Robert B. Hollingsworth, Jr.; phony POW
So, there’s this guy, Robert B. Hollingsworth, Junior, who thought that for some reason being a POW/MIA in Vietnam would somehow improve his business, so he put it on the header at the top of his blog. And he was indeed in Vietnam, and he was a photo lab specialist in a Military Intelligence unit. But, he wasn’t a POW and the only bronze stars he has are on his Vietnam Service Medal – not the same as a bronze Star medal, but I guess it’s close enough to fool folks who don’t know any better;
I guess it wasn’t enough that he served when most of his generation did their level best to avoid service, he had to go and make shit up. And a fake Bronze Star citation. He promoted himself to Spec 5 on it as well as make himself a POW;
When you pretend to be a Specialist 5, it’s probably not a good idea to put on the same blog your Discharge certificate showing that you’re an E-3, especially when it’s dated more than a year after your fake BSM citation;
And it looks like his fakery has been going on for a while and it’s been more extensive than just a BSM and POW playing;
Added; You know he needed a CIB;
Category: Phony soldiers
A former “combat photographer with a MI unit” claiming falsely to be a Vietnam POW? Something tells me that Ex-PH2 ain’t gonna like that . . . .
Hondo, that and in the family picture with all the bring it says Chicago.
Bling not bring, stupid auto correct.
The maggot looks like an old school gangster in that picture.
Phonies suck but those that claim POW status deserve a special place in hell.
The “Action” specified in his Bronze Star Citation would have warranted a “V’ device for valor, not just a naked BS for Achievement.
And, for the record: there doesn’t appear to be anyone named “Hollingsworth” on the list of POWs returned alive after the Vietnam War. That list can be found here:
http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/vietnam/reports/pmsea_returnee.pdf
There’s also no “Hollingsworth” on the list of SEA escapees found here:
http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/vietnam/reports/pmsea_escapee.pdf
There’s also no “Hollingsworth” on the “accounted for” list from SEA:
http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/vietnam/reports/documents/pmsea_acc_p_name.pdf
However, there is a “Hollingsworth” on this list – the MIA list. That would be ENS Hal T. Hollingsworth, lost 16 January 1966, in South Vietnam. ENS Hollingsworth’s remains have never been recovered.
http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/vietnam/reports/documents/pmsea_una_p_name.pdf
Screw this lying bastard.
Sparks: yep. And it wouldn’t have been typed in that font in 1968, either. IMO that certificate is an obvious Photoshop job – and a pretty p!ss-poor one at that.
Yep, the tool’s blog says his shop is in the IN part of the greater Chicago metro area. He’s got an image of his business card there, giving address/e-mail address/phone number.
And I’ve got a copy of that info too, just in case it disappears from his blog.
Boy, Ex-PH2 is gonna be royally p!ssed about this LSoS.
Hondo…Roger that.
On that Honorable Discharge certificate, it looks like this tool’s SSN is visible – unless I’m mistaken.
@8.
Also has a photo of his turdass self with his family.
boy, are they going to be disappointed.
I am both saddened and pissed at the family photo. Dragging in innocent family members into one’s lie mindboggling.
TWO REASONS HE IS THE REAL DEAL:
1. Look at all that military stuff he has!
2. Look at what he has done to the two kids!
REAL DEAL!
Notice the two stars on his CIB in the dress up photo. Somehow later (last photo) he realized, that he did not fought in wwII as a propably 6yr old Rifleman and 16yr old paratrooper in Korea.
Wonder when it hits him, that all that imaginary stuff in Vietnam also didn’t happen.
Wow, it looks like a surplus store threw up all over that poor family.
I’m glad that the only thing my grandpa lied about was his dishonorable discharge. He took the low road and said he was a Spec-4 supply clerk who completed his enlistment honorably, which nobody believed (probably because of his hoard of surplus military equipment hidden in the backyard). I’m glad that he didn’t dress us all up in fatigues and patches and parade us around like he was trying to impress us with something.
That CIB really goes well with his Signal Corp pin.
In the 1986 photo, he appears to be wearing a CIB with two stars. That would mean he would have to have served in infantry combat in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. What a stud.
