James Edward Ferris; Korean War phony
I got this about six weeks ago and somehow it slipped through the cracks on me. But this is the story of James Edward Ferris, a homeboy from Liverpool, NY. Here he is on the CSPAN broadcast of ceremonies commemorating the signing of the armistice ceasing outward hostilities on the Korean Penninsula back in July;
Here he is with Joe Bite Me at the same ceremony;
And Leon Panetta;
Here’s what he was wearing;
Here’s where the trouble begins;
Right off, anyone who can count can see that he’s wearing more than the four awards that are in his records. His records also say that he was in the Pacific with the 3rd Marine Division. Wiki says the 3rd marine Division never went to Korea;
The Division was reactivated on 7 January 1952 at Camp Pendleton, California. Immediately after its activation and still in its organizational state, the Division began intensive combat training, including new tactics and maneuvers based on lessons learned in Korean War. During the remaining part of 1952 elements of the Division participated in numerous exercises and training problems, including vertical envelopment (helicopter landing), airborne operations and attack, and defense against atomic weapons and missiles.
In August 1953 the Division arrived in Japan to support the 1st Marine Division in the defense of the Far Eastern area. In March 1956 the Division moved to Okinawa and remained there in a readiness posture until 1965.
By the time the 3rd Division got to Japan, a cease fire had been signed the month before and major combat operations in Korea had ceased. it wasn’t his fault that he didn’t get to Korea, but it is his fault that that he’s told several journalists that he was in Korea in 1952 while hostilities were raging, when, in fact, he was at Camp Pendleton, CA.
Of course, Wiki isn’t a real source, so I went to the 3rd Marine Division Association‘s website, and there is a big gap in their history between World War II and Vietnam. Another website mirror’s Wiki’s history;
The 3rd Marine Division was reactivated on January 7, 1952 at Camp Pendleton, California. This was the Korean War era, but the Division did not deploy to the theater. Instead they undertook training that involved both experimental tactics and lessons learned from Korea. In August of 1953 the Division arrived in Japan to support the defense of the Far Eastern area. In March of 1956 the 3d Marine Division moved to Okinawa and remained there until their deployment to Vietnam in 1965.
So, who is James Edward Ferris? Well, he is the national director of the Korean War Veterans Association. Technically, his service in Japan qualifies him for membership in the Association. Their website says;
If you have EVER honorably served in Korea as a member of the U.S. Armed Forces, or served outside of Korea June 25, 1950 to Jan. 31, 1955, you qualify to be a Regular Member of the Korean War Veterans Association, Inc.
So all of that bling is unnecessary for his position. I can’t find the top ribbon, so it may be somehow connected to the Association, but I do see a Combat Action Ribbon, his Army of Occupation Medal is on upside down and neither are in his records. But his National Defense, Marine Corps Good Conduct, Korean Service and UN Service Medals are all there. I didn’t bother looking up the rest that stuff, and I’m guessing that the badge above it all is part of the Association’s stuff, since I don’t recognize it. Maybe you guys know more.
ADDED: I have text to several interviews he did in which he said he was in Korea in 1952, but he couldn’t have been since the 3rd Marine Division was at Camp Pendleton in 1952. Those articles, from July, have mysteriously disappeared from the internet. Wearing a CAR for Japan after the Korean War is like wearing a CIB for Iraq while he was stationed at Doha.
Category: Phony soldiers
Research indicates that you could be eligible for the Korean War medals through 1954. And you could get it for support activities supporting the war.
Yeah, but not a CAR.
looks like he’s wearing jump wings with a star (senior or master parachutist,I can never remember)
The last ribbon on his rack looks like the Vietnam Service medal.
Marine Corps personal records are a clusterfuck of inaccuracy and the turds at HQ Marine Corps are a bag of dicks. I’m just going to assume there are inaccuracies in his awards but not that many……
There is a CAR database online if you know his last 4 SSN but I’d be shocked if 1950’s service was in it.
The top ribbon, to me, looks like an attempt or is very close to looking like a Silver Star.
I just sent an email to half a dozen officers in this organization. Wonder what I’ll get back?
The ribbon at the top of the rack (blue, white, wide red, white, blue) looks distinctly like a British War Medal from World War I, awarded to members of the Canadian military.
“The medal was awarded to all ranks of Canadian overseas military forces who came from Canada between 05 August 1914 and 11 November 1918, or who had served in a theatre of war.”
And yes, that is a Vietnam Service medal on the lower right end of his ribbon rack.
