Robert L. Lawton, phony Beirut bombing survivor
Robert L. Lawton has twenty years as a Marine, spent time as a Drill Instructor and retired as an E-7 Gunnery Sergeant, but I guess that wasn’t good enough for him, according to Scotty. He decided that he needed a Purple Heart from the Beirut bombing in October, 1983.
According to his FOIA records, when the bombing happened, he was at Camp LeJeune and a mechanic;
Well, that and a Purple Heart is not on his DD214, or his DD215;
Apparently, he did go to Beirut, but almost a year after the barracks bombing;
You can see at Scotty’s place that he has scads of Merit Masts and letters of appreciation and commendations, so don’t ask me why he needed this one last phony award to make himself feel better.
Category: Phony soldiers
Jonn, Jonn, you just don’t get it. He needed the Purple Heart Medal to complete his rack’s color ensamble, the purple nicely meshes and coordinates the other colors. My grand babies love the color purple and I’m considering adding a couple to my rack to make they happy, happy.
YGBSM.
How do you spend 20 years, make E-7 and not get an MSM when you retire?
That says a lot
He’s wearing a Combat Action Ribbon with THREE stars? YREALLYGBSM.
He was affected by Teh PTSD of the ghosts of the ones who died in Beirut.
O-4E: times and services are different. In the early 1960s, a commendation medal wasn’t too uncommon a retirement award for a USAF E7. And the USMC is notoriously stingy on awards – IMO, far too stingy.
This clown is a volunteer at the Marine Corps Museum at Parris Island. He was coaching Recruits parents while their little maggots were going through Boot Camp. The program flyer came from a dinner meeting on PI at which he was the guest speaker. He had Beirut Veterans calling him out last night. And he still tried to BS them.
He also has a loaded CAR. what a punk.
POS el grande!!
There’s posers who would wear all the medals and ribbons this guy earned. It has to be some deep seated sense of inadequacy that causes this. Or just a mega case of douchebaggery. Either way it’s pitiful.
One slice of douchebaggery between two slices of massive inadequacy, with a lack of self-esteem slathered on the inadequacy.
What a piece of shit. Marines, why don’t you police your own here and straighten this E-7 out…
What a douche. I can’t find his facebook page. Anyone have a link?
@ 13 He shut his f/b account down last night & started a new one. Look for Landis Lawton
Oh good God!!!!!
I just don’t fucking get it it. This guy had an entirely honorable career any Marine could be proud of. And then one who should know better blows all his honor for a lie, at the expense of those who did earn more.
Sent a message via his new Facebook. “honorable 20 year career up in smoke, why”
@3 O4-E,
Marines basically don’t hand out MSMs for retirement. I retired at 20 as a 1st Sgt, E-8. I would consider myself perhaps a tad above average, yet the highest award I received was a N-MCAM. It probably didn’t help that I managed to stay as far away from the flagpole as possible( never worked in a Staff capacity, I was always at company or Battery level).
@18
That is a shame.
As an E-8 you were in the top 5% of NCOs
Pretty damn sure your career was the epitome of meritorious service
If the Corps is that niggardly with awards…shame on them
@3 O4-E The Marines generally don’t hand out MSMs to enlisted as retirement awards unless they were very close to the flagpole.
This guy also claimed to be an 0331 (“Automatic Machine Gunner” in his words) He was a Motor Transport Mechanic(3521) by trade, not an Infantryman
He deployed with G Battery 3/10 (assigned to BLT 3/8) In March of 1984. (BLT 1/8 was the unit in Beruit at the time of the bombing, they were relieved by BLT 2/8, which had also been involved in Grenada) The Marines effectively stopped having boots on the Ground in Feb 1984. After that they were simply onboard ships, training with other countries and maintaining a presence in “the Med”.
BLT 3/8 (and by extension Lawton) never set foot in Lebanon on this deployment, never came under fire and didn’t have any personnel awarded a Combat Action Ribbon.
It looks like he went to different units as a Motor T Type and served with the Air Wing in a LAAM Battery ( light anti-aircraft Missle). during Desert Storm and Desert Shield. Never crossed the Line of departure, never came under fire, no CAR.
Then he served on the Drill Field ( Ironically he was at Parris Island the same Time I was at San Diego as a DI).
Later on he deployed on board ship with BLT 3/2 supporting US/ Nato actions in Bosnia.
His last tour was with Marine Corps Base Camp Lejuene as a Motor Transport Maintenance Chief, retiring in July of 2002.
Motor Transport doesn’t promote like other fields so retiring at 20 as a Gunnery Sergeant is normal. Guy had a good career, but now he chose to be a bullshitter.
