs. The ARCOM/AAM counts are ridiculous. One needn't have the flight manifests from these actions to disprove several aspects of this account at face value. And it's just plain sad for all concerned.
AC
Umm, isn't there two alleged posers involved here?
James Murphy served in the Army as a Ranger with Harris and said he wouldn’t be alive if not for Harris’ heroic actions. Murphy recalled after he and another soldier were hit by a rocket-propelled grenade in Mogadishu, Harris ran to their position and carried both of them a half-mile away “not knowing if we were alive or not.” He drove them to safety in a burning vehicle and returned to continue to fight.
“If you know him, you are privileged,” Murphy said. “If you served with him, you were in the presence of a true American patriot. If he is your friend, you should be honored. He gives hope to humanity that there are still decent, amazing people all around you.”
GermanSynergy
07-05-11, 00:01
These bullshitters never cease to amaze me.
Like AC said, the ARCOM/AAM numbers are ludicrous, and his "kill" claims are rivaled only in Ridley Scott's most frenzied scripting dreams.
I can only hope that the Stolen Valor act is reinstated and guys like this are publicly outed, humiliated and prosecuted.
VooDoo6Actual
07-05-11, 00:53
Bad Ju Ju coming his way no doubt.
319 BC is epic
If anyone believes one word of what this lying piece of shit said (it's so phony it doesn't even need debunking) then come over to Iraq because I have some beautiful beach front property that I would like to sell you so I can retire.
The bullshit sniper claim is enough.
Moose-Knuckle
07-05-11, 02:58
What a tool.
El Pistolero
07-05-11, 03:18
If you think that's bad get a load of this guy: http://thisainthell.us/blog/?p=24149
Smuckatelli
07-05-11, 08:21
The Emperor of Saudi Arabia gave me an award. Or was that the King of Sweden? No, he gave me a new Cadillac. Or maybe that was the King of Siam. Hard to keep it all straight.:D
That guy wears too much jewelery. I get the creeps from a guy that wears too much jewelry.
I know how he twisted that story around....:lol:
The Kuwait Liberation Medal granted by decree of the King of Saudi Arabia, dated 23-10-1411H, was accepted by the Deputy Secretary of Defense per memorandum dated 7 October 1991, subject: Acceptance of Foreign Award in Recognition of Active Field Service in Time of Combat Operations.
http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Awards/kuwait_liberation_sa.aspx
There was some schuttlebutt that initially the King wanted the medals to be made out of gold & silver but or governemnt turned that down because we might have been seen as mercenaries to the King.
The guy is a poser.
LowSpeed_HighDrag
07-05-11, 13:09
Damn. That guy is a hero. I hope he gets all the great things that he deserves.
We could really use his help in AFG, maybe make him a one man sniper team and release him, nay, sic him on the Taliban. What a hero.
Just imagine a Battalion size element of "hims". We could pull out of AFG and Iraq and still kick ass.
I hope they determine that he forged his DD214 and other docs so that they can BBQ the shit out of him and serve his ass on a platter.
Damn. That guy is a hero. I hope he gets all the great things that he deserves.
We could really use his help in AFG, maybe make him a one man sniper team and release him, nay, sic him on the Taliban. What a hero.
IG, you might want to mention over at SOCNET about James Murphy, the second poser involved in this story.
dookie1481
07-05-11, 15:30
I think that the WORST part of all of this is the Jamie Smith angle...claiming that it was actually him that got shot in the femoral artery and that the screenwriters changed it for dramatic purposes.
Dishonoring a dead Ranger will hopefully get him a visit from some REAL Rangers.
Throw him in a deep fryer and call it a day.
Suwannee Tim
07-05-11, 17:19
.....We could really use his help in AFG, maybe make him a one man sniper team and release him, nay, sic him on the Taliban. What a hero.
Give 'im a belt fed sniper rifle and turn 'im loose!
SOCNET lives for this kind of shit.
I've seen it before, many times.
I know how he twisted that story around....:lol:
The Kuwait Liberation Medal granted by decree of the King of Saudi Arabia, dated 23-10-1411H, was accepted by the Deputy Secretary of Defense per memorandum dated 7 October 1991, subject: Acceptance of Foreign Award in Recognition of Active Field Service in Time of Combat Operations.
http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Awards/kuwait_liberation_sa.aspx
There was some schuttlebutt that initially the King wanted the medals to be made out of gold & silver but or governemnt turned that down because we might have been seen as mercenaries to the King.
The guy is a poser.
