Stolen Valor in San Antonio video

| April 30, 2013

Jaie Avila sends us the video from his report last night. Just for the record, when I saw Fernando Herrara talk about his DSC, it was second nature to check him out and he’s listed on Home of Heroes. I’m a little ashamed that I had to do it.

Yep, Bustamante is still clinging to his Bronze Star and his trip to the Far East in a museum.

Category: Phony soldiers

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Just an Old Dog

Gosh I wish those reporters had an ex-military person in the know there with them, with instant internet Access.
Bustamonte ” They gave the Bronze Star to me for saving my buddies life on the USS Missourri”….. Reporter goes into vapor lock because he doesn’t know what to say to repond to new claim. Our Don Shipley-type hero steps up,every hair in perfect place. ” The Bronze Star is only awarded for actions in a combat zone, the proper awards for what you described would be either a Navy-Marine Corps Achievement or Commendation medal, or at most the Life-Saving Medal. The USS Missourri was a floating Museum at the time… you want to try that again buddy?”

TSO

That chick doesn’t look like she’d be hard to chase down.
Even if the chaser had polio and a walker I am thinking you could outrun her.

OWB

Thanks, Jaie. Good job.

Hondo

Well done, Mr. Avilla. Many thanks.

No need to feel ashamed, Jonn. These days, it’s doveryai, no proveryai, tovarisch – doveryai, no proveryai.

Combat Historian

What Hondo said, Jonn; it’s the day and age we live in…there’s just way too many posers and fakers out there…

Reaperman

Am I the only one who feels uncomfortable watching these confrontation videos? I don’t have a logical explaination as to why, though. Really it’s not just the military frauds (who I come here largely to laugh at pictures of) it’s the whole confrontational journalism genre.

2/17 Air Cav

Given what the distinguished Veteran, Fernando Herrara, had to say about SV, my guess is that he’d tell you, “I’m glad you checked it out. Keep up the good work!”

MCPO NYC USN (Ret.)

USS Missouri … Phillipines … Holy Crap!

Ex-PH2

I”m not uncomfortable with the confrontational attitude of the reporter.

I find it preposterous that someone who makes these fraudulent claims can’t even bring himself to face his accuser like an adult. They act like little kids who got caught with their hands in the cookie jar.

I say keep it up.

ChipNASA

I’d have wadded that fake DD214 and that high school yearbook photo and BALL GAGGED him with it.
THAT’S the way to be confrontational.
Then I’d have worked the, YOU ALMOST KILLED YOUR WIFE…You Practically amputated that leg YOURSELF, guilt trip until it made him CRY.
/Internet Tough Guy off….

OWB

@ #6: No, you are not the only one. While I can articulate that in cases like this one when folks have made public claims found later to be fraudulent, they deserve what they get, but in general, yeah, I am of a generation with an expectaton that one should expect not to be ambushed in your own front yard.

NHSparky

@6 and @11–then maybe they shouldn’t make bullshit claims that are easily refuted by anyone with even the weakest Google-fu?

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

OWB

I hear ya, Sparky. And cannot totally disagree. But, I was, and interpretted Reaperman to be doing the same, addressing ambush/gotcha “journalism” generally. It’s unseemly.

Persons who put themselves in the public arena have less expectation of privacy than do the rest of us. It can indeed be argued that when one knowingly engages in misrepresenting military service, the liar has placed himself/herself in the public arena and therefore is more subject to being treated as a public figure.

NHSparky

Concur. And while I would agree that “ambush journalism” should be used only when absolutely sure of one’s target and their guilt, when such as been established, no mercy.

OWB

Oh, goody!

EdUSMCleg

Love to hear about it, Jonn.

streetsweeper

If it takes an ambush to flush ’em out, then so be it. In a way once these asshats make their claim in public, to me it’d be no different than on the battlefield. Ambushes do work, quite well. Ladner is on Fox5 ATL right now. His former chief of police Holy Springs PD tells us he may be facing charges….

EdUSMCleg

Awesome. Would love to see that!

EdUSMCleg

http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/category/237922/live-video-1

Link to live feed… nothing much on now.

RunPatRun

Good to see this getting coverage in the news.

NHSparky

Meanwhile, it’s been 25 years since CBS aired, “The Wall Within” and they’ve yet to offer an apology or a retraction of any of the bullshit spewed on that show.

Not that I’m waiting or anything.

At least newsies are finally coming around to checking their facts. Sometimes.

teddy996

I saw that Liam Neeson documentary “Battleship” the other day, and it was the museum curators aboard the MO that allowed our guys to blow up the aliens.

Clearly, Bustamante was just one in a long line of courageous museum curators aboard the MO. He just happened to be working during the time they got the call to swing by the Philippines to save that drowning guy.

NHSparky

Next thing you know, some Seaman Apprentice stationed on the USS Constitution is going to get a Silver Star for having to go through Charlestown after dark.

On second thought, that’s a hell of a lot more likely than this clown.