Open letter to Chris Otero; ref Stolen Valor
Chris Otero writes an article in the Havok Journal entitled “Blue On Blue: Stolen Valor Fratricide” in which he tries to make the case that stolen valor enforcement is not a worthwhile endeavor.
My encounter ended well for me but it didn’t end so well for Marine veteran Michael Deflin. This Fallujah vet couldn’t produce an active duty CAC card on request from some Air Force dude and therefore he got the crap kicked out of him. He suffered a broken leg and jaw in the process. Prior to him and his friend beating Deflin down, the USAF guy accused him of ‘Stolen Valor’.
Congratulations, we have now started conducting fratricide on our own.
[…]
Part of what makes this so laughable is that some of the loudest members of the mob are people who were FOB warriors downrange. They are the dudes you see at the PX or the Atlanta Hartsfield Airport wearing their absolutely pristine condition 400 dollar tactical packs with the ‘Major League Infidel’ patch, the always ridiculous camo cap with a subdued American flag on the velcro, and drinking a giant Monster while telling everyone who will listen about that ‘one time in Iraq, I did xxxxxx and I’m totally not making it up!’
The truth is they never left the wire on their one OIF/OEF tour – but I sure as hell hear them lying…oops, I mean exaggerating about what they have done downrange in the orderly rooms, at the PX food court, on social media, and in the customs line at Ali al Salim Air Base. Come on, guys, you don’t think we notice? You don’t think we haven’t heard multiple variations of the same story our entire career?
For many of you out there in the mob, I would say check your own shot group before you starting calling out others.
I don’t know who he’s talking about. I don’t know anyone in our community that fits that description. While I sympathize with Michael Deflin, no one I associate with confronts valor thieves in such a way.
There was a time when mine was the only blog on the social media conducting stolen valor investigations, and it was a more gentlemanly endeavor.
In fact, I can name a few dozen people who we’ve busted who are cooling their heels in prison, some with sentences measured in decades, because of our efforts and research, as well as our law enforcement contacts. We’re more responsible than most of the stolen valor vigilantes who troll airports and coffee shops on the lookout for someone trying to scam a free scone.
I don’t normally wear pins or badges in public, but if I do, I have a DD214 on my phone to show doubters. My records are posted for the whole world to see on the internet. I have been “outside the wire” on occasion. I’ve lost friends to enemy fire. Many of the people with whom I associate fit that description.
So, choke down on your shot group, Mr Otero.
Category: Stolen Valor Act
IMHO, Chris Otero’s shot group is a little outside the 10 ring.
It always helps to identify the target before engaging the trigger.
Sounds like he got a few shots in his texas ringer
Chris Otero was a Fobbit and embellished many “war stories” according to himself.
Only a POSer and/or embellisher would defend all the endless 5th column of wanna-bees and POSers.
Truth stops being truth when no one gives a crap about the truth.
Jonn, you do valuable work. Keep going.
AMEN!
Amen Brother!
Standards, someone’s gotta uphold them.
Keep up the good work, Jonn.
I guess some folks don’t want to sit down, go to the website listed on their receipt, and do the survey to get reduced price or free treats.
Much easier to slap a patch, rank, or other “veteran” paraphernalia on their clothing or bags. 
Well yes, but the bigger issue is not the free treats, but that many POSers start as that and then graduate to scammers and outright thieves.
Like I have learned in here at TAH, stealing valor is just the tip of the iceberg. There is always more shit below to dig out.
I use to not take stolen valor that seriously, except for the war stories embellishment which always pissed me off, but now after seeing all the crap they do, I got ZERO tolerance for both embellishers and posers.
I was being sarcastic.
Word.
And you need the “service” dog and the hydration system (1 each).
My rescue dog, Sammy the wonderpuppy, needs a service dog of his own. Wonder what that’d get me as far as discounts. Hmmmm…
I have service cats. They mostly serve themselves. Neither of them will bring me a mug of hot tea or a cookie.
Mine will serve me a dead bird or mouse, from time to time.
I have been presented with two mice. I have photos. Mighty hunter.
