Jerry Ireland; phony war stories
Someone sent us their work on this fellow, Jerry Ireland, who claims that he caught the PTSD from his deployments to the war against terror in Iraq and Afghanistan. He founded an organization in Maine to help veterans get into farming, United Farmer Veterans. But amidst charges of animal cruelty and striking fear in his neighbors, the organization fell apart, according to the Portland Press Herald which questions his military service record;
Since he started United Farmer Veterans of Maine in 2015, Ireland has discussed his military service and resulting post-traumatic stress disorder as a way of explaining how he got into farming.
Ireland has offered conflicting details about his military service to the Portland Press Herald. Several news stories about Ireland dating back to 2015 indicate he served overseas in Afghanistan or Iraq, or both, and he has spoken at length about suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder related to his service.
Other news outlets have published similar accounts of his military service.
AdvertisementHis official military record, however, shows no evidence of overseas service. Ireland told the Press Herald that his service record has been mischaracterized in the media, and that his official military record contains inaccuracies and does not include classified missions. But he would not answer questions to detail his service or clarify any inaccuracies.
In an earlier Press Herald article, Ireland tells them how farming saved him from his PTSD;
Ireland is one veteran who says farming helped him climb out of a dark hole.
Ireland joined the Army so that he could pay for college, never dreaming that it would become a career. He did a couple of tours at the Pentagon after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, then traveled all over the world on classified missions working for military intelligence. His post-traumatic stress arose from “stuff I saw and things I never dealt with.”
“There was a lot of nightmares, a lot of not sleeping, which over months led to some chronic tiredness,” he said. “My wife at the time would say when she would come to bed I would throw her out of bed, which I don’t have any knowledge of to this day.”
Eventually he lost everything – his house, his job, his first marriage. He began self-medicating and was drawn into an eight-month battle with drugs that ended one desperate night in a hotel room. “I basically made a deal with God that if I was alive in the morning, my life was going to be different,” Ireland said.
Another Press Herald article;
After numerous missions in support of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, Ireland received a medical discharge in 2006 but continued to suffer from post-traumatic stress.
In the Bangor Daily News;
When war veterans return home, their future often is grim. Suffering from injuries or post-traumatic stress disorder, they find it hard to acclimate to society.
“They give you medication, put you on another pill to keep you from killing yourself and consider that a success,” said Jerry Ireland, who spent 10 years in the Army and served in Afghanistan.
In the Bangor Daily News he writes in a comment that “I am a farmer and a veteran from Iraq and Afghistan. These are not soldiers they are food activists that sometimes call themselves farmers.”
Well, Ireland did wear a uniform – he spent 5 years in the Wisconsin National Guard and in the Army Reserves. He was mobilized, but he never left the Continental United States. It doesn’t look like he was medically discharged and there aren’t ten years of service. He certainly didn’t deploy to Iraq or Afghanistan;
I don’t know what he thinks he saw that gave him the PTSD, unless it was those endless hours of fire guard one weekend a month and two weeks a year.
Category: Phony soldiers, Valor Vultures
Cocksucker!
KA-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
Boom!
fukkker could grow a field of dicks and then no doubt knobgobble his way thru them. 🙂
Knobgobble !!!
Soooo fucking stealing this !!!
If it ain’t on the Continental Wall of Insults, I nominate it for placement !!!
I just saw this.
I wish there was some way anyone could poke me when they have a recommendation.
C’est la vie.
I’ll just catch as catch can.
Consider this added.
He could jump into an Olympic Swimming Pool Full of pussy and come up with a mouth full of cock and balls! What does he have, Floor Buffer and Coffee Brewer Stress Syndrome?
Sealed/Classified Records/Sekrit Missions – Block B-2 on the TAH Stolen Valor Bingo Card.
Well, Shit, I screwed that one up.
It should be Block I-1, not B-2.
Mea Culpa/Blames lack of caffeine.
How about B-5 fake PTSD?
Yep, good to go on that Block, as well as Block O-4.
