Phony soldiers begging in NYC?
Now, I don’t have any real proof that this guy is a phony soldier, but his story is a bit unbelievable.
The first thing I noticed was his teeth – those teeth took years to get in that kind of shape and they would make him non-deployable. He claims he returned from Iraq last year after a nineteen month tour. You guys would probably know better than me whether any units did nineteen months in Iraq from 2006 to 2008, but that seems like an awful long tour. I’ve heard of fifteen month deployments, but none that were 19 months.
He also claims he’d been wounded and underwent “lung surgery” which makes him unemployable. If he was wounded that severely, he would have been medically retired, not put out on the streets.
Yeah, he hung an honorable discharge certificate around his neck – it costs $29.95 at this online retailer. I went through the entire ordering process, and at no point was I asked for proof of my service – needless to say, I bought a discharge certificate that now makes me eligible to join IVAW.
Phony soldier? Video File
“I’ve been homeless for over a year,” Anderson said. “Right now my main problem is housing. I got back from Iraq and I’ve got nowhere to live. It ain’t right.”
Now Anderson, 38, survives only on the good will of New York’s straphangers. Everyday he is on the subway, begging strangers for money.
“In order for me to make ends meet I got to get on the train and ask people to help me until I get my benefits,” Anderson said. “On average, I make about $50 after being on the train for four hours. That’s enough for food, but that’s about it. A cheap hotel up in Harlem costs more a night than that.”
Of course, IVAW’s Jose Vasquez piles on the story and adds his two cents about PTSD. I asked Jose if he met the guy and verified his story, no answer yet. I also asked for contact information for Elise Lagos, the author, and Jose hasn’t answered. The 25-year-old has an unlisted number in her New York apartment.
I’ve been suspicious about these homeless vet stories since 1993 when I saw a CNN report on homeless Desert Storm veterans. In an interview they did with a homeless guy, they asked him when he went to Desert Storm. he answered he was there for the whole thing – he’d arrived in May, he said. Well, if that was the case, the guy was in theater three months before Hussein invaded Kuwait. The interviewer, blinked and asked “May?”. When the homeless guy responded in the affirmative, the interviewer kind of cut the interview short – but he didn’t expose the guy as a liar. That would ruin his story.
I’m not denying that are homeless veterans, but it doesn’t help the cause to alert the public with “fake but accurate” veterans.
Category: Iraq Veterans Against the War, Phony soldiers, Veteran Health Care
The 1st BCT of the 34th Infantry Division (Minnesota National Guard, my unit)got plenty of press for having the longest continuous deployment of the War on Terror-16 months. That was the original 12 months boots on ground and then we got extended 4 months for the surge.
http://www.minnesotanationalguard.org/press_room/e-zine/articles/index.php?item=1137
While it is possible that a small group of soldiers could have done a similar length tour, I’ve never heard of any unit having done longer.
The good news is this guy has been picked by the Duke brothers for a nature vs nuture experiment they’re running.
Too bad about Windthorpe though.
Maybe he should have one of those IVAW sponsored “Emergency Rent Money” Rallies. He is no less an “Iraq Veteran” then the last guy to have one.
Jonn why spend 29.95 on a DD214? You could have spent just $25 to join the American Legion. They don’t require proof of service.
New York City is rife with panhandling phonies of all types. It would not surprise me in the least if this guy is a phony too. Keep up the great work of exposing these thieves, Jonn!
You could have spent just $25 to join the American Legion. They don’t require proof of service
That’s weird, I could swear I presented them a DD214….. that was 18 years ago, my memory might be a little off…..and hell, my dues are $50.00
Funny, but I had to show TSO my DD214 when I joined TAL, so I don’t what you’re talking about, Charles.
Yeah, if someone hears of a post not requiring a DD214, then let me know so I can take care of it.
Oh, and @Ray, that was frickin hilarious.
I was Agent Orange, that was my name see, Agent Orange.
You’ve got a two-fold problem here. The subway guy claiming to be a vet, but more seriously, the anti-war people who promote them to support their own agenda.
You have to expect it from the homeless-not-vet. It’s all part of his shake-down. Same as “my little girl has cancer.” And they have to BLAME someone. Of course it’s the government’s fault, yada yada yada.
But you’re doing an excellent job exposing the ones who validate the liars, knowingly, to promote their own cause.
Seriously, if your cause doesn’t stand without lies, is it really worth devoting your life to it?
