Delwin R. Barnett; phony POW
AverageNCO caught this article from Lawrence Journal World on Saturday about some Vietnam veterans who gather at a local watering hole for some conversation and war story telling. One of the veterans is Delwin R. Barnett;
For a good part of the conversation, Delwin Barnett simply was the quiet guy at the end of the bar room table who had a hard time hearing.
But you know how quickly things can change around a bar room table. As casually as the fellows order another round of dollar draws at West Lawrence’s 23rd Street Brewery, one of the guys asks Delwin the simplest of questions.
“How long was it for you?”
“What?”
“How long?”
“Four years in combat and six months as a POW.”
The quiet guy at the end of the table is retired Capt. Delwin Barnett, and he has two Silver Stars, three Bronze Stars, three Purple Hearts and the Distinguished Service Cross to his name.
“Yeah, I guess I’m not supposed to be alive,” Delwin says.
AverageNCO checked the DPMO list of POWs and Barnett isn’t there, so AverageNCO called the author of the story, Chad Lawhorn, with his concerns. Chad called Barnett to ask him about the story;
I contacted Barnett upon hearing that concern, and asked him to explain the discrepancies. Barnett continued to tell me that he was a Vietnam POW and had received the medals that he claimed. But I didn’t find the assurances I was seeking. For example, I was unable to see his medals because he says he became involved in a dispute that involved someone setting his car on fire. The medals and many other possessions were in that car. He said a former colonel of his is working to get the medals reissued, but he couldn’t provide me the name of the colonel.
I could launch a more exhaustive investigation of Barnett’s past, but I doubt that I will. I will leave it at this: I’m not saying Barnett’s claims are false, but I don’t have the comfort level with the information that I require. I regret including the information in the article, and apologize that I didn’t vet it better.
Making false claims about a person’s time in military service is the sort of thing that can enrage people, and understandably so. That’s why I feel I also should say this: After talking with Barnett, I do believe he believes the things he told me.
Of, course, Chad has removed the original article, but when AverageNCO sent it to me yesterday, I saved the text anticipating that. Mary has filed for Barnett’s records and we’ll know the truth in a few weeks.
But it looks like he took part in the Library of Congress’ Veterans’ History Project three years ago and he wasn’t claiming to be a POW then, so it must be something new that he thought would be cool;
Is it just me or does he look too young to have been in Vietnam?
Category: Phony soldiers
Looks WAY too young to have been in Vietnam.
Its to early for these clowns.
I wonder how old his COL is?
Also, the VHP has it share of clown infiltrate its ranks.
This guys is just a local-flavored turd.
These guys…Started drinking early this am cause I don’t like this day. Posing fuckers, free food, people love me on FB for one day…it sucks. But even tho I’m sick, I would never trade anything for having been Army and doing what I did.
I texted a jpg to my son this morning, picture of couple guys in uniform captioned “Want to thank a veteran? Then punch a politician in the face. Really hard.”
He called back shortly; he has the day off and was spending it with his wife and sons.
He’s been home for almost a year now; done three tours in Afghanistan. Two with the 101st, the third with the 82nd. He’ll be eligible again soon to ship overseas.
Told him that we were looking forward to seeing the family at Xmas, and that we’re proud of him.
I hope someone in your family calls you today; if not, or even if so – please accept my thanks for your service to our country.
Maybe I’m just seeing something that’s not there, but is there something wrong with the stack on chest? I mean besides the fact it looks he sewed the patch and tabs on himself with a needled and thread.
Chad’s follow-up article opens with this two-line paragraph: “There are many sad stories associated with America’s veterans. It appears I have stumbled upon one.” It is not at all clear what the sad story is or what sort of stories about Veterans he regards as sad. Whatever. After reading the piece, the only thing sad is that Chad was hoodwinked and now harbors “doubts” about Barnett’s claims. Chad’s profile claims that he has been a reporter for 22 years and that he earned a degree in journalism. I have doubts about those things. I’m not going to delve into them any further, just as Chad will now turn away from Barnett’s story. I’ll just live with the doubt. It would be truly sad, I guess, if it were true that Chad never earned a degree in journalism. Very sad. I imagine I one would call it an “unfortunate incident.” No one would feel anger. No one would take umbrage. It would, to borrow from Chad again, just a sad and unfortunate incident.