Ex-PH2, you beat me by an inch. I think you are correct in the British ribbon as well as the Vietnam service. You are good 🙂
I don’t believe that the badge is a Senior Parachutist badge. That, I believe, was only for Army and Air Force. The Navy can wear the basic badge, but their jump wings have the wings going out to each side and it is gold. I could be mistaken of course. But on close-up the badge doesn’t look like a parachute to me.
I follow these discussions of awards and decorations with great interest but little knowledge. My personal theory is that they are using the art of Feng Shui, balancing color and design, to improve their personal harmony.
(Yes, I’m being sarcastic.)
@9 – COB6, Thank you, sir!
The badge at the top is not a set of wings. It’s a shield with laurel leaves on either side and a star at the top of the shield. It isn’t a jump badge or a recon badge — not wings.
@13 That looks like a badge from the USAF of some sort. Most of they occupational badges look similar with the laurel leaves coming back around like that, plus it’s that “brushed aluminum” look. I’ve tried to research it, but I can’t find anything. I’m retired USAF. It’s hard to pin down because I can’t see it that well, but that also looks way too modern for Korea. I’m no expert and I could be wrong, but it sure looks like some kind of USAF badge to me.
The badge above the ribbons looks like some kind of Soviet Red Army badge, but it’s hard to see it clearly. The star at the top, the laurel leaves on each side and the shield in the center — not a parachute — make it look Soviet, but it isn’t a clear picture.
All USAF badges like that can have a star on top. It demotes “senior”.
Absolutely not a parachutist badge and I can’t find a USAF badge that matches either. Hmmmm
That would be that the star DENOTES “Senior”. Rented fingers
Maybe Air Traffice Control or Meteorologist? No idea
All I’m sure of is that is not any kind of Marine Corps badge. It looks nothing like any badge I can find for the USMC.
I looked at the Korean insignia and medals. Nothing. Closest I could come was the Red Army, and not enough of that to make a comparison.
I checked Korean, Japanese and Vietnamese military badges and nuthin’.
He ran for president of the association and submitted his vitals, as did all candidates. The info contains addresses and phone numbers and personal info so I excerpted only the relevant info from what he submitted as his military experience. Make of it what you will. (Any oddities in the punctuation, abbreviations, and omission of dates are all his, not mine.)
Military Experience:
*Korea, Combat Infantry Operations G-3, Between 1st.Mar.Div & 3rd Mar.Div.
*Ordered to French Indo China, to assist in the evacuation of French Nationals.
*Ordered to Okinawa to assist in relocating the 3rd Mar Div from Japan,to Okinawa.
*Ordered to Iwo Jima to assist in future use of the Island as a strategic area.
*USMC 1952-1955
*Seventeen(17)years in the NY Guard.
@23. Yipes. Anonymous again!
Maybe that is a Drone Operator Badge? 🙂
Check out Ancestry.com Marine Corps Rosters.
Camp Lejeune until October 1953, then Japan 1954, then back to CONUS for April 1955 return to civilian life.
No idea on badge with wings.
Rack.
Top Row:
New York Conspicuous Service Cross
Second Row:
Combat Action Ribbon (upside down)
Good Conduct Ribbon
Reserve Ribbon
Third Row:
National Defense Service Ribbon
WWII Navy Occupation Ribbon
Korean Service Ribbon – No Battle Stars
Fourth Row:
UN Korean Service Ribbon
Air Medal
Kosovo? Iowa Commendation Ribbon? Wyoming Outstanding Service?
Fifth Row:
Nobel Peace Prize Ribbon – See Biden Photo for Medal
New York Recruiting Medal
Vietnam? No idea on this one.
MOS 0143 – Administrative Man – Retention Specialist?
I love the politicians!
Maybe they were asking his opinion on women in combat, DADT, etc?
Who knows?
It would not suprise me in the least.
Old Turd.
From a recent lecture at the United States Military Academy. Pretty much sets the time line.
http://tinyurl.com/b8osk6q
@26 What you’ve identified as an air medal (4th row) looks more like a Navy Expeditionary Medal (ref pg 12, DOD Pam 672-6).
This comment is WAAAAY off topic, but I don’t know how to start a separate post, and I don’t know where else to put this comment.
This morning, when I was at the VA hospital in Biloxi, I met a VERY unusual veteran!
As you well know, almost every guy you meet who is a veteran of the United States Army will tell you that he was Special Forces, or an Airborne Ranger, or a Prisoner of War who escaped, or some variation of that.