Plus chipmunks and lizards!
My Maine coon took down a turkey vulture last fall. Ate most of it
Poser Disposers!
Every time I see that I think of the scoop truck from Soylent Green removing the mob.
So edgy. Christ sounds like a vet hipster, too cool for other veterans, but yet forgets he wears military flare to impress the people he supposedly doesn’t want to impress.
caw caw!
Yep, vet hipsters like everyone who writes for Task & Purpose.
I used to read Task and Pupose all the time.
They wore me out with liberal BS and anti-Trump routine.
I haven’t been there in a long while.
Just for a laugh, I took a look over there after the Rapone thing went public. Sure enough, they posted an article praising him. How edgy!
Agreed.
He’s probably vegan too…
And yet another dude whose opinion I could care less about….
Jonn, you do a very valuable service and I hope you continue for many years to come. I don’t know what I would do without you? Thank you!!!
Oddly enough, they recycled that article from a year ago. Guess they’re having trouble generating content. Sad!
They could improve that if they ate bulkier foods. Just sayin’.
After reading the comments in the linked article I conclude the article is about
the author.
I had a similar feeling after reading the article. The saying “he who accuses the world convicts only himself” comes to mind for Mr Otero.
I agree some of this stolen valor stuff has gotten out of hand. I run into phony’s all the time at the rodeo and I put them in their place.
You gotta be shittin’ me, look who it is! The poster boy hisself! Let me be the first to offer you a hearty welcome back, we’ve missed you!
http://valorguardians.com/blog/?p=36932
You know mirrors in the rodeo bathrooms don’t talk back, correct?
Is this you? http://valorguardians.com/blog/?p=37002
If so, this is an odd thread for you to add a comment.
So Rabbit Humper didn’t even make it to the Gunga Dan line.
He was never assigned a Battle Bunny.
If you can’t get anyone to be your battle “bunny” at Ranger School you know you are doomed.
HEY BUNNY FART, where’s the DD214 you promised, o booger-munching candyassed thumb sucking bed wetter? Try to ride a real horse sometime and STOP hogging the 25 cent kiddie horse at your grocery store.
I told you my records where in a fire at NPRC. I will be glad to show them once they arrive.
“I agree some of this stolen valor stuff has gotten out of hand.”
Yeah, especially when posers go so far as to emblazon their integument with tattoos denoting qualifications or assignment to units in which they never served, eh?
Special kind of pathetic right there.
“Integument”? I do not know what that means yet, but it sounds awesome. I love learning $50 words.
ID SARC has a lot of $50 words.
When he uses one someones’ medical bills go up $50 a pop.
Integument, as in the Integumemtary system, or skin. You’re welcome lol
I know of someone whose integument is so intensely emblazoned (snorttt) that she could charge a museum fee to onlookers… if she wanted to.
And IDC_SARC would spend a month mopping up after himself.
Tell me some war stories Dalton!
“Well, there was this one time down at the truck stop I ran out of condoms and had to go bareback!”
Wow Dalton Coldiron, you’re a heerrrooo!
Hey, it’s Dickless Cockholster! Still perofrming at the Rump Riding Rodeo, Assclown?
Oh, look! The rabbit frightener who steals photos of REAL bull riding champs and says it’s him has dropped in and sneezed all over everything.
Still scaring bunnies, Coldiron? Where’s your DD214? Still in the DD twilight zone filing system?
If the standards for proof remain high (and they are, pls. see outings on this site, Military Phonies, and Guardians of the Green Beret) the situation is rather well in hand.
Delusional Dalton the Rabbit Whisperer (or is that ‘Rabbit Frencher’?) is back.
Participating in the mutton bustin’ competition does not qualify you as a rodeo performer, boy.
I think you meant “rabbit felcher.”
Hey Dolly(Dalton Coldiron) Where is your Rodeo shedule so I can meet you and vet your DD 214 ? Joe
Hey I will be glad to give you my rodeo schedule boi maybe I can show you a thing or two.
