Master Gunnery Sergeant James Wesley Bolden
You probably remember the picture from a few weekends ago when DeAngelo Williams paid for this fellow’s plane ticket and the picture went viral. We wrote about it here.
Our friends at Guardian of Valor got his records and it seems that James Wesley Bolden did serve and he was the rank that he said he was. His records don’t show a Bronze Star Medal with a Valor device or Purple Heart, though it does show service in Vietnam, a Combat Action Ribbon and a Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with a Valor device. He served from November 1955 to his retirement in November 1985. Here is his FOIA;
There is more about his records at GoV. Yes, we doubted his service, but he certainly gave us reason to doubt it the way he was presenting himself and from eye witness accounts. We have been harder on phonies for less than a BSM and a PH, but the dude has mental problems, so I’ll just leave it here. maybe his family needs to straighten up his stuff if they’re going to let him fly like that alone.
Category: Who knows
His DD-214 lists the Republic of Viet Nam Cross of Gallantry as an individual award, which is only awarded to American personnel by the Vietnamese government as recognition for valor in combat, and it is almost always awarded together with a similar American award, such as the Bronze Star and/or the Purple Heart.
Since company clerks sometimes make mistakes, the lack of a Bronze Star and/or Purple Heart on his DD-214 could just be a clerical oversight.
As an example, there’s omissions on my own DD-214, which I didn’t learn about until MANY years later when doing my own research of my unit’s history.
I remember some months back when I commented on the Internet, accusing a retired Army officer of being an imposter.
Later, we learned that he was a genuine retired Army officer, but was simply a rather gross (and unbelievably so!) example of improperly wearing the uniform.
Well, he’s got the Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medal with the Valor device which might have triggered the Cross of Gallantry award.
Isn’t the VCOG authorized for anyone who served in-country prior to 1974? Or is that some award other than the one listed on Bolden’s DD-214?
royh: that is correct. The unit award of the RVN Gallantry Cross with Palm was made “blanket” to all US military units serving under MACV in Vietnam by the government of RVN between 1961 and 1974. Thus, pretty much anyone who served in Vietnam rates that foreign unit award.
On occasion, the techs at NPRC are ambiguous in their listing of awards. However, if this guy were awarded the individual version of the RVNGC, both awards should be listed on the FOIA reply (he served in Vietnam, so the unit version is a given). Since only one is listed, I’m inclined to think the listing on the FOIA reply is talking about the unit award vice individual.
Hondo, it might just be another clerical error, but since it didn’t specify Unit Award (which my DD-214 does), I’m inclined to think it was an individual award.
Hondo,JRM, There was a period of time in the early to mid 80s that they were having us change that VCOG from one side to the other like we were changing our socks. I have my 3d INF DIV “Official” pictures from 81-83 and on a couple of them it is a unit citation and on the other its a personal award. I guess by the next time I wore Greens in 85 it was all figured out and was then worn as a unit citation forever after. I probably have only thrown more mud into a already murky situation,but that’s just the way it was back then.
JRM, CLAW131: not doubting the possibility of confusion. But if he was awarded the individual award, his FOIA reply from NPRC should show BOTH.
They guy retired from active service in 1982. The unit award to all US units under MACV was accepted by DoD well before then. Since his FOIA reply shows only one RVNGC, I’m forced to conclude that this was almost certainly the unit award version.
A second bit of support comes from the fact that this one is with palm. The unit award to all US units was with palm. However, the individual award was made in 4 levels – with palm being the highest. Award with palm was rare. That required by-name commendation at the RVN Army level in official RVN reports. I don’t think too many of those were issued to US soldiers.
I’m kinda torn here. No BSM w/V and PH in his records bothers me. However, a quick calculation based on his dates of service indicates the guy should be no younger than 76 – and possibly could be 78 or older. At that age he may be starting to “lose it”, mentally speaking.
Jonn’s right. If he’s starting to “lose it”, he doesn’t need to be traveling alone.
