William Grahame Wilkin III; forgotten for a reason
One of our ninjas send us this article about William Grahame Wilkin III (he’s so important, he needs two Facebook pages); ‘Forgotten’ POW/MIA logo creator satisfied with losing the battle, but winning the war (the article was yanked today);
Wilkin will be the guest speaker at the Vets Week kickoff at 5 p.m. Monday, May 23, in the atrium of the Richard and Gina Santori Public Library of Aurora, 101 S. River St. He will present the meaning behind the POW/MIA Fallen Comrade table that will be on display.
Wilkin entered an art contest sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars as a Glenbard South High School junior in 1983. His entry wasn’t the winner, but his design did go on to become the highly-recognizable image on the black and white flags that fly on flagpoles across the country. How it happened, he doesn’t really know.
His third-place artwork was, unbeknown to him, appropriated for use on the POW/MIA flag. Congress voted to make it an official flag of the United States in the late 1980s.
“They took the drawing and they cleaned it up, because it was high school work,” Wilkin said. “I put ‘I Believe They Are Still Alive’ on it. They changed it to ‘We Will Never Forget’.”
But someone did forget to tell Wilkin that it was his design that eventually became one of the most recognizable logos in the country.
Maybe William’s contribution was forgotten because the flag was designed 11 years before he says that he first drew it, according to Wikipedia;
The original design for the flag was created by Newt Heisley in 1972. The National League of Families then-national coordinator, POW wife Evelyn Grubb, oversaw its development and also campaigned to gain its widespread acceptance and use by the United States government and also local governments and civilian organizations across the United States
I guess it was too tough for the author, Amy Roth or the public library to do a simple Wiki search. Newt Heisley, the real designer of the flag died in 2009 at the age of 88.
Wilkin has been at this scam for a while;
Category: Dumbass Bullshit
Cocksucker.
Tell us how your really feel, ex-OS2!
🙂
I am fed up with these people. They all must suffer from I Am A Fucking Loser And Make Shit Up To Feel Good About Myself And Steal Honor/Valor From Those That Earned It And By The Way I Swallow Syndrome.
Ack! Accidentally hit “report comment” instead of reply, sorry!
I agree entirely. It’s not true in this case, but the worst are those who are actual veterans who can’t simple take pride in whatever part they played and feel compelled to lie about their service. I’m no hero. I didn’t have a huge rack of ribbons. But I was a good tech who was part of a team that kept a crucial airfield operating at all times in a war zone, and I’m plenty proud of that. I don’t need to make myself into anything more than what I was to feel good about myself – I feel just fine about the job I did, and I know my fellow ATC techs feel the same way. We all had our role to play.
Thank you for your service.
Don’t beat around the bush, let it out.
Cant improve on that comment. +1
People are that desperate for attention that they’ll make up a bullshit story and solicit accolades….about designing a flag?
Seems like every day I have a reason to lower my regard for humanity even more.
“Seems like every day I have a reason to lower my regard for humanity even more.”
I could not agree with you more. Every day I wake up and try to see the good in people, but every day they piss in my Wheaties. This nutsack is going to become Google famous for his bullshit.
Agreed. We need to bring some official attention to bear on this guy for these lies that he’s been spreading around. He’s apparently been doing this for a while, and it’s gone well beyond just spinning yarns in the teacher’s lounge there at Aurora Christian High School, where this assclown teaches art.
From the article linked above:
‘Wilkin said during veterans holidays and observances, the fact that he designed the logo becomes a “big deal.” But he prefers the quiet knowledge that he made something lasting that people will continue to talk about through the years.
“It’s not normal to handle it the way I did. It’s not normal to be quiet about it. But now people are starting to notice.”
When Aurora Christian principal Latoya Williams heard that Wilkin was the logo’s designer, she asked him about it, he said.