😉
He does not look a day over 50.
Which would indeed make him way too young to have served in Vietnam.
There is a special part of hell reserved for those who falsely claim to be POWs from any war. And there is a special room within that part of hell for those who falsely claim to have been Vietnam or Korean War POWs, or World War II POWs held by the Japanese.
“Is it just me or does he look too young to have been in Vietnam?”
Jonn, this was my very first and only thought when I saw his photo! On that alone I call BS.
Sparks……Ham&MFers+Fresca?
He has a hamster shoved where???
nbcguy54…I gotta remember that one! 😀
3/17 Air Cav…Roger That! Air Cav, I’d bet the mortgage that if I laid out, “How about some Ham & Mf@ck@rs washed down with a warm Fresca?”, he’d say, “What the hell did you just say!?” But then, I’d be in jail!
Its a rather old photo. I can post a new photo if you wish to see him now.
He looks my age and I was born in 63, I missed being a CPT. in 5th SF RVN by ….I don’t know, 12 to 15 years? Reportedly, Delwin’s older brother was a Navy veteran. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~txcrosby/ralls/b/barnett_harlan.html
The source of all truth (wiki) says that the 5th returned from RVN to Ft Bragg 5 March 1971. Assuming a minimum age of 20 to make it into the 5th and get sent anywhere, he would have to be 63 years old. If that guy looks 63 then … okay. I’m old and my nose doesn’t work so well anymore – I have no useful opinion. Did the 5th get any of their POWs back? IIRC, SOG did not.
Intelisus says he is between 60-64 years old.
Pretty easy story to prove, if it’s true.
Almost as easy to disprove too.
Open Channel D…I’ve never used Intelius. However if he IS 60-64 then I will allow him this. He’s wearing it well. Most vets that age who were in Vietnam do not look this good. The ones I’ve met anyway. IMHO
“Most vets that age who were in Vietnam….. ”
Hell Sparks, I was never in ‘Nam, I’m 63 and I don’t look that good.
I wonder whether he is any relation to the American Legion Dorsey Post 14’s Delwin Barnett, who reportedly (i.e., google-fu tax records) used to be 2nd Vice Comm there. Probably not. Delwin is such a common name, like Pete or Mike. Just one of those crazy coincidences, I guess.
I must know six or seven Delwin’s myself, and two or three of ’em are Barnetts. Yep.
You are correct. Dorsey Post is also in Lawrence, KS
I found his birth record. Born jan 1950. Married dec 1972. Banckruptcy 2014. FOIA should be interesting reading.
First of all, no one has ever answered my question about KheSahn hash, or the importance of hot sauce.
Second, did anyone ever track down that missing cache of beer?
Third, I can tell better stories than this jackwagon with my eyes closed and both feet wearing the wrong shoes.
I had a patient last night who told me he was a Vietnam Vet. Nice story, but he was only two years older than me and Vietnam ended when I was 14.
That video is from 2002. Mary’s prelim search shows he served from 68-71 as a Construction Equipment Operator/Mechanic. If you guys have patience for nonsense watch that Library of Congress video. His claims there are different than Sunday’s article. I guess sometime between 2002 and last week he remembered a second Silver Star and his POW status. But here are some highlights from the video:
1. He stole a car and was given a choice between jail and the Army.
2. After leave from AIT he flew to Oakland where a Sgt. took every third man off the plane and held them in a dark room for POW training.
3. From Oakland he was put on a C130 and flown to the Panama Canal for Jungle Training.
4. In Panama he and a buddy were attacked by a pack of baboons…..Think about that one!
5. In his first week in Vietnam, the 5th Special Forces Group plucked him from his engineering unit because they needed an explosives expert who was good with a gun.
6. While working as a chopper door gunner, engineer and pilot were killed and co-pilot’s arm was shredded. He took controls of the chopper and landed it on the roof of a hospital in Saigon, learning after landing he had been shot. The next day he was presented a Purple Hearty by a General, Joey Bishop, and Joey Heatherton.
Sounds legit. I got a Navy Achievement Medal once from a LtCol named Joey.
Joey Bishop was in RVN in 1968
BUT…
Joey Heatherton was in RVN in 1965 and 1966. NOT 1968 or later.
