Darrel Tracht wants you to know he’s sorry
For those who don’t remember, Darrell Tracht, was the gun dealer in South Carolina who we caught, thanks to a Blackfive reader, wearing a SEAL Trident along with a CIB and a pair of jump wings. Well, he mailed the other night, intially, to tell me to “get [my] facts straight”. As I predicted when I wrote post, he told us that he was wearing the Trident at a “wounded warrior” event to “honor” SEALs. Of course, I wasn’t buying it. So I asked about the claims on his website that he was an “operator” with Special Operations in combat.
That’s when he finally fessed up and came clean. He realized that I wasn’t budging and he wanted me to call him on the phone, but my hearing is shot and I don’t like talking on the phone. But in the end, he sent along his apologies to us for trying to be something he wasn’t. If you look at his records, I don’t know why he felt he needed to embellish. A drill sergeant who spent years in the 82d and wears an 82d combat patch with a CIB is all something I envy.
Anyway, last I looked his website was down, I assume because he told me that he’s editing it to remove the offensive shit. His Facebook page was also down. So I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt and think he’s learned his lesson. I hope the rest of the phonies out there learn from this, but I have no illusions.
Category: Phony soldiers
Al least he (apparently) “manned-up” – assuming, of course, he follows through.
You should ask him to apologize by sending a donation to Soldiers Angels….better yet, have him raffle off a weapon of some appropriate flavor and have all the proceeds go to Soldiers Angels. Seems like a fitting apology to me.
Glad he found his honor. He had demonstrated that he knew well what it meant, then apparently got a little lost.
Only time will tell if he remembers what that means. Maybe knowing that a bunch of folks are watching him will help?
Yeah, no idea why a former DS, CIB wearer, and member of the 82nd would want to embellish any record. I mean, come on…
Fuck him.
I’m willing to give him the benefit of a doubt, if like Hondo says, “he follows through”.if he doesn’t? BURN HIM! This is the type of poser I find hardest to understand. He’s done more than enough in his own right to be proud but it wasn’t enough?
Jonn: perhaps you could tell him that he’s also on the pownetwork web site at http://www.pownetwork.org/phonies/phonies1284.htm and tell him that if he is really, truly sincere that he’ll send Mary an apology to be posted.
I’d do it myself but for the fact that he pulled his web pages (and contact info).
I’m with Claymore (#2). Saying I’m sorry is too damn easy, do something good to offset the BS.
I ain’t Airborne, I’m a slick sleeve, spent more than a decade riding around in a GOV recruiting kids, but I served. Honorably. In the end, that’s what counts. No need to throw one’s integrity out the window. For what, some extra sales? ugh.
@Radar: It’s all about the greenbacks for some. Attention for others. Talk is cheap but lies can be very expensive.
I agree with you Jonn, there was no reason to embellish. His record was something to be proud of.
Agreed, Cedo. A fine record, one to be proud of; career likely ended by medical retirement.
I’ll never understand why some people sell their integrity for a pittance.
Claymore, I am not defending Darrell in the slightest with my message. You just don’t wear stuff you didn’t earn. With that, I would not accept a donation if it was forced on the individual. It would not be a sincere effort and offends my progress with the charity I run in my home state.
Darrel had donated to veterans charity’s before this came out. I was on a motorcycle ride last April in South Carolina and he auctioned off an AR-15. How do I know it was him? I have one of his T-shirts.
Soldier’s Angels is a great program and I have known Toby since he was a Private at Fort Hood. I don’t think he would want Darrell coerced into donating to Soldier’s Angels any more than I would want Darrell to donate to mine.
Tracht was a nice fellow that carried a mean lisp and a tendency to use terms like bounding overwatch in the wrong context. Wow.
I had the misfortune of serving with Tracht, he is a complete moron, incompetant NCO, (also illiterate due tonthe fact I had to read him my monthly councilings), and a walking negligent discharge waiting to happen. He was the joke of our company and we tried transferring him serveral times, and each time they sent him back. Id like to show up to one of his highspeed assassin courses just to slap that douch ball duster off his face.