Calandra admits stolen valor
We first wrote about Terry Richard Calandra, 59, of Forks Township, Pa. back in December 2009. He’d spent decades forging a phony record and living from his lies which included a Distinguished Service Cross, a Silver Star and a Bronze Star with a “V” device, and FOUR Purple Hearts. He even enlisted the help of former Senator Arlen Spector in an attempt to get his phony story elevated to a Medal of Honor, which finally turned out to be his undoing.
Finally, after years of insisting upon the veracity of his record, he finally admitted today that it was all manufactured;
On Tuesday, the former Forks Township resident admitted that the record of heroism he held out as worthy of the United States’ highest military honor was a web of lies backed by falsified documents.
So for the folks who said we didn’t know what we’re talking about in this case, you can write your apologies to the email address in the “Contact Us” page. Sometimes you don’t need the records to spot a phony.
Category: Phony soldiers
“Calandra told FBI agents he obtained the actual Silver Star medal from an unidentified Army clerk in Vietnam after a night of drinking when he bemoaned receiving only two Purple Hearts, two Army Commendation medals and a Bronze Star for injuries he had received.”
Yeah, like that’s not enough to be proud of.
What a waste; throw your honorable service under the bus for dishonorable fabrications.
Check out the link to the 3 NOV 2008 story about Calendra before he was exposed, under “related articles”. The opening line says it all, “Seldom does a moment in time define a person for the rest of their lives.”
Oh the irony.
He finally admits his lies when he is in court, before a judge who is about to sentence him. Fuck him. No apology accepted from me. He will burn in hell.
The REAL story here is not Calandra, but the Army Board for Correction of Military Records. Calandra submitted his bogus DSC and SS citations as evidence of combat woundings to get his 4th and 5th Purple Hearts. The Board did NOT vette these, took them at face value, and then put them in his OMPF and issued a DD-215 to add the DSC to his records. In a December 2008 FOIA, NPRC returned records verifying his DSC and SS…all official and in order. But for the small fact that the General Orders were inconsistent with G.O. numbering, this guy would have made it. It was ONLY after “Army Times” reporter Brendan McGarry personally went to College Park to get 9th Infantry GO 5293 (1969) and found it was for another guy’s posthumous ARCOM, that Calandra’s Silver Star (purportedly issued under that G.O.) was revealed to be a forgery. Calandra not only fooled Senator Specter, several members of Congress, and the entire PA State Legislature, he fooled the ABCMR into legitimizing his forged documents.
Thanks, Doug. There is always more to the story, huh?
“Calandra expressed deep remorse for what he had done with regards to the fabrication of his awards,” prosecutors wrote. Wow- “deep remorse”…. only because he got caught… yet NO apology. The judge needed to spank him good- 1 year probation and $500 fine? Baloney Sauce.
Here’s a TV interview I did last year on Calendra, including interviews with the “hero” himself: http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/politics/Vietnam_Vet_Accused_of_Stolen_Valor_Philadelphia.html
Jonn: How about an update on the apologies? What time did Bob’s come in or did he deliver it personally? How about WinterSoldier? Did he fall on his sword too? And “NotWorthWastingMyTime” must have sent a personal note to you. I don’t imagine that you received a sorry from ObamaGirl, did you?
Sorry, 2-17AirCav, nuthin’ but crickets here. I’m shocked, shocked I tell you.
Doug – Saw your quotes in the Express Times this morning in an article discussing the case (online link here http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/warren-county/express-times/index.ssf/2011/10/terry_calandra_fooled_army_con.html). Boggles the mind to think how easy it was for Calandra to fool so many people.
Eddie- not suprising he fooled people. How many time does one ask for a DD214 from a vet that claims to have been awarded a medal? Mine doesn’t even show awards except for the NDSM. The documentation is actually buried in the file. Didn’t know that until I requested a copy of my military record about a year ago.
What vets on the original blog wanted to know is how the hell he served in so many places and was wounded so many times in less than 6 months. 9th Inf., 101st AB, MACV, chopper rescue and shot down, and on and on. When the fake orders appeared in the public domain, his ass was grass. Anyone that is familiar with these types of orders knew they were bogus.
Bob was the real sucker and it’s a shame. Once he took on the task of pushing Calandra’s lies, he too had to keep the lie going, I guess.