I appreciate sights like this one, but would be greatly displeased if someone questioned my military credentials in public using anything less than good tact. Simply put, my service is my own business. I suppose if I went around advertising it, my opinion would have to change, but I don’t advertise, often even wearing my pre-Army work jackets in a form of reverse stolen valor. “I’m just a friendly mechanic.”
On the rare occasion I wear something denoting my service, it is usually a unit t-shirt. Of course, I’m sure my old Choppin’ Charlie shirt from 3-187 would be questioned nowadays as it has a Ranger tab on the back of it.
In the end, posers and embellishers deserve to be shamed, but honest veterans should not have to carry anything identifying their service.
I usually accept what people say about themselves at face value. Among my friends I think this is both good manners and safe, since there is little boasting. (Who wants bombastic friends?) I usually accept what people say about others but I never BELIEVE it. Again, in my circle of friends, we seldom talk about other folks, and when we do I know no one who could call our conversation “gossip.” I will not accept what people say about others in my presence if I know the remarks to be untrue. I always accept bad theology if I’m not asked to endorse it or unless my opinion is asked.
But, when I must, of necessity, call someone on their BS, one of two questions invariably suffice: “Who told you that?” or, for ‘war stories'”Who were you with?” I don’t have an encyclopedic knowledge of army units, AF groups, et cetera, but “I was in the Marines” or “I was in the shit” stories always run aground on the hard truth when asked for a unit name or designation. If you were there, the answer is ready: If not the answer is lame.
Another ace question is “What’s the MOS/NEC for that?”
DOUG out
Damn man, Chopin Charlie in Afghanistan 2012-2013. Chopin 22.
And no, no more unearned Ranger tabs on the Company PT shirts. Just Chopin Charlie on the back, with the big ax and the hood.
The youngest lieutenant still carries the ax on Company runs, and he had to pack it in his duffle for the deployment, to take it to the Afgh of the Stan.
And yeah, Hamburger Hill week is still a thing. A range for the oldsters to shoot all our weapon systems.
Frederick Fucking Chopin?
This article was originally published in October of 2016 and reposted today i guess.
he has his opinion and i have mine. while there are always those that IMHO could use a punch to the throat, that lasts only for a few moments. what John & Friends do on here lasts beyond forever…. but this internet fame is more like herpes or a kardashian video!
Interesting…the Michael Deflin incident took place in 2015…Facebook comments were posted in 2015 ( October)..guess Otero did not get enough feedback from his initial posting in 2015 as well as the reposting in 2016 and now he is re-reposting in 2017..or is he?
Went to their Home page, scrolled 3 times under “Authors” and could not find a Chris Otero. Perhaps that Website is desparate in getting more attention on the Web? Or is it old “news” being recycled…and will it show up again in 2018?
Keep up the good work, Jonn. It is obvious your TAH “Troops” support you.
Ahhh..went back to the same site…it IS a repost from 2016..Perhaps Otero initially post this on his Facebook page and not the Blog’s page…and the 2015 comments were directed to him..
Thanks again, Jonn, for addressing this with your excellent talking points.
Is this Chris Oteroa a good-lookin’ dude, or is he just another limp-wristed metrosexual who thinks he’s cool and tells his mirror image that?
I’m greatly tempted sometimes to put my Spacefleet fatigues on, patches, badges and all, and try to find some of these characters. But that’s just me.
…or is Chris Oteroa really named “Christina”?
Good point. Is this getting into that part about ‘the fellow doth protest too much, methinks’?
You guys know how I feel about rank amateurs doing confrontations for the purpose of getting some fame visa viral video. Jonn , Anthony , Scott , and Doug are among the best and very conscience of those who would make a mockery of the type of work they do. They are quick to shut down any half assed attempt to out posers. To lump everybody who legitimately outs phoneys with these amateur clowns is simply wrong. That’s all I got. Thanks
Agreed, but Veteran’s Day is coming and I will be marching in America’s Parade.
We all know what happens on Veterans Day in NYC.
At least one will be outed live …
Carry on.
spare me. Its Blue on blue falcon.
There are dumb asses who fly off the handle and accuse real vets of SV.
That doesn’t mean that SV should go unchecked.
