Info request on probable phony
Mary at POW Network is asking if there’s anyone out there who has served in one of the following units in 2009;
1/4 Cav Iraq
1/9 Cav
27th Cav
Bulldog Company
Black Jack Command Team
Deuce Four Legionaires
Artic Wolves Brigade of the 1st Stryker Btigade Combat Team
25th INF Div
The person she’s looking at also claims that his Stryker vehicle was hit by RPG March 7 2009 – injuring all 5 “of his squad.” He “returned to American for medical treatment.”
He also claims that he went on 66 foot patrols. If you served in one of those units, you’d remember the guy even if you don’t remember his name – he’s 82 years old. Yeah, I know.
Category: Phony soldiers
A boat is defined as a water-borne vessel that is small enough to be placed in a ship. The only boats the Navy and Coast Guard have ever used are tugboats, skiffs, and other, similar small craft.
Hondo — re: your comment @14, I tell stories, too, but that does not mean I have dementa. I clearly state that they are stories. If this keeps up, I’m sending my picture of me and LT Uhura to Jonn.
BTW – there was a USAT Megis (sometimes referred to as USS Megis) – she was sunk in Feb 1942 and is resting in Darwin Harbor
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USAT_Meigs
This is the source link for the Navy/Coast Guard archive on the Meigs, which I posted above at #53:
http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/22/22116.htm
@86 – USMC8 – Precioussssssssss!!!
@104 – That was originally named the USS West Lewark, later renamed the USAT Meigs, built in California in 1919.
And Leeds’ claim is that he was on the Meigs in 1945, so if he was actually on a ship by that name, it may have been the Meigs commissioned in 1944 in New Jersey. However, his entire story is so full of WTH??? stuff, I find it difficult to believe any of it.
I found the revolting pic of the Jap soldier with a baby impaled on his rifle’s bayonet that Leeds referred to as his motivation. I cannot find anything regarding war atrocity trading cards, however.
His Coast Guard papers indicate he was on the Dudley Thomas (which was an aircraft freighter in WW2) from Feb. 21 to May 31, 1945 (Feb 21 was the delivery date of the Dudley Thomas), he was also apparently enlisted in the Army at the same time but did not enter active duty until June of 1945. Apparently after leaving the command position for the Israeli First Airborne in 1948 (a unit which did not exist at the time) he was accidentally re-enlisted as an Air Force Reservist a year later….
The plot thickens certainly, I am just not clear on what the thickening agent being used is at this time….
Aircraft Dispatched to the Army Air Forces Overseas by Sea Crated and Uncrated: Jan. 1942 To July 1945
Total Aircraft shipped by Sea: 47,851
by Aircraft Transports (ZEC’s):
Assembled: 1,943
Crated: 128
Total shipped: 2,071
Source is http://www.USMM.org/army/cargo
Oh, piffle, that link doesn’t work. Here’s a better one:
http://www.usmm.org/armycargo.html
@108 VOV: I am just not clear on what the thickening agent being used —
Maybe flour? Oatmeal? Instant potatoes?
@111 I think its bullsh1t, that’s why it smells so foul at the moment….
Regarding the message recieved in Post#90, in what capacity was he embedded as an 83 year old civilian? Was he a journalist, contractor, special envoy, USO entertainer, won a trip on The Price Is Right, fantasy military camp participant, looking for the Lost Ark?
@113 Hack
This is what I sent LTC Rawlinson
“Sorry Sir. It seems that someone has already inquired about this with you. Our question is WHY was he embedded? Doing what? He dances around that. We can’t understand what an 83 year old man was doing as an embed. If it is none of our business I understand that.
Mr. Leed’s story is so amazing (his whole “bio”); if half of it were true it makes Forest Gump look lame by comparison.
Thanks for your time Sir.”
Waiting on a reply. I also sent the LTC the link to this post.
IMO, he wanted to write books that might be interesting to people who like adventure stories, but he wrote it in the first person and maybe just got into it too much.
Anything’s possible. But since he’s got most of his information wrong or 180-out, most of what he says is suspect. If he served in WWII, fine. The Merchant Marine service was in as much danger transporting cargo for the troops as any other surface vessel group. I provided a link to a list of USMM ships that took fire and received a Gallant Ship designation. But he’s got everything so tangled up, it’s hard to sort out the truth from the fiction.
