Victimless Stolen Valor crime costs local taxpayers $3000

| March 31, 2012

Lancaster Online‘s Cindy Stauffer tells the story of a town that had to replace a plaque on their memorial to Vietnam Veterans because Donald E. Armold thought that his service outside of Vietnam earned him a spot on the bronze plaque.

Armold also was the grand marshal of last year’s Marietta Memorial Day parade. His full-page bio in the parade program lists him as “VIETNAM VETERAN.”

There is only one problem, and it’s a big one.

Armold, 68, of Manheim Township, isn’t a Vietnam War veteran.

He did serve in the U.S. Marines from 1961 until 1966, but never set foot in Vietnam, doing his service stateside and on cruises in the Mediterranean and in Guantanamo Bay.

Amrold said he never claimed that he was a Vietnam veteran, but the committee says that they asked him five times if he was a Veteran of the war and he had replied in the affirmative. Of course, Amrold says he misunderstood the question;

Armold [claims that] he told them only that he served during the war in an administrative capacity in New York, helping to discharge soldiers returning from Vietnam.

Yeah the memorial says right at the top “Honoring All Who Served In Vietnam”. What part of “In” confused Amrold? He was busted by his friends who knew him in his community all of these years.

So, should Amrold pay for his intentional malfeasance. he says that no one has asked him to pay for it, so I guess he won’t. And he’s not exactly ashamed of what he did;

“I’m not embarrassed at all. I’m not the bad guy in this whole situation. I’m a very fine gentleman who does a fine job in everything I think I can do. I don’t lie about anything.”

Yeah, we can tell. To borrow from George Costanza, “It’s not a lie if you believe it”.

Category: Phony soldiers

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Hondo

C’mon, Jonn. We all know that Stolen Valor is a “victimless crime”, right?

Yeah, right. I hope the town leans on local FBI officials in PA to prosecute this bozo’s ass, and have the records to prove it. And that they also sue him in civil court to recover the $3k in public money he cost them through his lies.

Beretverde

Fuck him.

CI Roller Dude

If I lived in that town, I’d raise the money needed to take that one down and put one up with the correct names listed. I know a few folks, who’ I’ve known for many years…who NEVER went to Nam, but now claim they were there. They’ve been in parades etc. Here’s a couple who have never actually served anywhere in a war…but…http://novato.patch.com/articles/a-visit-with-novato-s-own-g-i-jane

Cowboy Dan

Hondo, that’s a good idea. A person skilled with a grinder and a Dremel could probably take his name off the plaque. Hell, they make cordless models these days, so someone could sneak up at night and….

Greenie, not a chance.

Ben

CI Roller Dude:

Thanks for the link. Wow. Who is this Jane Parkhurst? I can’t find her on AKO, but she claims on her site to still be in the Army Reserve. See here: http://www.thegijane.com/ThegiJane%20/About%20Jane.html

The Novato Patch writer also doesn’t mention what MOS training Parkhurst underwent. If she was a medic, that is definitely NOT an all-male MOS.

Something doesn’t sit right with me on this.

Ben

Oh, and Parkhurst is sporting the Airborne Tab with the 2d Medical Brigade’s patch. That is NOT authorized. See here: http://www.armyg1.army.mil/hr/uniform/docs/ALARACT_435-2011.pdf

Ben

And to keep beating the horse, Danielle Alexandra, screenwriter of “GI Jane”, does not mention Parkhurst as her inspiration. See here: http://www.filmscouts.com/scripts/matinee.cfm?Film=gi-jane&File=productn

The two true GI Jane-types I can think of, in recent memory, are Jennifer Donaldson, the first woman to complete sniper school (2001) and Michelle Roberts, who passed all the Expert Infantryman Badge tests (2009).

Anonymous

More on GI Jane…

http://www.sfweekly.com/2005-01-19/news/fast-times-at-marin-catholic-high/

Jane Parkhurst is a slim woman with short-cropped hair that befits her image as a SWAT team expert in the U.S. Army Reserve. (The Demi Moore film G.I. Jane, on which Parkhurst consulted, was largely inspired by her exploits.) But the formidable exterior hid vulnerability and ugly secrets that, Parkhurst says, she kept “bottled up inside for years.” Even after she began seeing a psychiatrist in 2002 and came to grips with what she calls “my living nightmare,” the one-time regular on the Nash Bridges TV series says she didn’t decide to go public until she realized that “unburdening myself of this is the only chance I have to heal the emotional damage done to me.”

Ben

Anonymous:

Thanks for that link as well. I found this: http://www.marinij.com/marin/ci_8096775

Maybe she should call herself “DUI Jane” instead. Oh, and she isn’t listed on IMDB at all. I’m pretty sure she’s lying about being an actress as well. She’ll probably use the “I lied about all of this because of the PTSD I suffer from because of my abuse” defense, even though PTSD doesn’t cause pathological lying.

