Dallas Wittgenfeld; the continued conversation

| May 15, 2012

Our newest buddy, Dallas Whittenfeld has been trying to get me to take down my post about him. He’s a real charmer, trust me. He began by threatening me with a lawsuit, which, I’m sure he’s decided since, was the wrong approach.

He insists that he’s authorized to wear the CIB and the infantry accoutrements which we questioned last month. To prove it, he sent me another copy of his DD214, but like I said, I have doubts about his DD214. We’ve seen instances of people who influenced the altering of their records. So I asked Mr Whittenfeld to send me a copy of his orders for his CIB. I still have mine, why wouldn’t he have his? Well, he offered to have some state historian somewhere to explain to me something or other. I told him that it would be futile, because I’m just asking for his orders.

So, then he called me a “leg” despite the fact that he knows I’ve served in airborne units. He explained that I’m a leg because he currently jumps and has a parachute by his computer. As proof that he currently jumps, he sent this picture;

Yeah, I can tell that’s him and I can tell that it’s recent. can’t you? So, in response, I sent him a picture of the Moon walk and told him that was me. That was the last we heard from him.

But, we did hear from the Special Forces Association which he told me that by virtue of his membership in the group authorized him to wear the Green Beret whenever he felt like it (when I asked about the beret, he said “So what?”). Yeah, they love him over there;

We did have him as an Associate member A-2119. He joined in 1997 and has been long inactive. Another member with questionable credentials. There is nothing attached to his application (we now require documentation) and all he lists is:

75th Abn Rangers Co D RVN Sep 69 to Feb 70

11th SF Reserves Lima, Ohio (compasionate leave) Feb 70 to Apr 70

Royal Thailand Army Rangers RVN (Advisor) Apr 70 to Sep 70

Those are his descriptions verbatim. He would not have been admitted today.

So, just send me the orders, Mr. Whittgenfeld and we can get this all settled. I’ll admit I was wrong (I’ve done it before, so the concept isn’t foreign to me) and we can clear all of this up.

Category: Phony soldiers

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BorderPundit

Yep, it’s a recent photo showing a current jumper: there are 50 stars on those flags.

LIRight

I’m in for $50 if you need a defense fund, which is highly doubtful.

Hondo

Interesting that Wittgenfeld claims to have been assigned to the “11th SF Reserves Lima, Ohio (compasionate leave) Feb 70 to Apr 70” and the “Royal Thailand Army Rangers RVN (Advisor) Apr 70 to Sep 70”. His FOIA is different; it says he was continuously assigned to USARPAC until Aug 70. And it also shows him as CASUAL/Enroute to CONUS as of 15 Aug 70 – and shows no time in Thailand whatsoever.

Yeah, that claim that got him into the SF Association as an associate member seems to have been bogus as hell.

Just Plain Jason

I had to change my fake story when the duffle blog ran the story about the 42A, now I just tell people I was a cook. I just get tired of the conversation about IUDs…

Hondo

Uh, JPJ – I think you meant IEDs vice IUDs. (smile)

Just Plain Jason

No one day at the VA I had a conversation with a guy who kept saying IUDs…I just try to avoid telling people what I did anymore.

malclave

I just get tired of the conversation about IUDs…

No shit, there I was… 😉

Anonymous

ROTFL…!!

NHSparky

Missed it by that much, malclave.

Just Plain Jason

…all covered in camel milk and hummus…

Yat Yas 1833

That photo is of ME! I was the only air-borne trac rat in the Marine Corps!?! If you believe that, I have a bridge in Lake Havasu City I’ll sell ya. CHEAP!

Just Plain Jason

Only if it is the tower bridge!

NHSparky

Funny how I got my dolphins 25 years ago and if anyone asks to see my Dolphin Certificate (equivalent of orders) all I have to do is pull it down off my office wall, just above my college diploma.

Why can’t Dallas do the same? Dallas? Bueller? Bueller?

Scottys Hideaway

I also have proof that Dallas allowed the press to print that He had earned the Bronze Star in RVN. This claim was printed in multiple newspapers on different dates over a 5 year span.

