Tim Poe: America’s Got Stolen Valor?
Editor Note: This post is stuck to the top of the blog, scroll for newer posts.
UPDATE x4: The audio interview with Tim Poe is up, it starts around 110 or so. Also more media coverage about this at Fox.
“I had volunteered for a team to go out and clear buildings and help out with the wounded,” Poe said during a taped interview on the show. “There was a guy who come up with a rocket-propelled grenade. I saw it coming down, and by the time I turned and went to jump on top of my guys, I yelled `grenade’ and the blast had hit me.”
It seems that Yahoo is reporting it as well.
NBC had no comment on the story, but if proven true, these accusations could turn a feel-good story into a serious scandal for the network. At the very least, it sounds as if someone at NBC didn’t do their homework before broadcasting Poe’s story into millions of homes. Poe got three “yes” votes from the judges and will presumably continue on in the competition; we’ll have to see how “Talent” addresses these very serious allegations in the weeks to come.
UPDATE x3: It seems that America Got Talent has finally responded about his military background. Thanks Chris for the link.
Got a second link to the America Got Talent about a ex-wife that talks about his past. Thank you to Parachute Cutie for the link.
UPDATE x2: I just spoke with a Major at the MN National Guard PAO who confirmed this press release. If he did all this heroic type crap, it wasn’t with this unit anyway, and he was assigned to the National Guard during the time he is claiming. So, unless he served in 2 units AT THE SAME TIME, this guy is full of crap. (cue Doggy Dog and his apology to me now.)
UPDATE: Insert Ace of Spades glowing skull here….
From a commenter, I have not verified yet, but this matches the other info leaked to me:
STATEMENT FROM THE MINNESOTA NATIONAL GUARD
~~ Attributable to Lt. Col. Kevin Olson, Spokesman for the Minnesota National Guard ~~
Sgt. Timothy Michael Poe served in the Minnesota Army National Guard from Dec. 3, 2002 until May 26, 2011, and performed as a supply specialist.
His military records indicate that he served with the Minnesota National Guard in Kosovo from Oct. 10, 2007 until July 15, 2008, and was deployed to Afghanistan from July 28, 2009 to Aug. 30, 2009.
Sgt. Poe’s official military records do not indicate that he was injured by a grenade in combat while serving in Afghanistan in 2009, as he reports. The Minnesota National Guard can also confirm that he was not awarded the Purple Heart Medal for wounds sustained in combat.
Have emailed the LTC, will update when confirmed. (The LTC emailed me back and gave me a second confirmation on this press release.)
Original post:
According to this cat, he got hit by an RPG which led to TBI and a stuttering issue….
That same thing happened to me, or just about the same. I got hit with an RPG, but I was quick enough to catch it in my teeth, and though it exploded, all it gave me was an aching priapism. But, I spit out the remains of that RPG thing and yelled at the dude that shot me, “Oh man, you done screwed a Royal goat now!” And I called on teh power of Greyskull and Odin to help me. They were both busy, but Odin sent the Valykries who picked me up, one under wach arm, and a third carrying my prodigous member, and they flew me around the battlefield to smite mine enemies with major smitage. Then I cut off all their earlobes and made a really cool lampshade.
And, according to a host of folks showing up all over the ‘net today, my story is apparently just as factually based as this numbnuts…
Ole Poe here has one defender..
Benjamin A Beers
Really people don’t you think the show would do there research before televising his addition as well as the network. The net work dose full on back grounds on the contestant and there stories before the show even comes out let alone be put on air and I’m sure if your story was true about Tim Poe the US Military would of already came out to say he lying after all these addition were over a month ago. I do respect and support are troops but this just seems like bullying to me.
Um, no. I doubt they do any research at all. How many times has there been a contestant that appeared on some dopey reality TV show and then weeks later they have to boot them for porn or a criminal record? This publicity will only make more people tune in.
I’m going to go out on a limb here and declare this one busted. I have a friend who met this guy and said s/he suspected Poe was full of shite from minute 1. Either that gut instinct was right, or someone went through a lot of effort to invent people in the 114th transportation company and their Facebook pages.
Now, if you don’t mind, I’m heading out with my Valykrie friends for some BBQ and Mead in Valhalla.
UPDATE: ok, so now we have like 15 gazillion people coming from Facebook, so since the vast bulk are new to TAH, better explain some back story….
1) I have a source on this I trust implictely.
2) there are 15 names of folks from his unit that are on the Facebook page. I suppose it is possible they are all plants, but that would be one hell of an effort, since I went to each individual Facebook page, and they were all started WELL before yesterday.
