Clinton “Jim” Rios; phony Vietnam vet
Someone who met this fellow, Clinton James Rios, in 2007, says that he told our tipster that he was a POW in Vietnam as well as a special forces soldier. “I questioned him one time about it, after I asked a few questions, he started avoiding me, and I didn’t see him again until his funeral.” He was reminded of the encounter when Mr Rios passed three years ago and the family posted this obituary;
To begin with, Mr Rios was only a few weeks older than me, and we were too young for the Vietnam War.
He did serve, though;
He went to Korea twice and once to Germany, other than than that, he had no deployments. He was a supply clerk, not Special Forces. He was stationed at Fort Campbell, but in those days, there were no special forces units at Campbell. It looks like he had a pretty good career, I don’t know why he had to lie about it – but there you go.
If you are lying about your service, please come clean with your family so their last memory of you isn’t that you were a liar.
Category: Phony soldiers, Valor Vultures
One of Claw’s trading partners?
Nope, doesn’t look like our paths ever crossed.
While he was going through Basic and AIT, I was at Campbell.
Then when he went to Korea for his first two year tour, I was sent to Germany.
He came back to Campbell, then went to Germany, then went back to Campbell, all the while I was at Carson.
While he was at Campbell the second time, I went back to Germany.
When he went to Korea for his second two year tour over there, I was at Carson.
He was ultimately discharged in 85 while I was just getting a good start on my final six years in the Army at Carson.
Bottom line for him, it looks like the high year for tenure ban hammer got dropped on him, as he had 11+ years of service and was still an E-5 with no further career advancing schools other than AIT. (Note the lack of an NCOPDR on the FOIA)
Sometimes not the fault of the Soldier not going to BLC/PLDC/WLC,PNCOC, etc, as being the 76 series supply weenie in outfits where all the schooling slots go to the 16 series ADA/ 12 series Engineer/67 series Aviation Mechanics, you get left in the dust.
Yeah, some First Sergeants can’t see themselves without the supply sergeant for a whole month while said supply sergeant is in an NCOPD course. That only hurts the supply sergeant.
My first unit in Germany would not promote to E5 without PLC, but only got one slot a quarter. Had a BIG backlog of promotable E4s in MOSs that were in shortage of NCOs.
1982… I was in Schweinfurt (3d Infantry Division) with a sequence # for E8 and a class date for Retention ANCOC at beautiful Fort Benjamin Harrison, IN, when the powers to be discovered I’d never been to PLDC. So I went a month before ANCOC.
You went to PLDC as an E-7? So didn’t you outrank all your instructors? When I went through PLDC in 1989 all our instructors (Class leaders) were E-6’s.
I went through with two other E-7’s. There were a five E-6’s, two of which were on the E-7 list, going through the course also. 3ID was doing a lot of catch-up it seems.
Ass-fluffer.
Another Viet of the Nam POW wannabe.
— sigh —
I wonder if he told people that he was held in a ‘Tiger Cage’ in a river and forced to play Russian Roulette.
Still don’t understand why anyone would aspire to be a POW. I’m acquainted with several real POWs who suffered terribly while under enemy control, and none of them consider their capture and imprisonment to be a proud achievement that is to be bragged about.
Nice deer hunter reference.
Interesting, 6 years of service but 4 GCMs…how does that math work?
His record of assignments starts in 1974, and doesn’t include basic or AIT, so I’m guessing that even what they sent is incomplete.
Does it look like he went from E-6 to E-5 at his last PCS from Campbell to Korea? I could be reading that wrong, I’m not Army.
Those MOS’s posted on the record of assignment are duty positions, not actual rank held.
In the Army, you could be duty slotted two over/one under from your actual rank.
For example, an E-5 could be duty slotted into an E-6/E-7 slot or an E-4 slot, depending on the needs of the unit.
Hope my short explanation helps.
Indeed it does, Claw. Thanks. I was thinking that might be the case.
But, he’s a Clinton so it’s okay, right?
I remembered this guy from 2015 and was wondering about his age and claimed status of POW as well.
Could not locate a picture of his headstone or footstone for him, but did find he is buried at the Rios Family Cemetary in Livingston, TX.
This is what I found on VA Grave Locator:
RIOS, CLINTON JAMES
SGT US ARMY
VIETNAM
DATE OF BIRTH: 06/24/1955
DATE OF DEATH: 04/17/2015
BURIED AT:
RIOS FAMILY CEMETERY
LIVINGSTON, TX 77351
Since he came into the Army around 1973/1974 (I think the National Archives Clerk made a mistake of putting 1979), he is considered a Vietnam Era Veteran and is entitled to have “Vietnam” on his headstone/footstone.
Am surprised he was not awarded the NDSM since he qualifies for that medal. Probably the 1st SEAC took it….*Grin*
His Form 2-1 says that he was in Korea in 1974, so you’re right that the NPRC Tech got his service dates wrong.