Hey, there’s another reason he’s full of shit. The 56th Stryker Brigade of the PAARNG was in Iraq from January-September of 2009. Our entire brigade had finished right-seat/left-seating it with the outgoing unit by March, and so far as I know, were the only Stryker game in town between FOBs Taji and Liberty, with only one battalion at Liberty.
Is he claiming to have been with the Guard Stryker brigade?
We also had no 80-year-olds in any of our Strykers. Period.
Oh, okay, there was some overlap with the 25th out of Wainwright, but they were at Warhorse, which is about right since he mentioned Baquba. But if I could find that via Google, I imagine even an 80+ year old could as well.
Oh, heavens, he is so full of shit it’s not even funny, when I do some reading. I have a feeling this man is lawsuit/harassment baiting with publishing his full address, either that or he’s crazy.
“When war broke out, he began flying with the Israeli Airforce and in July, 1948, he was sent to Czechoslovakia to study airborne command tactics and to train a group of young refugees into a Paratroop Brigade. (His plane was shot down over Albania and crash landed in Czechoslovakia.) He returned to Israel and established a paratroop training school in Haifa. At 21 years of age, Leeds trained and commanded the First Israeli Airborne Brigade. ”
This crap might work with the uninformed, and even then, I doubt it, but unless Leeds is a pseudonym for either Yoel Palgi or Yehudah Harari, this is pure horseshit. As we say in Yiddish, “a ligner darf hoben a guten zechron,” though I’d say “a ligner darf hoben a guten Google.” The history of the Paratrooper Unit, is well known inside and outside of Israel, and it’s highly curious that the name Robert X. Leeds appears nowhere in any of it. Mickey Marcus you ain’t, pal, and a fictional shadow ain’t giant.
Hey BK are you in the 56th right now? If so you have a shot out from another PAARNG guy right here haha but I’m 55th.
I got out last summer. Miss it though!
@BK, yes, and I added the link to the IDF’s Paratroopers Brigade up above. If you speak Hebrew (you don’t have to, though) you can probably connect with them. Here it is again:
http://www.zanhanim.org.il/
This guy has such a convoluted story that he doesn’t realize the Battle of Manila Harbor went on during the month of May 1945, with a lot of human casualties and ships damaged or sunk. He can’t even get that part of his story straight.
BK— agreed, I find it interesting he commanded a unit that didn’t exist until 5-6 years after he claimed to lead it….and that some of the men involved in the early formation have names we all know like Moshe Dayan, and Ariel Sharon….you would think a stakeholder in the unit would be noted somewhere in the history…but perhaps he was so busy doing the work no one remembered who he was….because that always happens to the commanders of elite, well documented units….
@Ex-PH2 – My wife and I are both fluent in Hebrew.
Chanah Shenesh and Palgi’s WWII exploits were partly an influence on joining our Army with an airborne contract. I love Israel and all, but I was born and raised a Pennsylvania boy. I love how the Brits name phonies like this “Walter Mitty.” The article about his candidacy in Nevada outlined other contradictory time-periods with his “service”, including a framed discharge paper from the Air Force Reserve for a period of May 1949 to 1952.
That’s some amazing international multitasking, the double life of “paratroop brigade commander” and his duties as a Basic Airman in the AF Reserve. And the humility that would call for in his role as an enlisted Air Force guy, knowing in just days he’d be training and leading battle-hardened Israelis.
I see he takes the “prove that I’m not” approach above, daring folks to call him directly. I wish we still had a viable Stolen Valor law.
I think he’s going to be singing quite the different tune when the SVA is passed again. YMMV.
Personally, I’ll go half liar, half dementia.