3) I have documentation showing his claims of having a Bronze Star and a purple heart. Other folks are emailing and PMing me that these are not accurate.
Is this guy’s story real? I wasn’t with him, but gun to the head and Occum’s Razor suggest no. In order for his story to be real, there is a serious effort afoot to malign him. Is it possible? Sure. Is it likely, no.
This stuff happens to us all the time. See for example Sergeant Major Mailahn who was the “youngest Marine Corps sergeant major in history.” We outted him, he threatened legal action, and months later admitted he was full of crap.
Would I like more info on this guy? Absolutely. For some reason all the principals have gone silent on this. I am told it is because the command of that unit told them to shut up for now as they work on a press release. I’d feel better with that press release, but go to the link I put in above. Come to your own conclusion, I’m just some dopey dude blogging. You have access to the folks saying he was lying, and his video. Assess for yourselves what you think.
Category: Phony soldiers
Memo to those who would appear on television, radio, or in print–keep your shit straight, because SOMEONE besides you knows the truth.
But TSO, can I join ya’ll after King Neptune sails me around the seven seas on the back of Fudgie the Whale. I had a hell of a day yesterday, catching those Russki-made 533MM torps and tossing them back (overhanded) back at those Iranian Kilo boats.
Or was that Cookie Puss? Damn it’s so hard to remember. Bonus points to anyone who gets the reference.
One thing I noticed was at the end when he was being interviewed by Nick he didn’t stutter at all and Nick called him on it, Poe was acting all surprised and stuff.
Yes, I was watching AGT. Hate all you want.
Screw Poe. If I find Mr. Beers, I’m breaking his effing hands for butchering the English language.
And memo to Mr. Beers. I’ve been on television. Background check? AYFKM?
NHS- I was on Fox Movie Channel yesterday. (No lie) in my uncreditted role has Citadel Hat Thrower in the movie For the Boys with Bette Midler. I swear to you I never saw the scene until yesterday, even though it was filmed in (I believe) 1991 when I was there.
Fudgie the Whale and CookiePus were Carvell Ice Cream Cakes, if I recall correctly. Sad that this guy felt he had to “spruce up” his service and lie.
Ben Beers’ comment above is proof that literacy is not a requirement to post something on the Internet – where the stupidity will be preserved for posterity.
I’ve had the DISpleasure of breathing the same air as this jackwagon. Once witnessed him play 18 holes of golf with NO ISSUES yet when it came time for the awards ceremony after (his team won) he made a grand entrance by hobbling to get the award using a cane and with a shit eating grin from ear to ear.
The day after filming (I guess one of the Vegas episodes that hasn’t aired yet) he told me, in person, that he didn’t get put through. Said the judges/staff told him they couldn’t put hin through because AGT doesn’t want a singer to win this year and they knew that people would vote for him because of “his story”. He went on and on and on with the story – no stuttering, mind you. The ONLY reason I didn’t deck him then (because I was NOT buying the story) is because of where I was and not wanting to make a scene and dishonor truly wounded Veterans.
Thank you for posting this TSO
Hondo–it was said that if 700 monkeys sat at 700 typewriters for 700 years, eventually you’d create the works of Shakespeare.
Fortunately, thanks to the Internet, we know this is not true.
Sparky, does that mean that if we give Bennie Beers 700,000 years, we’ll still get illiterate shit like his paragraph in the story?
He dishonored the REAL SOLDIER, Spc. George W. Cauley, who died on 10 October 2009 from injuries sustained from an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attack on October 7, 2009. Specialist Cauley’s convoy was en route to the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade at FOB Dwyer in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan when his vehicle struck an IED.
http://www.minnesotanationalguard.org/soldiers_and_airmen/fallen_cauley.php
SPC Cauley was the ONLY casulty from the 114th Transportation Company from the Minnesota National Guard.
I tried to access his Tim Poe’s Company Commander, CPT Jeffrey Nilsen and ISG Scott Lehmkuhl to verify Poe’s information, but was unable to access Guard Knowledge On Line. Could not find their names/email addresses on AKO.
I hope that enough folks are writing NBC/AGT to have Poe eliminated ASAP and that the TRUTH be told.
If you go to this site, you will see a comment from his Ex Wife as well as his other comrades from the unit.
http://www.gossipcop.com/tim-poe-americas-got-talent-stuttering-singing-video-audition-injured-vet-june-4-2012-if-tomorrow-never-comes-agt/
All who served with him agree that he was not injured. This man is a pathological liar. A disgrace to the US Army and to those TRUE HEROES such as SPC Cauley who REALLY gave his life for our country. Can you imagine what SPC Cauley’s family felt if they watched this program last night?
