Ishmeal Abdul-Raheem aka Jimmie D. Holmes
Last month, there was a “silver alert” issued for a 69-year-old man by the name Ishmeal Abdul-Raheem in Oklahoma. Apparently, he was found unharmed, but the description of his car triggered some alerts around the stolen valor community;
A Silver Star license plate and a Purple Heart license plate, and the claim that he suffers from PTSD. Well, his name used to be Jimmie D. Holmes. he was indeed a Vietnam veteran;
He was a cook in the 57th Aviation Company in Vietnam and the only Silver Star in his records is the device on his Vietnam Service Medal. No Purple Heart Medal. Yeah, I know, beat me up for picking on a senile old man. An old man who had the presence of mind to get a Silver Star license plate from the DMV at some point in his life.
Category: Phony soldiers, Valor Vultures
WTFMF is *WRONG* with THESE People? Yes YOU people!! I’m looking at YOU!!!
/fuck him. FRAUD.
Ahem Jonn…you left out that he was awarded the coveted NDSM.
Maybe we can lobby states to offer NDSM plates…
ohio has fire watch plates. they also offer GWOTS medal (fire watch 2.0) plates as well. I laugh my ass off when I see them. I keep on meaning to go get myself a CIB plate, but then I remember, I don’t care.
When I lived in Ohio I did not know I could have gotten a fire watch license plat! I would have found it funny!
Only 7% of the population has ever served in the military. So maybe the NDSM is coveted.
Jim,
Not to question your figure but I was all like…”Really?” and I had to google it.
Yep, you’re right….
http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/what-percentage-of-americans-have-served-in-the-military/
Thanks for googling that. I was under the impression that only 2% of the population ever served.
Other numbers I got somehow along the way:
1 infantryman out of 7 Soldiers
1 combat arms out of 4 Soldiers
1% of population serving at any given time.
That’s a damned good point. Thought about it last night and some of the useless freeloaders around here came to mind.
Your observation is spot on. I’m retiring my NDSM schtick.
Unfortunately there is a lot of confusion between silver and bronze star devices on service medals and the Silver Star and Bronze Star Medals, and some are more than willing to take advantage of other’s ignorance. I once had a guy tell me that his grandfather had talked about how he was only an Army cook in WW II and didn’t do anything special, but, when he looked at his records, he’d been awarded 4 BSMs! I looked at the DD-214 and, sure enough, he’d been awarded 4 bronze stars, attached to his EAME service medal.
Did I read his records correctly?
I think I read that he was only in the old Republic of Viet Nam for six (06) months, and is credited with six (06) campaigns.
I was in the old Republic of Viet Nam for two (02) years, and my Republic of Viet Nam Service Medal has four (04) bronze stars, indicating five (05) campaigns.
His award (IF I read it correctly) indicates a separate campaign for each month he was there.
You’re misreading that, JRM.
A silver campaign star indicates 5 campaigns, not 6. The man arrived in Vietnam on 28 Jan 1968 and departed on 17 Jan 1969, so he was there for almost 12 full months.
Based on his dates of arrival and departure, 5 campaigns is correct. Here are the campaigns in question:
1. Vietnam Counteroffensive Phase III: 1 June 1967 to 29 January 1968
2. Tet Counteroffensive: 30 January 1968 to 1 April 1968
3. Vietnam Counteroffensive Phase IV: 2 April 1968 to 30 June 1968
4. Vietnam Counteroffensive Phase V: 1 July 1968 to 1 November 1968
5. Vietnam Counteroffensive Phase VI: 2 November 1968 to 22 February 1969
His tour of duty is almost exactly like mine…almost on same planes.
Thanks for the correction and enlightenment.
I just now thought of something – – – ,
I have five (05) campaigns on my Form 20, but the Army only put four (04) bronze service stars on my Republic of Viet Nam Service Medal.
I think the medal by itself indicates one (01) campaign, and each of those stars indicate subsequent campaigns.
It’s similar to the standards this forum has been using to determine fraudulent multiple awards of the Combat Infantry Badge.
I originally had placed a silver service star on my Republic of Viet Nam Service Medal, but when the Army sent me a replacement, it had only the four (04) bronze service stars.
JRM: that would be a negative.
