Bond. James Bond.
The folks at Military Phonies send us their work on this James E. Bond fellow. He keeps popping up in our inbox because of the way he wears his Marine Corps uniform. Mr Bond runs a campsite, Broken Pole Fishing Hole;
According to his records, he is legitimately a Vietnam veteran and he did earn the Purple Heart Medal while he was in Vietnam;
He’s wearing a Combat Action Ribbon and there’s not one in his records, but that’s probably because he left the Marine Corps about six months before the ribbon was created. If he took the time to get a VSO to help him get a CAR added to a DD215, he’d probably be successful in that endeavor.
He’s wearing corporal stripes (E-4), but the Corps says he was discharged as a Lance Corporal (E-3) Private First Class (E-2).
I don’t recognize many of the medals he’s wearing, so I suppose they’re some of those Commemorative Medals that folks sell on the internet.
I’m not calling him a phony, because he’s not, but he is a little weird.
Category: Who knows
I was going to say something snarky, but damn, it pays to read and understand as opposed to look and react.
James Bond, sir, welcome home.
That FOIA says PFC that’s an E2 and I see no NAM or Good Cookie either, he looks like a North Korean General with all that salad he is wearing.
I was thinking the same thing…
Thought I was the only one thinking that! Gave me a good laugh. Thanks.
I want someone to burn the Dress Blue blouse with every thing on said blouse.First and most(important to me) is no patches on it. Joe
Hey. He has a 007 hat on. That must mean that he is claiming to be James Bond, too. Wait. He is James Bond. He is also a Nam vet. He is also a Purple Heart recipient Nam vet. He is also a fisherman, one who helps Veterans. Wear what you like, Mr. Bond and thanks.
I second that.
After all, that conglomerate of every ribbon ever created on his chest had me just a little shaken. Not stirred.
The key question is, is he wearing the coveted NDSM? Did they even give those out during Nam? I forgot when mine showed up in the mail.
Yes he is. You can see the red and yellow ribbon portion of the medal third row from the bottom, middle medal.
I woke up in the barracks the day after graduating BCT, and there is was! Lying on my pillow! The much coveted NDSM!
ermahgerd!
Well, he’s got a N/MCAM, Marine Corps Good Conduct and a Defense MSM on his uniform… can’t tell what else in the picture. Also, he has a Purple Heart on his FOIA, but not on the uniform?
Why we he do this when he has a Purple Hart.
He has PH next to the DMSM, This was established 1977. They have been awarding this lately (2010) to those Marines and Navy that served in Iraq and Afghanistan on Joint Commands, in place of the Meritorious Bronze star, as Navy & Marines started over seeing awards given in theater (They had been given too many BNZ Stars not for combat)I received one and was blown up in MRAP.
He also has Joint Service Achievement EST: 1983
Iraq war 2004, back dated 19, March 2003
GWOT-S EST: 2003 Back dated 11, Sept 2001.
Then the PUC, but in his defense they have been awarding those back dated too units in RVN. There is more, but those are the big ones…
Bottom line he didn’t need to add the other shit, Tech they don’t violate SV laws but it is screwed up to do so.
Sorry, should be “why would he”
he’s wearing the purple heart in the top row of ribbons, brother.
Sorry – I was looking at the medals…
This dude is a clown.
He may be a bit eccentric, but I think I’d like to go fishing with this guy.
maybe the agent orange affected his mind…..
Trained as a USMC Amtrac crewman; combat service in Vietnam; Purple Heart; and his record posted above shows that he was involved in some significant action in Vietnam in 1967.
As Jonn says, this guy is clearly a bit weird (but he is not a phony in the usual sense that we see around here), and he obviously doesn’t rate the vast majority of the medals and ribbons that he has pinned to his dress blue blouse.
However, I believe that most of us here on Team TAH could agree that this guy may rate a ‘waiver’ for that goofy uniform for once, and also that he could probably use some professional help, rather than the usual ‘Phony/Stolen Valor Treatment’ that we routinely dish out on these pages.
The bottom line is that he was wounded in action in Vietnam at a time when many of his generation wouldn’t even serve in the military, and he doesn’t appear to be doing any harm, other than wearing that ridiculous uniform down at the ‘Broken Pole Fishing Hole’.
As such, I recommend that we let this slide.
Mick,
I second the motion.
My first thought when I saw the lead pic was “oh, not again!”
But he does not fit the usual definition of “phony” we see here. Weird, but who here isn’t just a little… “different”?
