William Grahame Wilkin III in the news
Last week, we wrote about William Grahame Wilkin III and the strange story that he claimed to create the POW/MIA flag eleven years after it was actually created. Wilkin had been honored in the Illinois Legislature and on the floor of the US House of Representatives for his bogus accomplishment. Well Denise Crosby and the Chicago Tribune picked up the story today.
After being presented with irrefutable evidence that Heisley was the creator of the logo, he issued a public mea culpa and says he will be returning the plaques from both the Illinois House of Representatives and Congress.
“With deep sadness in my heart, I apologize for not realizing this image already existed,” he said in a written statement released Thursday afternoon. “I would never disrespect or misrepresent our military. Nor would I intentionally steal from another artist. I now believe my work was unknowingly inspired by the original POW/MIA flag designed by Newton Heisley in 1971….”
He needed evidence, I guess.
In a candid and at times tearful interview the day before, Wilkin insisted there was nothing deceptive about his actions. Up until this week, Wilkin said he truly believed he had designed the logo and that the recognition he was finally starting to get for it a few years ago was “a burden off my back.”
He says he kept quiet about his part in designing the logo until a staff meeting at Aurora Christian School a few years ago in which he shared a devotional with teachers that included how his POW/MIA logo was based on the Apostle Paul’s writing while incarcerated.
He also kept quiet long enough for the real designer, Newt Heisley, to die in 2009 at the age of 88. Heisley was a pilot in World War II, so yeah, Wilkins stole part of Heisley’s legacy for no good reason.
Wilkin, who is no longer part of Aurora’s Veterans Week activities, says he’s still trying to reconcile these facts with the way he recalls things playing out so many years ago.
“I am OK with the truth,” he said. “The whole point is to respect and honor the military … and to say I’m sorry.”
What a sweet guy to accept the truth and facts.
Category: Dumbass Bullshit
Shack!!!
Great work, Jonn!
Dude is still a cocksucker for rocking the lie…
IMO he’s still “rockin’ the lie”, HMCS(FMF) ret. Only now it’s a different lie.
“Up until this week . . . he truly believed he had designed the logo” my butt. That’s not an apology; that’s a second lie told as freaking damage control.
Exactly. He’s trying to play this off as if he really thought he designed the flag but has been convinced otherwise. The dumbass knew from day one that he did no such thing.
bullshyt..he copies it exactly and then says he doesn’t remember? what a piece of work!!
Don’t forget, he still claims he inspired Mr. Heisley with the image. Delusional on a whole other level.
What an asshole.
Recognition is a “burden”?
Fuk him.
Out.
Yeah, that didn’t make any sense to me either.
Sounds more like the typical poseur, “Sorry I got caught,” excuse.
Maggot.
Shitbag.
Well, it’s great to hear that he’s “OK with the truth”, isn’t it?
I didn’t realize that it was optional.
TRIPLE ????BAG WITH BABY POO ALL OVER
Yes, and I sailed west with Columbus. I did. I read about it in the 3rd grade.
I don’t think his apology means anything and he’ll start up again as soon as the noise dies down.
Yep, still a cocksucker.
For the record, as of this morning, I have coined the phrase “self-murder”, and I expect appropriate recognition.
Hack: Is that AKA suicide?
/s
Props!
You da man!
I don’t care if you invented it or not, it still sounds fucking retarded.
yeah, use “murder-death-kill” instead
Yes, do, that one was mine! And now I will be the one who is compensated. /S
You will be hearing from my (disbarred) attorney.
I coined the phrase “deadly water”.
I’m certain that he’s only sorry he got caught. My only curiosity about him is if he’ll either try a different on game or if he will resume this one when he thinks that the heat is off of his sorry lying ratshit Swamp Donkey ass! I’m in the mood for a hymn about that roach turd and his milquetoast excuse of an apology…
FUCK HIM…
^^^WORD
Ugh I told her not to use the word “funeral” as it would confuse people. Newt had more of a memorial service for friends at the local American Legion. There wasn’t a viewing or burial (open to the public) that I know of. Putting the record straight now, I did not know Newt or his family, but I knew of his history from a a school proect. I was in CO when he passed at went to pay my respects.
Still its nice of a major paper to run the story. People can make their own decisions about this nutjobs lies (dude was rambling nonsense on the phone). And I’m glad she gave Jonn credit, all I did was pick up the phone and follow through after he posted the article.
Also, Im pretty sure I told her I live in KY. But my area code is TN so maybe, thats why she put that b
“…he’s still trying to reconcile these facts with the ways he recalls things playing out so many years ago”. I like that. It’s a nice way of saying “How in the fuck did I get caught?”
“What a sweet guy to accept the truth and facts.”
Yeah. Only when he got publicly beat about the head and shoulders with it.
Douche!
Did you guys know that I designed the C.I.B.? No , really , I did. General Eisenhower gave me a plaque for it. And a challenge coin.
No, I’m serious. Really. Honest.
“With deep sadness in my heart, I apologize for not realizing this image already existed,”
BULLSHIT,, just another one that would have taken his lie to the grave if he was never caught, but could someone please explain to me how he was able to pull the wool over so many eyes? I know you should never believe everything you read on the internet, but damn, if just one person could have simply done a Google check years ago,,,,,, oh fuck it!!!!!!!
Next, he will claim that he designed to corporate logo for a proud woman owned software vendor (formerly) located on Wilson Lane in Bethesda MD.
He’s OK with the truth.
But, but…. he identifies as the real artist and he can use any bathroom he wants, obama says so.
“I believe my work was unknowingly inspired”…never in my life heard such a pathetic excuse for being a fraud and a liar.
Who’s next…some other phony POS saying he wrote the Bible? Later on to say, “Well, I THOUGHT I did”.
Enter Al Gore, another Mr. Fullshit. Remember..”I invented the Internet”.
He is art teacher at my kids School so I see him daily and talk often. As a vet (Gulf War USMC) and a has been artist, I seeked him out as soon as I heard he had created flag. Honestly, I Dont know what the original version looked like. I am sure its been tweaked. He had said, his picture was very similar and that it said We still believe or something like that and that changes were made to it. I believe him as far as him thinking it was his version that evolved to what we see today. I would like to see both originals.He does many projects and as far as I know, has never made a dime off any of them.Nor had he tried to tell the world his story as I probably would have. I wanted to get the guy some recognition. All I ever googled was his name and it credited him in the state bill. Me, like others never just googled “who created pow flag”Aurora Christian takes a lot of pride in Military as well as veterans. You go to their football games and they tell you that American Flag came from a 20+ yr Marine and flew over his base in Afghanistan. I look forward to talking to him soon and I hope if in his heart he really is completely guilty of anything, that he creates something totally new to honor Vets. That’s my piece. Semper Fi.
Unknowingly, my dying ass! What a crock of shit.
Newt Heisley is given credit by the VAST majority of sources; but the the National League of POW/MIA Families gives a strange account that does not name him. http://www.pow-miafamilies.org/history-of-the-powmia-flag/