So I wonder if the guys lecturing him at the airport will call and apologize to him?
When people fuck up on a guy like this and call him out in public and then later on it’s realized he’s a 75 year old man who is maybe a little out of it mentally perhaps it’s time to rethink calling out people in a public place when you don’t actually have all the facts?
How does this get put right now?
I can’t stand the phonies to be sure, but a guy with an honorable 30 year career that includes a CAR in Vietnam who is in his mid to late 70s (1955 was the entry date even at age 17 that makes him 75/76 today) getting called out in a public place for dressing wrong in a uniform he wore when he was mentally fit is wrong also.
I guess the moral of this story is that folks have become so accustomed to seeing liars and fakes that an old guy who might not have all the sandwiches in his picnic basket fucks up his uniform and gets his ass handed to him when maybe he should have been gently directed home and had someone square his shit away for him….
I know I would feel like a giant pile of dog shit for trashing a guy like this in public not knowing the full back story.
Maybe this is a cautionary tale for pre-emptive diatribes without paperwork moving forward.
I agree with Jonn that his family ought to be looking out for him, but if they are not maybe the Marines who called him out can look at his record and be the first ones to help him get squared away now that he appears to be losing his faculties as he ages.
Thank you Jonn, for setting the record straight it speaks directly to your honesty as well. We all need to be cognizant that some of the older vets might be head cases and not liars.
VOV: best I can tell, the Guardians of Valor site ran the original story, based on firsthand reports and photos they’d received. They also appear to have run the first retraction when they received the guy’s records.
As I said above: I’m personally torn. The guy may still be wearing stuff he doesn’t rate – his BSM/V and PH do not appear in his records. Normally, I’d be willing to tear him a new one for that. Age isn’t an excuse for being a liar.
However, age sometimes brings age-related dementia. And that is a valid excuse – hell, it’s one of precisely three I can think of, actually. (The other two are non-age related mental issues and a bona fide and verified clerical error/error in interpreting regs.)
If the guy has mental issues, I can buy cutting him some slack and not making a big deal out of this. However, I do hope his family provides him some better assistance – and, if necessary, some supervision.
Age-related dementia sucks, and it doesn’t get better with time. It doesn’t stay static, either.
nd
Oops, I was saying that it is one thing to go after an out and out phony and liar. Veritas had a good comment. You want to be careful not to just unload on someone who really did serve and is getting a little “confused” over the years. The man has a Navy Comm with V-no small thing. He served honorably.He might need to be supervised a little closer, as was said, but some good judgment and grace is recommended.
Well shit….
Why is he flying around in messed up blues?
This is sad on so many levels.
I’m still waiting for my apology.
sincerely
John “Faker 6” Giduck
We’re sorry that you’re a world class faker John.
Now go have a super-secret high speed weekend.
I seem to have a security leak in my team somewhere. How could you have possibly known that 1) I’d be doing something super double top secret and 2) it was the weekend?
*squints eyes and looks side to side*
sincerely
John “Faker 6” Giduck
MGS Bolden apparently has early stage Alzheimer. He lived in the Philippines until recently. He is now living with family in the states. He is 77 years old. His oldest son recently died (also a marine) I can only think that there is way more to this story than has been told.
Thank you for your service, I am sorry for your loss.
I’ve worked with Alzheimer patients. I can tell you that I wouldn’t wish that disease on my worst enemy. It destroys everything that makes a person human — the ability to remember anything, including who they are or who anyone they love is; the ability to physically function; their health; and eventually their life. It’s terrible.
This is the one time on here, THE ONE TIME, that I would advocate for putting aside concern for what someone featured on here is wearing, and worry instead about what kind of care he’s getting.
I have also worked with patients with both advanced and early stages of Alzheimer’s and Dementia.
What I would like to know is why is he not at a facility that specializes in the proper care and safety? Does he currently have a care giver?