So Dumb Ass here is at least a three Blocker.
Well, actually he is a four Blocker so far, as Block N-3 is a Free Space.
I hope he does show up here at TAH so we can have our first Bingo!! Winner.
The Whiz Wheel™® has already worked up the FRPR* score for him.
*Full Retard Past Rutabaga (H/T to API)
I was just reading this yesterday in the BDN.
The comments from the article are astounding.
People are so uninformed about stolen valor.
They trash the guy that is trying tell the truth about it. That’s why it is called the Bangor Daily Worker.
https://bangordailynews.com/2018/07/06/homestead/controversial-head-of-maine-farmer-veterans-group-resigns/
I noticed that he had to resign because he was charged with animal cruelty… and the Ed.D that is commenting is so fucking clueless about the military.
Swanville, Maine.
I know the area well. In the seventies it
was part of the “back to the land” movement and saw an influx of hippies from MA,NY etc.
No wonder they believed the guy.
yes…Ed.D is a bafoon
Guilty as charged — none of the DD-214 would be public in Higher Ed where FERPA applies.
And if an undergrad tells me that he got into the VFW because he “was within 100 NM of a combat area”, who am I to question that? Seriously….
Although I was rather p***** at a different undergrad (and then still USNR) prancing around CPAC in uniform — even I know that you don’t attend a partisan political event in uniform….
Thanks to all for the assistance.
Welcome. Check out the TAH FNG FAQ to see what we’re about.
He was allowed to resign in a private office after a very public board meeting demanded his removal. The remainder of the board is dirty as well. We are members and we are fleeing! He has done nothing but terrorize our business since we dared challenge him. Sheriff just left our home again over this mans harassment.
As I recall (tour onboard NAS Brunswick) Maine has very favorable firearm laws. Take advantage instead of being terrorized.
This guy is nuttier than a fruit cake. Get a restraining order on him and buy yourself a weapon to defend yourself.
Get ready he called the police on me over 100 times no charges ever filed
I would like to know what happens now every thing on his farm he got as a grant or gift he used it to torment his animals he takes pleasure in the pain of others be it animal or human he is evil incarnate
FFS so many asshats posting their incorrect assumptions about the military, the VFW and generally anything to do with this. Full potato.
I am blocked from commenting there.Good.
It would be nice if someone could leave a link to TAH. It won’t last long though.
‘crater0611’ beat me to it, 26L, and the link is still up as I type.
TNX. I saw a link posted from SGT FON also. I remember reading a local article about the guy two years ago and was skeptical.
Funny he should show up here.
The Boss has posted the link as well, so there’s three. I expect Ireland to show up soon with the usual bluster and bullshit.
Yeah I saw that. My concern is that the readers of that paper get a good education on stolen valor. What better place than here.
Comments are now closed on that article. It doesn’t take long once the truth starts to emerge with that particular paper.
Probably suffered “the ptsd” from hunting for cock and then getting ass-raped in DuPont Circles while off-duty from the Pentagon…
Yeah.
The only “dark hole” this turd was in was the one he was tonguing behind the barn.
And I doubt he was ass-raped. It was probably consensual.
What a fucking clown.
Dumbass. Poser and pussy who use his fake PTSD to act like a asshole and want everyone to forgive and understand his actions. Piss on you punk.
Plays the “classified missions” and “PTSD” cards. Must be another junior deputy assistant associate towel fluffer at Brucie’s Bath House (Enrty in the Rear) that was “traumatized” after his first “Fisting Friday”.
JERRY IRELAND – another LIAR that took a shit all over his honorable service.
Didn’t believe a thing about him until he played the Secret Squirrel card – he must be for real! 🙂
Or an intern at All-Points Logistics.
I read the article in the link above and at the bottom are a couple of headlines to articles about him resigning from his post, I’m sure this will get more interesting as time passes, I’m stocked up on popcorn!