^^^Me too
All ready there.
Enroute
Agreed. Except for the Cannabis For Vets part. I think he’s had his share and the next vet’s too so maybe pass it around and don’t Bogart that joint.
I like how you think Sparks!!
No, he’s not a phony. He has difficulty speaking.
He was in the shit for months while jerkoffs like Dan Rather were sitting in a hotel in comfort, reporting from an office.
He does have a caregiver and someone helped him put that display together. He means well, despite not being able to express himself as clearly as he’d probably like to.
I’m taking a pass on this, as I said before.
Here, here, PH2! Well put!
I agree. Slack is required on this old farts part. Bet he throws a mean cast on his own golden pond. If we could all be so lucky. Welcome home brother Marine. Semper Fi
“…I recommend that we let this slide.”
I concur.
Well. He certainly does seem to be a bit weird. But then, some of my best friends are a bit weird. So far, weird is not illegal.
Carry on, Mr. Bond. (Not that you need my permission…)
You calling ME wierd?
Who, me?
You saying you are my friend?? THAT would prove the “a bit weird” part at least.
I’d agree with Mick, this dude gets a pass. Not hurting anyone and probably has a few stuck relays in there.
“not a phoney”, ” just a little wierd”! Leave him alone ….
Taking a pass on this one. He may seem ridiculous, may have stuff in his head that is a bit off, but he was BTDT for real. That’s enough stuff for me.
Gold blinger. He’s the man with dumbass touch. Sorry I couldn’t resist.
His agent orange is acting up is all. No harm done…
I glanced at the picture quickly and my first thought was ‘Union or Confederacy?”
Me too! Same exact thought.
“I’m not calling him a phony, because he’s not….” Exactly. There’s the letter of the law. There’s the spirit of the law. Sometimes both are broken and other times only one is. Occasionally, it’s not at all clear that either one was.
Since he served during war he is entitled to wear the highest rank attained. But that may be just for “retirees”. I’ll poke around some.
This assumes he made Corporal sometime during his service. With no DD214, can’t be sure.
From the USMC Uniform Order, Para 11004.
3. According to 10 U.S.C. 772, the Marine Corps uniform may be worn by personnel not on active duty under the following conditions:
c. Former Marines not on active duty who served honorably in time of war in the Marine Corps may bear the title, and as authorized by regulations prescribed by the President, wear the uniform of the highest grade held during that war (subparagraph 11002.1).
Given his known legit service I’d have expected him to have advanced beyond E-2. He could well have achieved E-4 then lost a couple stripes due to NJP.
Nope he doesn’t get a pass. He’s a Marine. He fucking knows better than to treat the uniform as a billboard for lunacy. Unsat out of reg uniform dickery is still dickery. Lance Coolie wearing NCO rank? Rocker patches on dress blue coat? Sorry but Marine Corps uniform attire isn’t a commemorative shadow box for flair.
You are remarkably consistent, FC0311, that’s for sure. If ever you did give one of these cases a break, I would know that the end was near—for the entire world.
I’m a Marine. Out now. But I’m also a Free American and a civilian. If I want to cut off the sleeves of my blues and wear it while I change the oil in my car I will and not give two shits if someone wants to “give me a pass” or not. My EGA is on my heart not my old uniform.
In the end, the Dress Blues aren’t our most sacred uniform. Our most sacred uniform is our cammies. You die in your cammies. You just get laid in your blues.
Oh…bullshit
You can certainly speak for yourself and exhibit oppositional defiance in whatever juvenile manner you choose, but your rant is contrary to both tradition and regulation.
I do speak for myself. That’s the point of being an individual. I did my time as part of the group. I’m out now. I don’t put it on myself to come down from on high and bestow or withhold some sort of “pass” on other vets.
So when speaking for yourself you routinely do so using the pronoun “our”? 🙂
If you want to be a shitbag that’s on you, but expect to be called a shitbag.
Word.
I put my uniform in my closet. Where it stays.
To wear it looking like a fucking buffoon is jacked up.
This dude is a clown.
Away from your keyboard, grunt, you may call me a shitbag, but you’ll only do it once, I promise you that. I don’t bother anyone and I don’t expect to be bothered. I have a low tolerance for strangers (fellow vets or not) running their mouths at me.
