[Richard]

Originally Posted by Abu Jack

My question is what is the benefit?

The truth...and the honor of those who actually did what Gene DeFord fraudulently claimed to have done.

I suggest anyone ask a SEAL/UDT guy how they feel about people like Gene DeFord.

For anyone who has not read Stolen Valor or Fake Warriors, here's but one example of how such an act of lying can affect a family, a community, organizations, and government agencies.

Richard's $.02

I read your article in the K.C. Star about military phonies and how you were working to expose them. I think you should be commended for your outstanding work. The web site and links were so helpful to us.

Without the knowledge that we gained through them, we would never have been able to prove that our cousin was never in the armed forces. Our situation wasn't like most and maybe it was only minor, but to us it was an embarrassment to the family. When our cousin died in Maryville, MO, funeral arrangement had already been made by people outside the family. We tried to tell the "personal representative" and Price's Funeral Home that he had not been in the military, but no one would listen to the family, they went ahead and had a full military funeral. We were told that he had served as a sniper in the special forces during the Vietnam War. They said his work was so top secret that his files were sealed along with his purple heart and they could never be touched. They said the family would never have know about it because he went on such secret missions. The family was incredulous. His mother was so upset and confused, she didn't know what was happening. We all knew that he hadn't been in the service, but how were we going to prove it. We made a time line of his life. We asked for his DD 214 discharge. They promised to send it, but never did. We talked to the funeral home and he said why are you so concerned, just drop it. He said arrangements were made by the Va so he gave us the MO Veterans Commissioner's number. The commissioner said he didn't have anything to do with it, that why did it matter because it is better to give a military funeral to someone that wasn't in the service than to leave someone out that was in. We didn't agree with that. We called the Missouri Military Honors Program to see what the procedure was on military funerals and if they verified if a person was in the military or not. They said they had a form with his claim number on it, so it had to be so. They called back later and said they had ran the number and a black screen came up so that meant it was top secret.

We then read your article and went to various links and learned a lot. Through the Freedom of Information Act, Form 180, we requested information. While waiting for the reply, we contacted Jimmy Wallace, Operations Officer, VFW, National Veterans Service. He was very helpful in suggesting what to do to get answers. We received a letter back from the National Personnel Records Center. They had conducted extensive searches of every record source and alternate records and could not come up with any data that our cousin had served in the military. They even checked with the FBI but there was nothing. I had given them a number that the "personal representative" had said was his service number. The Records Center said it was a VA file number and to contact them to obtain information from that file. I called the Regional VA office. When they put his name or social security in the computer, nothing would come up. When I gave them the file number, the screen said our cousins name and San Bruno, CA, October 1961. I called San Bruno, CA. It is a National Cemetery. They don't have files there. I called the VA back and talked to another representative. She wanted to know why I was so concerned about this. She said drop it, he is dead and gone, so just let it go. She said no one was hurt having a military funeral. I told her I was sorry she didn't understand but we were going to keep searching. I talked to Mr. Wallace again and he said the VA office is required to have the discharge papers on file. I called the Missouri Regional VA Office in St Louis. At last I reached someone who was very helpful. She searched and cross searched. She even checked with the social security to see if he had ever collected any benefits, but there was nothing. She said she could honestly say he was never in the service and there isn't even a hair of evidence that would make her think otherwise. I told her now that we know for sure he was not in the military that we, the family, can not accept the military marker that the Maryville people had requested. The crisis our country is in now we believe stronger than ever that by honoring those that do not deserve it, we dishonor those who do. I called the Memorial Program Service in Washington, DC and explained the situation. She said the screen did not match the application. She did some extensive searching and said he was not in the military that the marker needed to be returned.

We now know that our cousin must have been a military phony. The tales he must have told his friends, co-workers and students. Why they wouldn't listen to the family, we'll never know. I don't know what they had to gain, but they would make up stories to go along with his. To put closure to this, we had to keep searching until we knew the truth. There were times when the fire would almost go out, but then there would be a flicker of hope. If it hadn't been for your article, we wouldn't have known where to turn, as we kept trying to find someone to listen to our cause. Thank you very much and keep up the good work.