Gary Diedrich; phony SEAL, phony Vietnam veteran

| April 27, 2017

The folks at Military Phonies share their work on this Gary Diedrich fellow. He joined a Facebook group which mentors youngsters who want to become Navy SEALS. He claimed that he was a SEAL in Vietnam and that this is his rack of awards;

When questioned about his BUD/S class, he picked the number of a class that hasn’t happened yet;

The Navy doesn’t remember his career like he remembers it;

He was discharged as an MR3 (Machinery Repairman 3rd class – an E-4) after six years of service, with no service in the SEALs. He served in the Caribbean during the Vietnam years on the USS Shrevesport, according to Wiki;

Shreveport, with Amphibious Squadron 2, departed Norfolk on 4 January 1973 for her first tour of duty with the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean Sea. The squadron stopped at Morehead City, North Carolina, and embarked elements of the Sixth Marines (BLT 1/6) before it proceeded to Rota, Spain, where it was assigned to CTF 61. The task force departed Rota on 16 January, called at Cannes, France, on 18 January, and was underway for Monte Romano, Italy, on 22 January. During her six-month deployment, Shreveport also visited ports in Italy, Greece, Crete, and Turkey before returning to Morehead City on 2 July. The Marines were offloaded, and the ship continued to Norfolk that afternoon.

Shreveport operated in the Norfolk area until February 1974 when she sailed, with PhibRon 2, for operations in the Caribbean. She returned to her home port on 19 March. The ship made another trip south to the Panama Canal area that lasted from 18 April to 4 June. On 24 June, Shreveport sailed for Rotterdam and another deployment with the Sixth Fleet.

No service anywhere near Vietnam.

Category: Phony soldiers, Valor Vultures

111 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Atkron

Well at least he wasn’t an OS…there is that.

Graybeard

He looks familiar – have we seen him before?

ChipNASA

Yeah,
Piece of shit.
They all look the same. Different sizes and colors but still a piece of Shit.
(“Originally I said “Sorry GT” but I *edited* it so you can have your favorite post)

Combat Historian

USS SHREVEPORT did dock at Cannes, and since Cannes is part of France, and Vietnam was once a French colony, so whoa-la he “served in the Vietnam War”…///

HMCS(FMF) ret

He served in Viet of the Nam by proxy? that’s got to be a first!

ChipNASA

OK, again because this ass munch is rocking the lie to try to ingratiate himself in a FB group that is run by Real SEALs AND more importantly mentors *Young Men* (CHILDREN?!) aspiring to become SEALs really LIGHTS UP A RED FLAG for me,

“I move that Gary Diedrich; phony SEAL, phony Vietnam veteran has earned the WALL O INSULTS.”

Second?

The Stranger

Seconded!

ChipNASA

We have a “Second”….all in Favor say “AYE”

Graybeard

I move the question.

ChipNASA

I’ll take this as an “AYE” but I’ll wait a moment to ensure we have at least one more….

Graybeard

Oh, well then:

Aye aye, Sir!

CWORet

Bring the Shit!