He has served our nation honorably for thirty years with a tour in Vietnam. He deserves and damned well has earned the proper medical care till the day he passes.
You know as well as I do that family situations, insurance (or lack of it), and lack of room in facilities puts a lot of people out in the community who should be in a hospital or facility somewhere. I agree completely with your last sentence, but the reality is that people in this shape and worse fall through the cracks every day.
In case anyone desires to research it further, the Armed Forces Retirement Home (i.e., the “Ol’ Soldiers’ Home”) in Washington, D.C., and the Armed Forces Retirement Home (i.e., previously the “United States Naval Home”) in Gulfport, Mississippi do have facilities for Alzheimer patients and senile dementia patients.
However, as I understand it, those facilities are reserved for individuals who are already residents of the Armed Forces Retirement Home, who were healthy when they arrived, but have since, become ill.
Still, since the administration is constantly breaking their own rules, if you know of someone in need, it might be worth looking into.
The Armed Forces Retirement Home is for enlisted military retirees and/or honorably discharged enlisted military veterans unable to earn a living.
Here is the URL:
https://www.afrh.gov/afrh/
That’s just incredibly sad. 🙁
Not to sound like I’m cold and unfeeling…
If his mental faculties are that diminished, then why did they let him travel by himself???
This is one of those times I have to apologize to the man, his family, any anyone else I may have hurt with any previous words. As Hondo said, Alzheimer’s or dementia is not something I’d wish on my worst enemy.
That being said, to the rest of the phonies, especially a couple on the coasts, fuck you. No slack.
I am not sure of everything negative I said in regards to this man, but I humbly apologize.
X2^^^^What you and NHSparky said^^^
Hold on here. I am not ready to call dust off yet. I am the first one to man up and admit when I am wrong and make amends when I am wrong. This mans uniform is one seriously fucked up display of shitbirdmanship. I am under the impression he was traveling alone, not under some kind of supervision. He has more than just a problem with a purple heart and BS on that uniform that his records don’t explain. Excuse the fuck out of me but 77 and a claim of Alzheimers is no more of an excuse than PTSD, I was honoring veterans, or my dog ordered me to do it. This claim of theirs is enough to give me pause, but I will still man my post. If it talks like a duck, walks like a duck, looks like a duck……its probably a duck.
No, you’re wrong. When your computer is corrupted, you don’t blame it for putting out strange data. Your brain is the same way. Alzheimers is the biological equivalent of computer malware, although it works more slowly than that. People that suffer from it become increasing unable to function, and it strips you down from your higher functions (memory, reason, feeling) at the start, right on down to your alligator brain (breathing, circulation, endocrine systems, etc.)
If this man has Alzheimers, it would explain quite well why a 30 year veteran, Mastery Gunnery Sergeant of Marines, has a screwed up uniform.
“…MASTER Gunnery Sergeant…”
I understand and he earned that. Sadly there is an article in the news today about a retired Sergeant Major arrested for molesting a 12 year old girl. Rank deserves its respect….to a point.
My emphasis (capital letters) was to indicate that I misspelled it in the previous post.
Sorry for the confusion.
I take no joy in being a prick about this. This just appears to me a Marine that served honorably and that just wasn’t good enough for him. He bought the medals and other things on that uniform with his full mental capacity. I do not believe at this time that Alzheimer’s caused him to embellish but rather he has been an embellisher for some time.
Dave Hardin, I’ve read of cases similar to the retired Sergeant Major who committed a similar offense who were unknowingly suffering from the effects of a stroke.
I personally know of a female (an absolutely GORGEOUS Nordic gal!) who repeatedly committed embarrassing sexual escapades, destroying her family, employment, and reputation, until it was discovered she had a brain tumor, which after surgery, returned her to normal behavior.
” personally know of a female (an absolutely GORGEOUS Nordic gal!) who repeatedly committed embarrassing sexual escapades” is this code for sleeping with you? lmao jk
yeah there’s lots of reasons why people act f’ed up. I feel sorry for this top knowing he’s a little scrambled in the melon.