The October date in that DOD memo explains why my DD214 does not include the KLM I was issued in the spring of '91 by my unit just before I was discharged.
Anyone know how I could go about having my 214 updated?
The story has been pulled while they check their facts. Sounds Ass backwards to me.
http://m.kinston.com/news/kinston-74920-story-questions.html
The story has been pulled while they check their facts. Sounds Ass backwards to me.
http://m.kinston.com/news/kinston-74920-story-questions.html
A quick Google search reveals that the author of the article, Jane Moon, has also written previously about Harris' wife. I believe that the author is either a close personal friend or a client at the Harris' gym.
Well, it took the Fayetteville paper less than 24 hours to reverse course after pulling the original story down.
Kinston man's stories of Ranger exploits is challenged
http://m.fayobserver.com/articles?path=/articles/2011/07/06/1106304
Spurholder
07-06-11, 09:27
The October date in that DOD memo explains why my DD214 does not include the KLM I was issued in the spring of '91 by my unit just before I was discharged.
Anyone know how I could go about having my 214 updated?
If others would chime in as well...
I "think" this is the best way...fill out the form here and submit to the address shown:
http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/infomgt/forms/eforms/dd0149.pdf
You'll either get a corrected DD 214 back, or a DD215. Looks similar to the 214, but like an added page.
Caveat: I've never been an S1, but have seen them shuffle paper on occasion. Good luck.
Smuckatelli
07-06-11, 10:35
The October date in that DOD memo explains why my DD214 does not include the KLM I was issued in the spring of '91 by my unit just before I was discharged.
Anyone know how I could go about having my 214 updated?
I have to get the same thing done for the GWOT & Korean Service Medals. If I find the answer, I'll PM you.
Be advised, Kuwait also awarded a medal after Saudi Arabia:
http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/navawards/blkuwait.htm
dookie1481
07-06-11, 10:46
If others would chime in as well...
I "think" this is the best way...fill out the form here and submit to the address shown:
http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/infomgt/forms/eforms/dd0149.pdf
You'll either get a corrected DD 214 back, or a DD215. Looks similar to the 214, but like an added page.
Caveat: I've never been an S1, but have seen them shuffle paper on occasion. Good luck.
Yeah, but you have to fill that out 3 times, over 4 years, and then write 2 letters to your Senator when you get no response. That's what got it done for me.
Spurholder
07-06-11, 16:02
Yeah, but you have to fill that out 3 times, over 4 years, and then write 2 letters to your Senator when you get no response. That's what got it done for me.
Well, that f'ing blows. :mad:
Maybe a call to your Congressman's military rep is the best course of action.
I believe that the Marine Corps has a board of review or something like that. You send them all of your supporting documentation and ask them to make a correction. It should work and I would give it a shot at least.
The October date in that DOD memo explains why my DD214 does not include the KLM I was issued in the spring of '91 by my unit just before I was discharged.
Anyone know how I could go about having my 214 updated?
Here is the latest article, as posted over at Socnet before the Kinston free Press even put it up on their own webpage.
Here is the copy of our story, which you guys are getting 45 minutes before it goes live on our site:
Headline: Veterans contest ‘Black Hawk’ story
Drophead: Former Army Rangers say Jeff ‘Rock’ Harris never served with them
By Jane Moon
Staff Writer
A Kinston man who told The Free Press for a story published Sunday that he served as an Army Ranger and took part in an infamous battle in Mogadishu, Somalia, was not a participant in that fight and was not a Ranger, according to former Rangers who were there.
Jeff “Rock” Harris, who was featured in a story that ran with the headline “Kinston resident recalls extraordinary experiences that led to ‘Black Hawk Down,’ ” is apparently not listed on the official manifest of soldiers with the 75th Ranger Regiment in Mogadishu at the time of that October 1993 fight nor is the name Michael J. Harris, the name that appears on documents Harris showed a Free Press reporter last week.
“There is no Michael Jeff Harris, not in the 75th Ranger Regiment,” said Mark Bowden, author of the non-fiction book “Black Hawk Down,” who checked the manifest for The Free Press on Tuesday.
Raleigh Cash, who served in Mogadishu and Matt Eversmann, the Ranger who was a central figure in both Bowden’s book and the movie that followed, both told The Free Press they had “never heard” of Harris. The pair worked together to author “Battle of Mogadishu,” another account of the Somalian conflict.
Harris said he was a member of the 3rd Ranger Battalion, the 75th Ranger Regiment. Cash said Harris was not assigned to the 3rd Ranger Battalion from 1990 to 2002, when Cash was.