A few things I would like to clear up. I am doing this from memory so bear that in mind. There are many Marines from BLT 3/8 that will take exception with ‘Never had boots on the ground’. Not sure who you are but I can tell from your post you were not there. I remember Lawton and have no idea what dumb ass was trying to accomplish when he made those statements. I can also state clearly that there were members from G Battery 3/10 with boots on the ground. I can not state if Lawton was one of them. I was section chief for base piece for G Battery. Vic Dutil was CO, Carl Layne 1stSGt, Gysgt Butler, Ssgt Squires, many many more can confirm this. You will notice on his 214 that even after the Multinational Peace Keeping Force was done away with we didnt go anywhere and were simply renamed. I get a case of the red ass everytime I hear 2/8 were the last ones there. Especially since the members of 2/8 were relieved by 3/8 while everyones boots were clearly on the same ground. Ssgt Trout that got the bronze was with H Battery attached to 2/8. He and I served together all the way back to 1977 when Kilo was pigs and part of 1/10. I wonder why Sgt Grasty was running around with two sticks a string and a compass doing crater analysis while 3/8 was under no fire. After I had an incident with the friendlies they sent me on a vacation to Egypt with Rich Heff for a week. Even after BLT 3/8 was haze gray and underway there was one poor Marine that had a chopper land on the Nassau pick his not so happy ass up and fly him back for just a little more fun under orders from the Commandant himself. So you see; he was the last United States Marine that was a member of the Multinational Peace Keeping Forces Beirut Lebanon to head home. I am that Marine. MgySgt Dubois now retired and working at… Read more »
I have learned a lot more about Lawton in the past year. My opinion of him has changed dramatically.
Not only does he deserve to be in the same heap with the rest of this scum. He deserves his own special place.
He is the worst of the worst in my opinion. He disgraced himself, Beirut veterans everywhere and the entire Corps.
@20 Old Dog
I agree. He had a model career as a Motor Sergeant. And those guys typically do retire as E-7s is the Army also. Too bad this guy chose to f*ck up a solid record like that.
I knew the Marines were stingy with awards. I just never realized how stingy.
@21 O4-E,
The Corps was pretty bad about recognizing its better performers, especially in combat arms and line units. In my first unit I saw exactly ONE Marine get a medal, a Navy Achievment Medal (the name was later changed to Navy-Marine Corps Achievment Medal). He was involved in a dog and pony show for the public near New River Air Station and he helped render aid to a lady that fell ill from the heat. Even then the award was written up and submitted by an officer in the Air Wing, not our command.
Headquarters units tended to be much more generous in acknowledging performance than the companies/batteries did. I found out later in my career that there is actually a set number of N-MCAM that may be awarded every quarter (Like 1 for every 75 Marines). Most of the time lower level units never submitted recommendations so HQs types could write half their shop up.
When I got to be in a position to do so I made sure my good Marines were recognized.
“When I got to be in a position to do so I made sure my good Marines were recognized.”
Same here brother. Same here.
Hit submit too soon
In the Army it isn’t an easy award to get below the rank of SFC/E-7
Generally the first time an enlisted guy will get one is coming out of Platoon Sergeant time, coming off the trail as a Drill Sergeant or coming off a Recruiting Tour (assuming they were solid performers)
The next time they will generally see one is after coming out of a First Sergeant tour. And finally at retirement
For Officers you will generally not see your first one until your Company Change-of-Command ceremony. The next one might be after a successful staff tour as a Field Grade at Brigade Level or higher and/or Battalion Command. And finally at retirement.
@18 Just An Old Dog,
You don’t need any stinking medals for twenty years of service! Just having the title of Marine already makes you a badass in my world.
@18
I totally agree. It is just kind of flabbergasting that the service he gave for 2 decades isn’t recognized by the branch he gave it to…with no more than the same award you would give a Supply Guy for passing an inspection.
Read some of the conversations the people who busted him out had with him. He said he felt “disrespected” because they contacted him under false pretenses. Screw him, he needed to be taken down.
He tried to play it down, saying he was having problems and made a bad call in judgement, and would never mention it again. Then he is back claiming it again saying he had it taken out of his records…..
Unbelievable!! He didnt even arrive in the area until Mar of 1984, and the deployment was not onshore. no boots on the ground, no CAR, no possible purple heart. The cherry on top is the sniper tattoo this terd has.
Dang
@18 should be @25 ref Old Dog
I found more incriminating purple heart images of him with some of his family members at the following links;
I also marked them for further stolen valor prosecution.
Ashamed to say it, but Lawton and I served together on the Drill Field back in the early 90’s. The sad thing is, he was a good hat and had what for anyone with a shred of decency, would be considered a damn good career.
Lawton is getting beaten about the head and shoulders on the Beirut Veterans site I am a member of. He was the guest speaker at a function on Parris Island not too long ago and claimed in his speech that he was the last Marine pulled from the wreckage of the Beirut bombing and was trapped for 3 days. Needless to say, this has pissed off my fellow vets who were there during the bombing. And with the 30th anniversary this year, he really picked the wrong time to claim fake honors.
He has shut down his Facebook page because Beirut vets were on it tearing him a new asshole. He is claiming all kinds of weird shit to excuse himself. Lawton volunteers at Parris Island at the visitors center and he has a Facebook page where he helps families of recruits by answering questions, helping them make reservations for visits and generally keeping them informed about what is going on at P.I. Boy were the families of those recruits in for a shock when a bunch of Beirut vets went on that page and started calling Lawton out. Good reading by jove!!!