I agree that not all of them are phonies, but a large proportion of them are. But be careful not to say that with a liberal within earshot, or else you hate veterans AND the homeless!
I live in a very liberal area. College town in the Northeast. There is a batch of homeless men who panhandle down near the mall parking lot, sometimes near the interstate onramp. They stand there with their “homeless Vietnam vet” signs and the liberals just eat it up. First, the liberals’ bleeding hearts compell them to give money to any homeless person. Second, it reinforces their preconceived notion that the Amerikkkan imperialist war machine (that’s the US military) chews up its soldiers and spits them out, helpless and homeless. They blame their homelessness on the war, on the Pentagon, on Nixon, on Bush, on anyone who has ever voted Republican. Most of all, it “proves” that they’re the ones who REALLY SUPPORT THE TROOPS. (This is something they must always reassure themselves of).
Homeless guys, knowing full well that blaming their homelessness on a war they never served in will get them gobs more money, are inclined to lie. The liberals just take them at their word, never bothering to even ask questions like the reporter asked the Desert Strom vet above.
If he is a vet, then I am a Chinese Fighter Pilot. Toss him in jail for panhandling and theft by deception! Throw away the keys as well!
“Jonn why spend 29.95 on a DD214? You could have spent just $25 to join the American Legion. They don’t require proof of service.”
YASS, you are absolutely right HM2(FMF/SW)Ret.!!! Every last Legionnaire jest luvs the folks at the National level, they are ALL right wingers, too! Guess I’m going to have to get my Libertarian ass kicked out & drag my buddy Larry, who voted Nader BTW, out of the local post.
I do a fair amount of work with the homeless. In the years that I have worked with them. I can honestly say that one of them was a legitimate Veteran. The rest are 100% phonies.
1stSgt
USMCR
HM-
Geesus! Get with the program. I had to provide mine and a copy for my mother to be an auxilliary member in my home state of record.
I went 4 years with class 3 dental work required. It absolutely does not make you undeployable.
Joe, are you saying my unit wasted all that time waiting for dental checkups at our mob station?
Joe every single class 3 I have ever met has not been deployed untill they got their teeth fixed. BTW its called a toothbrush get aquainted with it.
Joe…Just brush your nasty litte teeth and gums and clean out your stikin mouth, stupid!!! Then this wouldn’t be a problem…you are sooooo NASTY…
I wish one of the two Joes would come up with a way to distinguish himself from the other one.
One is a leftist and the other is a veteran.
I know tewo honest-to-God homeless veterans. I’ve seen their photo albums, their DD-214’s, their awards, etc.
Both are homeless by choice, and due to substance abuse. One of them I’ve gotten into the VA hospital’s dry dock a couple times. He says, though, that he won’t go back again.
The other one just went into the hospital and prolly isn’t coming out alive. He’s very sick with untreated diabetes and severe liver damage due to alcoholism.
I do what I can for them, as I consider them my brothers, but there’s only so much you can do when they WANT to live that lifestyle.
To them, paying rent means less money for booze and smokes. Simple equation. They were sharing a tent with a heater and were okay with what they were doing.
But where I volunteer in the local soup kitchen and food bank, it’s fairly easy to spot the real deal from the fakers and wanabes.
respects,
JOnn,
Maybe we could ask Jimi Hendrix, eh?
“Hey Joe…….”
well, since we’re counting, I know one homeless vet. He’s actually the only homeless guy I know. and he got booted for mental illness, hence the homelessness.
anyway…
still.
and- can’t YOU tell them apart, Jonn?
“and- can’t YOU tell them apart, Jonn?”
Well, I can see their respective IP addresses.
Jonn…To tell them apart,one won’t brush his teeth and the other won’t wash his a$$…just sayin…
Here’s a Cpoy of what I posted as a Comment there:
Sean says:
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
December 22, 2009 at 12:47 am
I find this hard to believe on several levels.
First and foremost, if one is wounded and still not able to function in the civilian world, he should have been in the Traumatic Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (TSGLI)
https://www.hrc.army.mil/site/crsc/tsgli/index.html
I have friends who still are recieving payments and treatment 4 years later. In addition he would have been Medically Retired and be recieving monthly compensation. One friend suffered a Heart Attack in country and was medically retired and recieves monthly checks. Since returning in Nov 2005 I have been inundated with requests from the VA, and its councilors trying to help me, even though my injuries were comparitively light.
