James Ferris; Prez of Korean War Vet Assoc. revisited
A few weeks ago, someone who wishes to remain nameless, came across an article in the Syracuse Post-Standard about James Ferris, the President of the Korean War Veterans Association who we wrote about in March. In the days that followed the first post, Ferris said things about me which were unkind and he invited me to go to Liverpool for lunch with him – yeah, that won’t happen. I’m not driving six hours for lunch with someone who may or may not show up. I do like the Syracuse area in Spring, but not that much.
Anyway, I contacted the reporter, Mark Weiner who is on the staff of the Post-Standard, but works in their DC bureau and we began to work together. Mark didn’t like the idea that he’d been had in the first article, the reaction of most of the reporters with whom I’ve worked on these things. Anyway, Mark used his contacts to verify what I told him initially, and then he went “needles down” on Ferris. First Mark called someone he knew in Albany and found that Ferris wasn’t authorized by New York State to wear that New York State Conspicuous Service Cross that he’s wearing on the top row of his rack.
Then Mark went on to verify the rest of my claims against him, compared to the 3rd Marine Division’s history and it turned out that I was correct – the 3rd arrived in Japan in August 1953, a month after the ceasefire in Korea and sat there. There’s nothing wrong, that was completely outside of Ferris’ control and being stationed in Japan during that period certainly qualified him for membership in the Korean War Veterans’ Association without adding all of the go-fast-medals.
Anyway, Mark did what I couldn’t do from here – he sent a reporter to Ferris’ house and ambushed him in his driveway. Ferris finally came clean and admitted that he had never seen combat, and he explained that the ribbons he wore were his brother’s who made him promise from his deathbed to wear his brother’s ribbons. Yeah, ok, we’ve never heard that one before. Then he begged the reporter to keep the story out of the press, because he was 81 years old. Yeah, well, what about all of those years that he wasn’t 81-years-old and healthy that he successfully fooled everyone with his brothers’ medals?
Anyway, Here’ Mark’s teaser to the big story. He had to hurry up and spit out something because Ferris told the reporter that he was tendering his resignation to the Association today. Something he could have done nearly two months ago when we broke the story. The board had a meeting to discuss the situation and then kept the results of the meeting from the membership hoping that it blow over. Well, now instead of blowing over, it’s blown up.
So mucho thanks to Mark, to Sam Naomi (who at first became my worst enemy, then my best friend) and our unnamed fellow up in Clay, New York who helped us roll this particular snowball.
Since the KWVA needs help cleaning out their ranks, I have another one for them to read about here this afternoon when Mark’s second article comes out.
Correction: I mistakenly called the Syracuse Post-Standard the Syracuse Herald in the original. I wasn’t aware that the Herald had been out of publication since I left. The Herald and Post-Standard were interchangeable in those olden days.
Category: Phony soldiers
Good job Jonn, and a shame this could not have happened before he digraced a MoH ceremony with his presence.
Epic.
This site never fails to entertain.
Finally a good muckraker.
What if Ferris’ sister made a deathbed request to have him to wear her high heels after she died?
Thank you, Jonn, for smoking out another sh**bag, especially one from my back yard.
Yeah, my nextdoor neighbor was a WWII vet who landed on Omaha Beach and fought in the Battle of the Bulge, and just before he expired he made me promise to wear his medals on his behalf because I was an OIF vet and we were brothers-in-arms and yada yada yada…does Mr. Ferris think we’re idiots or somethin’?
This is awesome! Been waiting on this for a while. I new that NY medal was BS- he wasn’t listed anywhere and couldn’t have rated it anyways.
Busted!
Keep this up and the government’s going to name a guided missile after you, Jonn. 😉
Wait- this isn’t true at all. What about his story of rescuing people and all that crap?
“Ferris never made public claims of serving in combat, but in appearances over the years he has offered sparse and often conflicting accounts of his service from 1952 to 1955.”
Actually, there was a small story in the Auburn, NY Citizen where he claimed that he went to Korea in 1952 and spent 14 months there. Mark found the article in the Citizen’s archives, I don’t know why he didn’t use it other than the fact that it was almost 10 years old.
True. On his original story posted about him, I put a ton of other links on there, including a video of him talking about “combat”.
Out. Freaking. Standing.
Kudos to you both, Jonn and Sam. And special thanks to Mr. Mark Weiner for taking appropriate action after being “had”. Too many in the press seem to try and “bury” such news.
I’ll repeat my “Rules for Attention Whores” like Mr. Ferris:
1. It’s not a good idea to make a reporter look like a fool by lying to him.
2. If you do, remember that the reporter will get even – and has a bully pulpit from which to do so.
It’s everywhere now hahahahah
http://online.wsj.com/article/APd80e0a7a44b2409d8fbca3f5e4d0149e.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
“James Ferris says he offered to resign but the association rejected his offer. He’ll remain president through June 2014.”
Wow
I know on my dying breath I’m going to say “son, I know you decided to become a doctor instead of going in the Military, but I want you to wear my ribbons and join an OIF veterans organization”.
