Smells like BS
Patrick and Alan both sent us a link to an NPR broadcast they heard on the radio on the way home about a guy who calls himself Leo Webb and claims he was a sniper. And “watched half my squadron die” – whatever the hell a squadron is, since he says he was in the Army. It doesn’t help his case that he’s at Occupy Oakland. There’s no record of a Leo Webb on AKO, not that it means anything, there could be several reasons why he’s not there, but it doesn’t help him with me;
Category: Antiwar crowd, Occupy
Big crock o’ shite.
I think the Armored Cav still uses squadron designations, like the 2nd ACR, but still as any sniper will tell you, you don’t take head shots you aim center mass. Head shots are for Hollywood and only when there is very little chance of missing.
Oh yeah and Aviation units still use it.
If he was Big Army, then we just may have heard about half of a Squadron get capped.
Poseurific!
In Cavalry units, a squadron is about the size of a battalion. I don’t think he saw about 350 or 400 American soldiers die in front of him. He probably mis-spoke and meant to say squad. I talk to a lot of former military people who say things wrong like this guy might have. Who knows, though.
I figure if I leave this up long enough someone will come by and tell us that he was head pot scrubber at a DFAC on an FOB somewhere and he had flashbacks from dodging flies at the burn pit.
Ok, I’ve fucking had it with these phony sonsabitches. “Half my squadron”. Really? You were Army and you’re going to stick with squadron? What unit were you in? When were you there? Ask most snipers and they will tell you that they actually do see their faces through the scope. They watch behaviors and eye movements of their potential targets, which is hard to do if you don’t see their face.
This is getting out of control. They don’t even have to try, anymore. All they have to do is play the “damaged troop” card and the fucking morons just lap it up. What does that say for our population as a whole? They are bending over backwards trying to show how much they care for our troops (I’m not knocking the heartfelt emotion) to the point that they are blinded by every smooth talking asshole with a damaged goods story. I had one come to my Legion Post looking for some financial help, because he was down on his luck. The manager called me and I went and met with him. I let him do the talking about his bona fides and the more he talked, the more bullshit came out (if you let the fake do the talking, they eventually out themselves) and I sent him packing. This is another one that if you let him do the talking, he’s gonna continue to say things that don’t add up. Just like our tattoo SEAL hero in the other thread. Of course, no SEAL is gonna look like he just rolled up with his peeps from cell block E, either. What was the criteria for winning the hunting trip and rifle? What requirements did they have to go by in the selection process? How many were in the competition to receive the trip and rifle? These are things that everyone has to go through in every contest I heard of.
Fucking losers.
had a few pals that were scouts. not ONCE did i hear the word headshot come out of their mouths. saying “squadron” was the definitely a automatic red flag for me as well.
See what he did there? Squadrons, while in cav units, is also the units of delta force. So clearly this guy is a classified ninja badass.
So skeeld that he ducked for cover when the shots rang out.
Sadly he doesn’t realize you have to volunteer for most of what the army offers if not all of it. The days of the sgt York reluctant hero are over.
My BS meter just exploded!?
Not a very effective sniper if he saw half his squadron die. Wait … Squadron … Army … nah! I’ll let my 5 year son figure this one out.
Mine has the needle buried in the backstop. Bullshit spewing out of the Bourdon tube as well.
Hell, I could smell it 3000 miles away and I’m Navy, for Chrissakes.
And hate to ask, but why the fuck would a sniper put two more rounds in a guy already down?
Air Cav, like my buddy in the 6-17th Squadron out of Ft Wainwright, Alaska, will refer to their BN aviation assets as a squadron. I think this idiot means his squad, but I definitely raise the BS flag on this one.
Anyone who has had to observe and report on someone ( as a sniper would!), would know that people move quite a bit. There is not a single way in this fucking world that someone would not turn their head so you can see their face. Hell, even at night through thermals you can see facial features and the semblance of it, but not so blurred as this guy makes it out to be.
What a fucking moron
And strangely enough, there’s never been a Leo Webb who has ever played for the Tennessee Smokies (the Cubs AA affiliate, for those interested) at pitcher or any other positions.
Oh, come on now, who was really surprised by that revelation?
The author of a journalism blog called The Kicker looked into the claim that Webb pitched for the Cubs.
‘Thursday, a Chicago Cubs media guy told me that the name Leo Webb didn’t “pop up on any of our electronic databases.” To be fair, that isn’t the final word. He promised to check paper files and get back to me with the definitive word… Stay tuned. I’ll update this post when I hear for sure.’
http://wicknews.wordpress.com/2012/01/13/check-it-out/
I can’t get to AKO at work, but I can get to my baseball sites and so far his story isn’t checking out. Starting 2007 the double a team for the Chicgo Cubs was the Tennessee Smokies. From 2007 to 2010, there is no record of a Leo Webb (or any Web for that matter) as a pitcher for the Smokies.