May want to back your happy ass up and give a Marine Brother some slack. He’s obviously not playing with a full deck. There is a time to be an asshole and there is a time to be a human being that loves his brothers. You may want to give some thought to what this old First Sergeant just said….Semper Fi
hahah this is hilarious coming from a supposed Marine Corps 1st sgt. Literally the biggest dicks in the Corps that pound MFer’s when out of regs and even be complete assholes because they can.
I cannot believe this reply. I bet there were 1st sgts in Korea yelling at Marines to get their damn hands out of their pockets when they were falling off frozen. And you’re going to tell me wearing ridiculous out of regs stuff all over Marine Corps uniforms should just be ignored because x.
HILARIOUS!
What regs? He’s a civilian.
Tell me Grunt, Can I wear my combat boots hiking? My Field jacket when I go hunting or fishing? Or do I have to go full uniform with name tapes and boot blouse with a high and tight?
Add to that the fact that he is displaying like 64 decorations. I know of NO ONE in our history that rates that much shit. At least some of that stuff is fraudulent. And anytime you wear the uniform, at least for Marines, it is to be worn correctly, completely, and properly. He fails on all counts. That looks like a shit sandwich. Now having said that, the old boy is most likely not firing on all cylinders, so I would not get into his ass, even though he is still wrong.
when you have what he earned feel free to speak. i count 9 no shit operations he took part in. nothing grand claimed just a bit jacked up, hell it could be me in a few years…
I have no idea if what type of Marine he was, but i am pretty sure i would take him even now because i know he could teach me a thing or two about war still…
actually, watch the video…
Doesn’t matter what a Marine did or didn’t do. According to the regulations, if as a discharged vet or retiree you don the uniform you must also abide by uniform standards including grooming. I have a beard, thus as a retiree I cannot wear my uniform. If I wear the uniform I must also wear it correctly, not placing accoutrements willy nilly turning the uniform into a freak show.
Do I really give a shite, since I’m not participating in a ceremony with him…nope. However, it still looks like shite.
Watching the video, weird is certainly one word to describe what I saw.
He’s trying to do something positive, and based on what I saw it appears that he struggles to do most things so hard for me to say anything other than good luck with your project Bond.
Not a Marine (nothing against them, just don’t like the taste of crayon, personally), but I can understand why the Corps vets might be bothered, and it’s a legitimate issue with wearing the uniform out of regs. Has anyone reached out to him and reminded him of said regulations?
Judging by his performance on the video it would probably be better if a few Marines got together and collectively fixed the uniform for him. Unless a facet of his disabilities includes a compulsion to wear the uniform in precisely the manner seen.:)
Agree. It is so jacked up that no one would ever even think that was a uniform. I couldn’t watch much of the video…gent is messed up.
I’m with you on that , IDC SARC… the man served honorably and isn’t going around like some of those that have been featured here at TAH.
I would tend to agree that if one is to wear the uniform, one should uphold the standards for its wear. It is not a clown costume. It is effectively a blood-chit for 200+ years of America’s Best.
I would also suggest that in many cases, when a legitimate veteran goes a bit …. oddball … that the quiet correctional conversation by a near-peer or two is far more likely to be productive than a mass of public shame-shrieking. (One can always revert to the noisier methods as needed.)
I had some pretty different thoughts about this guy before watching the video. His uniform is jacked up, but I’m not going to hold him to reading the regs. He’s working hard enough to just get his sentences out these days. He did his part–probably more than I ever did. Those fish are damn legit too. Fish on.
If I ever start to go, I’d hope for some slack.
“If I ever start to go, I’d hope for some slack.”
Same here. I think I’ve earned some.
I’m ‘thinking’ there is no intent to disrespect the Corps. It does not appear he is benefiting financially. Maybe his finery brings in a few extra bucks. He’s eccentric, having some fun, has some ‘issues’ and deserving of some slack.
Question is, does he go under or inside the bus. I vote for inside. He gets a pass from me.
Carry on, you old goat. You made my day.
I don’t understand why people have to wear things they didn’t earn when what they actually did was impressive enough. I guess that a single stripe on your blues isn’t as respectable enough at Legion post?
If people need lots of bling to respect you, then who cares what they think?! If I were to see a Colonel Sanders looking guy who has but a single stripe but also Vietnam medals and a purple heart, I’m calling him ‘sir’ and asking what his story was. He already had my attention.
Hmmm. . . just noticed he has an NCO sword on. Perhaps he REALLY wanted a sword, but knew he would be called out for not being an NCO. Perhaps. . .