But THIS veteran actually told me that he was a postal clerk stationed in Frankfort, Germany, and that he spent most of his time smoking hashish.
Unusual, huh?
#30,
Now, that is one vet I’d like to meet! I’ve only met a handful of talkative vets who’ve claimed run-of-the-mill MOS’ and duties. Most are either quiet, or loud mouthed “Special Forces/SEAL/POW camp escapee like you said.
As for the badge, I’ve been looking everywhere and can’t find it. It almost looks like the senior version of some Air Force badges, given the shape of the “wings”. Here is another high-res photo, but the badge is still blurry: http://www.defense.gov/photos/newsphoto.aspx?newsphotoid=15506
[sigh]
I still don’t understand why these guys do this. My less-than-stellar military resulted in no comat heroics. I’m quite satisfied in the knowledge that in 24 years I managed not to screw anyone over, that I always tried to do justice by my subordinates and that I was a pretty effective BS filter.
That’s all I need.
That silver badge above the rack looks like the USAF Senior Command and Control badge seen here:
http://www.vanguardmil.com/air-force-badge-command-and-control-senior-regulation-size-p-5855.html
Or the Senior ATC badge:
http://www.vanguardmil.com/air-force-badge-air-traffic-control-senior-midsize-p-5651.html
Gosh, metal bling is so pretty.
But if he was in the Marine Corps, why is he wearing an Air Force badge?
As the FOIA reply for his records shows, this LSoS (decryption of acronym available on request) doesn’t rate the Occupation Medal. Eligibility for that medal for service in Japan ended on 27 Apr 1952 – 2 days before he enlisted. Eligibility ended in Korea in 1949. And he has no service in Germany/Italy/Austria in the 1950s (Berlin until 1990).
Similarly, he also doesn’t rate the VSM – again, as the FOIA reply regarding his records shows. Eligibility for the VSM begins on 15 Mar 1962 for Army/Navy/USMC (Vietnam Advisory Campaign). The tool had been discharged from the USMCR before then, and there is no later Federal service shown in his records (that later service would be shown if he’d been recalled or went back in and served in Vietnam later). Service during the evacuation of French nationals from Indochina in the 1950s does not qualify for award of the VSM.
Both the KSM and UNM were awarded in Korea until 1 year after the armistice on 27 July 1953. If he served there post-armistice and prior to 27 July 1954 he legitimately rates those.
While a CAR might be technically possible post-armistice (DMZ firefight or infiltration attempt), there’s not one in his records. So he appears to be lying about that one, too. Ditto any expeditionary medals he’s wearing (Navy or USMC) – they’re also not in his records, so if he’s wearing any he’s lying about that as well.
Bottom line: he’s a LSoS who’s now been publicly exposed as exactly that.
For me, the badge appears to be a Senior Parachutist’s Badge that is a bit worn.
Combat Action Ribbon is also upside down/backwards. Blue is always “towards the heart” as the sea is in our heart, when worn properly on the left breast. Cheesy, but that is how a lot of Marines remember it (I do). I suspect any Marine who earned it would take care to remember that since it is one of the more “prestigious” personal awards you are likely to get.
Anonymous II (26): good catch.
According to his records he doesn’t rate that either. That’s because it would be impossible for him to rate one. He doesn’t have enough USMCR service.
He only has 5 years USMCR service (Apr 1955 – Apr 1960). Like the current AFRM, the USMC Reserve Ribbon required 10 years of satisfactory participation in the USMCR within a 12-year “window”. Even if you count his active duty time (service in an initial enlistment on active duty in the regular components generally wouldn’t count), he only has 8 years total USMC service (29 Apr 1952 – 28 Apr 1960).
Even if this tool served later in the National Guard as he claims, he couldn’t have earned one. There is no such thing as USMCR service in the “National Guard”. USMCR and USNRA are exclusively Federal service; there is no USMC in the National Guard. And because the USMCR is Federal, any later USMCR service would be shown in his Federal military records at NPRC.
The USMC Reserve Ribbon became obsolete in 1967 when it was replaced by the AFRM.
Bottom line: there’s absolutely no freaking way he rates the USMC Reserve Ribbon. He thus appears to be lying about that one, too.