ChipNASA

OK well based on the discussions and I added a general statement AS TO this tiny prick bitch probably doesn’t rate anything other than one NSDM, based on you guys enlightening me… Here It Comes Gary you Fucking Shitbag lying asshole. I hope it was worth it because GOOGLE and the INTERNET are FOREVER. Oh and don’t think that we’re not going to try to get the American Legion and VFW to crawl up your ass too, if we can manage it (but I’m not holding my breath) The NEW and Improved (Thanks Ex-PH2) Wall of Insults®™ FIRE IN THE HOLE!!!! TACTICAL NUCLEAR ROUND OUT!!!! DANGER CLOSE!!!! MOPP LEVEL 4!!! TAKE COVER!!!!! Gary Diedrich; phony SEAL, phony Vietnam veteran, ALLEGEDLY, but not confirmed, but in some people’s opinion, works balls, tickles taint and tongue punches hobo’s crusty fart boxes all, I Guess, while being a syphilitic, turd-sucking feces factory, Bitch-ass Fuckstick guzzler, pile infested, onion-eyed flapmouthed butt-bailiff, “Fowl” mouthed Chicken fucker, inflamed, “Towel boy” in a gay bath house, Ambulatory verbal dissembling anus, gaping, Cambodian cunt sauce, ball working asshole, Poster-child for abortion, shit tonguing, munching wanktoaster, cock gobbling, lientery steatorrhea, sperm burping, sniveling, codpiece licking toilet seat sniffer, lying, Pillow bitin pickle smoocher, Bowl of ass soup, Satan even said about you, “Boy is this guy a DICK!, Sparklepony, worthless, Vice Admiral of the Narrow Seas, would wear Richard Simmons’ used jockstrap as a facemask, useless bag of monkey fuck, rancid floor buffer wax spreader, both of your Grandmothers should have had an abortion, just in case, Mayor Grundle of Scrotumburg and Anusville, waste of oxygen, numbnuts, snowball, giggling beerflecked canker blossom , maybe a “buggerer of little boys”, rottencrotched, rump wrangling, culo de chongo, booger eating fuckbucket, Lemon Party-lusting fruitcake, putrid, rotting, whoreson whale’s carcass, bed wetting, follows in Victorious Felder’s bovine excrement -filled boots, as fucked up as an opossum eating shit out of a hairbrush, moron, Prevaricating Sphincter, baby unit, terminal crotch infection, asshat, dick pickle, wanker, herpes-ridden dung beetle target, first volunteer for being part of a jailhouse human centipede, should eat a nice steaming… Read more »

Mick

KA-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!

(bright flash; ground shakes; HUGE mushroom cloud; phony SEAL Trident and phony Viet of the Nam ribbons go flying everywhere)

IDC SARC

pink mist and giblets

sgt. vaarkman 27-48th TFW

Chip you forgot “anal sphincter canyon yodeling phallic squeezer”

Green Thumb

Once you have achieved that title you can now enter the inner circles of All-Points Logistics.

In essence, you have achieved your inner Phildo.

ChipNASA

That now is going to be added to Friday’s update of the Wall of Insults®™

Ex-PH2

Moved and seconded. Fire away, zoomie!

IDC SARC

Hey Ex-PH2….just FYI

The Special Operations Combat Medic (SOCM) class that graduated today on Bragg had a Female Soldier as the Honor Graduate. 🙂

Ex-PH2

‘Bout cottonpickin’ time! Thank you, Doc.

Graybeard

Good on her.

ChipNASA

Question,
What awards are on his rack and obviously the Trident and the Vietnam ribbon are fake. Are any of them legit because his DD214 says “unavailable”.

/come on squids, enlighten me.

ChipNASA

Looks like bottom left to top right.

Pistol Marksmanship Medal
Rifle Marksmanship Medal
Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal w/ 1960’s device
Vietnam Service Medal w/ 2 bronze stars
National Defense Service Medal with one bronze star (Total BS not Korea or later)
Air Medal?
Navy “E” Ribbon
Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medal with bronze star

IDC SARC

That’s a Navy Expeditionary Medal…not an Air Medal. 🙂

ChipNASA

Thank.
I see it now. the Air Medal has a wider center area.
Funny on the official Navy precedence chart, it looks like it’s blue and white.
Huh.

So back to the original question? Any idea what he could/should have been awarded besides *ONE* NDSM?

I’m just trying to deduce what is total bullshit vs. possible to add to the Wall of Insults®™

Ex-PH2

Just for S’s & Gig’s, ChipNASA, please add to the WoIs: rancid floor buffer wax spreader.

Thank you.

ChipNASA

Done.
LOL

A Proud Infidel®™

May I suggest “Swallowing Spoo Sampler”?

ChipNASA

Also added to Friday’s update of the Wall of Insults®™

IDC SARC

“Any idea what he could/should have been awarded besides *ONE* NDSM?”

Can’t believe he served on a gator and got a Battle “E” and no sea service deployment ribbon,at least a MUC or NUC and a GCM

Just An Old Dog

SSDR wasn’t incorporated into the awards until 1980.
Although it was retroactively awarded back to 1974 I’m sure there was no concerted effort to have it out into the recorded of discharged service members unless they petitioned for it.

IDC SARC

good point…but the guy is wearing a trident (no wings) and 2 NDSMs, so whaddafukk anyway

Ex-PH2

W/o the DD214, can’t say except that the VN medals are not his to wear. But he has six consecutive AD years but no good cookie???? At that time, the GCM required 4 consecutive years AD, which was apparently later shortened to 3. And you’d have to be a very bad person to not get the GCM even once.