In his interview last week with The Free Press, Harris showed a reporter what he claimed was his DD214 Form, which is his record of military service, as well as an Army Ranger Certification and certificates indicating Harris was awarded a Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts.
A public affairs officer for the 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Benning, Ga., where Harris said he served, said she could not provide information on individuals who may have served there. The Free Press has filed a Freedom of Information request seeking Harris’ service record.
“Based on the information we now have, it appears that in attempting to publish a story highlighting the bravery of an American fighting man on the Fourth of July weekend, The Free Press instead became the victim of a pretty elaborate lie,” Patrick Holmes, editor and publisher of The Free Press, said. “We owe our readers an apology and the promise that, as a news organization, we will be more vigilant in our fact-checking.”
A supervisor at Down East Protection Services said he reviewed Harris’ DD214 before he was hired and did not suspect it could have been false.
In the Free Press interview, Harris also claimed he worked on covert missions, or black ops, and that there is no record of because of national security issues.
“What I did was what they call black ops, and there’s not a lot said about it,” Harris said then. “None of that is ever made public record.”
Cash said he has heard of about 10 people falsely claiming to have been in Mogadishu and many use “black ops” as a cover.
“That’s poser 101 — black ops, secret missions, there’s no record of it,” Cash said. “If you ever hear that, that person is completely full of poop. That kind of stuff doesn’t happen. There’s a record. There’s always a record.”
Tuesday, after the story attracted the attention of Rangers and other military service veterans nationwide, Harris asked The Free Press to print a retraction to “choose the lesser of the two evils.”
Harris said he wanted to release a formal apology, but also stated he “didn’t lie about the whole story. I think what happened was there was some misunderstanding.”
Here are further clarifications about Harris’ story and his interview:
n Harris told a reporter Tuesday some of the information he said may have been incorrect. He said he hadn’t read the story until Tuesday after receiving hate-mail, though he sent an email to the reporter who wrote the story on Sunday that stated: “Thank you and God bless you for the story, so many great comments. You have a God given talent and I appreciate you for it.”
n Harris said he had 316 confirmed sniper kills, all of which were in the last three years of his service. “I think you had the number of confirmed kills wrong. … I must have been talking about my overall unit,” Harris told the reporter Tuesday. A review of the interview, recorded on a voice recorder, showed he did, in fact, say 316. Cash and Eversmann said there’s no truth in the unit having 316 confirmed kills, either. Cash said he believed the record for confirmed sniper kills was about 90 for an individual, and that happened during the Vietnam War.
n Harris claimed his DD214 stated he had earned the Distinguished Service Cross. Doug Sterner, the impetus for the federal Stolen Valor Act of 2005 that punishes those fraudulently claiming military decorations and awards, said Harris never earned the award, which is second to the Medal of Honor. “I have digitized the citation for every man and woman in history that has received the Distinguished Service Cross online,” Sterner said.
n Harris claimed his DD214 stated he had won two Silver Stars, which cannot be true, according to Sterner. “There have only been two people since the Vietnam War who have received two Silver Stars,” Sterner said. “Only one was in the Army … and he was killed in action.”
LowSpeed_HighDrag
07-06-11, 22:43
How about a real hero? Audie Murphy's MOH Citation:
Second Lt. Murphy commanded Company B, which was attacked by six tanks and waves of infantry. 2d Lt. Murphy ordered his men to withdraw to a prepared position in a woods, while he remained forward at his command post and continued to give fire directions to the artillery by telephone. Behind him, to his right, one of our tank destroyers received a direct hit and began to burn. Its crew withdrew to the woods. 2d Lt. Murphy continued to direct artillery fire, which killed large numbers of the advancing enemy infantry. With the enemy tanks abreast of his position, 2d Lt. Murphy climbed on the burning tank destroyer, which was in danger of blowing up at any moment, and employed its .50 caliber machine gun against the enemy. He was alone and exposed to German fire from three sides, but his deadly fire killed dozens of Germans and caused their infantry attack to waver. The enemy tanks, losing infantry support, began to fall back. For an hour the Germans tried every available weapon to eliminate 2d Lt. Murphy, but he continued to hold his position and wiped out a squad that was trying to creep up unnoticed on his right flank. Germans reached as close as 10 yards, only to be mowed down by his fire. He received a leg wound, but ignored it and continued his single-handed fight until his ammunition was exhausted. He then made his way back to his company, refused medical attention, and organized the company in a counterattack, which forced the Germans to withdraw. His directing of artillery fire wiped out many of the enemy; he killed or wounded about 50. 2d Lt. Murphy's indomitable courage and his refusal to give an inch of ground saved his company from possible encirclement and destruction, and enabled it to hold the woods which had been the enemy's objective.