“KA-BOOM!”
But I was wrong on the dates Mary gave me. Her prelim report shows him serving from 69-71. Buy his own telling of the story, his heroics landing the chopper happened toward the end of his second tour. So yeah, KABOOM!
And here we have another graduate of the J. Max Taylor;AKA Ice Turd, on line school for creative writing.
HEY that stuff is all top secret. Your gonna get in trouble for publishing it.
Hondo, I’ll echo your comment from earlier posts about these phony POWs.
Of all the lies and falsehoods these Stolen Valor turds can concoct, those POW status are among the most egregious.
Delwin, I hope you’re reading this. You’re a low-life, scum-sucking, bottom-feeding wannabee asswipe. Fuck you.
Should have read “…those claiming POW Status…”
Baboons don’t live in Panama, they live in South Africa.
If this little snowflake really rated all the medals he claims he “lost in a car fire” (like every other fucking poser) he’d be able to get them replaced without any trouble.
The term “chopper” was never used by any crew chief of any helicopter that ever flew in Vietnam. Door Gunner was not an MOS. And the idea of an untrained engineer landing a damaged helo on a roof is total bullshit roasting in a frying pan.
Mark,I suggest you do some research on MOS 67A1F before you say Door Gunner was not an MOS.
Mark there was in fact a door gunner MOS. It was a fact that many door gunners were taken from the field. I was one of them my MOS was 11B. While on flight status it changed to 11b2f.
3/17, I think this Mark Lauer may be speaking from a Marine perspective and not from the Army side of MOS’s.
So a bit of a correction because of my typo. I inserted the term chopper in my relaying his story. I’d have to go back to the video to see if he said something other than helicopter. He said he was the door gunner. Not sure why an engineer attached to 5th SFG would be a door gunner…but anyway. He said the flight engineer was killed first. Then the co-pilot called for him to remove the pilot’s dead body from the cockpit. He then noticed the co-pilot’s injured arm, and the co-pilot told our buddy Del, he had to fly the helicopter….and our super hero safely landed it on top of a hospital in Saigon.
Average,just for your own information,the proper designations for the four man crew on a UH-1 Helicopter(during the RVN time frame) were: AC-Aircraft Commander. P-Pilot(also known as the Peter Pilot). CE-Crew Engineer(Crew Chief) and DG-Door Gunner. I know,I was a Crew Chief and had to fill out the log book flight forms using those abbreviations.
Thanks Claw. I’m for sure NOT an SME rotary aircraft. I did get to ride on an incentive flight with 1st Heli Sq. out of Andrews once. But that’s the extent of my knowledge.
I watched parts and pieces of the video. He did use the term chopper.
Mark, Baboons are in other parts of Africa too. I’ve had them throw shit at me from an escarpment in Eritrea. Few bursts from a MAG58 and they had a lot better attitude. That being said, Dogshit Delwin is as phony as they come!
Next we’ll hear Delwin spout off about how he got attacked by Chimpanzees while he was on a sooperdooperseekritskwirrel mission in Paprika!
The Service Crosses are pretty easy to check as they are almost as rare as the MOH. He isn’t on any list I looked at.
Why the heck would SF need an explosives expert who was good with a gun from an engineer unit? Those units are crawling with guys with those skills.
If he really had the DSC, two SS, three BS, and three PH he would be pretty well known.
In fact, it was his DSC claim that popped up on my daily news search that first brought him up on my computer. Burned up in a car fire my arse.
Will have to give him about a C Minus though for the “a car fire ate my homework” story.
I searched the name “Delwin R Barnett” together with “Lawrence, KS” in Ancestry.com’s US Public Records Index.
I found a person with the same name and whose date of birth “6 Jan 1950”.
I am unsure if this is the same person.
This person is associated to the following addresses:
[Edited because we don’t post people’s addresses here]
This is actually my grandfather (technically step-grandfather). He did indeed serve in Vietnam, and is older than the posts suggest.He has official goverment papers and a pardon from Nixon since he was sent to Vietnam as an option for a trial. There is the documentation from the judge as well.
The reason that Chad couldnt find his POW service papers, is because it was never recorded, due to the reason he was captured. Him and some buddies actually drove out into the jungle drunk and were captured. They were later killed in a firefight when they went to land a chopper in a deforested area. He also has official goverment papers, declaring that all of his medals are justly awarded and that the money he gets from serving is correct.