I just finished reading after-action reports for the units of a couple of men who were recently identified by DPAA. I’m can’t even conjure anger for this clown. It just hurts. Let him have it. He deserves it.
“It just hurts.”
It angers me as well. These posers just don’t get it. I was never wounded. I took care of men that saw conflict become a permanent life altering reality when they were wounded. I cared for the remains of those killed. No matter the size of a conflict, if you’re wounded, that suddenly becomes one of the hardest things a person can deal with and they may never be the same. The personal suffering of those men and their families comes back to me when I read about these fukktards.
They are just awful human beings.
I’m with you, IDC SARC. Spent 26 months as a Decedent Affairs Officer at my last command (over 10 years ago) and reading about this shit pisses me off to no end.
Roger that, you two. Worked with hundreds, hundreds of wounded/Injured. Some left grotesquely altered with no prospects of ever living anything close to a normal life, and who would never find relief from their constant, horrible pain.
These turds waltz in with bogus claims of catching the PTSD from non-existent wounds from imaginary conflict, all designed to garner sympathy and/or money from honest people.
Unfortunately, these bogus creeps are what the media are attracted to, believing their tales of conflict from which they caught the PTSD. They then use the PTSD excuse to explain their shitty behavior.
One person in all of this said this guy does not believe the rules apply to him. He’s just a pompous PoS who has made his way to the Google Hall of Shame. Now all will know him for what he is, which is not very flattering. Now, asshole, you can live in infamy for all to see.
And I really despise you if you mistreated animals.
Ditto and he’s currently facing no less than 13 counts of Animal Cruelty.
“Unfortunately, these bogus creeps are what the media are attracted to”
The “jessy mcbeth” syndrome.
Wow, somebody must have really had it in for you to sign you up for that.
Farmer by day, superhero and secret agent by night.
I wonder if he plans his missions around the tables in the Farmer Almanac?
Another turd has been flushed!
Sounds like this guy is a Class A jerk who prefers to make up stuff to excuse his behavior than to simply own being a jerk. It’s a personal choice. He chose the least honorable possibility.
You are a liar, Jerry Ireland. And a valor thief. Evidently a shirker of your responsibilities as well, one who shows indications of having issues with women. Is it only women veterans or women in general?
Queef.
Extra Queef.
Sooper Seekrit Skwirrl Queef!
A farmer? Watching too many Farmer Grey cartoons. Any of you over 70 Vets remember the Farmer Grey cartoons? How about a couple of bars of “Shake hands with your Uncle Mike me boy and your Sister Kate and here’s to the girls you used to swing down on the farm house gate” That’s the only lines I remember from Sgt. O’Rourke singing it on F Troop.
A farmer? What were his crops? What was he planting?
It’s the whining at being caught, pants down, that annoys me. Didn’t go anywhere, didn’t do anything special, so he has to make up for that. Plenty of people didn’t go anywhere or do anything important. Big deal.
What a jerk.
“A farmer?”
I saw a photo of him slopping hogs.
“What were his crops?”
Lies. Not well planted though.
“What was he planting?”
More lies. The previous crop failed.
He is using more fertilizer this time.
Slopping hogs? Who does that now? If they’re raised for the meat market they have to be SPF certified. Was that his animal cruelty charge? Mistreating the piggies?
That coy little smirk in the photo up top is really obnoxious.
Maybe he was caught behind the barn committing what was once referred to as the “infamous crime against nature” with a farm animal.
The 13 animal cruelty charges come from murdering and burying in shallow graves 12 pigs and starving another pig almost to the point of it dying without any help from him.
Great minds and all that, eh, Claw?
*grin*
Roger.
To me, starving bacon seeds to death is murder, plain and simple.
((Over))
Copy all.
Meat is murder. Tasty, tasty murder.
Well, after the reading the article on how he was withholding grain from the hogs diet, feeding them only potatoes and forage, I have nothing but extreme disgust for him.