Can't fathom how pathetic people have to be to make up some fake military background
Can't fathom how pathetic people have to be to make up some fake military background
Because, quite frankly, most people in this country are downright ignorant of issues military. This problem is only getting worse and it goes beyond just poseurs. Most people my age (30) and younger have little understanding of military life, and even more disturbing, some view the military and those who choose to serve as a colossal joke.
It is easy for ignoramuses to get hoodwinked. And there is reason to do it too. Fake vets make friends, free drinks at bars, parlay their fake accomplishments into jobs (which I've personally seen more than once), and there is little consequence should they get caught. They only get in deep trouble if they try to seek federal veterans' benefits.
Hell, that ****wit Ventura still gets away with calling himself a SEAL.
montanadave
07-07-11, 07:55
It was easier to spot the Vietnam bullshitters as most of the battle and place names they'd bandy about could be found on take-out menus from the local chinese restaurant ("I got zapped at Kung Pao in '68 but got back in the fight at Moo Goo Gai Pan, were I personally took out General Tsao").
Guess we need to prepare ourselves for a new generation of posers who earned a chest full of ribbons at the Battle of Baba Ganoush. :rolleyes:
One good thing about the internet is these vet groups appear to smoke a lot of these guys out in a hurry if the wannabes put their bullshit stories out there for the general public to access. This guy seems to have had his ass handed to him in about 24 hours.
Moose-Knuckle
07-07-11, 09:01
It was easier to spot the Vietnam bullshitters as most of the battle and place names they'd bandy about could be found on take-out menus from the local chinese restaurant ("I got zapped at Kung Pao in '68 but got back in the fight at Moo Goo Gai Pan, were I personally took out General Tsao").
That is some funny shit right there. . .:lol:
Thanks for the info guys. Looks like the power of the internet worked in this case.
Im at Scout Camp this week with my son and the theme of the summer is Heroes and Legends. Our boys chose to honor our Military. One of the things my Son and I did to decorate our camp site was toto print off and laminated photos of the Congressional Medal of Honor, Navy Cross, Silver Star, Bronze Star with V and the Purple Heart. I also printed off the Medal of Honor Citations for Somalia and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our goal was to teach the Boys about those who have fought and died protecting US.
I am glad this douche was outed.
If I recall correctly there was as thread on SOCNET about JV as well. The powers that be are in the opinion that he can call himself a SEAL because of the UDT training he went through and the subsequent merger of the UDT's and SEALs. In addition he did at least serve during Vietnam when many others wouldn't.
http://www.socnet.com/showthread.php?t=88897&highlight=Jesse+Ventura+Navy+SEAl
Because, quite frankly, most people in this country are downright ignorant of issues military. This problem is only getting worse and it goes beyond just poseurs. Most people my age (30) and younger have little understanding of military life, and even more disturbing, some view the military and those who choose to serve as a colossal joke.
It is easy for ignoramuses to get hoodwinked. And there is reason to do it too. Fake vets make friends, free drinks at bars, parlay their fake accomplishments into jobs (which I've personally seen more than once), and there is little consequence should they get caught. They only get in deep trouble if they try to seek federal veterans' benefits.
Hell, that ****wit Ventura still gets away with calling himself a SEAL.
If I recall correctly there was as thread on SOCNET about JV as well. The powers that be are in the opinion that he can call himself a SEAL because of the UDT training he went through and the subsequent merger of the UDT's and SEALs. In addition he did at least serve during Vietnam when many others wouldn't.
http://www.socnet.com/showthread.php?t=88897&highlight=Jesse+Ventura+Navy+SEAl
I see. I'll take their word on the issue.
Here's what some people with a serious authority have stated as far back as 1999.
http://www.socnet.com/showthread.php?t=80&highlight=Jesse+Ventura+Navy+SEAl
I see. I'll take their word on the issue.
Well he admits he made up the story. NO SHIT! Good to hear.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2011/07/army-ranger-faker-admits-he-made-up-story-071611/
Any mea culpa from the newspaper yet that printed these outlandish claims without verifying their facts?
There should be the opposite of the Pulitzer or something where you get tarred and feathered or the soles of your feet beaten with broom handles for publishing easily disproven BS like this as fact.
;)
From what I've seen they have owned their mistake, apologized and promised to learn from it. They screwed up but seem to be owning it.
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