Back to the story he quoted. There was not a single witness that came forward to confirm the guys story that he got his ass stomped over stolen valor.
There were only two known facts.
1. He got the shit kicked out of him in a bar fight.
2. He started a Go-Fund-Me tin cup because his injuries resulted in medical bills and missing work.
Hey Jonn,
Great blog above.
Tell this tool if he wants to play with the big boys, he can contact me anytime.
He will need to check his post gen X ass attitude at the door and bring a check book and list of resources to play.
Chris Otero? Never heard of her….
“I would say check your own shot group before you starting calling out others.”
EXCELLENT ADVICE. Since we can only effect our own behavior in this life. Twelve-Steppers call this taking (our own) inventory, as in step four: Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. It is worth noting that taking this inventory of someone else’s life is not just fruitless, it is impossible. But that’s what most blogs are about, right? Boasting or pulling someone else down?
Jonn, thankfully, makes TAH a notable exception. THANKS, Shippie.
DOUG out
This guy Otero sounds a lot like Douglas Dietrich claiming TAH is influencing the assault or killing of bonna fide combat veterans or taking away VA benefits by forging documents obtained via the FOIA (fratricide etc). Dietrich, a classic case for false service claims will likely use this story as an example and attack Lilyea as he has for the past year. What is Otero’s problem?
I think I may have found a unique stolen valor phony on facebook. You can tell he photo shopped his head onto this picture of a military uniform.
I haven’t gotten screen shot but you may want to if you’re going to bust him. I saw him on a seal team six facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Navy-SEAL-Team-6/148066835209812
http://d3dytsf4vrjn5x.cloudfront.net/100979/300×250/7694b7a067671cfce365b25b95496dea.jpg
https://www.facebook.com/benson.lekuta
Dudes totally legit.
O….M……G!!!!!!!!!
That second picture…
Thanks for sharing!
Sorry I was using that second picture on another site for fun, it was an accident. I thought I had the other guy:)
If you sent the “second picture” in pursuit of “the other guy,” he’d be so abominably freaked out that he’d surrender, immediately, to any authority!
I received an email from this guy promising me $15,000,000 if I would send him my banking info so we could take advantage of the fact that he had all this money he had inherited as a Nigerian prince.
I occasionally wear a non-reg Navy ballcap with a CPO device. I’ve seen a few called out erroneously and it ain’t pretty. Happened twice at Golden Corral and once at the mall. Apologies all around. Really, if you saw these dudes no way would you believe them to veterans. It is possible to do so with class leaving everyone happy (unless he really IS a poser). I’ve never seen anyone in the employ of GC call out someone; it’s a self-appointed critic.
seems like this was simpler in the 1970s….the civilian world wasn’t looking to buy anyone a fucking coffee or dinner or thank you for your service, most civilians thought you were a fucking idiot for serving…I liked that better in some ways because I didn’t join to meet their, or anyone else’s, standards of living. Didn’t really have anyone faking service because service was looked down upon. I never minded snobby pricks looking down at me so I was good with it all.
Now that we’ve taught the civilians to worship the military every jerkoff looking to get over pretends to be a steely-eyed, low drag, high speed operator….consequently you have guys like Jonn trying to keep things honest out there instead of kicking back in his retirement and just relaxing with family and friends…and now that some folks have decided that stolen valor hunting is a cool, high profile occupation you’re gonna see some folks with less professionalism than Jonn doing jerkoff moves in public.
Not saying the old days were better, it just seemed simpler.
My dilemma is that through out my career I collected unit T shirts, sweats, ball caps . When my kids showed little interest in them after 8th grade, I packed them away and the ball caps went on the garage wall. At 69 yrs old I find the clothing thinned out and not easy to wear, with he ball caps full of spider webs and wasp poop inside.Between grandkids and enlarging prostate glands I have no interest or “mojo” to even wear them.After reading TAH for years I am uncomfortable donating them to a charity because I don’t want to have a poser get them. Maybe we need a “dignified cremation” ceremony for our stuff. They do represent some great days.
CAPT Bones USN (ret)