So until or unless his DD214 shows up, it’s possible the only thing he’s entitled to wear may just be the gedunk medal. But he’s claiming that twice, which is dumb.

ChipNASA

I agree.
The only things I can say based on what we see above is that he DEFINITELY doesn’t rate the Trident, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal w/ 1960’s device
Vietnam Service Medal w/ 2 bronze stars, and the extra bronze star on the NDSM.

IDC SARC

Dunno how he would have earned a NEM and no SSDR

Silentium Est Aureum

See above. Not awarded until 1980.

What I don’t get is he’s claiming VN SEAL, but no CAR, and a MARKSMAN (not expert) rifle and pistol ribbons?

Dude isn’t even trying.

IDC SARC

see above, I already commented 🙂

Ex-PH2

Here’s the difference between him and me: I have 5 years, 6 months and 28 days AD, but in two widely separated (by college years) enlistments. First one was 3yrs, 4 mos, 29 days. The 2nd was 2 yrs, 1 mo, 28 days. So not enough on my first time, and you can’t combine the two to qualify for the GCM.

Ex-PH2

There’s something else. Unless he was a serious moron, he went to MR “A” school which, at the time, guaranteed E-4 as soon as you had enough time in grade. Either he didn’t take the MR2/PO2 tests, or he is/was a mental midget or didn’t pass or whatever, but if he couldn’t make MR2/E-5 in 4 years, you’d have to ask why.

Claw

I believe he didn’t put in six years consecutive active duty. I believe he only did four years active, then the last two years inactive reserve.

I believe the dates of service (15 May 73 to 14 May 79) posted on the FOIA are for the total of six years universal military obligation that was in effect during that timeframe.

I believe he went down to the Navy Recruiter two or three weeks before graduating high school and signed up, went into DEP and enjoyed the summer at home, as he didn’t report to Great Lakes for recruit training until 25 Sep 73.

The last entry(s) on his record of assignments end on 15 Sep 77, so I believe he was discharged about 10 days early of making it a full four years on active duty. (therefore no good cookie)

This is what I believe and I’m sticking to it.

Hack Stone

Probably terminal leave, but he should have still earned that GCM if he was on terminal leave. Back in the day, the Marine Corps would allow one NJP and you would still be eligible for a GCM. They changed that about two decades ago to one NJP and the odometer got reset to 0.

Ex-PH2

In that time period, 4 years of AD qualified him for a GCM.
It’s also entirely possible that he was a slacker wherever he worked, did the minimum to get by and/or got written up for several things.
BUT – He was at GReat Lakes in 1973 for boot camp, then went to the Service Schools Command at San Diego, then was assigned to two different ships from 1974 to 1977.
So 1973 to 1977 constitutes 4 years of AD, and the remaining two were probably reserves time, since the VN War was long since over and done with.

No GCM for those 4 years either means he had low quarterly marks, was a goldbricker or a slacker, or simply didn’t give a hoot.

Frankie Cee

I left the cock gobbler some love. Gary Diedrich is just another pus sac on the balls of America.
“Vietnam Vet? What part of the Fucking Caribbean is Vietnam? The Shreveport wasn’t sent to duty off Vietnam, and you damned sure were not a SEAL during Vietnam. What hell possessed you phony fucks to want to stand in the blood of better men than you, to claim the glory that they EARNED?”

A Proud Infidel®™

IMHO since there are palm trees in the Caribbean as well as in Vietnam, he just ass-u-me’d that they were one and the same.

Dave Hardin

Serving honorably in the Gator Navy is not good enough? WTF is wrong with this clown?

I was on the Shreveport in the 70’s and the 80’s. “The Wave” was legendary. Having sailed Cape Hatteras countless times I know why they call it The Graveyard of the Atlantic.

Served with some born again hard Sailors in the Gator Navy. It was those Gator Navy Sailors that volunteered to go ashore right after the bombing in Beirut. Those Gator types spent days digging dead Marines out of the rubble. I got nothing but respect for the Gator Navy.

Gary Diedrich is a disgrace to all of them. Phuk em.