Prior to 2007 the Cubbies AA team was the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx. Going back through their rosters, a John Webb, who was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 19th round of the 1999 Amateur Draft played for them in 2003 and 2004 (4.50 ERA). I doubt its him though as John Webb went on to play AAA ball in 2005, 2006, and 2007 playing in the Tampa Bay, Saint Louis, and (again) Cubs systems. You’d think he’d mention playing AAA ball rather than just AA ball.
Prior to 2003 there is no record of a Web or Webb pitching in the Cubbies system, though records get sketchy for the minors prior to 2000.
My sources: Baseballprojection.com, Minorleaguesplits.com, Whatifsports.com, and Thebaseballcube.com.
Dang it Scott and NHSparky, stealing my thunder.
I’ll even go one further.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?initial=we
Nope, no Leo Webb in there. EVER. Any team, any position, going back to 1900. Every minor league player listed in there.
Not even close. And why would the police handcuff a witness? Anyone want to take a wild fucking guess at that one too?
When you are making it up as you go along, it really doesn’t matter if call your unit a squadron, a smidgeon, or a flying fig. We are not their target audience. Usually.
His baseball records were burned in that fire, flood, plague of locust at the Hall of Fame back in ’73. Thats all I can figure.
And the police cuffed him because he was a witness to them shooting an innocent bystander.
@sgtkane
They cuffed him because they could tell he was deadly. He had that look. I mean he is a vet after all. He has been there. In the thick of it. Neck deep in MRE Spoons. He. Has. Seen. It. All.
Go go public radio, haha.
Read the comments, he got just want he wanted: sympathy and political solidarity. People are fools.
Not only sympathy and political solidarity, he’s got at least one commenter pledging to give him money too.
@21: I told you. The morons are lapping it up like it’s sweet cream over bananas.
So, I traced Leo’s story to a site called (ironically) “My Life is True” which creates short “true” vignettes like this for distribution through several media outlets.
http://www.mylifeistrue.org/
I plan on emailing them to encourage them to look into just how true Leo’s story is. I would encourage others to email or call as well:
editors@mylifeistrue.org or (415) 484-5305
Wait. His MRE’s had spoons?
It irritates me that the comments are closed and there’s no contact info for who ever posted the story. I’d like to know why even the smallest of fact checking and questions weren’t asked. Like what team did he play for, what unit was he with. These are common who what where questions every reporter and editor should be asking.
Looks like I need to go on NPR to raise money. After all, I was there. In the thick of it. Neck deep in MREs without Spoons…
And I could use the money to pay for range time.
FTA: “I didn’t see their faces. I only saw them through the scope and blew their brains out”
As Sniper, Gunny Carlos Hathcock, told an Arty Major who stated that he had killed more people than Carlos, “Maybe so but how many did you look in the eyes when you killed them?”
Leo Webb’s profession is ass wipe and he’s not even good at that.
Also, and you have all made the case thoroughly for this person being a POSER. So I will consider this ‘piling on’.
What frickin person in Army says ‘I could of been hit by a ricochet bullet.’ We call em rounds. Stray rounds even. We don’t send bullets down range we send rounds down range, we have 30 round mags not 30 bullet mags.
RLTW
The Army Forced him to be a Sniper? Like they force folks to fly the space shuttle. What a bunch of shit.
Is the public really that dumb to suck this shit up? It makes we want to puke…
If I didn’t know better, the site closed the comments right after people started hoisting the BRAVO and SIERRA flags.
I echo what CI Roller Dude just said. This douche-nozzle acts like the Army dragged him kicking and screaming to sniper school and forced him to graduate.
What else can we find out about this septic-tank diver so we can call him out on his BS?
He says “I am on the ground covering my head” “But if I had a weapon I would of killed him myself.”
Maybe….but it would of been from an errant discharge as you were falling to the ground diving for cover, but it would of probably had to of gone through a bystander and ‘ricochet’ of police barricade and then only winged him.
But then you could of used your sniper tracking skills and follow the blood trail to end the shooters life for stopping you from getting back to your tent and making your instant coffee. Balderdash!!
RLTW
Pretty sure this is Leo’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000662534958&sk=info
Graduated high school in ’85, would make him about 44-45 today. Not too old to have served in Iraq, but doesn’t appear to have the physique of any sniper I’ve ever known, and if he had “just gotten back from Iraq” when he was camping with Occupy Oakland, then he hasn’t been out that long.
I noticed on his FB site the his television show was NCIS
OMG Gunny Gibbs… I can see him sitting on the couch in his ghillie suit watching NCIS.
Another reason to never donate to NPR or their member stations. This turd was paid $65 for his lies.* Now we need to cut taxpayer support for public radio/TV.
*KQED Public Radio pays an honorarium of $65.00 per Perspective, after the commentary is broadcast.