Having been raised on a corn and hogs farm in Indiana, and in a former life before the service, having been a certified/licensed bulk livestock feed mix man at a milling company/grain elevator, I know exactly what it takes to provide animals with a proper diet in order to thrive.
So, end of rant.
((Out))
I agree. No excuses. If you’re raising critters for the table, they won’t be thrifty (healthy) if they aren’t fed properly.
According to the linked article about his encounter with Animal Welfare, the cow on the property had shelter in a barn that badly needed to be mucked out. There is no excuse for this.
Farmer? Not if he turned himself inside out and spit three times. He’s just an ignorant asshole making excuses for his existence.
I am his next door neighbor and a didabled vetran ibelive there is over 100 dead animals on property he tried to drive me from my home of 40 years anything he gets is not enough
Pigs found buried on Swanville farm close to emaciated, state documents say
Bangor Daily News Link
Starves his stock and tries to hide the evidence, what a Prince among men.
Nail him to the barn wall. Or else let some of those feral hogs down in Texas have at him. They don’t care what they eat, and they’re mean as hell.
I also get out on a medical with disability severance in my case. Heart issues wasn’t ready to deal with PTSD until I starred therapy at VA. So this one hits close to home for me. Unlike him I actually did deploy during 2003 to the Middle East and Iraq for OEF /OIF. It was truly the worst experience of my life. When. I got back I went to mental health because I didn’t know what was wrong with me. I got some feel good meds and sent back on line. When I got sent to a med hold unit from Korea a few years later I had folks with missing limbs , TBI you name it in my unit. It was sad and yet inspiring to see these Soldiers resilience. Dealing with tge physical and mental issues like I do. It’s hard to see these idiots use PTSD as some way to garner sympathy and attention. I think that’s why so many , vets included. Look at that and say oh, it’s just and excuse all vets who claim ptsd are faking. And that’s just wrong Classified missions another overused statement. Which all they are saying is you’ll never be able to expose me because it secret. Funny thing is classified or not. OMPFS don’t lie.
A guy I go to church with, is MI, and is currently mobilized stateside (Ft Devins), but supports missions in Afganistan and has spent some time there, never more than a a couple of months. I have no idea how his DD-214 will refelct that time. I would guess it would show under foreign service time, which this dude doesnt have.
As PSYOP I’ve done time in Djibouti and Iraq teaching other psyop teams how to use the NGLS, under 29 day orders. I dont get DD-214’s for them. I’ve got awards (AAM for each and an overseas training ribbon which was incorrectly awarded), so im not sure how this time would track or show up in my records.
My last trip to the sand box had be going to four different countries
In 9 months I was awarded a ICM and a GWOT-E
But was told I could only be awarded one
But I have orders for two
Other people in my AO who were guard and reserves
That did the same thing we’re awarded either GWOT-Es
If in Kuwait or one of the G-6 countries or like me a ICM or a
Afghan campaign with a GWOT-E the Regs made it plain and simple
You could not earn a Iraq and Afghan award on the same deployment
This fucker is seriously confused
HRC says in its FAQ that for OIF 1 you can be awarded the ICM and GWOT-E. If you came in from another country like Kuwait to Iraq for the invasion
True. Receiving multiple campaign/expeditionary medals for the same tour requires one of three general scenarios:
a. Individual intra-theater transfer from one part of the AOR to another due to mission requirements;
b. Unit redirection/redeployment due to changed mission requirements; or
c. Deployed to one area (usually GWOTEM AOR), but regularly performing missions into another (Iraq or Afghanistan).
Barring getting wounded and MEDEVACed or engaged by the enemy, you also have to meet the 30+ day consecutive/60+ day nonconsecutive threshold.
It can be a bit complicated. Simple RSO&I processing in Kuwait (done by many if not most units going to Iraq) doesn’t count towards the GWOTEM. However, if your unit was deployed to Kuwait in Feb 2003, was there 30+ days, and then got orders to head north after the shooting started in Mar 2003, then apparently you qualify for both.