Dave Hardin

I wonder if this is the same guy:

https://thewaynedalenews.com/2002/11/gary-diedrich-commander-american-legion-post-160/

Seems the VFW has had him around for a while if it is.

Ex-PH2

Yeah, it’s him.

Graybeard

Instead of VFW I think you mean American Legion?

IDC SARC

He’s got a link to a VFW post on his FB page too.

Mick

Has anyone popped a red star cluster over into the American Legion’s grid square yet to let them know what this assclown has been getting up to with these phony SEAL claims?

sj

Florida. Again.

Mick

Yes indeed. Florida. Again.

And is there also a motorcycle, a leather vest adorned with poser bling, a doo-rag, some SEAL tattoos, a service dog, a raging case of The PTSD, and a bogus GoFundMe web page included in all of this Stolen Valor chicanery?

I’ll bet there is…

11B-Mailclerk

It was a choice between phonies and Superfund sites. New Jersey got first pick.

RGQ

So far there’s been a phony Green Beret, Marine Recon/Scout Sniper, and now SEAL, exposed on TAH just this week. How many think we can complete the phony turd-fecta with a fake Ranger, Combat Controller, PJ, CAG, SWCC and Marine Raider to close the week out?

Combat Historian

Don’t leave out the SOWT operators…

RGQ

Dammit, I knew I was forgetting a group! Thanks!

Ex-PH2

Wait – you’ve left out the girls. I’m waiting for the first female fake SEAL to show up, claiming Class #898. If that happens, she got it from me. 🙂

HMCS(FMF) ret

GARY DIEDRICH – SPECIAL FECES SQUEAL AND GERBIL FELCHING ASS HAMSTER!

HT3 '83-'87

MR’s are really what most people think of as a machinist, and they are definitely not SEAL’s or anything close. He works a lathe, and makes replacement parts/modifies existing parts that are not readily available. Well, that’s what they did on my bucket because we shared a shop/worked closely with them. It’s one of those necessary jobs, but it’s not the kind of rating you can go around bragging about.
“Hey, just finished customizing a replacement shaft for #2 Feed Water Pump…man that was a hell-a-work! My palms were so sweaty I almost dropped my micrometer a couple times. You know the tolerance for those bad-boyz is minimal.”
Not impressing the youngsters with that story, so being a fake SEAL is the way to go…wrong!!! This guy deserves all the shit coming his way. Go way Gary Dietrich you fake SEAL because honorable service was good enough for you.

Andy Kravetz

Dumb question but I am in the middle of five other stories or I’d look it up. Weren’t SEALs called UDTs back in the Vietnam era? When did the name change from UDT to SEAL? to me, that’s a dead giveaway on anything. I mean, Jesse Ventura was a UDT but that was a forerunner to a SEAL, right?

Andy Kravetz, reporter
Peoria (Ill.) Journal Star

ChipNASA

Hi Andy,
Nice to see you back.
(Thumbs Up!!!)

Ex-PH2

Yes, they were. They were also called Frogmen, which was more familiar to most people. I do remember hearing a couple of guys at NAVPHOTOCEN in Anacostia, DC talking about SEALs in 1968 and asked what that was. Their response was ‘Frogmen’.

IDC SARC

Last SEAL platoon left Nam in ’71…some advisors served in country up until ’73 before this queefsquirt got to bootcamp

Andy Kravetz

thanks. I knew about frogmen but thought that was just a WWII reference and didn’t wanna sound dumb. I also knew about the UDTs from Jesse Ventura so thanks.

Andy Kravetz, reporter
Peoria (Ill.) Journal Star

Combat Historian

Not quite, Andy. I’m an Army guy, but I think the SEALs and UDTs split into two specialty functions in the early 1960s. So during the Vietnam War, there were both SEAL as well as UDT teams, carrying out different but superficially similar missions. Jesse Ventura was in the UDT specialty, but he was not a SEAL. Although, retroactively it is my understanding that both SEALs and UDTS from that era are now recognized as BUD/S qualified and thus regarded as “SEALs” in the modern word usage of today. I’m sure Mr. Sharkman and other Navy vets will correct me if I’m wrong or add to this If I’m in the ball park…

Andy Kravetz

Weren’t both commandos (in the historical sense) and both from the sea. I am not a vet and obviously wasn’t in the Navy so I don’t know the differences between UDT and SEAL. Modern days, the SEALs are an elite special ops group that does just about everything. back then, I don’t know what they did.