Bruce

She won her case because she wasn’t drunk! She is also an actor. I guess that was my imagination when I was on set with her a few times and she even gets her friends jobs on movie sets! Your very cold about the PTSD too. Maybe you all should look for the marinji’s article that they wrote on her in 1997! That is the one all about the G.I.Jane background!!!

Green Thumb

Are you dating her?

Mustang1LT

Hey Thumb, because it’s been a while since there has been a phony of the female gender on the blog, what term would you use to refer to one?

Turdette?

CI Roller Dude

OK guys, I’m not 100% positive, because my memory aint’ what it used to be…but I think GI Jane was in AIT about the time of the “gulf war”…but she has claimed to have “fought” in that war (medics fight?). I “think” she might have made it to E6 in the Army Reserves, but never E7. Her husband said he was in the USAF…when I first talked to him, he said he served in the states…but now days he were some of the Viet Nam service medals and sort of says he “was there.”
They both are nut jobs.

Bruce

He was Vietnam and flew over in B52’s. He had secret clearance so he wasn’t able to be on ground. He was also the one who had to retrieve documents when a down B52 hit…As it had secret doc.’s. He was a Sgt. He also attended a Military Academy. And yes, he also served in the States. Is this good enough info. for ya? ex-cop? Nut jobs my ass and that’s slander…Your very lucky they talked their lawyer out of suing your ass!

TheCloser

A little early to be drinking?

Mustang1LT

Beer, it’s not just for breakfast anymore !!

Mustang1LT

Had a clearance and wasn’t able to be on ground? Well fuck me, what am I doing in Afghanistan? I have a clearance and I’m on ground. Mommy, get me out of here !!

Wow, this douche canoe really is a special kind of stupid !! Of course, he did make the threat about a lawyer so he’s got me scared !! Oh and by the way idiot, you don’t graduate from a military academy as a Sergeant. If you’re going to back up a lie with another lie, at least make it believable !!

Bruce

No, I’m NOT dating her! I’m a friend and know and seen her and her husbands 201 files and have been at her Unit and talked to her Commander about all this sometime time ago. You believe what you want…There will always be us like you who don’t want to get to know the real shit and that’s all good and fine….You keep on writing your hurtful crap. Just shows your petty selves. 8 years of Military Academy all of grammar school and 4 years of High School and was supposed to go to West Point but went straight into the Air Force for Vietnam Nam …to set the record straight. And oh gee thanks for setting me fucking straight on my grammar! I had a TBI in the Army you fucking assholes!

Anonymous

Douchebag.

Bobo

E-mail sent to the “reporter”: Ms. Huizenga, I am a commissioned US Army officer and read your G.I. Jane story with interest. Unfortunately, based on my experience and available information, I am relatively certain that you have unwittingly published a fabricated story. Everyone currently serving in any capacity in the Army has access to Army Knowledge Online (AKO). This site contains contact information for anyone serving in any capacity in the Army. There is no Jane Parkhurst in AKO, which tells me that Ms. Parkhurst is not a drilling reservist, recently retired, or on active duty. While you refer to the Movie G.I. Jane, Ms. Parkhurst professes to be an Army veteran, not a Navy SEAL as depicted in the movie. You, and I am assuming Ms. Parkhurst through you, were consistently evasive regarding just exactly what all male MOS Ms. Parkhurst had completed, although, through her allusion to being a “weapons expert” and the G.I. Jane references, I have to assume that she is implying that she holds an 18 series (Special Forces) MOS. If that is the case, then she is most definitely lying, as no women have been awarded that MOS. Finally, there are several inconsistencies in her uniform, to include the placement of patches, tabs, and badges that she wore in your photographs. In all honesty, you might be holding on to a gold mine of a story, one of a woman stealing the valor that my friends have rightfully earned. It will only require a little research on your part. If Ms. Parkhurst claims to be retired, Go to http://www.archives.gov/research/order/standard-form-180.pdf and ask her to fill out the form with the unredacted information being sent directly to you from the NPRC. If Ms. Parkhurst claims to be on active duty or a drilling reservist, ask for the unit where she drills and the name of her commander, then contact them directly. If she tells you that any of the information is “classified” then I can guarantee that she is lying about everything. I am more than willing to help where I can with you research. Please… Read more »

Marinlocal

Im curious if the reporter ever wrote back to you? I live in this area and have seen Jane out and about.

