Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Stolen Valor in Upper Darby?

Marine Corps League Commandant James Anthony Alleva stands accused of falsifying his war record and wearing medals he didn't earn.

“I plan to vigorously defend these charges,” Alleva, a member of 741 since 2002, said, claiming disgruntled members of the detachment have it out for him.
“They are envious of the way things are going and they are trying to discredit me and the detachment. It’s a vicious, immature, cowardly attack against me and the detachment,” Alleva said.

Interesting phraseology, there.

Actually, the charges will be defended by the federal prosecutors who brought them. Alleva, with the help of a lawyer, will defend himself against the charges.

Money quote:

“A lot of people went through a lot of pain for the Purple Heart,” said Matt Crawford, who lost sight in his right eye from an improvised explosive device in Iraq. “It’s not right for someone to pretend they have it. To earn the Bronze or Silver Star you pretty much have to put your life on the line. If he did wear it and didn’t rate it, he’s a scumbag.”

Harsh, but true.

3 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

This is just the beginning of Operation Stolen Valor that is named after the STOLEN VALOR ACT. A book written by B.G. Burkett of Plano, Texas.

I have the US National Archive records that refute some 25 nonfiction books from the Rangers/LRRP/LRP/Special Forces genre, but B.G. Burkett was too scared of these guys to put them in his book. One author, Gary Linderer claims inside all of his books that he earned 2 Silver Stars and 2 Purple Hearts for the same day's combat. A military impossibility, of course.

I have DA 1594 (radio logs) in which B.G. Burkett refused to come out and aid our six man recon teams in May/June 1968. The Bush family awarded him for his book. They didn't read it because in Burkett's book, STOLEN VALOR he brags about being a "dog robber in Vietnam." That is someone who steals for the black market. Is this what we want and deserve for our Vietnam legacy?

September 28, 2007 at 9:33 AM 
Blogger Franny Ward said...

I think that evey man and woman that wore the uniform should be up in arms about this creep.

September 28, 2007 at 10:51 AM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

But is what he did really criminal? Wearing a few medals he didn’t earn?
What about the folks who wear military garb and never served? Or someone who has an unearned diploma on their wall? Or a homie who wears work boots but never worked an honest day in his life?

September 28, 2007 at 8:46 PM 

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