Combat Historian

With the splitting of specialties, the SEALS focused on ground direct actions, while the UDT focused more on technical underwater demolition tasks; that’s why Jesse Ventura never fight on the ground in South Vietnam, as his UDT team focused more on tasks related to underwater demolition during 1972 off the coast of North Vietnam. Again, I’m an Army guy, so the Navy guys with knowledge will flesh this out infowise…

mr. sharkman

UDT badasses conducted numerous ‘inland demo raids’ during the Korean war. They also conducted joint raids with UK Royal Marine Commandos, etc.

rgr769

SEAL Team 1 (west coast) and SEAL Team 2 (east coast) were formed from sailors in Navy UDT teams in 1962. The last SEAL teams (other than some SEAL advisors to the South Vietnamese Sea Commandos) left Vietnam in December 1971. So there were no SEAL teams in Vietnam when this asswipe joined the Navy in 1973. Note that the poser himself says he went to BUDS training in 1974. There were no SEALs in RVN in 1974 or thereafter.

Just An Old Dog

Andy,
Here is a GREAT piece of investigative journalism written before the interwebs became so easy to use.
It basically centers around Jesse Ventura’s claims to have been a SEAL when he was clearly not.
While both UDT and SEALS went through BUDS, the follow on training and NEC’s ( Military Occupational Specialities) were distinctly different.
SEALS and UDTS could and sometimes did ” cross-deck” from one speciality to another, but it wasn’t a given.
Now, for the most part,many will give those who went to BUDS at that time a pass for claiming to be a SEAL, ( Even Don Shipley doesn’t begrudge Ventura for saying it).
However it you read the article it was pretty clear that SEALS made no bones about it. If you were a UDT guy and claimed the title you may end up getting a mud hole stomped in you.
Heres a Link to that story.. its a long read but work it.
http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/1999/dec/02/jesse-great-pretender-ventura/#

Andy Kravetz

Thanks. Sorry for the delay. was at my son’s scout meeting (I am a den leader) and he earned his Arrow of Light so that took most of my night until now. Thanks again.

Eden

Congrats to your son! Will he be bridging to Boy Scouts soon?

Andy Kravetz

within a week or two. It’s been a long process since Tiger (which we didn’t have when I was a Cub or a Scout). Just happy for him. I loved it and I know he will too.

Mick

ex-OS2:

Let’s have it.

Cleared hot.

Fjardeson

Mick, the tac nuke has already been deployed, above. There’s nothing left to shoot at, unless you just want ex-OS2 to scatter the fallout.

11B-Mailclerk

I believe that would be called “Bouncing the rubble”.

MSGT_RET

Of course everyone knows that one of the prerequisites to completing SEAL training is shooting at the Marksman level. 🙂

1610desig

Exactly…unless no “Expert” existed during that period of service, anyone who could half way shoot straight should have had a big “E” on those ribbons…then they qualify as medals (a little added incentive)…I used to joke that the difference between Sharpshooter and Marksman was that you shot the other dude in the foot…

W2

There I was, lapping a valve seat in the shop when a company of hardened NVA regulars popped out from behind the drill press. Looking around for weapons, all I had were my trusty, very sharp and deadly, machine tools. Using all my ninja SEAL powers I killed every last one. What makes this even more unbelievable is it all happened one night when I had the duty while med moored in Naples, Italy. I’d tell you more, but it’s classified and my records wete sealed by the CIA and then lost in the fire at NRC.

1610desig

And then he took a UB to fleet landing, and blew a transvestite

OAE CPO USN Ret

Or had sex with Humpty Dumpty. (Now THERE’S a Naples reference that will sober you up.)

W2

DAMN DUDE! You had to bring her into the mix didn’t you? Last time I saw her was in ’89 down the road from NSA Naples.

W2

And that’s a hog I bet even IDC Sarc wouldn’t hit.

OAE CPO USN Ret

Maybe with an A10. That’s a bunch of ugly on treads.

Bill M

Humpty Dumpty. Any relation to Twigglypuff?