It was her idea to make sure that Wilkin got some recognition. Congressman Bill Foster honored Wilkin on April 29, 2014 before the U.S. House of Representatives for his artistic contribution to veterans. State Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia recognized Wilkin with a resolution on the House floor on May 7, 2013.’
So this B.S. goes back to at least 2013, and he’s managed to fool Congressman Foster, State Representative LaVia, and Aurora Christian High School Principal Williams (where he works). All of them have contributed to getting this guy official recognition for something that he never did.
I wonder how Principal Williams will react if/when she finds out that this scripture-quoting assclown art teacher of hers is actually a proven liar?
I’m guessing that this isn’t going to play very well for the little fella.
I hope they fire his lying ass. The principal, Ms. Williams, must be new as she is not listed as faculty or staff on the schools website. As a matter of fact, there is no principal at that school. They have a superintendent, acting dean and leadership team, none with the last name Williams.
Fuck him, a whole bunch. Dipshit
And the level of stupid drops another ten thousand feet…
Of all the stupid shit, this puke makes him a candidate for the bernasty-pants idiot of the month award…
Maybe certain things could get one of these things a certain number of “Bernath Points” that could quify them as a Dutch Rudder Gang prospect?
I’m old enough to remember seeing the POW-MIA flag well before 1983. Every loser and shitbag wants his fake fifteen minutes…
Did someone from Team TAH piss off the Stolen Valor gods again?
Three phonies already this morning?
Ugh. I am so, so utterly sick of this relentless Stolen Valor crap.
Son of a bitch. I had that on my backpack until the pack fell apart.
And this asswipe thinks he steal someone else’s artwork? And claim it’s his? Sounds like someone else who does that same thing, we ALL know about it.
Nail him.
The problem is that these fuckers don’t suffer for their bullshit.
It used to be that public shame would shut down so much of this crap, but now if you try that the jackass left/liberal/WTFover crowd comes out defending them no matter what.
I’m sure he’s about to reap a bumper crop of karma, THE INTERNET IS FOREVER!! ?????
Thanks, I hadn’t thought about karma’s revenge and the forever internet. I feel much better about the situation now that I understand that this guy will get all of the “recognition” that he earned, and hopefully more.
WHAT A gutless pus-nutted snot-spined pisspants candyassed shit-for-brains Benath-level booger-eating thumbsucking bedwetting Momma’s-basement-dwelling buck-toothed Swamp Donkey dingleberry of a mudda-fuckin’ credit thief! A real ????????????.
Fa’ kheem!
You left out, “DRG cocktail-drinking. . . “.
No thanks are necessary. You’re welcome.
But tell us how you REALLY feel.
You folks got it all wrong. Wilkin self identifies as the creator of the logo, so that’s good enough!
And in other surprising news, Congressman don’t bother researching either:
https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CREC-2014-04-29/html/CREC-2014-04-29-pt1-PgE614-2.htm
That letter is all the library used for verification. I sent them documents from the VA, the org who commissioned the flag, and the company who first manufactured it.
Turns out a Grahme Wilkin was important in the flag design in 1971 but it wasn’t this asshat. It was the wife of a Vietnam POW.
I called the director of the Aurora Public Library. I gave her the documentation and asked her to do the right thing. If they don’t, I promised to show up to the opening ceremony with the press and publicly humiliate this fraud and the library system.
Let’s hope someone uses common sense for once.
Thank you CA_SGT.
Outstanding.
Keep us posted, please.
Wow.
I can see this turd working in the graphic design department at All-Points Logistics in Merritt Island, Florida.
This scumbag appears to have what it takes.
I was waiting for you to make that comment. Thanks for not disappointing me.
I hope someone let that library know they’ve been duped.
Called them, working on fixing this.
http://www.historynet.com/the-story-of-the-powmia-flag.htm
“It took nearly a decade, but the POW/MIA flag began getting attention in a big way in the early 1980s. In 1982 it became the only flag, other than the Stars and Stripes, to fly over the White House, after it was first displayed there on POW/MIA Recognition Day. In 1989 the flag was installed in the Capitol Rotunda.”