Secondly he spent a 19 Month tour in Iraq? I find that Very Hard to Believe, since the Longest Tour was 18 Months by a Wisconsin based National Guard unit (34th BCT) Most averaged 12-15 months. Guard is now down to 10 Months or less deployed.
Did ANYONE Verify his story? I ask as a former member of My Unit (1st Bn, 69th Infantry Regiment (NYARNG) claims he was a Sgt(He wasn’t), claims he was in Iraq (He wasn’t, yet still wears his IVAW t-Shirt) and claims he worked at Ground Zero for Months with the unit. The truth is he was kicked out of the Army months before 9-11 for chronic A.W.O.L., was apprehended and thrown out of the secure zone on 9-12.
Another Junior NCO I knew made wild claims why he cant work intimating he was poisoned by Depleted Uranium and we were all told we were poisoned while in Baghdad. Truth, no such incident ever happened, and no one from the unit will associate with him. Numerous Soldiers who contacted the Journalist to refute his claims were given any voice, as it doesnt fit the Media viewpoint.
If I claim I’m a Pornstar Astronaut, does it make it true?
We shall see how interested in the truth they are if it disappears.
I’ve heard small groups of Soldiers spending that long in country, but is there any facts to back it up? No. Not that I have anyways. Although there where plenty of guys with bad dental that got on the plane both times. Lung surgery? Maybe that is when he was flown out of country? The story is full of holes, but that just boils down to not asking the right questions and cutting the piece together right. Also, as the Director of any group, you should never take part in something where you don’t have all the facts because it will tarnish the reputation on the whole group. Not like IVAW can get any lower. But the people who made this need to do more fact checking before release.
Oh this is what I missed.
1) I personally know OIF/OEF vets who had at least one period of homelessness. I think that the numbers of homeless vets on the street are indeed large. Often it is due to untreated PTSD, or to the complications of it. Ie destroyed relationships, fired from jobs, forgot to pay bills, get evicted. Many more OIF/OEF vets are what I call ‘the couchsurfing homeless’. Right now they still have buddies who will put them up and they are still attractive enough to be able to live off girlfriends. That will change as they get older. The time to help is now.
2) Cue the laughter, but I didn’t have to show a DD214 to join TAL. However, I joined while still on active duty and I think they did ask for my social. For all I know they have a credit card in my name by now.
3) I would also remind everyone that NYC has some of the highest rents in the country. I’m not commenting on this specific guy, but there are definitely lots of homeless vets here I and other members of IVAW are working to help.
My PERSONAL tour was 19.5 months long, NO tour vacation, so I know its possible. It was actually 3 ‘mini-tours’ strung together. But it was all at once and they call it THREE tours. Funny.
“2) Cue the laughter, but I didn’t have to show a DD214 to join TAL. However, I joined while still on active duty and I think they did ask for my social. For all I know they have a credit card in my name by now.”
It’s a big outfit & any organization will drop the ball. I disagreed with HM2(FMF/SW)Ret. insinuation that TAL doles out membership sans acredidations as an official policy.
Am I completely happy with everthing TAL does? No. But the Wife & self enjoy our local post. TAL at National level ain’t why we maintain our membership!
I didn’t have to show a DD 214 at the Legion either, but some posts get hooked up with Guard units and get the info from deployed units so that the soldier doesn’t have to.
Mr Wolf-your three mini tours were voluntary though, right?
Nice comment Sean. I also see this post (Phony Soldiers Begging in NYC?) is listed as a trackback.
) Cue the laughter, but I didn’t have to show a DD214 to join TAL. However, I joined while still on active duty and I think they did ask for my social. For all I know they have a credit card in my name by now.
When still active you should have to show your ERB or ORB. If they took your social they most likely just looked it up themselves, Thats what I do at my post but I have had problems in the past with people being told to come back with a DD-214 because they did not have one with them at the time they signed up and somehow the membership goes through but dont think it goes unnoticed. every post I have been to (37 in the past six months) there is at least one member who backchecks everyone he is unsure about
I still dont buy the large numbers being reported of homeless veterans. The organizations that I deal with on a weekly basis, have no vetting process in place to verify veterans status, they just take the persons word for it.
Heck, even the VA is claiming high numbers of homeless Vets. But then they also show this:
There are only 21 surviving POWs from the first Gulf War in 1991, the Department of Defense says. Yet the Department of Veterans Affairs is paying disability benefits to 286 service members it says were taken prisoner during that conflict, according to data released by VA to The Associated Press.