I am all too familiar with Alzheimer’s. I am stating that a CLAIM of that is all too convenient. The CLAIM of PTSD, Mentally Challenged, are used all too often. Traveling alone with that condition in a state advanced enough to use as an excuse is unlikely. Sad as all this is he still appears to be a duck to me. Nothing in his records that I can find explains what appears to be a Marine Corps Presidential Guard award or an assignment to a MSG or Marine Barracks. Giving him the benefit of a doubt we have an embellisher with early onset Alzheimer’s.
I for one and not willing to pursue this any further.
This started with a celebrity trying to do a random act of kindness. Now its about an old man who is in fact and without question a retired Marine with some MINOR uniform issues. So is it worth digging up everything for what I suspect is a wild goose chase?
I have no doubt that in his twilight years his memory is not what it once was. I have no doubt that he has Dementia. What purpose would further questioning and dragging up the past serve?
By all accounts he had honorable service, to me this is not s stolen valor issue but one of an ageing vet in need of help and the support of the Veteran community. or do we have nothing better to do than dog pile on an old man?
Agreed.
So it was ok to dog pile on an old man before there was a CLAIM of Alzheimer’s? Now a fake Purple Heart, fake Bronze Star, Fake MCPG Insg, are MINOR uniform issues? I do have doubt he has memory issues severe enough to use as an excuse for those false claims. There have been people dead and buried exposed on this site.
@Dave Hardin~
Just for clarification, I was agreeing with you….Although I agree with Enigma as well, I will hold my participation of piling on till there is more evidence proving or disproving his medical claims.
We have seen far to many times, good records tarnished because of embellishments and then heard the excuse of PTS or some mental incapacity.
So I will wait to see if there is anymore info forth coming on this MGS before I add my two cents in.
His record shows a month in the hospital right after Vietnam. Enough for me to question. The spokesperson for his family is a retired/Former? Police chief for Memphis who is still working in law enforcement. Who was also a marine. He is now living in SD with his Daughter. I consider the story, The circumstances and the source. Even looking at his records its clear that they are not complete. I see nothing but honorable service. And yes Minor in comparison to how jacked up others have been. The round marine comes to mind. And yes there have been people that are dead and buried on this site. There have even been people who were relocated after death due to being frauds. I am all for outing a fake. I am not all for Judging a man with out proof or evidence. I am not about to point a finger and shout fake at a Vet with out more proof than a suspicion. I would rather be wrong about a fake than accuse a real Vet. Many of us are currently involved in defending ourselves and our reputation in court. I have no problem doing so because I know that the information is correct, without question or possibility of error. I personally spend a great deal of time obtaining my own information about those suspected of Stealing Valor. Many times I simply do not comment on those i am unsure of. Other times I will contribute what I have found or not found. I will always be on the side of any active duty member or Retired member until I have proof otherwise. These people are not just names on the internet, They are real men and women with families and feelings. I have no problem going after a real fake. I do have a problem going after an old man with a fine record who has not once in three weeks spoken for himself. I will point out that so far in this every thing the family has claimed has turned out to be true. Some questions remain but… Read more »
Thank you for taking the time to respond in detail like that. If I owe this man and his family an apology I want to be at the front of the line. I got nothing but respect for you and value your opinion on these matters greatly. I would expect us to make a post stating his FOIA info and mitigating info. I am not suggesting a firing squad be mustered, quite the contrary this calls for a moment of pause. Not full retreat. Lets wait and get more info, was he traveling alone? How long has he been displaying awards not in his records? What exactly is that round thing hanging under the pistol badge that shouldnt be there. If he did purchase these awards and didnt earn them and is indeed in a diminished capacity, at that point his caretaker needs to be informed so he doesnt go though this again somewhere. Look, we are going to start dealing with this issue more and more. You know as well as I, if it can be used as an excuse it will be, mostly by those who are frauds. Give people like Lawton a few years and what excuse will they use?