Another Bible quoting individual who lives in an Alternate Reality World.
Yup.
And I’ll betcha that all of this public lying isn’t going to go over very well there at the Christian school…
I know I’m beating a dead horse here, but Amy Roth wrote this story without ever looking at the flag;
‘“They took the drawing and they cleaned it up, because it was high school work,” Wilkin said. “I put ‘I Believe They Are Still Alive’ on it. They changed it to ‘We Will Never Forget’.”’
It actually states ‘YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN’
Funny thing, Amy Roth is also the name of the person I contacted in the Aurora Public Library.
Annnnd Latoya Williams is not listed on the school website as either faculty or staff.
He’s a bag of dicks!
Dude looks like he’s snarfed down a 50 lb bag of cream filled gummy dicks…
And he looks like he could use an XL bag of sugar free Gummy Bears so he can BLOW IT ALL OUT OF HIS ASS.
The best part? The guy who actually designed the POW-MIA flag was a World War II vet who flew as a pilot for the Army Air Corps in the China-Burma-India theater. See the Wikipedia link and the article lined by “TheCloser” above.
Yeah, this a-hole is not only stealing credit for something he didn’t do – he’s stealing it from a dead World War II vet.
It is amazing the facts that have been found this morning regarding the origin of the POW-MIA flag by a few here on TAH, yet overlooked by “professionals”. Journalism is officially dead….
Next he will claim that he designed the corporate logo of a “proud woman owned” software vendor (formerly) on Wilson Lane in Bethesda. Sammy The Lucky Spermazoid is a registered trademark.
I’m making headway. I just got off the phone with the Aurora Veteran’s Advisory Council Vice President and she said the city does not want the black mark of this guys lies on their event.
I will keep you all updated with her correspdence as this issue progresses
BZ for your tenacity! Thank you.
Excellent work.
Thanks for engaging on this.
Just got an email back from Lisa. She said after talking with the Library, they are going to cut this guy from the event.
I still plan on driving 5 hours to attend the ceremony and make sure he’s cut.
In the meantime, she asked if I’d like their councils Facebook page and I did.
Here it is in case you all want to as well for them doing the right thing and standing with the truth.
https://www.facebook.com/CityofAuroraVeteransAdvisoryCouncil/
Billy boy’s Facebook profile is riddled with accolades of this bullshit lie.
https://www.facebook.com/wgwiii
“RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
4 NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
5 we recognize William Wilkin III for creating the original
6 artwork for the POW/MIA flag and thank him for his contribution
7 to his country”
What a dickhead.
Proverbs 6:16-19
There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers.
Not sure what haughty eyes are but it appears our Bible quoting liar is an abomination. Not sure what that is either but it doesn’t sound good.
He might want to look into Scientology, I think they reward you for being full of shit.
I think it means he’s on a par with Obamacare, DH. Both are based on lies –
“If you like your health plan, you can keep your health plan”, remember? (or words to that effect)
To William Grahame Wikin III:
Please read the 14 November 2015 Obituary about Mary Helen Huff, wife of Vietnam MIA, Navy Cmdr. Michael G. Hoff and explain why in one of the two photos, dated 1981, she is standing with her three sons with the POW/MIA Flag:
http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2015-11-14/story/mary-helen-hoff-powmia-flag-pioneer-1931-2015#
And if you don’t believe that, please read this 2009 article from the same newspaper:
http://jacksonville.com/news/columnists/mark_woods/2009-08-09/story/a_symbol_made_for_memories
You have a lot of explaining to do, William Grahame Wilkin III to your family, your community, your church, Newt Heisley’s family, Mary Helen Hoff’s family and those you deceived for years with your Alternate Reality story.