So it seems that we are in the double digits for the next Jesse Macbeth tournament and it’s the end of January. Damn. This is going to be a tough field to select from this year.
oh, Lord, no doubt another “I was pulled out of Basic and sent directly to Sniper School because I was the best shot they ever saw”. please Please PLEASE – while I’d love to shut some of these posers up permanently, on reflection, no one tell them that line pegs the BS-o-meter from 50 meters out…. it just makes ’em easy to spot.
Smallest squadron in 3rd Herd when they were at Bliss was Aviation Squadron, followed by Support Squadron, both with at minimum a coupla hundred members. When was the last time you heard of 100+ casualties in one unit?
Pardon me for being a ChickenHawk Wingnut, but if you’re training to be a sniper, dont you kinda sorta have to WANT to be one beforehand in order to get so good at it that the Army puts you in a combat role where you have 17 kills?
Please tell me that no one who expressly behaves like a snivelling CodePinko ever makes it to the parking lot of sniper school. Please.
What looks to me like another dead giveway is his appearance on NPR, who swallow hook line and sinker ANY tale of “peace-loving GI turned into remorseless baby-killing machines by GW Bush” without regard to the ACTUAL truth, because it fits The Narrative Truth.
Hardly an expert on the subject, but I’ve only known one guy who admitted being a sniper. That was only because he sought me out as someone with whom he could discuss his frustration at not being able to become involved after 9-11.
Yep, back when I was a copper we routinely handcuffed witnesses. Then we transported them to the interrogation warehouse at an undisclosed location and beat the truth out of them with with the NYC yellow pages. Once they spilled all they knew we stuffed ’em in the trunk of an unmarked car and dumped them in the deepest darkest ghetto in the city with a warning to stop witnessing shit. Let me tell ya, that made ’em VERY eager to testify in any criminal trial.
What I love is how he talks about going to the “Middle East”. Where exactly, Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan. Usually when one talks about being over there they talk about being in the “sandbox” or the ‘Stan, or any variation or derivation thereof.
Further one does not typically write an Article or Blog Post describing themselves in the third person. Its rather like me saying “Doc Baily is a hero who once killed a tiger just by looking at it” and then going on to detail how much of a Hero I am. Just for flavor I could also throw out that I’m a victim too (cuz what liberal can function without someone being a victim).
Lastly for all Veterans, and those that actually give a shit about truth justice and the American Way, this will keep happening unless and until we actually start taking Stolen Valor seriously. Not just finding these jacktards out, pointing out their obvious lies, but also educating the public, and yes, PROSECUTING said violations. The public will continue to believe we’re all ticking time bombs till that happens.
“The Army taught me to drink.” Really?! General Order 1B specifically forbids drinking for deployed soldiers/sailors/airman. There must be a special exemption for snipers.
If NPR had any qualms about this, they’d take the whole thing down, not just close comments about this ass.
See what annoys me the most is when I hear gunfire I try to identify distance and direction, unless it makes a certain sound…but hey maybe “snipers” are different than engineers. God I hate fakers, PTSD doesn’t mean you are afraid of stressful situations it means you have a harder time with day to day life. Fuck Stain…
I sent Marketplace an email; I got a response from one of their editors saying the producer was looking into it.
For perspective…
I was a Scout in 6th Squadron, 9th Cav, 3rd “Greywolf” Brigade, 1st Cav Division, deployed to Diyala, Oct ’06 to Feb. ’08.
Our Squadron had 3 line troops, apporox 80 soldiers each, plus one support troop, same. Approx 320 troopers.
We had 27 KIA out of the squadron. Over 300 in the Brigade, heaviest losses in a Brigade during OIF.
What a douche.
@45: I’ve never heard of “half a squadron” being wipped out. Unless we’re talking about Custer, or that Jack ass in 2/7 who marched his troopers in staggered column to LZ Albany.
http://www.marketplace.org/topics/economy/commentary/returning-veteran-has-few-marketable-skills
the retracted the whole thing:
he is a total fraud/liar.
Editor’s Note: A commentary by Leo Webb, ”Returning veteran has few marketable skills,” prompted questions from listeners about Webb’s account of his service as an Army sniper in Iraq. A subsequent investigation found that the Army has no record of Webb. Webb also said he pitched for a Chicago Cubs minor-league team. Inquiries to the Cubs and to Minor League Baseball found no record of Webb. Marketplace has an obligation to provide accurate information. That was not met in this commentary. It has been retracted and the text and audio have been removed from the web site.
Maybe if this keeps happening they might actually ya know, DO SOME RESEARCH BEFORE THEY POST THE STORY Nah. That would make too much sense.
[…] bats 1000 February 1st, 2012 About our Leo Webb super sniper who saw half of his squadron wiped out. Kevin emailed the senior editor of the Perspectives project […]