Dick Stoops revisited
Regular readers will remember Dick Stoops from the post I wrote last month. He claimed he was a Ranger with 187th Infantry with three combat jumps, briefly a POW. Stoops was about to be inducted into Kansas National Guard Hall of Fame, but there were just too many questions about him.
The folks at POW Net submitted a FOIA for us and it seems that Stoops ended his six year stint in the Army as a Private First Class (not a Sergeant First Class like in the photo). It appears that he was indeed a paratrooper in the 11th Airborne Division and 187th Regimental Combat Team, but in HQs and Service companies. I don’t see any infantry assignments so toss out the CIB, too.
His only assignment to Korea was from July 18, 1953 – October 1, 1953 (the cease fire in the war began on July 27, 1953) and then he was assigned to Japan until May 1954 when he returned to the States. By the looks of the units, he was a rigger or at least assigned to rigger units.
Some folks have called Stoops about the results of the FOIA and asked him what happened to all of the medals he’s wearing which aren’t in the FOIA results. Stoops responded that he had asked that the military remove them from his records (for some stupid reason). I wonder how he got the glider badge when the Army ended the school in 1948 and Stoops didn’t join the Army until 1950.
There may be forgery involved;
In speaking to Stoops, he provided me with several pages of Army documentation that included his combat history, number of years in war time and military and what looked to be authentic certificates of commendations from the Korean War. His induction was verified with the Kansas Adjutant General’s Office and with the Kansas Museum of the National Guard. I know that he would be more than happy to talk to you and show any proof of his service.
I’ll update this story as more information rolls in.
Category: Phony soldiers
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6 years and a PFC……doesn’t sound very high speed to me…..
Categorically bullshit. The Army does not remove stuff out of your service record because you ask them to. Once it is in there it is in there unless it is found to be incorrect, then one line will be drawn through it and initialled next to by the clerk making the correction.
He is a fucking fraud. Period. Stoops describes his brain speed quite nicely.
Wow… after the initial story was posted it appeared to me a reporter had done Mr. Stoops a disservice by embelishing his career a bit for a better story. I really thought the core of his accomplishments would be proven legit. I’m glad the Kansas Guard Hall of Fame put the brakes on his induction, however it concerns me that he made it that far in the process to begin with. Another fraud busted – great job.
Great job. How do you ever get the Records Center to release his data? I am working on a fraud in my community and the MRC is stonewalling me saying that I cannot get any data on a putative veteran without a social security number!
Heh, took them off because he wanted?
There’s a couple NJPs and NonRecs I’d like to take off. I wonder if he can patch me through to the he talked to so I can get some of that bleaching action.
Hey,
He just mispoke, mistakenly put on a few medals that were not his, shaded the truth a little. Dont impune the rest his impeccable military career. No, just hang him up by his balls.
[…] good folks over at This Ain’t Hell have an update posted on the Korean War hero phony they uncovered last […]
First, the FOIA response indicates that he was only in Korea from 21 Jun 53 when he flew from Ashiya AFB, Japan to Kimpo and when he returned to Brady AFB Japan from Pusan, Korea on 15 July 1953. Earning him ONE bronze star to his Korean Service Medal-NOT the several as shown on the pin he is wearing in the picture. Since his active duty did not begin until 5 September, 1951 and ended on July 6, 1956, he only served 4 years, 10 months and 1 day, entitling him to ONE service stripe only. His total overseas time was from 26 May 1953 to 5 May 1954, earning him only 3 overseas bars. He was discharged as a PFC, NOT an SFC and the beret he is wearing in the picture wasn’t used by general army units until the 60’s or 70’s! Even had he been in Korea when he said, he could NOT have been wounded at Unsan as the 187th was doing occupation duty in Pyongyang at the time and many of them had just watched a Bob Hope USO Show put on in Pyongyang in the afternoon of October 27th. He had just put on a show for the Marines at Wonsan the day before.
Four Combat Jump Missions in Korea: 2 20OCT1950, 1 21OCT50, and 1 on 23MAR51. Stoops was not in Country for the first 3 missions. For more details: http://home.hiwaay.net/~magro/parakorea.html
Dear Sir,
This man never served in the 2nd Airborne Ranger Company. It was an all black unit.
I’ve been to two of the RICA reunions with my father (MSG, 8th Airborne Rangers) and I’ve met those fine gentlemen who actually served in the 2nd.
See the link below:
http://secondrangerinfantrycompany.com/timeline.htm
Hope this helps.
Maas
You dumb ass I have the man standing right here and I am looking at his DD214. The 2-1 you have here Is not his! Make sure you have all you info right before you start SHIT!
Yeah, you’re not the first dumbass to tell me I’m a dumbass while they were holding a forgery in their grubby paws.
Sorry Jonn,
they just need to leave the old guy alone. And the guy with the newspaper needs to get all the facts before he puts it out there for everyone. This guy is a flipping HERO just come and look at all the facts in his office and meet the guy and you will see. EVERYONE NEED TO STOP AND LET THE MAN BE!
I met Mr. Stoops in Western Kansas an a National Guard armory in either the late 1990’s or early 2000’s. He was drilling at that point in time if memory serves correctly. At least he was in uniform (I recall a staff sergeant chevron) when a unit drilled.
That doesn’t make sense though because at that time he would have been close to seventy; he had indicated he was approaching sixty and was being “forced out.” He was introduced by another soldier as having earned the DSC.
He presented himself as a professional and polite soldier, so this news comes as a disappointment.
I too conceive hence, perfectly written post!
[…] that someone let Dick Stoops on an Honor Flight to DC and greeted by his Senator, Jerry Moran. We got Stoops’ records three years ago when the Kansas National Guard was going to induct him into their Hall of Fame. We stopped that and […]