OAE CPO USN Ret

All I’ll say is this.. ***OOGAH***WARNING***OOGAH***
NSFW ALERT IN PROGRESS
***OOGAH***WARNING***OOGAH***

Way worse that Trigglypuff

Google Humpty Dumpty Naples Italy

***OOGAH***WARNING***OOGAH***
SECURE FROM NSFW ALERT
***OOGAH***WARNING***OOGAH***

IDC SARC

I dunno….depends on how long I had been at sea and how drunk I was. Also there is the mitigation of shame factor had someone called for a hog contest.

IDC SARC

…and looking at the pictures of her, she’s not even in the same league with Camp Pendleton’s Margarita Monster.

rgr769

I’ll say one thing for you senior NCO Navy types, some of you will do anything to get laid when you hit the beach. I watched a CPO from Seal Team 2 workin’ the ugliest woman in Rumford, Maine in a local bar one night (a SEAL crew was attending our annual ski training there).

Ex-PH2

Three with no redeeming values? Can’t even cook?

I know jigglypooof can’t do anything at all except point at itself, but the other two – nothing?

OAE CPO USN Ret

I have an entry for the “Wall o Insults”

“Humpty Dumpty cleanup man after the fleet visits Naples”

I just grossed myself out.

ChipNASA

Done and HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Fucking EPIC (after I googled it.)

DONE

ChipNASA

LMMFAO!!!

BBBWWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH *gasp* HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

I googled it and she’s Internet FAMOUS!!

26Limabeans

I go away on a trip for few days and the first thing I see when I come back is this piece of shit. I hope he enjoys his new found fame. He earned it.

A Proud Infidel®™

IMHO the stupidassed pus-nuts no-load walking bucket of Swamp Donkey shit should NOT be allowed around minors, he grins like a meat gazer with a hard-on in a crowded men’s Room during halftime at a football game.

RM3(SS)

Looking at his pictures on his facespace page it looks like he definitely earned the coveted Golden Corral ribbon with BBQ sauce clusters.
Eat a salad you felcher!

Green Thumb

Tool.

I love the mustache.

Very Jerry Vroomboutish…..

gitarcarver

I know I am going to be in the minority here, but when I see documents that are cut and pasted, or screenshots with what people said blacked out, I begin to get leery.

It is almost as if what is being said is “we don’t want to show all of the information.”

If it is public record, then there is no reason to cut things apart and “restitch” them together.

If people are basing the claim he is not a SEAL on the obtained documentation, there is no reason for that documentation – all of it and not parts – to be displayed.

(This is not an endorsement of this person, but rather a comment on the transparency of the investigation, and what was found.)

Just An Old Dog

Gitar,
I may be off, but a few reasons for blocking out other people’s names would be that the people who expose them could be targeted for exposing them, There is also some blocking out done of people who SUPPORT the fraud. To prevent them from being lambasted by some over zealous types.
If you remember Dennis Chevalier’s case he was a Poser who, before he was exposed, posted and followed on SV pages. He was a real asshole who would threaten those accused and go beyoind the pale.
Last but not least, you can’t forget that Dan Bernath lurks here, and he will send messages and legal threats to anyone he sees as supporting the page.
That’s one reason this page blocks out the names of people who make comments via facebook.

gitarcarver

Just An Old Dog,

I think you may have misread or I did not state my concern correctly.

I don’t have an issue with names of people being blocked out.

I understand and agree with blocking names of people because of the types of threats you mention and the ones Dave Hardin mentions below. I do have a a small issue where something is blocked out that doesn’t seem to reference a name. See http://valorguardians.com/blog/?attachment_id=71727 for example where the 4th reply is totally blocked.

That’s the type of blocking I am talking about.

Dave Hardin

Most of the people we expose as fake are no real physical threat to anyone. They piss and moan but in the end they just have to admit they were full of shit and move on.

However, there are the few that are nut jobs. They make threats to not only harm the individual who reported them but their family as well.

As a matter of policy we try to protect those people from danger. Thats why I use my real name when we post a case.

They can direct all their threats and other gutless activity at me. Death threats, legal threats, threats to employers, family members, are all too common.

Report one of these nut cases and we will not block your name out of the documentation. When you wife answers her cell phone in the middle of the night and some clown threatens to hide in the house and gut her with a knife after he kills your kids…you can talk to me about transparency some more. That is just one of hundreds of actual incidents that have happened.