Go Army

Evening, I just had to say that I had known Jane from 87 till about 2003. She and I went into Basic together, Fort Jackson, and during that training she was injured because of a Drill that was an idiot. She spent about a week (time has blurred my memory) in the hospital. They were looking at sending her home. She had a head injury that caused a handful of issues for her. She wanted a chance to prove she could get through the rest of Basic and she did. We went to Fort Sam Houston where she trained as a 91D (O.R. Tech) and was with the 5263rd USAH in Novato then Santa Rosa. I know when they closed us down we had an option to drill in Oakland CA or Seattle WA. Or go IRR (which is what I chose). Yes she called herself GI Jane before the movie came out. I don’t remember the deal about the complaint about the name, but the movie company sent her posters and a few pics of the movie as a comp. She did not assist in the movie or all the other stuff that has become the story. Her husband started the story to help her movie resume, yes she has been in bit parts as an extra. As well as some modeling when she was younger. Jane was against the exagerations when it started but as snowballs roll and get bigger she got caught up in it. Now I don’t know if she realizes it. Jane is a good person, but has gotten lost(in my view) in a great story.

Willie

http://o5.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/PATCH/resize/600×450/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/patch/97e0d1fd274a7308e11871cd2549ebc

“Jane is a good person, but has gotten lost(in my view) in a great story.”

See above link. Jane Parkhurst separated from the USAR as a Staff Sergeant, so why the hell is she wearing the rank of Sergeant First Class? Why is she wearing an Airborne tab that is not authorized for the 2nd Medical Brigade (and wearing it incorrectly, at that)? As an OR Tech in the USAR, when did she get the opportunity (or the school seat) to go to both Airborne and Air Assault school? USACAPOC is the only USAR command that routinely gets Airborne seats. Jane Parkhurst certainly wasn’t afraid to share her “story” with Beth Huizenga, claiming to have completed “all male” MOS training, among other whoppers. When you are in a hole, stop digging.

Go Army

I don’t believe she knows how to stop digging.. Hence why we are not friends anymore. I was unwilling to go along with the story that was going on around her. When I was asked I repeated the same comment that I have said. She got pissed at me. I don’t disagree with your statements about the uniform or the many whopper of stories that has been told. I will stand by what I said that Jane is a good person, just really lost. I hope one day she puts away the digging tools and asks for a latter to come out to the sunlight..

Bruce

I happen to know for one thing…Jane doesn’t “yell” and “buy” friends! She also doesn’t “dig” herself into holes…GoArmy is some what bitter of what happen to their friendship of what Jane ended do to what another friend had done…They are now friends again do to part because of Jane. That’s the kind of friendship these two have….What GoArmy doesn’t know is that there is a lot of truth to the G.I.Jane story and yes, Jane didn’t want anything to do with it….Some of the jerks writing in are just that…JERKS! One guy saying she wasn’t even in?!! AKO is a volunteer site!! Not all military folks are signed into that moron! She got a tap on her uniform wrong and everyone jumped down her throat, big deal! I love the way everyone believes everything they read…Also the guy who started this blog…he was nothing but a campus cop and then went on to a small PD and was the Dept.’s geek and writes about himself being this big time LAPD type cop….He knows nothing about her having 20 years in service and MOS’s and yet writes about her and her husband Doug (a Vietnam Vet.) in which he slams too!! What a punk! She tell’s me not to mention he’s name which right now is hard because he has really pissed me off by writing what he wrote. P.S., He could have marched in parades too you know. He earlier stated/slammed her for being in them. Along with many other Vet.’s! She DID train in an all male MOS back in 1993 or ’96? I just saw ALL her 201 files last night….So keep slamming. Your the experts.

Mustang1LT

English, Motherfucker? Do you speak it? Seriously, showing up on a military blog on Veterans Day and beclowning yourself by reviving a dead thread with your incoherent ramblings? You must be a special kind of stupid.

However, for the edification of our regular readers, notice how Bruce here uses the double exclamation point!! See, that makes what you are saying extra-double true!! The only thing he should do is insert a space before the double exclamation point because that builds anticipation for the double exclamation point !! Kind of gives it more impact !!

What a fucking idiot.

EdUSMCleg

Looks like we need to put some heat on her to get her to come clean…

OWB

Sorry, Go Army, but I simply cannot accept someone who lies about their military service as a “good person.” Good people do not lie about themselves, and certainly do not go on huge ego trips about their embellished military service.

Go Army

OWB, my point of view comes from knowing her long before the military issue. That is the Jane I know to be a good person. Because I knew her well, and she had my back when my mom was killed in a auto accident.. I know she was a good person, and can be. 10 yrs ago I just got fed up with her feeding her ego and buying friends .. I wasn’t about to be bought and her husband felt I was a bad influence, I would not support the story that was snowballing. When a person is sitting at the bottom of a hill holding an umbrella, they can’t see the doo doo coming down from the top.. people are seeing the truth, nothing can stop that..