Frankly Opinionated

Dallas, if you are reading these comments:
You are one lyin’, thievin’, sorry piece of shit. You lifted a photo of mine, and then demonstrated your dumbassery by telling me that I stole it from you. I don’t give a ratzazz about your service record, whether they be true or false, none of that. You accused me of stealing, and that will be your statement to suffer for. The person photographed would like nothing more than for you to stumble in to a certain Ranger Bar and tell the people in there, (actual school trained Rangers, now Ranger Instructors), that I stole “your” photo.
What was it that Sun Tzu said about a meal best served cold???

rb325th

Dumas Winddummy is a POS, self promoting, egotistical ass, which is probably why no one from his old units have stepped up to bat for him, despite the fact they knew from contacts he was being pegged as at the least an embellisher…
I will say it right here and now in regards to his claims I have seen him make directly regarding Units Served in Vietnam. He did serve in the 151st (though not an original as he may have tried to imply) he served in D co 75th for a few months and he did serve with the Thai Unit for about 20 days… long enough to get two purple hearts and sent home. I have seen his orders for his purple hearts and it list that Thai Unit. I do not believe he was listed as an advisor, but he was attached to them in some fashion.
He was eligible for the CIB under the regs for being in direct combat assigned to the 151st and 75th, but it does not authorize him to claim to be Infantry as he does by wearing all the Infantry shit on his uniform.
That and having claimed in interviews back in his early days as “Thunder Chicken” that he was in SF and earned a bronze Star…. those articles exist online and it is very clear that he stated he was SF and earned a Bronze Star with V.
I think he has spent too much time at altitude absent oxygen. He is a legit Veteran with some real deal accomplishments, but Audie Murphy he is not.
A self absorbed ass who not even his brothers in Arms will stick up for. Some strap hanger whose dad served with him(since passed away, so we only get the sons memories of the glory hound dilly witttlessone), and some historian from france… only ones I know to have spoken on his behalf.

Yat Yas 1833

@ 12 JPJ, LMAO! Sorry, it’s only the London Bridge, nothing THAT fancy! This POS sucks, big time.

Beretverde

It is so easy to clear the air with REAL documents and even guys you served with. A picture of a sky-diver with the stars and stripes and calling one a “Leg” doesn’t cut it. Red herring maybe? As for sky divers, if they don’t have at least the bald headed jump wings and did it for the “big bucks”… they are legs! BTW- I still have my Thunderbow parachute.

Hondo

rb325th: Per the Army award regulation of the day , I beg to differ. Even under the regulations of the day, IMO Wittgenfeld doesn’t appear to qualify based on his service as a Ranger RTO. I managed to locate the first part (pages 1 thru 38) of what appears to be the correct Army Award Regulation of the day (AR 672-5-1, May 1961, w/Changes 1-15). Since it discusses events occurring after 24 May 1965, it likely is the correct one, but I’ll continue to look for a better, more definitive, complete copy. Thankfully, the CIB is discussed on pp. 29-31 of the document I located. Here is the pertinent part of the CIB eligibility criteria for service in Vietnam, para 96.a.(1) and 96.a.(2) (emphasis added): “96. Combat Infantryman Badge. a. Eligibility requirements. (1) An individual must be an infantry officer in the grade of colonel or below, or an enlisted man or a warrant officer with infantry MOS, who subsequent to 6 December 1941 has satisfactorily performed duty while assigned or attached as a member of an infantry unit of brigade, regimental or smaller size during any period such unit was engaged in active ground combat. Battle participating credit alone is not sufficient; the unit must have been in active ground combat with the enemy during the period. Awards may be made to assigned members of ranger infantry companies assigned or attached to tactical infantry organizations. They may also be made to members of the U.S. Army who are colonels or below and are assigned under appropriate orders for service in Republic of Vietnam, Laos, and Dominican Republic, during the dates specified and under the criteria listed below: (a) Republic of Vietnam: 1. [this para pertains to personnel assigned to advisor duty in Vietnam and appears N/A for Wittgenfeld, so I’ve omitted it] 2. Subsequent to 24 May 1965: Personnel serving in U.S. units must meet the requirements of (1) above. The sentence “Awards may be made to assigned members of ranger infantry companies assigned or attached to tactical infantry organizations” in para 96.a above is clearly intended to clarify… Read more »

OWB

So, I have a lamp made from a runway light. Does that make me a 747?

Old Trooper

@18: I did the sky dive thing for fun with friends from 1/75, but that didn’t make me Airborne or a Ranger.