The real idiots in this are the congressman and the state reps offices. Now I wonder if the congressmans office will issue a formal letter to the Illinois House of Representatives, to say he screwed up?! The amazing thing is, and maybe not – these are elected officials, which means they, NOBODY, staff or otherwise, sitting in, or on staff payroll, caught this??!? Tells you just how self involved, and uninformed they are. I called Foster’s office this a.m., the young man who answered seemed very interested and concerned, googled the info and was surprised, said he was going further with info and asked me to call back – That’s where I’d suggest calling since his official letter was provided to the library and to them it was legitimate. I understand the library is doing the right thing, i hope the library calls out the 2 elected officials.
Looks like the article has been taken down. No mention of a retraction, just outright removed.
Fantastic.
That was my doing. Mr. Wilkin is no longer a part of the Veteran Week in Aurora. See my post below for more info.
Not many people know this but after Alaska and Hawaii entered the union, I drew a US flag with 50 stars on it. I was just doodling in class one day and drew it. My teacher loved it and asked if she could have it so, of course, I said yes. I don’t what happened to it but, man, I couldn’t believe it when, a year later–I think it was 1967–my flag was everywhere. So, I know how Wilkins feels.
That was so unfair that they forgot to tell you. Did you not notice all of those red white and blue flags with 50 stars on them flying everywhere? I will push for some recognition for you from the House of Representatives.
Thanks. I didn’t mean to brag.
Believe me, I know how you feel too. I invented the internet.
Is that you, Al Gore? Is this me?
Well, I’m working on one with 57 stars on it… hehehe
Here’s to ya’ Barry.
Oh. Know the famous Golden Arches? No, not mine. My eldest brother’s.
It runs in the family, I guess. When my Dad was a kid, he drew a fancy obelisk with many windows, crowned by radio antenna. That’s right. His was the first design of the Empire State Building. Poor guy never did get credit for it.
Know just how you feel, A/C. You didn’t know it, but I invented the mini-van. Really. Got some papers around here somewhere to prove it. Unless they got ruined in Hollywood’s flooded apartment.
Cool. Keep looking. They’re there somewhere. I believe you.
She invited me over for dinner one time. So in a way, I helped invent it.
So quick update on this. I talked with both the President and Vice President of the Aurora Veterans Affairs Council as well as the Director of the Aurora Public Library. Mr. Wilkin will in no way be a part of the Vets Week event going forward and they will remove any reference of him in relation to the POW/MIA flag. Additionally, at their behest, I called and talked with Mr. Wilkin himself. He still claims that he drew an original art piece for the VFW in 1983, however, upon review of all the evidence, now recognizes that it is not and never has been the reference artwork for the flag we all know and love. I told the the odds of him coming up with the same design, without influence, is a mathematical improbability, but I CANNOT PROVE that with total certainty. I did tell him that I could 100% verify his design was not what the flag was designed from. Also, it is important to note the library sought him out and not the other way around. Mr. Wilkin apologized for the “mixup” and assured me that I would never hear his name again in relation to the flag. He seemed, to me, to be a bit delusional (his conversation was a bit on the loony side) and if anything I pity him. I did promise that if he puts forward this claim again, I would bring my full wrath upon him and a phone call would be the least of his worries. I’m resolved with the matter. As such, I have been invited to attend the Vets Week ceremony. I will be going and wanted to let anyone who wants to meet and may be going themselves to reply to my post here. Lastly, I requested people “Like” the Facebook page of the Aurora Veterans Affairs Council in a post above. The seemed to have put together a great week honoring veterans with lots of events and they could use the publicity on there Facebook page. Also, please let them know how much you appreciate them standing up… Read more »
Excellent job, man. Pat on the back.
Great efforts CA_SGT! It is still disconcerting that this loon is influencing students. His obvious duck and run tactics confirm to me that he is a liar and this was not a mix-up.
I’ll take what victories I can. At least he’s not part of the Veterans Week anymore
Absolutely! BZ!