The question I have ( and probably the most important) is, when he goes into a bar does he order a vodka martini….shaken, not stirred?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olbGcClIHl4
Technically, there is gin in a Vesper, it’s just not the base spirit. There are many of us out there who will argue a vodka martini isn’t a martini, but the slow subversion of our culture by commie agents. Real martinis are gin, and stirred.
Sorry, I get the joke. The alcoholic in me, however, takes strong issue with vodka martinis.
Gin, sir! lol
Don’t even get me started on the French 75 – which every good vet should know is calvados instead of gin.
Classic case of “The older I get, the better I was”.
His name is not Bond.
His name is Sucker, Cock Sucker.
Or
His name is Ass, Dumbass.
Turd.
Wrong.
Don’t be an asshole, Piney.
Piney? That really is beneath you. Cut it out. (This time.)
This guy earned more respect from us that that.
Ok…I’ll back off.
Just had to confront a former Soldier claiming to have deployed with us the entire time we were in Iraq and wearing medals he had no claim too.
This guy was the first thing I read here after that confrontation.
I sincerely apologize to this Mr. Bond.
Thanks, Piney. On both counts. We’ve got your back, brother.
Cool, Piney! Oh Rah
James Bond is My friend. That is the name on his drivers license. He talks about his time in Nam and it was pretty rough on him. He also has photos. He won medals. He is disabled, has PTSD and wants to help others in the same boat. Why should he be a target of ridicule? He wants to reach out to other vets and help them find healing. He wants to bring attention to the problem of vet. suicides. You all are bullying him and are the ones who should be ashamed. James Bond is a good man.
Well, Bonnie, if that’s YOUR real name, had you taken the time to read the comments, we ALL acknowledged that Mr. Bond should be left alone, and we ALL acknowledged that he served.
So kindly back off with your attempt to start a lame quarrel and stop posting on a column that was ended more than a year ago.
And another sad Sockpuppet crawls out of the drawers.
He gets a pass from me. Just an old troop living life as he pleases. Actually served his country and has the scars to prove it. I would put him into the category of, uhh, eccentric.
No harm, no foul.
Carry on, Troop
I would sit down and have beer with this guy.
Talk a little nam shit and see where he’s at.
I think I saw his son in this video. They dress the same at least….
Tacky, tacky, tacky.
It’s supposed to be, it’s a parody. Those guys are from the Ranger up videos on you tube.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIGLxV-wGOY?ecver=1&w=560&h=315%5D
ha!….apologies…I had a brain fart regarding how to put a video up on TAH
I was referring to the sentence that went with it, Doc. Mr. Bond is what my mother used to call a poor thing, and doesn’t deserve to be lampooned or made fun of.
He was under fire in Vietnam near the DMZ for months, which may have affected him mentally. He now has speech difficulties and probably has other issues besides that, too.
A little bit of understanding never hurt anyone.
yeah yeah….just spank me
No, you’d like that.
You get this.
Tacky Up!
I remember that this was once thought to be another image of “Mac” Macowen, the walking deserer/phony.
The spawn of Yosemite Sam and a DPRK general?
Wrong. He’s an elderly man with difficulty speaking. He’s trying to do something worthwhile.
Nothing Wrong…
with being Bat Shit Crazy
My neighbors think I am
😀😀
Welcome Home Sir and thank you for your service!
After watching the video I say PASS and Welcome Home, Mr. Bond.
As I see it, he’s been there done that, did his time in hell and I’m sure time as well as some of what he had to do caught up with him.
Speaking of uniform regs and Vietnam, take a look. Makes 007 look like one STRAC troop.
https://www.google.com/search?q=helmet+art+vietnam&rlz=1C1AOHY_enUS708US708&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwju2tXw3djTAhVF74MKHdW-AO4Q_AUIBigB&biw=1024&bih=707
he’s legit… should apologize for questioning valor
A way bit weird yes, but at least the fellow is fishing and not giving Memorial Day speeches about how he saved Hue, etc. When the arteries in the squash close off we ALL know how mentation drifts. I’ll give combat vet “former”USMC a pass and assume he is not firing on all 8 cylinders anymore and the best memories he has left was serving his country in Viet Nam when his peers were burning our flag. TAH does a great job exposing real phonies, scum bags and cowards..I am glad to see most here can recognize a very legitimate senior Shipmate, with obvious apparent cognitive and likely medical issues and cut him some slack. CAPT Bones