TO: O-4E & Hack Stone: O-4E: I regret that I did not give you the correct spelling. The name of one of my commanding officers in Iraq is: Lt. Col.Philip Battaglia, 4th BCT Commander. You should also contact Major Chad Carroll and tell him about my “phony claims” of embedding at 83. Hack Stone: When we finish this wild goose chase,you may choose to apologize. You are one of the saner contributors to this inquest and I hope you will allow me to end it. I have given everyone my home address, my phone number, all my different Email addresses and web sites, and have asked everyone for an address where I can send substaniating documents. Not one critic has responded with a phone call or a mailin address. I do not have a functioning scanner, so I can only send out copy machine products. You speak of integrity. I suspect you are unacquainted with Knight-Errantry. I chose to become a Knight-Errant when I was only about twelve years old. Basically it is a dedication to DECENCY. Decency is a life that is built on four support piers: COURAGE, COMPASSION, LOYALTY, AND INTEGRITY. I have lived my entire life by this code. No one has ever heard me use a profanity. I have edited and written several books without one word of profanity. Am I “insane” for being Courageous? Am I “insane” for being Compassionate? Am I “insane” for being Loyal to God and my country? Am I “insane” for protecting my Integrity? I am a warrior only because I choose rightousness over peace! On a number of occasions I have been called a HERO and I have ALWAYS denied that accreditaion. A person can become a HERO by one single act. A person who is COURAGEOUS is always willing to encounter any infringment of rightiousness. I have asked all my doubting critics to furnish me a postal address where I can mail them copies of my travel orders and MNFI documents (including the name of the Commanding Officer of the Multi National Force Iraq! I can furnish them a… Read more »
Robert embedded with my brigade while we were in Kirkuk in 2009. He came to me on his third of four embeds with 25th ID and was properly vetted by CENTCOM. At the time, he was approved to embed because he was writing a book on modern military culture. Before he came to me, he’d been injured by an IED while on a patrol in the east. At his request, I sent him out on at least four operations to assist him in gathering material. Furthermore, even at his advanced age, he insisted on carrying all of his own equipment, which was quite heavy. Mr. Leeds was well-regarded by the units he embedded with, and I’ve seen people 1/3 his age with far less stamina.
@127
Thanks Sir. That is the WHY we were all looking for. That Mr. Leeds tap dances around. As in WHY he was embedeed. That he refused to answer and even alluded to “his Czech Special Forces Israeli Paratrooper Commander” background as the reason for embedding.
That part of the puzzle is verified and closed.
@126 – Mr. Leeds
Now that your embed claims have been verified I must say you are to be admired for doing a deployment at 83. You have to admit that is highly unbeleivable and amazing story. Made more so by refusing to answer WHY and WHAT you were embedded for. Why not simply say you were writing a book and nip that in the bud?
Instead you allude to some other special purpose based on your past experiences (which have also been questioned)
From The Dictionary of American Fighting Ships: USS General M. C. Meigs (AP-116) was launched 13 March 1944 under a Maritime Commission contract by the Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Kearny, N.J.; sponsored by Mrs. Henry R. Arnold; acquired by the Navy 2 June 1944; and commissioned at Bayonne, N.J., 3 June 1944, Captain George W. McKean, USCG, in command. After two round-trip, troop-carrying voyages between Newport News, Va., and Naples, Italy, from 10 July 1944 to 1 September 1944, General M. C. Meigs departed 5 September 1944 for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Arriving 18 September 1944, she was visited by Brazilian President Getulio Vargas and embarked 5,200 troops of the Brazilian Expeditionary Force, the first Brazilian troops to be carried by an American transport. She sailed 22 September 1944 for the Mediterranean; arrived Naples 6 October 1944; and there embarked troops, civilians, and 460 German prisoners of war for transportation to the United States. Departing Naples 10 October, she embarked additional troops at Bizerte, Tunisia, and at Oran, French Morocco, before returning to New York 22 October 1944. Between 7 November 1944 and 8 March 1945 General M. C. Meigs made two similar round-trip voyages from the United States to Italy and North Africa via Brazil, carrying thousands of American and Brazilian troops to Europe for the remaining drive against Nazi Germany and returning several thousand others to the United States and Brazil. General M. C. Meigs deployed troops to Panama and Puerto Rico from 25 March 1945 to 7 April 1945 before departing New York 16 April 1945 to carry troops to Le Havre, France. There she embarked homebound troops 28 April, sailed for the United States 30 April 1945 via Southampton, England, and reached Newport News 14 May 1945 . Between 22 May 1945 and 14 June 1945 she steamed to Naples and returned to Newport News with 5,100 veterans. Sailing again 23 June 1945, she transported occupation troops to Naples, where she then embarked Brazilian troops 4 July 1945 and sailed on the 6th for Rio de Janeiro. She reached Brazil 18 July 1945 and steamed… Read more »
