Jerry Foster; the phony Navy Commander, Demented Magician

AverageNCO found this guy, Jerry Foster in the news in Simi Valley, California. He calls himself “The Demented Magician” and he entertains in the area with his little magic show. Magic is what his military career was. He claims to have spent 22 years in the Navy, retiring as a Navy Commander because of injuries he claims that he sustained in the Persian Gulf War and again in the war against terror;

Two articles at the Simi Valley Acorn have disappeared from the internet since AverageNCO talked to the journalist about Foster;

Foster put in 22 years, retiring as a commander in 2002 due to injuries he sustained during tours in the Gulf War and Desert Storm. The master EOD (explosive ordnance disposal) technician—a special operations job—has two Purple Hearts: one from a bullet wound and one from a land mine.

“The second one was the one that tore me up. That was a mine that I lost an EOD man to. He was ahead, I was behind,” Foster said. “It tore my legs to pieces.”

During his 22-year military career, Foster served several tours in the Gulf War and Desert Storm, where he earned two Purple Hearts—one from a bullet wound and the other from a land mine explosion—and a number of other medals and commendations.

When a mine check mission went awry in 2002, Foster’s dreams of becoming a naval captain, a position attained after 25 years of service, were shattered.

After spending three months in a coma, the veteran said, he felt lost and had no idea what to do with his life. On top of that, he had PTSD, a mental illness that can be triggered by experiencing a terrifying event like war.

First of all, the Navy EOD Warrior online Memorial doesn’t list any Navy EOD folks killed in 2002.

The National Personnel Records Center disagrees with his version of his career trajectory;

The Navy says that he was an E-5 Hull Technician – “HT’s do the metal work necessary to keep all types of shipboard structures and surfaces in good condition. They also maintain shipboard plumbing and marine sanitation systems, repair small boats, operate and maintain ballast control systems.” Nothing about explosives. His only award was a Good Conduct Medal – no Bronze Stars, no Purple Hearts. I don’t know how he squeezed in three tours of the Gulf War, it only lasted a few weeks – three years after he got out of the Navy. And if you don’t believe his records, he has a certificate for the war against terror;

But then, so does Average NCO’s dog;

The editor of the newspaper that did the articles about him says that Foster admitted that he couldn’t prove any of his narrative, so they pulled the stories. And, in case you’re wondering, The Demented Magician is planning on taking his stolen valor to the grave;

Added 5-16-2016; Foster admitted to DAV that he was deceitful in the wearing of unauthorized awards and rank and he’s promised them that he won’t do it again. He hasn’t admitted it to us, but here;

Category: Phony soldiers, Valor Vultures