When a campaign medal is worn, it is only worn without campaign stars (AKA service stars) if no named campaigns have been defined for the conflict in question. In that case, campaign stars are not necessary. That was the case with the recent Afghanistan and Iraq campaign medals from their creation in 2005 until the 2007-2008 time frame.
Once named campaigns have been defined, a campaign medal is not worn without at least one campaign star. One campaign star is worn for each named campaign in which an individual serves. One day of service during a given campaign is all that is required to qualify for a campaign star.
Thus, the VSM with 4 campaign stars represents participation in four (4) campaigns.
If you’d like to double-check your Vietnam campaigns, the current listing in Wikipedia of the DoD-recognized campaigns for the VSM appears correct. Here’s the link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_Service_Medal#Department_of_Defense_consolidated_campaign_periods
The situation is different with expeditionary medals (AFEM) and service medals (NDSM). For expeditionary and service medals, a bare ribbon indicates 1st award and service stars are used to denote subsequent awards.
However, there is an interesting “disconnect” regarding campaign starts concerning the VSM. Per DoDM 1348.33, vol 2, persons who served in Vietnam prior to 1965 and who received the AFEM for such service can surrender their AFEM and receive the VSM in its place. However, the first named campaign for the VSM began in 1961. So if someone served in Vietnam in 1959-1960, received the AFEM, and then decides to “trade it in” for the VSM . . . how do they wear it?
I just now thought of something, too.
Maybe in the 35 years that it took DOD to research, adjust, consolidate, and finally publish the results, that the five campaigns listed on your Form 20 really are only four campaign periods by the 2010 list. From what I read that list consolidated 30 campaigns down to 18 campaigns.
But, hey, if you feel you got gypped out of one service star, maybe it’s time to write the POTUS a letter. He has nothing better to do while waiting for his next tee time, so I’m sure he’ll be able to just jump right on your request.
But, then again, you shouldn’t be basing award of service stars off of typed or hand written entries from your Form 20 that is probably at least 35 or 40 years old.
It’s what is listed on your final DD214/215 that counts.
@ CLAW 131, HONDO, Et Alii:
I followed your advice and just now looked at my DD-214, which says,
“Vietnam Service Medal w/1 Silver Service Star”.
Well, then you’re good to go regardless of what they shipped to you in your replacement medals.
Maybe they were out of silver service stars the day your order was pulled and they got as close to the required five as they could. (smile)
I’d still cross-check the dates, JRM. But you’re probably good to go if your DD214 says “w/silver star”. And anyway: I kinda doubt anyone’s going to ask you to fall out for an in-ranks inspection in Greens and check your ribbon rack any time soon. (smile)
I thought I read that he arrived in Viet Nam in June, and left the following January.
I see my mistake.
June was when he was promoted from Cook’s Helper to Cook.
He just barely snuck in under the wire for the first campaign.
Couple of days in-country processing at either Cam Ranh or Tuy Hoa, then off to Camp Holloway for duty in the mess hall with the Gladiators of the 57th AHC.
But he arrived in country during Tet 68, so I’ll give him credit for that. At least he didn’t go AWOL in route.
It’s too bad his mind is slipping.
Yep. But one day of service in a particular campaign qualifies for the star.
I agree that it’s too bad he’s “losing it”. I wouldn’t wish that on too many people – or their families.
Early onset Alzheimer’s, dementia… why is he still allowed to drive? The state needs to yank his license.
Agreed. Someone with dementia, even in the early stages, who’s driving could easily kill themselves or someone else.
I’m normally not inclined to give anyone falsely claiming a high decoration for valor or a Purple Heart a pass. But in this case, IMO a pass might possibly be warranted – if he’s gotten that Silver Star and decorative front PH plate recently. (If he’s had them for a long time, probably not.)
The silver alert article indicates this guy has early-onset Alzheimer’s. I’ve personally dealt with someone when they were in the early stages of dementia.
When memory in someone with dementia starts to go, it can “mix-n-match” facts (and fiction), creating false memories. I’ve seen that firsthand.
The individual I dealt with probably could have driven, and probably did for a while prior to being diagnosed. But as the disease progressed a bit farther, they started making some truly absurd claims about their past. They were also absolutely convinced those absurd claims were true.
It’s entirely possible that’s the case here. Can’t say without more info.
Just my $0.02, FWIW.
Hondo, did you see the recent news report that physicians conducting research in Spain have discovered that using marijuana creates false memories?