The new common core math is clearly screwing with people’s ability to do simple tasks like addition and subtraction…1955 really? and no one asked him to explain how he got in at age 17 and managed to be sent to Vietnam in 1972 after Nixon stopped sending troops in 1972?
What am I missing here?
As an addendum, he served honorably. No need to lie about it…why do they do it? What is so broken inside they need to tell bullshit to everyone?
‘Jim proudly served his country as a sergeant in the United States Army, was sent overseas three times and, at the time of his passing, was a member of VFW Post 402.’
Is such a description not enough? Sure it is, but when one has been told lies by a person he trusts, it’s inadequate. So, the trusting print the lies and the ‘hero’ looks like a fool.
Rios was a member of the American Legion Post 402 in Livingston, TX.
Sue me.
Can’t. If I did, I would have to change my last name to “Visconi” or “Bernath”…😉
Interesting that he was awarded the AFEM for his first tour in Korea. Looks like he got there at the very tail end of what some historians have called the “second Korean War” from about 1966 to 1976.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_DMZ_Conflict
(Even though the “DMZ Conflict” is only listed as having occurred between 1966 and 1969, the AFEM award period for Korea was 1 October 1966 – 30 Jun 1974, so Rios barely squeaked in, looks like he arrived in May of 74.)
Looks like he had already left the ROK before the Pan Mun Jom Axe Murder incident of August, 1976.
Interesting that his first tour in Korea was 2 years.
Either way, honorable service tarnished by embellishment and lies. Sad.
BTW, let me make a suggestion to my fellow vets: Many years ago, my wife adopted the idea of a “death book”, which I think is absolutely brilliant. It is a 3 ring binder with copies of all important documents that people will need if she or I (or both) die: Life insurance, will, retirement and banking account information, what we wish to have done with our remains, etc. It sits in our safe and our kids know where it is.
One of the things she asked me to do (which, again, I think is a great idea) is that she asked me to write a “military biography”, of everything I did when I was in the Army. That way she wouldn’t have to dig through my records and try to guess what I did when I was serving.
I’d encourage all of you, right now, to take a few minutes and just write out what you did, where you went, what awards or decorations you received, etc, and then put it in a place where your Next of Kin can find it (maybe attached to your will or something similar.)
Not to brag or boast, but rather, to make it easier on your survivors so that when you shuffle off this mortal coil, they will be able to know what you did in the military.
A death in the family is a tremendous hardship so it makes sense to do everything you can to lessen the burden on those who will survive you.
That’s a great idea.
Looks like my day off will be used for some cleaning up of records etc…
I have to second Martinjmpr on this!
My wife did one of the Death Binders for her Mother when we had to put her into assisted living. Had ALL the necessary stuff; birth certs, power(s) of attorney, will, living will, Do Not Resuscitate paperwork,insurance papers, deeds for property, bank accounts, etc.
Being the very pragmatic former NCO that she is, Mrs Dino put one together for each of us. Has all the above, plus DD-214s, copies of orders for awards, 20 year letter, last wishes, and the receipt for the cremation/burial…well you know the drill.
KEEP THIS IS A VERY SAFE PLACE, LIKE A SAFE and let your kids (and Executor)know where it is.
This does make things a LOT easier for the folks you leave behind to take care of “things”.
Your wife must have been talking to my wife. We just went through a family member’s death. Fortunately, they had let us know where all of the important paperwork was long before the passing.
Dealing with it prompted my wife to ask that I do the same thing, and add a copy of my retirement DD-214 and a military bio.
Way to crap all over a good service recorded
Here’s the real question that nobody has asked… was he a “door gunner” like Forgin’ Frank?
If he wasn’t a door gunner, he wasn’t a real deal supply dude…
HMCS(FMF)…Just wait…there are more INCOMING! Door Gunners claiming Vietnam POW Status (along with some neat medals)….:)
The term “Vietnam Vet.” gets confused, as in the case of Sen. Blumenthal, sometimes deliberately. There is no disgrace in being in the service during Vietnam, but not going there. A lot had to do with MOS. Back then we had more troops stationed around the world than in VN. Less than 1% of the country at that time served IN Vietnam, and only 9% of military age males. Just under 25% were drafted.
I really don’t care that there are so many who didn’t get the tour, but I do object to those who say they did, but didn’t.
Ditto. Most of us who served IN Vietnam did so because we were ordered there. Some didn’t get sent there because of the luck of the draw or an MOS which was not needed there. For example, President Bush (43) wasn’t sent there because he was an F-102 pilot and that aircraft (high altitude interceptor) had no use in the war. I would venture a guess that less than 15% of those who went to the Viet of the Nam went because they volunteered to go. However, I should add that those of us who specifically asked to be in the Infantry in the late 1960’s knew we were very likely to be sent over there.