Beretverde: good eye, amigo.
Wanna guess where else that doc is posted? If you guessed the jackass’s blog, you’d be correct.
The term “rock with lips” comes to mind for this guy. As well as LSoS.
@12: Yeah, when you see the starry-eyed look of those kids in the photo, it’s clear that they are proud as hell of their dad. What a shame for them to find out that he’s been lying to them their whole lives and is just another phony.
Look a bit more closely at the family pic… Those patches, especially on the kids are clearly Photoshopped. The picture may be from years ago but the patches are not.
Regarding the family snapshot: The kids cannot be blamed for how their parents dressed them, and it was probably pretty cool to be able to wear the same stuff as daddy. This is NOT criticism of two cute, blameless minors!
But I was immediately reminded of this article from the Duffleblog:
http://www.duffelblog.com/2012/06/son-proudly-follows-in-fathers-grandfathers-footsteps-in-faking-military-service/
Does that make me a bad person?
Cordially,
Ranger Pat
What more could you expect from a CUBS fan? They’ve been lying to themselves for years.
What’s with the 40s look? He’s got it all going, including, it appears, the Speed Graphic (Press) camera and the big fat tie.
As disgusting as every phony is, especially those who served honorably enough to receive an honorable discharge, those who claim POW status or a MOH are the most disgusting of them all.
What a fool.
He is wearing a SF green beret in the lower image;
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/–L-zTphCV-A/TrKRy48x0hI/AAAAAAAAFno/CQBPuax7um0/s1600/WWW+-+Page+%2523250.jpg
I’m still waiting the hear from Ex-PH2. It doesn’t make me (an ex AF Lensman) too happy at all.
He’s so proud of his Bronze Star, that he doesn’t wear it. Nor is he wearing a POW Medal. He is wearing a Navy/Marine Corps Combat Action Ribbon, which probably hasn’t been awarded to many Army guys.
Question: Why is it that guys who were legitimately in fuck up their uniforms (That uniform he’s wearing in the last picture just makes me want to cry; a CAR on a soldier? Dammit.) and stories so bad? Is it just laziness? I would think that if you went through boot camp and such, you would at least know that you can’t put that stuff willy-nilly everywherey. Instead, guys like this, MSGT. Soup Sandwich, and this guy (http://valorguardians.com/blog/?p=4391) put together these ridiculous clown suits that even a sophomore in high school can pick out (heaven knows I’ve done it often enough).
Really; does anyone have an answer to this?
@28-I mean posers who were in, not vets in general, in that first sentence. Important distinction 🙂
You have to love how he drags the wife and kids into his fucking charade… asshole.
I busted a poser years ago in Key West who really was pushing the envelope… AT ME! He initiated all of the interaction as I was just get away… minding my own business. Sadly his teenage son was with him and started defending his dad…talking about having pictures of him in action. I “destroyed” that call and probably was responsible for his son to question his own dad’s daring dos and manhood. rb325th calls it correctly.
Another Vietnam Vet who soiled his honorable tour of duty with lying bullshit…sad…
Ex-PH2 checking in. I’m so impressed that he actualy is silly enough to pose with a Crown Graphic, which is what sports and combat photographers used — in the 1940s and 1950s!!!
Combat cameramen generally speaking used 4×5 format in WWII and Korea. The Speed Graphic, Crown Graphic and the Medalist were the most widely used. The Bolsey was an early 35mm camera used in combat, and also the prewar 35mm Retina. I think GEN Patton had a Leica that he used for personal photography. There was a 70mm (medium format) camera, the Graflex Combat Graphic.
Seriously, this guy was a lab tech in Vietnam, processing combat footage and making prints. How you can stay in the service for almost 7 years and get discharged as an E-3 is beyond me. He must have been a dipstick at what he did.
The IN part of the greater Chicago area means he’s in Indiana, probably Gary or Terre Haute, not Chicago. He was a Trib photographer? It’s easy enough to check that. The Tribune dismissed all of their photographers last year and is going strictly with freelancers. Some of those shutterbugs were Pulitzer prize winners. And this guy is putting himself in with them? Sounds kind of grandiose to me.