Disclaimer; My son is only 8 and is not Doogie Howser.
@13 lmao
Hell hath no fury like a reporter scorned….when you take the time to write someone’s story and then find out it’s a bullsh1t story, that tends to irritate folks a little.
Jonn makes a great point regarding this man in that he could have chosen another route, one that was based on his honorable non-combat service. There was no need to embellish.
He could have been the president of the KWVA and said he was doing all of these things to honor his dead brother’s memory, to recognize the character and commitment of men like his brother who serve their nation in the face of enemy fire.
Had he chosen that path the entire nation, including everyone here, would have recognized him as a man of honor, dignity, and service through his good works with the KWVA. He would have been a revered member of that organization and fondly remembered….
Instead he will be remembered for his lies, and those lies will tarnish his good works with the stink of untruth. His honorable service sullied and dishonored with his lies and deceptions.
I have met no veteran, combat or otherwise, who thinks poorly of anyone who donates their time and energy in the service of our returning vets. Quite the contrary, most vets I know are extremely fond of everyone who aids vets with a donation of time, money, or services. The moral is that if you want veterans to think highly of you, don’t lie to them and do something to help those veterans in your community who can benefit from your efforts. No need to lie or make up stories.
Ferris: “I am extremely sorry, embarrassed and sick over this whole thing.”
Let me translate that: “Shit. A few more years and this wouldn’t be my problem. Instead it would be my kids who’d be the ones getting embarrassed by my lies instead of me!
I almost got away with it. Dammit!”
“James Ferris says he offered to resign but the association rejected his offer.”
Rejected his offer? WTF?
If he was wearing his brothers’ awards, he would have WWII medals/ribbons, not Korea/vietnam ribbons.
ALso, I hope the other guy going down is Charley Price.
This video is interesting.
This is that video I was talking about earlier. Just for reference. He lies all throughout it about dates and all that.
@TSO- That’s what I am saying. I doubt he even offered to resign. SAM!!! WHERE ARE YOU?!?!?! lol
Looks like the story has made at least one Fox station and has hit the west coast:
http://www.fox44abc22yourvoice.com/story/22131690/korean-vets-assoc-president-wore-brothers-medals
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Korean-vets-assoc-president-wore-brother-s-medals-4479792.php
Awesome. Again, I imagine those weren’t actually his brother’s medals. Just a convenient lie.
“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.”
“Whether fighting on the Korean battlefield or in Congress, Ferris is dogged about his mission.”
I had an older friend(non-military)whose brother was killed in Vietnam.
His brother’s medals are on his living room wall in a frame.
Not on his jacket.
Wow. Just wow. It’s the first of May and my month is already made!
“Ferris was at the White House for an April 11 ceremony where Obama awarded a Medal of Honor posthumously to the Rev. Emil J. Kapaun, a military chaplain who died as a prisoner of war in Korea.” Yes, the unworthy SOB was there and the shame is all his for delivering his loathsome self to a ceremony of such honor.
“I made a mistake,” said Ferris in an interview. Don’t be so nice to your miserable self, Ferris. A mistake is putting on unmatched socks or inadvertently giving someone bad directions. What you did was deliberate, purposeful, and wrong.
“I was stupid, I guess. I just thought it was innocent, something I was doing for my brother. I really didn’t think about it.” Well, which is it, Ferris, a mistake or an intentional but stupid act? How about, neither? How about flushing that brother’s death-bed request down the toilet with the load of other crap you’ve served up? And, yeah, the story is credible. What were his last words, ‘Please, wear my medals and let’s keep it our little secret?’
Then there’s the poor wife. He uses her reported medical issues to hide behind. To me, that’s the revealing of his detestable character.
Ok- last one unless I find something juicy:
This picture shows him wearing a lot more than usual… I wonder if those were his BFF’s or something:
http://www.midhudsonnews.com/News/2010/June/21/KorWar60-21Jun10.html
If only these people would realize that they will melt when sunlight hits them.
As Kirk said to Spock:
Spock: Please, Captain, my modest —
Kirk: Does not bear close examination.
I now have no respect for KWVA…
“We are totally supportive of Jim Ferris,” said Larry Kinard, of Midland, Texas, the group’s first vice president. “We feel that he has been wronged. Jim Ferris has been a very qualified and outstanding president of our organization, and the board supports him totally.
“In this case, we don’t think it meets the definition of stolen valor. He was simply honoring his brother’s wishes,” Kinard said.
OK, I give up…I followed the link to the Syracuse.com article by Mark and I can’t figure out which phony you’re talking about.
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2013/05/korean_war_veterans_associatio.html#incart_river_default
Heh…
“In this case, we don’t think it meets the definition of stolen valor. He was simply honoring his brother’s wishes,” Kinard said.
And his brother’s wishes were memorialized in his brother’s last will and testament? Um, no. And his brother’s last words were heard by someone in addition to KWVA President Ferris? Um, no. Well, then, they were recorded and notarized? Um, no. Please don’t tell me that the sole source of the brother’s last words were KWVA President Ferris! Um, yes.
