Military imposters

[Big Black Dog]

What's the problem? I dress like Napelon every day...

 

[Colin]

...Major William Martin, Royal Marines.

Major William Martin

 

[pinqy]

...Major William Martin, Royal Marines.

Major William Martin

Heh....he didn't do it intentionally. He just happened to die of pneumonia at the right time in the right place.

 

[editec]

I got out in 74.

I could still fit into my uniforms.

Don't hate me because I'm beautiful, boys.

I can, however, understand if you hate me because I don't have to work on it, though.

Some of us are just genetically luckier than others.

...or are cultivating a tapeworm!

LOL!

Did you know that back in the 50's somebody actually SOLD a diet pill that was loaded with a tapeworm?

 

[Colin]

I got out in 74.

I could still fit into my uniforms.

Don't hate me because I'm beautiful, boys.

I can, however, understand if you hate me because I don't have to work on it, though.

Some of us are just genetically luckier than others.

...or are cultivating a tapeworm!

LOL!

Did you know that back in the 50's somebody actually SOLD a diet pill that was loaded with a tapeworm?

The ultimate slimming pill! Nothing more effective than enjoying the taste of your food, but having something else eat it for you!

 

[Lokiate]

...Major William Martin, Royal Marines.

Major William Martin

Wow, what a weird tale. At least he got a good burial.

 

[bill5]

And saved many lives. A sad life but this ended up giving it great value and meaning.

 

[geauxtohell]

And saved many lives. A sad life but this ended up giving it great value and meaning.

LMAO. He didn't give up his life. He died from eating rat poison mistakenly. It was the brilliance of Fleming and British Intelligence that made his life have meaning by simply utilizing the right corpse. It's not like the man volunteered his life to turn the course of the war.

I've always loved this story.

 

[bill5]

? I know that. I said "a sad life."

 

[westwall]

What's a D-boy? I never heard of that before.

A reference to Delta Force. A good book about them is "Blackhawk Down". The movie was awesome but the book is even better.

Oh, I heard of Delta. Never heard the D-boy thing before, though. I'm sure when fatty McGee went up to the recruiter, they saw his awesomeness, and immediately sent him to an elite unit, where he made the pew pew's with a 30mm GAU-8 strapped to his chest. Took down the SNA all by himself, he did...

Actually they probably wanted him to be the bomb!

 

[westwall]

...Major William Martin, Royal Marines.

Major William Martin

I first became aquanited with this story in the book "Bodyguard of Lies".

 

[westwall]

Imposters are everywhere. I was at Stead airport talking with some friends when a portly gentleman walked up and started regalling us with tales of daring do. Evidently he was a marine who was seconded to the Navy to fly F-104's over Vietnam as part of a super duper secret intel gathering program. Being the history and aviation buff I am I asked him if he didn't really mean the RA-5C Vigilante (which actually was a USN recon aircraft).

No he was adamant that it was the F-104 and to top it all off he had been shot down and managed to escape from North Vietnam in 1966! We all turned our backs on him and carried on with our conversation. He finally figured out we knew he was full of crap and waddled off.

 

[geauxtohell]

? I know that. I said "a sad life."

You are right. Apologies. I misread your post.

 

[Lokiate]

A reference to Delta Force. A good book about them is "Blackhawk Down". The movie was awesome but the book is even better.

Oh, I heard of Delta. Never heard the D-boy thing before, though. I'm sure when fatty McGee went up to the recruiter, they saw his awesomeness, and immediately sent him to an elite unit, where he made the pew pew's with a 30mm GAU-8 strapped to his chest. Took down the SNA all by himself, he did...

Actually they probably wanted him to be the bomb!

So that's who fat man was, lol.

 

[Lovebears65]

Being a military wife ( although retired) I see this all the time. But, what really got me is so many retired and current military person passing as Navy seals in seal team 6.. First of all . I have many friends who are seal team. They neither brag about it plus they downgrade it. My husband has a child hood friend who has none for over 40 years is a seal. He retired right before Bin ladin was shot and killed. He was in Seal team 6. Not once did he elaborate on his job. He would say its my job and I do what I have to , to stay alive and make sure my commrads stay alive. You would not even know a seal team member is among you . They blend into the community. They do not want that. I am glad he is retired . We went to his retirement it was very moving. This person grew up with my husbands family. His own family was very messed up and hubby family took him in. You just dont know how many times he tried to talk to do this but it was for hubby . His passion was working on things. The only time my hubby was in a special warfar was in New Orleans in SBU 22 that was many moons ago and I do not think it is still there. I am proud of my husband and his aka step brother since he was pretty much family to his.