O-4E I don’t believe anyone other than General Petraeus knows the real reason I was embedded. It was necessary to use the “author” cover to get my embedding through. You will not find my claim to being the oldest man to serve with the U.S. Army in Iraq anywhere! I didn’t need nor want the noteriety. I did not have nor do I now seek any movie glory or book deal. I apologize for referring to the SS General Meigs. I found some records that show it was the S.S. Dudley H. Thomas. Built in Panama City, Florida Jan.5, 1945 and launched Feb. 8,1945 It was manned by all civilian crew except for the 3″a & 5″ cannons. Everything else in the prior “General Meigs” blog stands. We were in the South Pacific about four months. I was awarded the American Theater & Pacific Theater ribbons by the War Shipping Administration! I do believe the SS General Meigs became one of the American President Company’s flag ships after the war and I worked on it as a Electrician. Now the Israeli bit. When I arrived home from China, I was approached by an agent of the Jewish underground who begged me to go to Israel to set up a training school for parachute packers. I did so. However, on my first day they asked me to go out in their Primo squadron as a Bombardier. I taught parachute packing during the day and flew with the Israeli Air Force every night. Some harrowing tales (all true) will be related in my forthcoming book. In July, 1945, I was asked to assess the feasability of a parachute brigade. I did and I even had a target in mind (Lydda Airbase). On (or about) July 7th, I and 5 other candidates took off in Israel’s only Lockheed Constellation. We had our hydraulic system shot while violating Albanian air space and crash landed in Czechoslovokia. Of all the candidates only Ben Foreman & I completed the training and also trained a group of Jewish concentration camp youngsters into Israel’s first paratroop “Brigade.” We… Read more »
Hey,
What ever happened to “Marie” who started this whold thing. Isn’t it odd that she never once made another comment?
I think you guys were being used.
Robert X. Leeds
I was in 1-24, 1/25 SBCT during the 08-09 deployment.
I’d also like to add that I don’t seem to remember one of our Strykers getting hit where 5 people where injured.
“Some harrowing tales (all true) will be related in my forthcoming book.” The worm is turning. 2341 – Dudley H. Thomas – USAT; YAGR 14 Interpreter AGR 14 Ships built by J. A. Jones Construction Company, Panama City, Florida EC2-S-C1 Type WSAT stands for War Shipping Administration Transport; the number in parentheses shows the number of troops the ship could hold. USAT stands for Army Transportation Service, and indicates the ship was chartered or operated by ATS. Link to history of WWII Liberty ships: http://skylighters.org/troopships/libertyships.html Interpreter (AGR-14) was launched as Liberty Ship SS Dudley H. Thomas by J. A. Jones Construction Co., Inc., Panama City, Florida, 8 February 1945; sponsored by Miss Carrie Corbitt; and delivered 21 February 1945 to Merchants and Miners Transportation Co., Boston, Massachusetts. World War II-related service: The ship served as an aircraft freighter during the war and later as a cargo ship for various companies. She was in the National Defense Reserve Fleet 1947-1951 and from 25 August 1953 until acquired by the Navy 5 June 1957. Renamed Interpreter, the ship was converted to Navy use at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and commissioned there 29 September 1958, Comdr. J. S. Craft in command. One of a class of sixteen radar picket ships, Interpreter conducted shakedown exercises in the Caribbean before departing Guantanamo Bay 1 February 1959 for her new home port, San Francisco, California. Equipped with the most advanced long range radar and communications gear, Interpreter jointed the Continental Air Defense Command as part of America’s vital early warning system. Operating with search aircraft for periods of 3 to 4 weeks at sea, the ship reported and tracked aircraft at great distances and controlled interceptors in the event of enemy air attack. Interpreter continued regular patrols in the Contiguous Radar Barrier, for 6 years, providing a vital link in the air defense of her country. Struck 1 July 1965, Interpreter was turned over to the Maritime Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, California, where she remained until sold for scrapping 4 November 1974. Source is Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships An image of Interpreter/Dudley H. Thomas can… Read more »
Listing of Lockheed Constellation crashes:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_accidents_and_incidents_involving_the_Lockheed_Constellation
El Al Flight 402 crash:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Al_Flight_402
Flight was shot down by two Bulgarian MiG 15 fighters in July 1955. “All 7 crew and 51 passengers on board the airliner were killed”
Popcorn! Getcha fresh hot popcorn, peanuts and beer here! 5 bucks each! Going once, going twice! Is my concessionaire routine working? lol
History of the Paratrooper Brigade in the IDF (from http://www.zanhanim.org.il/show_item.asp?levelId=65092&itemType=0)
The Brigades Heritage
The brigade’s story begins with the jewish volunteers from palestine that dropped into nazi occupied europe in 1943 in an attempt to offer assistance to their suffering brethren. Five years later, during the war of independence then commander in chief Yaakov Dori assigned Alon Palgi (a veteran paratrooper who escaped nazi captivity) with the task of establishing Israel’s first airborne unit. Among the unit’s first recruits were native born Israeli men and women, Veterans of the british military and “palmach”, survivors from the jewish ghettos of europe and others. The 1950s saw many acts of infiltration by arab terrorists into the borders of the newly founded jewish state. As a response a voluntary reconnaissance unit was formed adopting the callsign 101. The unit conducted many raids and scouting missions behind enemy lines and gained notoriety mostly thanks to the bravery, ingenuity and commitment of its men
Who is ‘Marie’? Nobody here by that name.