Your absolutely right. There are def limitations on how to receive both. I deployed Feb 03 and came in from the west on 19 March. I got both. But check this out after I came back there were field grade officers who hadn’t been yet all of a sudden going over there for 30 days. And coming back with ICMs at first I was confused by this then it hit me. Looks good on an ORB. I suppose one could look like a Combat leader or something. Might look better for promotions. Same thing with CABs. I never got one because I was there pre CAB authorization timeframe. I’m cool with that. But I heard stories of officers and Senior NCOs getting them without meeting the criteria. Same goes for those blanket CABs given to entire units. Smh. Guess it boiled down to politics but still wrong in my book
CAB’s can be awarded retroactively to 9/18/2001 if you do the paperwork and find a witness. I did know a major who felt he was cheated out of his CAB and was turned down for a retroactive award. He subsequently put himself in for one on a later deployment for some IDF that hit the FOB several miles away from where he was at the time. He was a real douche.
Thanks but it’s something I want to pursue. I feel for myself , it feels like seeking attention. The only adjustment I have made is to add 2 campaign stars for my icm per HRC policy that all icms must have at least one I checked the dates on my 214 to confirm. CAB feels like I’m claiming hero status. Again not me personally. Not knocking others trying to get theirs.
Besides evertime I look at the shadow box i feel blessed to have what I already have
I understand, I think. CABs are however for “engaging or being engaged by the enemy”. Not so much hero status but simply something that happened. Some days I am glad they added it in there because of the CIB as it seems fair. Other days not so much. Seemed there were too many people looking for trouble to just to get their dagger. But I say if you earned one you should claim one if only for posterity. don’t want your heirs rambling on about what Ferio did during the war and then have no citation you could end up getting up on one of these walls post mortem.
i Appreciate the advice but my records are intact and I guess I’d be in the same category with Vietnam vets who are pre CAR and chose not to bother with it
CAB?
CIB.
I got a CAB for actions in 2002, I didn’t even know about it till 2012 during my DD214 review for retirement. My old BN CDR put a few of us in for it for a little kerfluffle in Afghanistan. So I got that going for me. Which is nice.
If someone spends 30+ days (consecutive) or 60+ days (nonconsecutive) performing official duties in Afghanistan/Iraq and/or Djibouti, they qualify for the ACM/ICM/GWOTEM (depending on where the individual served). That individual can get the ACM/ICM/GWOTEM (as appropriate) added to their military records – provided, of course, they can document the in-theater duty. The same would be true of this guy. Documenting in-country duty was one reason why I wrote a letter of appreciation for one individual who came in-country to assist us while I was deployed. The letter explicitly indicated his dates there assisting us. That documented the fact that he’d been in-country for the 30+ days consecutive duty required for the appropriate campaign medal. The letter was to his boss, but I made him a “cc” addressee – and I made sure he had his “cc” copy before he departed. (smile) Regarding this guy: per this guy’s Mob DD214, he was an Intel Analyst performing contingency support duty on the Army Staff (DCS OPS/PLANS) from Apr 2002 to Feb 2005. Pretty sure that’s in the Pentagon. Not sure you can get much more “REMF” than Pentagon duty during a shooting war. And I seriously doubt DCS OPS/PLANS was sending very many (if any) SGTs to either Afghanistan or Iraq during that time frame on “covert missions”. Bottom line: this guy appears to have been living large in the DC area for 34 months while performing his contingency support duty, not “having fun in the sun, snow, rocks, and sand”. I’d have to see documentary proof that he ever set foot anywhere in the CENTCOM AOR before I’d believe it. And even then, I’d bet good money that it was at most a few-days-long “tourist trip” to major HQs accompanying some other folks on the DCS OPS/PLANS staff. If he’d done the 30 days consecutive/60 days nonconsecutive required for the ACM, ICM, or GWOTEM, the appropriate award(s) should be on his DD214 for that period. They’re not. Maybe I’m being a bit simplistic, but for me no ACM/ICM/GWOTEM means “not a vet” of Iraq or Afghanistan. A short “tourist trip” TDY… Read more »
I was in DCSOPS albeit a long time ago. Rare to see a NCO except in commo/network maintenance functions, mainly in the Army Operations Center. Majors were coffee fetchers in the Pentagon. Generals took shit from the cafeteria staff. But, it was a long time ago.