Erik

I have no use for a man who wears a “Hodge podge” uniform, that is a tribute to his own service. Dallas does not properly demonstrate his competence, care and attention to detail in setting up and wearing a “Class A” uniform correctly. (he missed that Stanza of the Ranger creed) His uniform may show his true personal pride, but it is also devoid of the “Truth” concerning his; assignments,affiliations,and awards. All Dallas cares about are “Bragging rights” and “Dallas”. He could give a rats ass less about representing the Armed forces correctly, or even his own Military Brotherhood professionally…the same brotherhood which is currently judging him and his actions. We no longer have to wonder why Dallas is so FUBAR. We know he is a self promoter, (and that is part of the American Dream). But Dallas’s Dream doesn’t work correctly unless the truth about him is “Tweeked” a little. His claims of parachuting for Vietnamese Children is a whopper…apparently his imaginary “fun jumps” in the republic of Vietnam, out weigh the 173rd’s one Combat jump. Dallas must always compete…and be better then the other guy. He will survive and out last all of us, simply on just his ability to self promote and attract attention to himself. Sadly, credible Veterans suffer….suffer a backlash of horrible insults and idle threats from Dallas for speaking out against Dallas and his “Tribute costume” (the Costume Dallas would have us all believe is his “reality Class A” photo. Hogwash.

Hondo

Addendum to comment 19. Found the definitive award reg of the Vietnam era at http://www.whs.mil/library/mildoc/AR672.htm

It has later changes than the earlier copy I found, but the CIB portion seems to be identical.

I also made one error in 19 above. Turns out there is a second exception allowing award of the CIB to non-infantry soldiers of all ranks. To qualify, those soldiers must have been either (1) formally assigned to MAAG-Laos or to a White Star Mobile Training Team in Laos (1961-1962) and engaged the enemy with friendly Laotian forces or irregulars, or (2) have been formally assigned to advisor positions to Vietnamese infantry, ranger, or infantry-type unit of the Vietnamese self-defense corps and have engaged the enemy while serving in that advisory capacity.

Wittgenfeld doesn’t qualify for either of these exceptions. He wasn’t in Laos in 1961-1962, and per his FOIA all his service in Vietnam was in US units. Any “advisory time” in Thailand (which doesn’t appear on his FOIA, by the way) simply doesn’t count.

Beretverde

@21…I made a few jumps with guys from the Knights… no way was I in their league or even close to their skydiving abilities. “Qualification by Association” is so common today, it makes me wonder where these people come from (Whitt).

rb325th

Hondo, I hate defending the bastard under any circumstances… however, Purple Heart orders I saw for this idiot show him assigned to the Royal Thai Army when he was wounded (twice in 20 days). Why that is not listed on his FOIA info I have no idea. The orders looked legit to me. They were group orders, complete with social security numbers.
That was when the RTA was in Vietnam, he did not go to Thailand to train them. That was a SF Unit that did that.
So, his CIB could be an error or it could be legit it is in his records though. No sign of him ever going to Infantry School or otherwise being awarded the 11 Series MOS. Which leaves the special crcumstances listed in (d)
If someone still has those they should e-mail them to jonn. They contain other folks SS Numbers, so I would not post it publicly.

rb325th

Dilly Dallas could just post the orders for his CIB of course, and that would settle that question entirely…

Hondo

rb325th: Service with the Royal Thai Army would not count as service covered by the advisor exception. Here’s the CIB advisor criteria Vietnam (para 96.a(1)(a), AR 672-5-1, May 1961 w/Changes 1-22) (emphasis added): “(a) Republic of Vietnam: 1. Subsequent to 1 March 1961: (a) Must be assigned as advisor to an infantry unit, ranger unit, infantry-type unit of the civil guard of regimental or smaller size and/ or infantry type unit of the self-defense corps unit of regimental or smaller size of the Vietnamese Government during any period such unit was engaged in actual ground combat. (b) Must be assigned as advisor of an irregular force comparable to the above infantry units under similar conditions. (c) The recipient must have been personally present and under fire while serving in an assigned primary duty as a member of a tactical advisory team while the unit participated in ground combat. 2. Subsequent to 24 May 1965: Personnel serving in U.S. units must meet the requirements of (1) above.” The advisory all-MOS/all-ranks exception is defined in para 96.a.(3) of the same reg (emphasis added): (3) Any officer whose basic branch is other than infantry who, under appropriate orders, has commanded an infantry unit of brigade, regimental or smaller size for at least, 30 consecutive days is deemed to have been detailed in infantry and is eligible for the award of the Combat Infantryman Badge notwithstanding absence of written orders detailing him in the infantry, provided all other requirements for such award have been met. Orders directing the individual to assume command will be confirmed in writing at the earliest practicable date. In addition, any officer, warrant officer, or enlisted man whose branch is other than infantry, who under appropriate orders, is assigned to advise a unit listed in (1) (a) 1 and 2 above, or who is assigned as a member of a White Star Mobile Training Team or a member of MAAG-Laos as indicated in (1) (b) 1 and 2 above, will be eligible for this award provided all other requirements for such award have been met.” Service with a friendly armed… Read more »