Fuck, you are retarded Dave. Cut this one some slack you fucking hero.
I’m glad you followed up on this story, and although I’m not happy that the gentleman has some level of dementia, I am happy that he wasn’t poser – just a guy who served before most of us did and is a bit older than most of us.
My humblest apologies for any insults or nasty comments I may have made on Master Gunnery Sergeant.
However, I too, am concerned as Dave Hardin, that if this man has Alzheimers, what in the hell was he doing traveling alone? Why was there no traveling companion with him? It is very dangerous for a patient with dementia of any kind to be traveling alone no matter how early onset it may be.
I am on the fence with this. Something still doesn’t sit right. But, nonetheless, he earned his stripes and I have learned my lesson not to comment on a case until we have records confirming or not confirming service.
I didn’t notice anyone offering their service to a fellow brother to travel with him in his old age just that someone ought to. Perhaps he doesn’t have anyone who can or can’t afford it.
I’m glad on this case I gave him the benefit of the doubt and predicted he was in his 70’s and had just forgotten a few details. His uniform is off slightly but nothing like the more obvious posers we see out there.
So where is YOUR offer Josh, to travel with and take care of him?
Better take a reading comprehension course before blasting us for not offering our services that his family should be doing. Which he does indeed have.
Dementia is no joy to the families of those who have it, ditto for Alzheimer’s.
With dementia, you literally waste away to nothing. It is more gradual than Alzheimer’s, but both require someone to be with the person who has either of them.
This man should never be left to his own devices, at all. Period. End of story.
Sometimes (and unfortunately, way too often!), elderly patients are misdiagnosed with Alzheimer’s or senile dementia, when they’re actually suffering from Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (i.e., “Mad Cow Disease”).
Ah …
Test
You’re a hero MGySgt Bolden!
I wish the stolen valor police would stop jumping the gun. People are too damn anxious to “bust” someone these days…
Sorry about the “Test” post above, I keep getting blocked from posting for some reason. I think my laptop is about to go to that big scrap heap in the Sky.
About Master Gunny.
1st He is a 30 year Marine with Vietnam Service and a Car, along with a Legit medal for Valor.
2nd It appears he went out and got himself a set of blues recently. Im not buying that uniform is 30 years old. I think he is proud of his service and rightly so, and wants to show he served. I think he knew EXACTLY what awards were in his records and “spiced it up” a bit.
3rd If he does have problems with losing his mental abilities, that could well have affected his choice to wear unauthorized awards and place them incorrectly. He is probably doing things now that MGySgt Bolden would never have done in 1985.
4th Though I believe someone, maybe a prior Marine did notice him wearing his uniform improperly and had him pose for a picture, I don’t but that he was publicly dressed down and shamed. I think that part of the story was made up. Whoever did that is a shitbag. Anyone with two brain cells who talked to him could have figured out that he was probably an old Marine who had lost it a little.
Last of all, if he does have issues he is in the same boat as Mark Wayne Tieman, but he actually did a lot more. His family needs to take care of him and not let him go wondering about. From the news story his niece in San Diego is going to be his caretaker. Thats a huge step in the right direction.
Sorry about the block. My code monkey was helping me out and some of you got blocked accidentally. I think we’ve fixed it. If it happens to anyone else, email me with your IP address.
I was in the Woodbridge VA Costco a few weeks back, and I saw an older (than me) gentleman wearing a Marine Corps cap. Of course I tried striking up a conversation, asking what commands he served under. He seem quite confused and had to ask his wife. She said that he served on Embassy Duty. It was pretty sad. I hope that I never end up in that condition.
Agreed! I run across old vets around here and they seem to be pretty much like yours was, Hack. And by all means if him/her or spouse needs assistance out in public, I give it. No f’ng questions asked.