Two thumbs up, CA_SGT!
Much appreciate the update. Keep on rockin !
Well done indeed. Enjoy the Vets Week events.
Good job, CA_SGT! And BZ to the Aurora Public Library for doing the right thing. For myself, I won’t consider the matter closed until the House of Reps rescinds its recognition of Wilkin and Congressman Foster makes a public retraction and apology.
How uncanny.. I was speaking with one of the most awesome Vietnam heroes, Purpleheart Veteran that many don’t know about and hundreds of thousands who do….”were are men left behind?”
I asked my friend I’ve carried SSGT JAMES M RAYs bracelet almost all my life, read his trumped up bullshit file and I am 100% sure he was seen in Vietnam in 1975. If his military file was full of crap do you think he was left behind?
I then received even more information that the damn war was still raging toward Thailand past 75… without American military.
We found my sister in law and nephew via the Red Cross in the summer of 1975. How am I so sure about the date. She refused to come to see my newborn baby and me for thirty days. She’s Buddhist.
She told me years later of seeing blonde Americans chained together in the jungle during her escape.
Years later she returned to the village she left and the elder wanted her to see the cave of bones in the mountains. Spooky words mom, help me, bro. They avoid it like a plague but each year on OUR HOLIDAYS, Christmas, Veterans and Memorial, they light candles and pray for them to lie in peace.
Wear your bracelet or light a candle in a dark cave…they found the Titanic..
YOU AREN’T FORGOTTEN BUT YOU SURE AS HELL WERE LEFT BEHIND..and I don’t give a ratsass who says I’m nuts.
Reb, you’re our kind of nuts.
SFC D,
thanks, I’ve been a hazelnut. Are you walnut, peanut or a yummy beernut? ?
I’m a beernut!
And another one bites the dust!
He could always get a job painting nude photos of the DRG.
I talked to the Chicago Tribune this afternoon. So there will be an update soon.
Excellent, thank you for the update.
William Grahame Wilkin III, the next chapter…
Well shit! If he can claim this and the news media belives it, the I created a fire breathing dragon. That pisses rainbows and shits gold nuggets. Lets see if the assholes believe that.
My question is this…who is worse, the Christian man who made a mistake, has taken ownership of it and has shown Godly remorse or those who relentlessly attack the Christian man as if they were pure as the undriven snow?
I am proud to be an American who has been served by the honorable. Is much of the afore honorable or righteous?
The measure of a man, to me, is his graciousness, his commitment to his character and integrity and to conducting himself as a gentleman. No one usually feels good after slinging mud…not when they look in the mirror and realize that the mud boomeranged and hit them squarely in the heart…
I know Grahame Wilkin and he is one of the most kind and gentle souls I’ve ever known. His error was in no way self benefiting, nor was it malevolent. He is so incredibly wonderful with his students, many of whom admire him and his character. He doesn’t want for attention and never has…
Despite the vitriol on this thread, I suspect this tribulation in Grahame’s life will serve him well as he relies on our Holy Father and His justice…
Jill K: Why did William Gramahe Wilkin choose to take credit for creating the POW/MIA flag when in reality, the flag was designed in 1972 when Grahame was only 6 years old? Does anyone have proof he designed this in 1983 as well as being recognized by the VFW for his deceit? Am sure someone kept his artwork from 1983, correct? And where is the 1983 letter or plaque or anything from the VFW? Am sure someone has that as well
Proof has already been provided that two other Americans designed and assisted with the POW/MIA flag. What proof do YOU have except his word and that he is a “Christian”. Remember:Christians are not perfect: just forgiven. Have you looked at the possibilty he copied the POW/MIA flag? That flag has been around since 1972. Explain that please. William Grahame Wilkin owns an apology to the families of Newt Heinsly, Evelyn Grubb and Mary Helen Hoff as well to the living Vietman POWs and their families and to the families of all the Vietnam POW/MIAs who never made it home.
Word.