defendUSA

Yep…saving copies of orders…I was in for a mere 5 years and I have them all- even Replacement Det. orders…Orders are always kept with the awards/certificates…isn’t that what most soldiers do? Ahem… And if I were a combat seasoned soldier, no way it wouldn’t be readily available…that’s just how I am. I still carry the yellow shot record copy with me when on the road…cause. you. just. never. know.

Nelson Eddy Ingraham II

so youre all saying i need to make a video on this douchebag?

Hondo

Not sure yet, NEI-2. Wittgenfeld’s made some very questionable claims to the SF Association, but the jury is still out on the CIB issue. (The rest of his claims appear legit at this point.) Not sure you want to slam him based on the questionable SF Association claims alone. That’s your call.

Per NPRC, a CIB does appear in his official records. However, his service as an “advisor” to the Royal Thai Army in Vietnam doesn’t cut it for a CIB. Per the awards reg of the day, advisory duty had to be a formal assignment (e.g., on orders) and as advisor to a unit of the Vietnamese Government. Wittgenfeld’s claimed “advisory” duty doesn’t even show up on his FOIA, so it wasn’t a formal advisor assignment; and last time I checked, the Thai Army wan’t a unit of the Vietnamese Government. So unless Wittgenfeld ever was granted an infantry SMOS and served in same (something which also doesn’t appear in his FOIA), as stated above I don’t see how that CIB can possibly be legit. And Wittgenfeld won’t/can’t produce orders for his CIB, either.

My guess – and I stress that this is a guess – is that the only place it shows up in his records is on his DD214. And it’s not unknown for clerks preparing DD214s to made an error in interpreting regulations.

Hondo

Well, I finally got around to taking a look at the “Scotty’s Hideaway” link posted in the comments on the original Wittgenfeld thread. Some interesting stuff there.

http://scotty-stolenvaloroffendersexposed.blogspot.com/2012/06/dallas-wittgenfeld-army-embellish-er.html

At some point(s) in the past, Wittgenfeld appears to have been cited in published articles as having a “Bronze Star for Valor”. That happened multiple times. I wonder who told them that? It’s not on Wittgenfeld’s FOIA.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P29qs2nQGUM/T9SHK1AJlwI/AAAAAAAAAnQ/sJFgKt4PiWE/s1600/4.PNG

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cZ1f9yW5Y6g/T9SHMBS8z6I/AAAAAAAAAno/VHTYJhPecAo/s1600/7.PNG

And Wittgenfeld really appears to get into flying.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fg1NcxcgZqk/T9SGuVp923I/AAAAAAAAAl4/u7Ah2UrW3ck/s1600/Thunder+Chicken+-1.PNG

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dhDLtzLmLYU/T9SGu-QeGnI/AAAAAAAAAmA/H4i0eSRYWVY/s1600/Thunder+chicken-2.PNG

I don’t ever remember reading a report of someone being arrested for that before. (smile)

A fair amount of other stuff is posted there about Wittgenfeld, too. IMO it’s worth a look.

Ex-PH2

He was doing skydiving in Vietnam in 1969? To amuse Vietnamese children? As a clown? WHERE in Vietnam? Did he know there was a war going on and the VC liked shooting at things in the sky? What did he jump out of? Puff the Magic Dragon?
Come on, guys, I can make up a better story than that one!
I know I called him a bloviating walrus prior to today, but I was being polite.
Improper self-aggrandizement can be brought to a screeching halt with a live cattle prod applied to the proper portion of the blowhard’s anatomy
Or someone could just sew his mouth shut.