 

[Ringel05]

Being a military wife ( although retired) I see this all the time. But, what really got me is so many retired and current military person passing as Navy seals in seal team 6.. First of all . I have many friends who are seal team. They neither brag about it plus they downgrade it. My husband has a child hood friend who has none for over 40 years is a seal. He retired right before Bin ladin was shot and killed. He was in Seal team 6. Not once did he elaborate on his job. He would say its my job and I do what I have to , to stay alive and make sure my commrads stay alive. You would not even know a seal team member is among you . They blend into the community. They do not want that. I am glad he is retired . We went to his retirement it was very moving. This person grew up with my husbands family. His own family was very messed up and hubby family took him in. You just dont know how many times he tried to talk to do this but it was for hubby . His passion was working on things. The only time my hubby was in a special warfar was in New Orleans in SBU 22 that was many moons ago and I do not think it is still there. I am proud of my husband and his aka step brother since he was pretty much family to his.

I was given the opportunity to go to SEAL training while in A school in San Diego in 73. I watched about two minutes of their training film, got up and walked out, hell I hadn't been out of boot that long and had no desire to experience even more abuse.

 

[The Gadfly]

The irony is, that SEAL and Special Forces operators tend to be mostly quiet, unassuming types, at least publicly. Other than being unusually fit, there's little about most that would stand out in a crowd, and they like it that way. Special Forces did attract a certain number of the more flamboyant type during the Vietnam era, but that has changed; too much of what they do demands being inconspicuous. Most don't talk much about what they do, outside their own, tight-knit community.

It's much the same with men who have performed heroically in combat. few if any who really ARE heroes think of themselves as such; from their point of view they were "just doing my job", to hear most of them tell it. Maybe that's because any sane human being is scared half to death in combat. I've seen some incredibly brave men do some pretty remarkable things in that situation, in spite of that fear, but the memory of it tends to humble a man, not puff him up.

 

[bill5]

? I know that. I said "a sad life."

You are right. Apologies. I misread your post.

Appreciate it but no worries

The irony is, that SEAL and Special Forces operators tend to be mostly quiet, unassuming types, at least publicly. Other than being unusually fit, there's little about most that would stand out in a crowd, and they like it that way. Special Forces did attract a certain number of the more flamboyant type during the Vietnam era, but that has changed; too much of what they do demands being inconspicuous. Most don't talk much about what they do, outside their own, tight-knit community.

It's much the same with men who have performed heroically in combat. few if any who really ARE heroes think of themselves as such; from their point of view they were "just doing my job", to hear most of them tell it. Maybe that's because any sane human being is scared half to death in combat. I've seen some incredibly brave men do some pretty remarkable things in that situation, in spite of that fear, but the memory of it tends to humble a man, not puff him up.

Which is exactly why I tend to dismiss nearly anyone bragging about how they did this or that in the military - the more intense or dramatic their bragging, the more likely it is that the closest they ever got to being in the military was watching it on the Military Channel.

 

[Lokiate]

I'm suspicious of any story that doesn't involve drinking, digging holes for the sake of digging holes, being pissed off between unexplainable spurts of motivation, and talking shit to members of other branches of the Military, or that "one guy" that did [insert crazy shit here] that was funny, and/or got his ass kicked. Those are the memories that are going to stay with Soldiers, and I have yet to meet the one that openly talks about killing Haj, or Charlie to anyone. Never went downrange, wanted too, still want too, but it isn't going to happen unfortunately. Not this term, anyway, but I got nothing but respect for the guys that did. I can't stand phonies, fakes, and "false valor". It deserves a fist in the jaw, and a boot in the ass.

 

[High_Gravity]

The irony is, that SEAL and Special Forces operators tend to be mostly quiet, unassuming types, at least publicly. Other than being unusually fit, there's little about most that would stand out in a crowd, and they like it that way. Special Forces did attract a certain number of the more flamboyant type during the Vietnam era, but that has changed; too much of what they do demands being inconspicuous. Most don't talk much about what they do, outside their own, tight-knit community.

It's much the same with men who have performed heroically in combat. few if any who really ARE heroes think of themselves as such; from their point of view they were "just doing my job", to hear most of them tell it. Maybe that's because any sane human being is scared half to death in combat. I've seen some incredibly brave men do some pretty remarkable things in that situation, in spite of that fear, but the memory of it tends to humble a man, not puff him up.

You are 100% correct Gadfly, most Special Forces guys, SEALS, Green Berets etc are usually quiet about what they do off duty and don't want to talk about it, when you see an idiot running his mouth and talking about all the bad ass missions he went on as a Navy Seal, hes probably lying because those guys don't act that way and most of that stuff is classified anyways.