“That news that there’s been little mention to date of the Korean War at the museum hardly phased Jim Ferris, a Marine Corps veteran who fought in Korea in 1953 and is first vice president of Korean War Veterans Association.” Read more: https://secure.timesunion.com/ASPStories/Story.asp?storyID=1141380&newsdate=4/2/2012&BCCode=MBTA#ixzz2MOhp0onQ The only unit award they received (3rd Mar Div) was a National Defense. Interestingly, I found this guy’s blog. He speaks about the Division’s time in Japan fondly. No mention of anyone being in combat. However, Mr. Ferris states (or maybe it was the journalist/author embellishing) he “fought in Korea in 1953”. If there was no fighting going on- something is wrong. http://www.angelfire.com/ca/dickg/japan.html I am assuming the dates mentioned as USMCR was his IRR time, if they had that back then. With all this taken into consideration, I can’t find anywhere where his units were deployed to a combat zone and would then possibly rate a CAR. I am pretty up to speed on USMC history, and unless they listed his units wrong or left one out- there is no way he earned the CAR. As for the parachutist badge (which, as I stated before, I believe it is) that is definitely a possibility. As for a senior level? No indication in his records of either one but I don’t know if he would have rated it given the short time he served. I can’t find any mention of 4th Replacement Battalion or 3rd Division being involved in anything close to combat. Since his FOIA does not record it, and there is no indication that any battalion he was part of was in combat, it is either a case of his records being severely mishandled/recorded or fraud. This is how he describes his time in Korea and Vietnam. I have never heard of anything like this but perhaps some old timers can tell me if this is possible. “I arrived in Korea in January 1953 with the 3rd Marine Division in an engineering battalion,” Ferris said. “However, I went to Japan first and then I was transferred from engineering to G-2 (intelligence) for some reason. I was… Read more »
He did a rescue mission of French Nationalist where they couldn’t take weapons? Even then, unless they returned fire upon taking fire, the CAR would not cover those actions.
I imagine, if pressed about this info, he will use the popular “it was classified” to explain why none of this is in his records. Also, if any of this were true, why wouldn’t he have been awarded some type of “achievement” award or award for valor. I am not buying his claims. I believe he was simply a regular Marine in 3rd Mar Div at the time, and ended up doing his duty honorable with nothing special involved. Why would they send a Corporal to do these things rather than a higher enlisted/officer? They chose Cpl Ferris to do a secret mission to rescue French Nationals from Indo-China at a time it was blowing up? I seriously doubt it.
Upon further research, which I plan to take up soon, I assume we will find that Ferris either started his local chapter of KWVA, was a member early on when they didn’t require proof of claims, or simply slipped under the radar. It isn’t until recently that organizations really started scrutinizing their member’s claims (and some are still lacking), and I doubt anyone would question him.
Still does not explain why he’s wearing an AIR FORCE badge of any kind.
And the Vietnam service medal (green borders, yellow background with three red stripes) was created in 1965 by Pres. Johnson. Ferris’s military service ended in 1960, so there is no way he qualifies to wear that, period. I don’t care how many Frogs he was pulling out of there. What a bunch of hooey.
Didn’t take much research. He was definitely a “charter member”. Anyways, he also says his military experience was:
– Korea, Combat Infantry Operations G-3, between 1st Mar Div & 3rd Mar Div
-Ordered to French Indo China to assist in the evacuation of French nationals
-Ordered to Iwo Jima to assist in future use of the Island as a strategic area
-USMC 1952-1955
-Seventeen (17) years in the NY Guard
Nowhere in there does it actually mention combat or in any way mentions a unit involved in combat. Again- pretty much points to an embellishment of service or a serious screw-up in admin.
http://www.kwva.org/graybeards/gb_12/gb_1202/gb_1202_candidates.pdf
@42 I am not expert, but I believe that is an Army Senior Parachutist badge that is a bit worn.
Based on this criteria, I don’t understand how he was awarded that NY Conspicuous Service Cross, either.
http://dmna.ny.gov/awards/csc.html
It even says it excludes the guard. He wasn’t awarded any higher personal decorations listed either.
That is, unless that actually IS an Air Medal he is wearing.
But I agree with the above poster- it is the Navy Ex
Found this ironic:
Whether fighting on the Korean battlefield or in Congress, Ferris is dogged about his mission.
“Every time we ran into some stumbling blocks on the park,” Barwinczok said, “he had a favorite saying: ‘Tell the truth, stay the course and you will prevail.'”
http://auburnpub.com/lifestyles/auburn-native-elected-president-of-korean-war-veterans-association/article_637a6956-8d82-5105-a9b1-d10d217acb72.html
Hard to see- but he is wearing a lot more ribbons/badges here:
http://www.midhudsonnews.com/News/2010/June/21/KorWar60-21Jun10.html