Im Tim Poe’s dog. He is lying about everything. I mean look at the evidence, you got me his “ex-wife” “former squad leader” and all the paperwork to prove what we are saying…oh wait. Well you have Facebook comments and posts on a gossip site…wait, will that hold up as proof? I’m just a dog I don’t know. But come on, you people like to get pissed about things without letting the truth come out. So yeah! Let’s burn the bastard.
OK Doggy dog, explain to me how this fits Occums razor. You mean that 10 people on Facebook that all know each other and who all claim to have served in that unit are lying, but Poe is telling the truth despite no one backing up his story. Fair enough, then let’s go after these other folks lying, perhaps you can explain to me their motivation, including how they all started up Facebook accounts years ago, but just treaded water until launching their diabolical plot yesterday. I find this plan of theirs to be simply ingenious…
Nope. Not saying that they are troll accounts set up with bogus emails. Which is really easy to do, or that this cat isn’t a bullshitter. Just saying that one way or another the shit will come out. Why not just sit back and wait to see who’s ass needs whooped? And make no mistake about it, which ever way it goes, some needs a beating.
Cookie Puss and Fudgie the Whale!!! Carvel ice cream cakes!!!
How will “the shit come out” if no one steps up to make it come out? I’m curious how that happens. Is there some international truth detecting body out there I should have waited on?
If so, when will they complete the nearly 70 other stolen valor guys we’ve exposed?
I’m not saying the people claiming he’s a fake aren’t telling the truth you thick fuck. It bugs me that everyone is instantly Swinging from their nuts. “oh the network didn’t do a background check” “these people that haven’t been vetted must be telling the gospel.” see how retarded that is? I don’t know either set, I don’t trust either one of them. Bring it up to the attention, the. See where it goes. Don’t call for blood until you either A) have a DD214 or B) have the proof he’s a shamming asshole.
Basically don’t call for blood till you know something. I swear people like you are the reason for fuckig PT belts.
I’m out, have a good one.
Well, you’ll be missed.
And yes, I was the one that invented the PT belt.
Oh, and I’ll take option B for the win.
Just one FYI for you before I go, the reason for the PT belt does not infer you invented it. It means you’re retarded. And I don’t care what option you take, after you get done here you can go tell everyone why Treyvon Martin is an innocent little angel since that seems to be your MO.
I’m guessing you stumbled in here by accident, so let me clear up a few things for you asshat:
1) I have a doctorate, which makes me smarter than you.
2) I have a CIB, which makes me cooler than you.
3) I’m just plain dead sexier than you
4) We’ve been backing Zimmerman, so this isn’t the blog you are looking for.
Stupid is as stupid does.
Valor thieves are so myopic, and have no idea just how small the “big” military community can be. (Looking at you, Guy-I-Once-Worked-With-Who-Was-In-The-Navy-Seals-But-Did-Not-Know-What-BUDs-Stood-For.)
Solid reporting on this doucheneck.
Yeah, been here, seen all that. I know this is a Zimmerman friendly site. What is the most common complaint about that case? A rush to judgement. That was my point with that comment. Sorry, should have broken it down for you. And again, I’ll wait till the 114th either puts out a statement or doesn’t. I don’t take anyone at their word.
Are you still jacking your dickhole, Private? Get back out there and mow the Sergeant Major’s grass! Grown-ups are talking.
Apparently that release is currently being authored, per the folks sending me emails that don’t want to get publically drawn in.
Good deal then. After they do I hope they burn him on live tv.ight actually tune in then, but I reserve judgement until they do.
Seriously have to go now. It’s been real TSO.
Well this pecker head just hit the yahoo news scroll. So I guess the truth will come out in spades about right now.
http://tv.yahoo.com/primetime/injured-war-vet-s-inspiring-performance-on-agt-29557755.html
If anyone cares Yahoo.com as the story and a video on its webpage. I’m sure more peoplt that know his story will start speaking out soon.
Dog; if several people from your unit say you weren’t wounded in combat and that you’re full of shit, then it’s a pretty safe bet that he’s lying. He’s from San Antonio? Must have made it hell for him to do drill weekends in Duluth Minnesota (home of the 114th Trans Co) for 14 years, eh?
Way to go Tanker Babe and TSO. I saw this on facebook last night and am pleased to see this posted today! I noticed this guy to be a phony in his interview because he did not studder then.
Trolls are always funny. Uninformed trolls are the funniest.
I think a good punishment for douchebags that claim this kind of crap is to actually have to man up and go through what they claimed to have gone through. You want to say that you were the target of an RPG attack? Fine. If it turns out you weren’t, you should be forced to endure it. Claim to have been wounded and you weren’t? Fine, time to get your dose of back injury and TBI. This a-hole cheapens the service of those that actually DID go through that kind of thing.