Also, he did not divulge that he was a POW to Chad, his group of (also vet) buddies told chad the information when they were having coffee at a local shop.
He was awarded the distinguished service cross in place of the Medal of Honor, which he declined to his friend, who was killed in the firefight before hand.
Chad is correct in not finding information, but because it was recorded due to being an embarrassing situation.
He cannot claim to the Library of Congress’ Veterans’ History Project’ because the incident of him becoming a POW was never actually recorded.
Feel free to email me any questions.
Nice try sport, but your excuse simply does not hold water, so in better terms, GFY!!!!
Its not an excuse, but your clearly smoked in the eyes there chief. Im not here to argue about what your thoughts are being stubborn and all.
Im just here to say that the information provided by the reporter in the first place is false, and that its not the first time that hes reported false information
http://valorguardians.com/blog/?attachment_id=58261
This is the FOIA that has everything about your grandfathers service. Even though he did a tour in Viet Nam, he was never captured or taken as a POW.
http://valorguardians.com/blog/?attachment_id=58260
And this is a more detailed account of your grandfathers assignments’
Your step-grandfather is a dirtbag.
Move on.
Grandson – you are 1) the most gullible grandson in the world, 2) Delwin convinced you to write that tripe for you, or 3) you’re Delwin.
In any case, there are three types of Stolen Valor turds who deserve special contempt: 1) those who falsely claim the Purple Heart, 2) those who ingratiate themselves with the families of fallen and wounded service members, and 3) those who falsely claim former POW status.
Delwin clearly falls into the latter category. The claims you make in your post are complete and utter bullshit.
Stop it. Just fucking stop it.
It was never recorded due to being an embarrassing incident*
Whatever you say slick!!!!
…”an embarrassing incident.” Ya mean like YOU being a car accident, one that happened in the back seat at “Makeout Point” or in a drive-in movie theater?
As an added comment, he also has false teeth, where he was shot in the side of the face, and the scars on his hip, where a bullet entered his calf, and came out at the top of his hip.
Why do I have a feeling you are Delwin!!!!
Are you sure that scar ain’t on HIS LIP from when some customer he was servicing at a rest stop pulled it out of his mouth too fast?
And as another added comment, the picture of him on this post is NOT from 2014. Its a much earlier picture. I will send a modern picture if anyone is interested.
Keep coming back and resurrecting this thread about you Delwin, all it does is ehance the Google-Fu that your name carries.
I love ZOMBIE Threads. That’s TWO today.
I dont mind proving that im his grandson, just tell me how you want your proof.
Proof that you’re this liar’s grandson is irrelevant. The issue is this guy’s claims about his military service. And according to what his official military records on file at NPRC say, those claims appear to be largely bullsh!t.
http://valorguardians.com/blog/?p=58259
You have (or can get) “proof” that NPRC was wrong, scan a copy and send it to Jonn. His email address is found under “Contact Us”.
Put up or shut up time, sonny.
Hondo, I would dare say that anyone who served in 5th SFG(A)and had earned two Silver Stars, three Bronze Stars, three Purple Hearts and the Distinguished Service Cross would be well known and a legend within The Legion. It is common for any such individual to be recognized by copies of his citations and even pictures and plaques of such heroes within the Group area. ie lobby of the Group Conference Room or Group HQ.
I can speak with absolute certainty this TURD is exactly what we know him to be. A lying sack of shit Valor Thief.
EAT SHIT AND BARK AT THE MOON PRETENDING TO BE YOUR GRANDSON TO JUSTIFY YOUR SHITBAGGERY!!
True. I was in one of the Group HQs at Bragg on multiple occasions while stationed there. There were quite a number of pictures of heroes on the walls.
Repeat after me:
MY. GRANDFATHER. IS. A. LIAR. ABOUT. HIS MILITARY. SERVICE.
The proof is out there for everyone to see…
My name is Jonathan Lickteig, and youre free to look me up as well. I too have a passage in the Lawrence Journal World where I was bitten by a copperhead at age six. I dont mind providing proof.