Hack,
Whats really screwed up is that a lot of this generation of vets are getting TBIs from the prevalence of IEDS.
TBIs are known to lead to Alzhiemers years later.
The guy at Costco couldn’t have been more than sixty. I am no doctor, nor do I play one on television, but his motor skills just weren’t there. I am sure that caring for her husband is a full time job.
I hope he gets the help that is needed.
This Marine made E8. That says it all. It wasn’t easy to do. Marines and other Service members need to now refocus and see how we can help him and his caregivers. JMHO
He made E9. If he is suffering from dementia it is tragic for him and his family, especially losing his son. It is sad if he was living the dream in Olangapo or Barrio Barretto embellishing on an awesome career. Damn shame all the way around. Semper Fidelis Mac
Oaky! Here’s the deal…Whomever took that photo AND made a public ass of himself should be the one to contact his family (son since he was in the interview) and do your damndest to make amends. I’ve ran across phonies in my travels asked their name, where they’re from crap like that striking up a conversation.
BUT, I never have and never will confront one until I have his/her service record in hand from NPRC. Anybody that wants to continue yanking the chain on this old retired HONORABLY served Marine’s uniform, go for it. You will be putting everybody else in the same bright hot light your gonna be in and it ain’t gonna bother me that you do…
Family Interview
Hack,
Whats really screwed up is that a lot of this generation of vets are getting TBIs from the prevalence of IEDS.
TBIs are known to lead to Alzhiemers years later.
StreetSweeper,
Sorry My other post to Hack posted to you,,, ?But you said
“Whomever took that photo AND made a PUBLIC ass of himself should be the one to contact his family (son since he was in the interview) and do your damndest to make amends.”
I for one think that the “confrontation” never happened. Someone took a picture and than boasted about “outing a poser”, without saying a word to the guy.
JRM,
CJD is rarely if ever misdiagnosed in the USA as dementia. Its pretty rare that someone eats pigmy brains here in the USA, mad cow disease not withstanding. In fact CJD is so rare it would make the scientific journals pretty quick (as it does) when someone is diagnosed with it. Evan a cat that is diagnosed with CJD makes it into international journals.
The only sure way to diagnose a brain wasting disease is to physically look at the brain or biopsy the brain. Not a real common procedure.
I’ll mention it here again. The VA has a program for aid and attendance that is in addition to any retirement one may have through Military service. Its a need based program and is available to those Honorably discharged service members who meet certain service date ranges. Aid and attendance from the VA may pay up to an additional $1750 dollars a month for, Aid and Attendance to care for a disabled Vet or his wife.
I fill out the paperwork for this on a weekly basis for my patients. Its always worth applying if you think you need it because at the worst they will say no. You can download the new forms to apply on the VA website. You start by having your provider/doctor fill out the medical necessity forms. After that I suggest you hire someone who specializes in filling out the financial portion of the form so it is not rejected for minor mistakes.
My thoughts and prayers are with this aging Marine, and with his family. Balancing the dignity which he has earned with the constant care that he needs is an impossible task, at least some days. And, depending upon what stage of deterioration he is in, he may have hours or days when he functions quite nicely.
Yep. Been there, done that. It’s exhausting, and impossible to guess correctly with any surety at all. It can also be impossible to anticipate the exact moment when he begins to need supervision 24/7.
The term “collateral damage” comes to mind here. In a target rich environment of fakers and posers, occasionally a legit innocent person will get slammed. But I think we do a good job of owning up to it, trying to make amends and traversing to the next target. Thank you MGySgt for your service.
Well that was a quick turnaround.
Everyone was lustily ganging up on this poor guy not too long ago.
Yes I’m guilty of assuming he was a poser.
But that guy who publicly yelled at and shamed this Marine at the airport needs to man up and apologize to him.
If only we could spend all of that money that has been asked to take care of another country’s children and instead spend it on the sons of our country? Make those kids coming here work for it the way MGS did. And take care of MGS.