TN man sentenced in stolen valor case
Definitely not the right 1,000 yard stare of a wounded warrior
We talked about Chris Wesley Williams almost exactly a year ago to the day when he was originally arrested on these stolen valor and forgery charges. It seems that Mr. Williams was given an other than honorable discharge from the Marine Corps after going AWOL in 1981. Somehow though, he filed for and received free for life Purple Heart license plates from the state of Tennessee. Law enforcement investigated and found Mr. Williams altered his DD-214.
He’s now been convicted and sentenced for his crimes;
A Maury County man has been sentenced to one year in jail for lying about his military service record.
Chris Williams, 59, was convicted Wednesday of forgery and stolen valor.
Prosecutors said Williams lied about receiving a number of medals, including Purple Hearts, which he never actually received.
In August 2019, a member of the Maury County Chapter of the Marine Corp [sic] League reported to the District Attorney’s office that he and other members of the league were suspicious Williams, a long time member of the league, was being dishonest about his service, according to a release.
Williams had submitted a military discharge record to the Marine Corp [sic] League as well as the Maury County Clerk as proof of his prior service. Investigators found the DD-214 record submitted showed Williams received an Honorable Discharge from the Marine Corp on Feb. 22, 1984.
The document also reflected that Williams had received numerous medals while in the Marines. The medals listed on Williams’ DD-214 were: The Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service, Navy Marine Corps Medal, National Defense medal, Marine Corp [sic] Expeditionary Force Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Force Medal, Good Conduct, Cold War Medal, Expert Rifle (M-16), Expert Pistol (45 cal.), Navy Marine Corps Jump Wings, Marine Corps Service Medal, and a Letter of Commendation (Toys for Tots).
Williams’ form claimed he received the following Military Education while in the Marines: Jump School, Small Unit Leadership Class, Sniper School, Demolition School, and Nuclear Biological, Chemical Warfare School.
He was also known to wear all of those medals to events with the Marine Corp [sic] League.
During the investigation, an investigator obtained a copy of Williams’ file from the National Archives in Washington. That record did not reflect any of the medals or education on the form submitted by Williams.
In fact, the actual form reflected Williams was discharged “UNDER OTHER THAN HONORABLE CONDITIONS’. Investigators learned Williams had agreed to that discharge in lieu of being Court Marshalled [sic] for Desertion (2 Counts).
“Although I never served in the military, this case was almost personal to me. My grandfather was a Marine in WWII and my Dad is a Navy veteran. I have many other relatives that are veterans. I have the highest respect for the men and women that put on the uniform and protect our country. When someone uses the sacrifices of others; real heroes, to falsely make themselves look good, it diminishes what they (the real veterans) have done for our country. I hope this sends a message to anyone else out there that has lied about military service that it will not be tolerated in this district.” District Attorney General, Brent Cooper
In addition to a year behind bars, Williams will have to pay $700 in fines for using Purple Heart tags on his vehicle.
He must also serve two years probation after his release.
I love how he tossed in medals that don’t actually exist. What is the “Marine Corps Service Medal” and the “Cold War Medal”?
Thanks to ninja for sending in the update.
Source; WKRN
Category: Breaking News, Crime, ninja, Stolen Valor, Stolen Valor Act
Well, the “Cold War Medal” does exist, but it’s a commemorative medal instead of a service medal.
You know. Not real.
I remember the full page ads in VFW magazine.
Opposite the full page ad for a commerative 1911A1.
With the Franklin Mint commemorative dinner plate on the next page.
$ 19.95 + S&H from MedalsofAmerica
$3.00 for the ribbon
JRM had one.
“Letter of Commendation (Toys for Tots)”
uh oh.
Maybe he worked with “Dick” Blumenthal?
Non NDSM recipient – The Brotherhood can rest easily.
It’s a very, very short list of people who have received combat valor awards since 1951 who also didn’t get an NDSM.
Hmmm, I would think the Purple Heart is a combat valor award, so one instance is:
Op Just Cause — 23 KIA, 325 WIA
Yup. Panama, Grenada, and Beirut were the ones I was thinking of, but I’m sure there are more.
Very short list. I know of 3. Jeb Seagle, Navy Cross. Jeff Scharver & Pat Giguere, Silver Star. Grenada 10/25/83. No NDSM.
Hey, thanks for posting those names – I hadn’t heard of any of them before. Just had a quick read then, amazing story.
Steve, the other Cobra pilot, Tim Howard, lost his arm in the same incident, yet remained an active duty Marine for the rest of his career. He was also awarded the Silver Star. Heroes, all 4 of them.
100%. Incredible story.
I’ve just been on a Wikipedia binge – shameful how little I know about Urgent Fury.
I was in Germany at the time and young and dumb enough to be jelly. Little did we know that the desert lurked…
Who do we direct our derision for the “Marine Corp League” mishap?
Silent S’s are hard.
Edit: “To whom…”
Accusative variations of ingwish and proper sentence structure are hard two (sic, sic, sic).
So,
Sic burn
They’re all quotes from the article. So I’ve fixed it with proper notation of their dropped esses.
As long as you are showing everyone how sic and twisted you are, you might as well tag “Court Marshalled” as sic.
“Court Marshalled”? Would that be people brought before a Judge by a fellow named Dillon?
Fat Bastard is “sick”…and a lying Valor Thieving POS. Enjoy your time as Taste Tester of Man meat sammiches at the BJT&T Deli there Chris Wesley Williams. Be some good training when you get out. Seeing Dr Ben Dover will prepare you for your new gig as Apprentice Towel Fluffer at Brucie’s Bath House (Entrance in the rear).
Which is worse, their lazy reporting or my lazy reading and re-reporting? 🙂
Noted, appreciates it.
You’d figure someone that gets paid to read and write for a living would know a-thing-or-two about words and shit.
Had too much faith in humanity <— I wants it on my tombstone!
Too many so-called news writers are dumb a$$e$. Raises my blood pressure every time I see “Marine Corp” or “Air Corp.” I have written to newspapers about their misspellings, never got a reply, but continued to see the same mistakes over and over. Dumb a$$es$.
You want to get your blood pressure up? Hack Stone was being interviewed by an investigator for his TS/SCI renewal. The lady kept mentioning Hack’s time working for “The Marine Corpse”. Hack Stone corrected her the first time by saying “It’s pronounced Marine Corps”. She said it a second time, Hack Stone corrected her a second time. She says “Marine Corpse” for the third fucking time. By this time, Hack is getting pissed. “It’s Marine Corps, not Marine Corpse!” She replies “I’m just reading it how it is written. Probably a good 65% of people with a TS/SCI clearance are prior military, and this investigator has probably spoke to other Marines besides Hack, so how the hell does she not know how to pronounce The Marine Corps?
How did the idiot pronounce “the”? “Tuhee”?
Well here’s another fine mess you’ve gotten me into Stanley.
Oh man. You nailed it. I knew I had seen that sorry look before.
Great catch!
He-gonna be picking the soap up for Bubba & Thor!
With all the schools he attended while in the Corps how did he find time to earn any fucking medals?
That look on the picture on the left is the look he’ll have when cellblock mate Bubba sniffs his neck from behind for the first of many times.
Last time I saw a look like that, Ol’ Porky was about to tear Tommy, Pee Wee, Meat, Micky, and the rest of the Angel Beach High School gang a new one for vandalizing his establishment.
Dat’s a good one.