If this blog ever posts an article entitled “Jonathan Lickteig – Kindergarten Snakebite Phony”, I definitely encourage you to send that story by way of rebuttal.
2 years ago you go bit by a snake. Yawn.
HEY, I’ve been bitten by a 98 pound Rattle-headed Copper Moccasin and you DON’T hear ME hollerin’ about it, JUNIOR!!!
ARE YOU inbred to the point that you’re your own Grandpa?
YEAH, I thought so, here’s your theme song:
Grandson,
Fuck your lying ass Grandfather, You, and the snake that bit you. If there is anything more obnoxious than a fucking poser trying to lie about his service, its a Cock-mongering shit-stain coming on here trying to weave even more deceptions.
You are so full of shit your eyes are brown and your breath could knock a buzzard off a shit wagon.
On order for Grandson’s story to be true, everything written by the reporter would have to be false (time, content, and circumstances of interview). And instead, we should believe the word of someone who by their own admission went to RVN to escape jail.
Yeah. Um. No.
I think that we should institute a “Resurrection Monday”, or Tuesday, Wednesday, it doesn’t really matter. Just dig up a thread on someone who has been dormant for a few years, just so they know we still have the love for them. First up, I nominate self published author Big Baby Stephen Franklin Cio Burrell.
Hell today should be called Apocalypse Monday… Zombie threads, Jonn talking to liberal media (including the Washington Post)… all we need now is an appearance by a member of the DRG on a thread to make it complete!
I second the nomination of resurrecting the Burrell thread…
As long as we are talking about bringing back the dead, can I mention Elaine Ricci?
#BringElaineRicciHome!
MONDAY NIGHT REHABILITATION!
Word.
“Big Baby Stephen Franklin Cio Burrell” – in an odd an very bizarre way I kind of miss that shitbag.
Happy New Year GT. I just went to the shitbag Burrell’s thread for the first time based on your comment. I made a not to myself to not ever ever ever get on your shit list!
note*
‘Is it just me or does he look too young to have been in Vietnam?’
Yes, Jonn, you do look far too young to have served in Vietnam. The other guy – well, he’d have to be my age, so yeah, he looks like he’s either using ‘Hair Color for Men’ or a rug.
But seriously, did this individual even have any service records at all? This post is so old, there appears to be nothing on him.
Ex-PH2: see my comment above. I link to a follow-up article which gives the guy’s FOIA results.
Bottom line: served in Vietnam, enlisted. No decorations other than the “been there” ones. Specifically, no decorations for valor or PH, and no indication of POW.
Also BS on the Helio door gunner. No gunnery school ,no Combat Aircrew Wings and No Air Medals. Is he following in Forging Frank’s career ?Calling Bullshit on him flying and landing on the roof of a hospital. Joe
Come on Joe…. We all saw Rambo fly that Huey and kick ass against Vlad,s boys in that Russian Hind Helo (Rotary wing tank)
All SF troops are cross trained in “OH SHIT THE PILOTS DEAD AND WE’VE GOT TO DITTY MOUW OUTTA HERE!
C’mon, Joe… you know that those supply types take sooper sekrit training (Classification Level – Honey Badger) as emergency door gunners during the ‘Nam era. It’s in the “fine print” on their enlistment paperwork (written in the language of the Andorran people).
Didn’t they also train in some sooperdooperseekritskwirrel location in lower Paprika?
Nah, the location is a base in upper Formunda… the lower Paprika site is for the sekrit combat nekkid swimmers
I have always wondered where the Secret Combat Naked Swimmers attached their rank insignia. That’s just my two cents. (Two cents! Get it?)
Tattooed on “shorty”.
Thanks, Hondo. There are so many of these twits now, if one shows up a second time after a gap of several months, you have to wonder why. I don’t get it. Guess I never will.
I hope that it is Delwin Barnett posting and not his grandson, because it would be all kinds of fucked up to not only lie to your grandson, but you have to a special kind of loser to have your grandson defend your lies on the Internet.
Hack, we’ve seen it before… first the denial, then the hatred when they get the truth… some deal with it, others continue to believe the lies.
Grandpa got run over by TAH
War Hero fame he was trying to achieve
You can say there’s no such thing NPRC
But as for me and Grandpa, we believe
/Suck it Delwin. Suck it LONG and suck it HARD