Those two boys in the family pic don’t look like they’re enjoying themselves, one has a blank expression, the other looks pissed! As for his Missus wearing unit patches for decoration, that has less class than a public school on Sunday!
OK, I checked his blog.
He bills himself as a retired Chicago Tribune photojournalist, but at the bottom of the blog page is an article that states, very clearly, that he is a Post-Tribune (different paper) sports copy editor.
There is a WORLD of difference between being a Chicago Trib staff photographer, or even a Trib stringer, and being the sports copy editor for a small Indiana newspaper. If he’s a photojournalist, where are HIS photographs?
Lovely to have you back, kid… I think his claiming to be a POW puts him ‘way off the scale past ‘grandiose’ already
Can someone pass me some asprin?
I feel like I am being schooled again!
When did we have a POW camp in Laos? And I did a search — the picture with the family shows the boys as John and Robert III — there is a Robert B. Hollingsworth III who lives in Indiana: [address redacted] Highland, IN [zip+4 redacted] and the records indicate his age as 65-69, so maybe that’s him.
I have a friend that is the former State Commander for New Jersey for VFW — I asked him to see what he could find as to his application to join. Will let you know what I find.
That Welcome Home photograph looks just as legitimate as pirate Lesbian’s photograph of her leading a combat patrol.
The ‘Welcome Home’ photo is probably from the ‘Welcome Home’ parade that the city of Chicago held for Vietnam vets in the 1980s: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/chi-chicagodays-vietnamvets-story,0,1630969.story
So I doubt that his ‘welcome home’ photo has anything to do with his phony claim of being a POW. Other than that, he’s another annoying twit in a long line of annoying twits.
How does a Army dude get a CAR?
I just stopped by his blog to leave him some love.
“Why in the world would someone with an otherwise honorable service career, even combat time, want to embellish with claims of being a POW, earning the Bronze Star Medal, and more.
There are no words to describe those who would stand on the blood and grief of others. No words.”
The second of my two comments:
“Over at “This Ain’t Hell” blog, we are all about helping people to be seen far and wide. Thanks to the power of the great Gooooooogle search engine, we can and do help others much like you in becoming much better known.
See your name, “up in lights” here:
http://valorguardians.com/blog/?p=39172 ”
41JarHead Pat Says:
January 6th, 2014 at 6:48 pm
How does a Army dude get a CAR?
Well, see, he was detailed to John Kerry’s swiftboat unit during the secret Christmas mission to Cambodia…
Folks, please: Jonn doesn’t usually allow the posting of physical addresses – especially unverified ones – about posers. There are some folks out there who aren’t that stable, and if the info is wrong they might well go “off the rails” and go after the wrong person. We don’t want to be a party to that in any way, even by accident.
If he lives in Gary, IN that is almost punishment enough.
AMEN TO THAT, Twist!
The jackass even post his real DD-214 on his site
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0adWPU4BR6c/TrDz0P9FjoI/AAAAAAAAFZ4/rO2gmn5y5hM/s1600/WWW+-+Page+%2523145.jpg
His DD 214 also lists him as an E-3. Man, there was hardly any need to do a FOIA, he posted all the evidence against himself on his own… No Infantry, no Bronze Star, No Jump School, no SF assignment, just an otherwise honorable time in a combat zone flushed down the toilet because someone has some mental health issues and needed to feel better about themselves. Okay, I have no idea if he is nucking futs, but to do what he did for what purpose?? It strikes me as the actions of someone who felt inferior, the need to be a hero.
When the fact is he was a hero by just serving there to begin with!!
Appears he did make it to SPC though
http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMjI0NjEwMzYyNF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNzQ2NzkwNw@@._V1_SX640_SY720_.jpg
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3019254/mediaindex?ref_=nm_phs_md_sm
Oh hell fucking no. This cocksmoker is wearing a legion hat for the post from my hometown of East Chicago – home of many brave servicemembers from all branches (look up LCpl Emilio A. de la Garza). This bastard is an embarassment to our whole Region and needs a serious ass-whoopin.