He has awarded himself the Purple Heart and numerous Combat Action Ribbons which he does not rate. He has invented a story about service in Beirut that is bullshit. He has taken 20 years of honorable service and pissed all over it. He has taken all of the good work that he has done assisting the families of recruits at Parris Island and pissed all over that. But worst of all, he has taken the memory of 241 of our fallen and pissed all over that. And for that, I aint forgiving him.
@30.
Well said.
O4-E…while I can’t speak for all Navy branches, I will say that on the boats, unless you were a Squadron weenie since you were about an E-4, an MSM retirement award is virtually unheard of.
In fact, the only one that comes to my mind is my first COB on the Buffy. That was his SEVENTH COB tour. His first one was 22 years prior. Guy had been in for 42 years.
@32..wow
@30, Well spoken Master Gunny.
Something I have always told my Marines and My Children. Integrity is the one thing a person has that can never be taken away by anyone else. Only you can compromise it or give it away.
Losing the trust of Marines is like losing your virginity. It’s something you can never get back.
@ 30. Well said.
BREAK
I was awarded MSM after 32 years of service, mostly because of my good looks and charming (almost angelic) disposition.
Um, where do I apply for my Space Shuttle Door Gunner medal and my Corellian Cruiser pilot’s wings?
Also, I’m entitled to the Sniper-on-a-Shark hanger, so where do I find that?
I was his OIC when he retired. He would have received a MSM if he deserved a MSM. Period. Glad to see that he lost weight since he retired.
This guy also was charged with stealing a large some of money. I know I was the Inspector that held the trial. The sad part is it was a Veterans group. He was found guilty and his life membership was withdrawn.
@38….. Like someone said, wnen it comes to Stolen Valor, there’s always something else.
I remember the investigation that was held against him while he was in Michigan. Unfortunately, both him and his wife leave a messy trail where ever they go. Both are liars, her family has nothing to do with her because of the lies and all Lawton has left is two nieces and a nephew which the three of them barely speak to him. He went on NATIONAL TELEVISION and SUED his oldest niece for money. It’s always about money with Lawton. And he will ALWAYS play the victim in any situation. This makes me sick and I’m glad this is all in the clear! Lets just say I was having a blast reading everything that has been posted about him.
@30 MGySgtRet.- Do you have a link to the PI recruit page mentioned in your post? Thanks.
Just looked at Scotty’s page about Lawton. One of the pics shows that he has a tattoo of a rifle with a gun sight superimposed on it. What a bad ass.
I had the dis-pleasure to work with (we ran seperate shop) Bob Lawton in 3/2. A sycophant that would blame something on a LCpl. Hell I don’t even think he was a good motor-t chief. Avoided the field at any cost. In general…an all around turd. Other than that..A great Marine! SF
With ALL due respect MSGT O, great Marines don’t steal valor from dead Marines, period. As far as I’m concerned, he forfeited his right to be called a Marine the moment he pulled this miserable stunt. I served in the Corps, did my time and got out.
Sure we have had some real offensive characters in the past year, but let me refresh our memory of this valor thief. First let me state what he is not. He is not some random poser that made claims about being in the military service and lacked the experience to know the depths of his treachery. He is not someone that did not understand the grave impact the events he lied about had on his fellow Marines and all members of the military. I was standing just meters from him when the bombing in Beirut happened. I can give exact grid coordinates to his location at that moment. He didn’t claim a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart for some nameless event he knew little about. He knew the faces of those he betrayed. He knows my face. He did not just make claims on some resume or to some overly eager reporter. He wasn’t just doing it in a VFW or American Legion over a beer. He wasn’t just wearing a vest full of fake badges, patches, and medals. He did not just lie to gain membership to a veterans organization. He did not just lie to bloat his image to those that didn’t know any better. What he did do was enter the very heart of the Marine Corps at Parris Island wearing a uniform of lies. He stood in the blood and sacrifice of those he knew could no longer speak as an invited guest to honor them and deliberately defiled their memory and valor. He did this with premeditation, he planed, practiced, and executed his plan knowing full well it was a lie. I do not know another valor thief so despicable that he betrayed those he personally knew with such deliberate treason. I do not know another valor thief that has eyewitnesses that can state for a fact and have the records to back it up, that he stole valor from his dead brothers. If he does not exemplify what this site is all about I can not imagine who would. It has been a… Read more »
Dave,
Thanks for clarifying, bearing witness and for you honorable service.
/Bumped to the top of the page so others can see it.
Thanx, he was the reason I came to this site in the first place.
Holy shit, Dave. Holy shit.
I’m thinking that we all may have to re-consider at least a top 4 seed here.
I HATE ACTIVE MILITARY FUCKTARDS.
A great career and he SHIT ALL OVER IT.
fuckstick.
Dave,
Just to let you know, (and bump back to the top of the page), He is part of the 2014 Stolen Valor nominees.
He’s getting my vote until we get to the final rounds.
We’ll see.
Thanx for the support. Never rule out the Dark Horse in a race. He might not be as entertaining as some of the others but if the measure is Stolen Valor he is second to none.
Thanx for the bump
Oh a Bump? well then, “Please Sir, I want some *more*”.
*thump*