This link is to a photo of the Interpreter/Dudley H. Thomas
http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/62/09621401.jpg
The only award listed is the National Defense Service Medal. No listing of any WWII-era awards.
Source is Gene Mcmanus, Webmaster, Online Air Defense Radar Museum
@137. A fin for popcorn? I’ll get my own Doritos, thanks!
“I would have no relucance in revealing how and why I served in Iraq at the age of 83 (I turned 83 in a Blackhawk Helicopter flying from the Mayson Marshlands up to Baquaba.”
Heres the thing, you didnt serve. You were along for the ride. And regardless of how capable you were of carrying your own gear, you were still a civilian on a battlefield and a liability to the soldiers who were with you.
As for all the rest of the crap you have spread around in this thread and many other places on the internet, Ill believe it when you can prove it 100%. No bullshit about fires destroying records and all that jazz. Put up or shut up.
He’s just here to advertise his forthcoming, self-aggrandizing book. His own words: “You’ll have to wait for the book to get THIS amazing segment of my life!” at the end of his last entry.
And this is the most asinine thing he’s said, overall: During my command years the only rank I had was OFFICER. I didn’t even know they had other ranks.
The O-ranks have NAMES. Dumber than scorpions in a wading pool.
If popcorn goes for a fiver, I think I can pay off what I owe on my mortgage for a pair of hip waders.
At my house, the popcorn is included with the movie. Movie choices this week include Ian McKellen’s vicious and paranoid rendition of Richard III (in Irish, it’s Richard da T’ird), Kenneth Branagh’s Henry V, and Franco Zefirelli’s Hamlet with (gag me) Mel Gibson in one of his better performances.
And since Leeds can’t spell, the name of the village in Iraq is Baqubah.
I think I know who he’s related to: Insipid (changes the subject, ignores facts, never answers direct questions) and Wittlessgelding (bloviating vainglorious basterd).
Must be their inbred uncle.
The only reason I can come up with to resurrect this old post is hopes of publicity. There are now a lot of books written by those who served as Warriors. Personally, I’m not interested in one written by civilians who embedded for a few months, and suspect it will be not widely read. Could be wrong….we’ll see.
If you can get past the hogwash and read his glop, I don’t think he even knows where Albania is.
“His plane was shot down over Albania and crash landed in Czechoslovakia.”
Must have been a helluva long crash. Albania is on the northern border of Greece. Czechoslovakia, which is now the Czech Republic and Slovakia, is bordered by Germany and Poland on the north and Austria and Hungary on the south. In between lie places that any of you who were in the Balkans know about: Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo.
That is one bodacious crash landing, if the plane was shot down in Albania and somehow made it to Czechoslovakia. Sets a record for a lot of things, including how deep it’s piled up.
I wish that Mr. Leeds would stop digging a deeper hole for himself – I give him credit for going over as an embed at his age. As for the rest of his life “story”, things just don’t add up. He was very steadfast about being on the Megis until someone pointed out that is CG paperwork had him serving on the Dudley H. Thomas – then he was quick to acknowledge that he was wrong.
YO Streetsweeper…popcorn.