I gave a “Tip” to the Drudge Report as well as others Bloggers. I hope Poe “stutters” his way off the stage with his “broken back”…
Even Howie said “…amazing you can even walk…”
Yep, hope he “walks” off that stage “stuttering” in SHAME.
Hope his children are proud of their Father, Tim, this Father’s Day.
Question for any lawyers out there: if (as it appears) Poe is lying about his service, would the fact that he presumably used that lie to get onto AGT in the first place constitute prosecutable fraud (or theft by deception)? It would seem to me that that would qualify as a misrepresentation of a material fact for the purpose of securing monetary gain.
Do they pay mere contestants? Besides, I doubt that AGT has any actionable damage. Hell, I’d never watch the show if it wasn’t for this.
TSO: my guess is that they pay the contestants’ expenses at a minimum. That would be the economic gain obtained under false pretenses – a free “vacation” plus publicity, both of which are likely worth literally thousands.
I believe having random trolls who’ve never posted before coming in to defend the accused is the 3rd milestone on the “Stolen Valor POA&M” and usually a good early sign that “stolen valor confirmed” will be the successful outcome.
STATEMENT FROM THE MINNESOTA NATIONAL GUARD
~~ Attributable to Lt. Col. Kevin Olson, Spokesman for the Minnesota National Guard ~~
Sgt. Timothy Michael Poe served in the Minnesota Army National Guard from Dec. 3, 2002 until May 26, 2011, and performed as a supply specialist.
His military records indicate that he served with the Minnesota National Guard in Kosovo from Oct. 10, 2007 until July 15, 2008, and was deployed to Afghanistan from July 28, 2009 to Aug. 30, 2009.
Sgt. Poe’s official military records do not indicate that he was injured by a grenade in combat while serving in Afghanistan in 2009, as he reports. The Minnesota National Guard can also confirm that he was not awarded the Purple Heart Medal for wounds sustained in combat.
TAH: got this link to a page from someone that deployed with him in 2009 — let me know what you think. Sounds like a poser to me, but who knows. PPB says I should wait to see, but it seems to me that there are an awful lot of people with one story and him with another. Just my opinion.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10150944971415680&id=91633210679&ref=m_notif¬if_t=feed_comment&_rdr
Great work guys, glad that things are starting to come to light. Hopefully this gets the exposure it deserves.
Set his ass on fire on live television. Good call on the story. My bad TSO. If the rest of you disagreed with me…this is me not givin a fuck. I’m still all for not hopping on a bandwagon one way or another.
Damn, he’s claiming to have been wounded in Iraq, too:
http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/Charity-helps-disabled-veterans-get-back-into-the-workforce-155855655.html
Experience says his TV Fraud is “tip of the iceberg.” I’m betting we’ll find a history of fraud, and perhaps some of it involving $$$ that could be prosecutable. More to come on this one….
FOIAs to NPRC and MN ARNG will go out in tomorrow’s mail.
Hondo…I always FAX mine. Much faster:
(314) 801-9195
@41: Geebus fuck, Hondo! I’m so fucking pissed off after reading that, I could personally shove that guitar so far up his ass that he would have to pull his teeth to tune it!! This punk ass motherfucker is begging for a throat punch if ever anyone was!
Doug: true, but I don’t own a personal fax machine – and mail isn’t that slow between here and STL.
Justice would be for him to be singing soprano – permanently.
So…not that you can believe anything Poe says but….
He actually told me face to face the day after the Las Vegas taping that he didn’t get put through. Again, HIS WORDS so take them for what they AREN’T worth.
He went on to tell me that the show or judges (I didn’t really care) told him that they didn’t want a singer to win this year and if they put him through he was a shoe in to win. Yeah, I was looking for an exit at this point.
He went on and on and THEN pulled out his f’ing guitar and started playing. That is when I walked off. Now, those of you who know me may wonder why in the hell I didn’t punch him or, at least, call him out. Well, I was a guest at an event with a ton of REAL wounded Veterans, WWII Veterans and a lot of civilians. Figured it best to walk away and not make a scene. Still think I did the right thing. We kept our eye on him.
Today is the icing on the cake!
Oops….sorry for repeating myself. Didn’t mean to put you all through that story again. My bad.
In the link where he claimed to have been wounded in Iraq he also claimed to have gotten back in the service on September 12th 2011, which doesn’t fit with the news release from MNARNG (big surprise). At least his claim to have brain damage appears to be accurate (even if the cause he blames it on isn’t).