I understand your point…if there is ever any serious doubt about a case we post do not hesitate to contact me.

Ex-PH2

Piffle. If you contact Dave Hardin, he doesn’t respond unless he thinks you’re a blond wearing a micromini skirt and a Hooters tee shirt, and at least 8 inches shorter than he is.

Dave Hardin

You know that is not true. They don’t have to be blonde.

Claw

And Go-Go Boots.

Don’t forget the Go-Go Boots.

gitarcarver

Dave,

I am not talking about the release of names. Perhaps I did not make that clear. I don’t care what the names of the accusers are and I do understand threats and retaliatory actions being a concern.

I would never ever want to expose anyone to harm. I hope I have that reputation around here that people know that about me.

But as I said above, take a look here: http://valorguardians.com/blog/?attachment_id=71727 What is said in the 4th comment? The 5th reply has blocked out text because obviously the reply addresses someone in the thread. I don’t have an issue with that at all.

What if that 4th post said “I served with him” or something like that which supports the poser’s claims? It is not that I think that is going to happen but as much of the documentation these posers have is based on lies, obfuscations, forgeries and “I can’t tell you because General George Washington told me to not say anything,” to me it is important to let people see the entire conversation (but not names.)

There is also this: http://valorguardians.com/blog/?attachment_id=71729

Three columns have been sliced out of document. Why? Why not just include the entire document? If the release of the information was legal from the government, post the whole thing. If you want to make a stitched image to highlight what is being said, go for it. But to me, hiding or changing the document is suspect in some ways.

I hope I have cleared up my concerns and want to reiterate I don’t care about names in a conversation. I’m not that stupid. Most of us wouldn’t know the people to vouch for them so their names or irrelevant when it comes to the veracity of what is said. I do care about what is said so we can make up our own minds about these creeps.

Thanks.

Dave Hardin

Ahhh, I believe I understand your concern. I guess there is no way of showing that some comments are blocked out because of security concerns without causing a security concern. Hmmm…I will try to be more cognizant of it.

The clerks that send us records from the archives do not always include the entire page. We do have cases where what was not included could have made some difference. In those cases we re-file the FOIA and request the information or entire page. Combat History pages need to be specifically requested or we will not get them.

Additionally, the Clerk will miss something that gets included that should not have. We redact anything of that sort.

Clerks can make errors, we re-file if there is any doubt. We have Private Investigators and people who have documented expertise in reading military records on staff.

Behind the scenes we often correct or delay publishing a case until we believe it is correct.

One thing that we do not talk about enough is how often we get contacted about a case and we end up verifying a legit veteran. Election time causes that to happen a lot.

At some point we have to rely on the reputation of honest work we have produced. There will always be something that a person can take issue with in our cases. My simple response is to tell them to request a FOIA directly and see for themselves. Sadly, that has happened with many family members of a poser that believed their nonsense.

Great questions, I have no issue addressing concerns from people. I did not intend to come across as if you were stupid, my apologies if I did.

Hope that helps and I will try to address your concerns in the future. As always, much respect and feel free to contact me anytime.

gitarcarver

Dave,

Thanks.for reading and responding. My little corner of the blog-o-sphere has been attacked by local governments for telling people what happened in meetings. I have had a government official call me and my friends “terrorists” because I brought things to light. I have been threatened with arrest for making certain graphics.

Trust me – I get the idea of protecting the names of posters and commenters. There are some strange nom-de-plumes here on this site and I never care about the name. I do care about what they say. That is what I was trying to say and we seem to have cleared up.

As for the clerks not sending the entire page of the record, it would seem to me that would be a violation of the FOIA as you are asking for the record itself. The law allows them to redact things, but not change the form and format of the record.

Sorry if I came off as a noob or someone who didn’t care about the safety of others. That is the furthest thing in my mind. I read some of the people and the threats that are made by the posers and it makes my blood boil. “You got caught, Buttercup. Don’t shoot the messenger.”

Anyway, thanks again and thanks for the civil discussion and a certain level of trust in me in knowing that I am not trying to cause trouble or get people hurt.

Daisy Cutter

If you are speaking about official documents from NPRC, HQ-USMC, DoN, etc. My educated guess is that they are posted exactly as received from the source. So, the cut and pasted versions represent, in their view, what information is releasable.