In that video I posted, he clearly makes claims to have been in Korea. It is ridiculous that the KWVA does not drop him.
I think this is the full one:
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2013/05/korean_war_veterans_group_lead.html
If I was a Korean War vet who served with honor, I would quit that KWVA immediately; and all Korean war vets who detest this lying BS should form their own rival organization to proudly and properly represent their interests, and let KWVA and its dis-honorable leadership wither on the vine…
Here’s Jimbo talking to cadets at West Point about his Korean War “combat” experience. He’s quite clear that he was in Korea. Maybe like his wife, he has a “senile plaque buildup” causing delusional memory experiences.
http://www.usma.edu/news/SitePages/Korean%20War%20veterans%20share%20their%20experiences%20with%20cadets.aspx
I am reaching out to reporters in areas with a large KWVA chapter to see if they are interested in getting their opinion on it. Something tells me the regular rank and file may not know about this, and probably aren’t always on the internet looking for stories like this lol.
It’s like this. If the KWVA membership wants his taint, they are welcome to it. Perhaps they can join forces with the Vietnam Veterans of America where, with the qualifying dates of service and a cleared check for the membership fee, you too can join. No in-country or combat experience required.
Also in that video “I was in and out of North Korea, South korea”….
Yeah, you are right. If they want him, they can have him. Just sad.
Well, I didn’t see this on Drudge. Dunno if Matt will be interested, but I sent him a couple of links anyway. (smile)
@36: Not to fear; he was in Vietnam as well. From the same post where he spoke to West Point cadets…..”not even a jack knife….” What a warrior.
After the Korean War, Ferris was sent to Vietnam on a rescue mission.
“The French were having a hard time in Indochina, which is known as Vietnam today,” he said. “We were ordered to go and bring back as many French Nationalists as we could find. It was a touchy situation; we were not allowed to take any weapons, not even a jackknife with us.”
EdUSMCleg
I’am right here reading all the blogs, fact is, I have’nt left, it’s just been a real bad pass couple of months for me with this Ferris matter. Yesterday was my last day as a KWVA member, I don’t have any intentions of ever renewing my membership, so I will retain my VFW and American Legion membership, and continue working with Jonn to make this a better world for the next generation of Veterans that come along. I just hit 87 years this pass March 3rd, but I feel great, and not ready to leave this old world, still have a few more phoneys that needs to be deported
Sam (From where the tall corn grows)
@41.
Right on.
Hang in there.
@40. Yeah, I forgot about that! He qualifies for VVA too! Excellent. Maybe they’ll waive his membership fee since he is, after all, a genuine and authentic immitation combat Veteran who just made a mistake of wearing medals not his.
sustainer: yeah, he was also sporting the VSM in his ribbon rack (bottom row, on the viewer’s right). The one next to it might be the Vietnamese Gallantry Cross.
The USN did help move many a boatload of Vietnamese Catholics from North to South in 1954. But it was a reasonably permissive environment, and our folks weren’t getting shot at. Ferris is just trying for a second bite of the stolen valor apple with that little claim.
While it may be technically true that he “went to Vietnam in 1954”, helping refugees board ships is hardly wartime service. But he didn’t fight there, nor was he in any real danger. And it DOES NOT qualify him as a Vietnam Vet or entitle him to wear the VSM, either.
The story should be ‘White House invites fake Korean War vet to medal ceremony’
Yeah, that’ll happen…
@Sam… Good to hear from you brother. You did the right thing, and continue to do so. Just wanted to hear you are good. I hate that all this is true, but it’s better the truth get out there. I’ve said it before and I will say it again: Thank you for your service.
VVA: Republic of Vietnam between February 28, 1961 and May 7, 1975, or in any duty location between August 5, 1964 and May 7, 1975.
1954? So, I take it back. He is not eligible for VVA membership. Maybe he can form an auxillary corps.
I just don’t understand the need to embellish one’s military career. I enlisted as PV1, went to OCS because I “…wasn’t NCO material…”, and retired as an O4 after 24 years of service. Never saw combat, was ready to go if called. That’s enough for me.
I married well. I have a healthy, hard-working son who has a good heart and shows it every day. I’m so blessed by God. My 24 years in a green suit had its ups and downs, but I wouldn’t trade those years for anything and I wouldn’t diminish their value with false claims.
I’m just not smart enough to understand why people feel the need to lie about their military record.
#44: Heck, even the Marines and DAO personnel who were involved in the final evac of Saigon in 1975 did not get to wear the VSM (they got the AFEM instead); why is dingleberry wearing the VSM and Viet Gallantry Cross???
@sam, you deserve some sort of recognition award as a TAH stalwort of the year. When you backed him up, I disagreed but applauded, beause that is what loyalty is all about. And when the evidence showed, you weren’t afraid to come back and speak your piece. And now you put your money where your mouth is again. That’s honor right there sir, and I salute you for it.