No, I hadn’t seen that. But it doesn’t surprise me one iota.
My guess is that pretty much ANYTHING that screws with the workings of the mind can cause residual mental artifacts – from blackouts to lasting false memories that you’d swear are true. And most “recreational” drugs, including alcohol, definitely screw with how the mind works.
I remember reading that as well, but I was so drunk at the time I didn’t think it was true. I drank a little more and eventually made the connection.
This was one time I can say that the more I drank, the clearer things became.
I remember reading that! oh, wait….
A cook, huh? I guess his Purple Heart was for the (egg) shell fragment he got in his eye, a la Frank Burns!
Nothing wrong with being a cook. If not for those folks, we all would have ended having to eat Ham and MF’ers or Beef and Shrapnel and drinking Fresca for our tours.(smile)
Truly a fate worse than death, especially when it comes to dropping a C-Ration induced Number 2.
Having to drink Fresca should be worth a medal all on its own.
Especially if it was warm Fresca.
ARCOM’s with a V Device for anybody who ever did gag down a warm Fresca !!!
Is it just me, or does Fresca taste like carbonated grapefruit juice to anyone else? Reminds me if Pocari Sweat.
Yep. But I rather like grapefruit juice mixed 50/50 with club soda, so I didn’t mind Fresca’s taste.
“Nothing wrong with being a cook.”
Bingo. Those guys had a thankless job, and put in hellacious long hours. But if they “screwed the pooch”, EVERYONE noticed – and was p!ssed.
We had our cooks trucked out to us in March 1968 (as I recall) to prepare a much needed and deserved hot meal. It was great!
That night we were mortared – the first two rounds landed in the tent housing the seven cooks. All were hit except for one….had a KIA or two – don’t remember the details.
A S/SGT E-6 was flown out for a court martial (and for his own protection) after it was determined that he would not allow his ambush patrol to open fire on the VC mortar position observed with a Starlite scope…..he supposedly feared that mortar would be used against his position.
Often times when a DD-214 indicates “cook” there may be details of his service that is not noted on the form.
Fuck the old faker. Change his name to Fishmeal and feed him to the sharks.
When he was located, did he have a goat in heat sitting on his lap? If so, no wonder he wanted to disappear for a while!
With a name change like that, surely he now wears a turban so he won’t have to wash his goat smelling hair for weeks at a time. Final question…does he now have a “goatee”? Perhaps child-bearing at that?
Hey! When I was but a youngster, I got three silver stars for making it to Sunday Bible School on time for three weeks in a row. Can I get a special license plate for that?
HE IS ONE LOST BAT SHIT CRAZY MOTHER –CKER
All those years as a “Spoon”/Hash-slinger and he left as an E4, no stellar achiever, but at least he left honorably. As for all the embellishment, FUCK THAT, but he’s obviously suffering from Dementia, something I wouldn’t wish on anyone.
That silver alert is more than a tad odd. It reads, “Abdul-Raheem was last seen driving a 1996 burgundy Buick LeSabre with a silver star veterans tag and a front license plate with purple hearts. According to Police, Abdul-Raheem suffers from PTSD Flashbacks, Dementia and has symptoms of early onset Alzheimers. Abdul-Raheem could be in danger of serious bodily injury or death.”
The front tag had purple hearts. The back one was a Silver Star plate. OK issues only a rear tag so the “purple hearts” wasn’t a DMV-issued tag. Here’s the odd part. The license plate number was unknown, according to other reports of this silver alert and the notice here doesn’t provide it. Yet, the car description is sourced to the police who could easily have provided the number. And I can guess that they didn’t evaluate Ishmeal to obtain the “PTSD Flashbacks” info either. The info no doubt actually came from a relative or friend. But nowhere does it say that Ishmeal was driving his own car. Or did I miss that? Did someone in the SV community establish that the car is his?
Ishmeal Abdul-Raheem?
Muslim convert?
Perhaps a convert. But I’m thinking that he did his name change about the time (1971) that Lew Alcindor became Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Back then name changes were the cool thing to do.
When is George Mutter going to chime in and tell us that Ishmeal Abdul-Raheem is an honorable decorated veteran who is simply hiding from ISIS?
Nothing says terrorist like a dash in your last name.
The ladies that kept the maiden name along with the married name are an exception, of course.