I’ve heard that being an O4 in the Pentagon is akin to being an E1 in a Line Platoon and that BG’s often have to fetch their own coffee there as well!
Try being a GySgt with 20 plus years. “The General needs paper for his printer.” At least Hack finally got a TS/SCI for being there.
This statement from the news story: “When war veterans return home, their future often is grim. Suffering from injuries or post-traumatic stress disorder, they find it hard to acclimate to society.” Is what is wrong with the MSM, and what people like this ass monkey help to perpetuate.
Veterans come home totally fucked up, and all of them have a hard time adjusting to life after service.
The more posers like this we get, the harder it is to get the real story out there. Not every vet comes home with a case of PTSD, and MOST return to civilian life and do just fine, thanks.
That needs to be said: Loudly and Publicly.
Particularly for the guys (and gals) using their GI benefits in colleges. You would not believe the extent to which most of the student affairs folks believe the “totally f*cked up” myth — nor the extent to which THEY ACT ON IT.
Remember this is the world of Post-Virginia Tech paranoia and star chamber BETs and it can get quite ugly quite quickly.
That, I think is the real stolen valor — stolen from the folks who *do* return to civilian life without “becoming the next Virginia Tech Shooter.” (That’s really what some of those admin folk actually say….)
Public misconception of PTSD is fueled more by the media and Hollywood, EC. It’s an entry-level cop-out for SV fakers looking for a VA or other handout, sympathy, or as an excuse for poor behavior. False claims of participation in combat, and unearned awards, honors and/or rank are common as well. Those claiming Purple Hearts or POW status are the SV bottom feeders, at least in my opinion, and I’m not alone in this. A common denominator among valor thieves- this is seen over and over- is a criminal factor of some sort. Most of these fakers are no stranger to Law Enforcement.
You seem to “get” it; stick around. You may be surprised at what you find here.
*grin*
Hit “report…” by accident, mea culpa.
“…excuse for poor behavior…”; Nails that fucker almost everytime.
Wow! There is no more harrowing job in a theater of combat ops than Army intel analyst. I used to work with four or five of these dudes in the 10th SFGA Group S-2 section at Ft. Devens when I was assigned there for 3 months waiting to go to SF school at Bragg. What these unsung heroes did all day was read foreign newspapers and periodicals, cut out various clippings and collate them, regarding the countries on which the Group was targeted. It was impressive seeing them sit in our basement offices, watching them read, drink coffee and work with scissors, and occasionally type something. I can see how the horror of those types of duties in CONUS would bring on the dreaded PTS of D.
I am surprised this ass-clown is not claiming a Purple Heart from suffering a severe paper cut.
Probably has a strained wrist from the stapler and hole punch.
PTSD from a stapler injury?
It was the Boston stapler, not the Swingline. You know how badly those Boston staplers jam up.
PTSD = Put That Stapler Down
Big difference between what an analyst does to say the work and pipeline SOT-As do.
They gotta keep track of the weather too. That is near impossible trust me.
I guess what pisses me off is that everyone who doesn’t go along with him, Jerry says they’re not veterans. His “animal abuse” charges are partly because he starved perfectly good bacon seeds to death. Who does that?
There is nothing worse than wasting perfectly good bacon seeds. That is almost as bad as Valor Thieving. Plus think of the terrorist muzzies that could have been buried in their skins.
Sounds to me like a tactic he’s using to discredit anyone who dares question his service. The folks at NPRC just release the facts , they have no axe to grind with him. John Adams said “ facts are stubborn things “ and it’s true now as it was 200 years ago. If he’s got legit paperwork to refute it , let him bring it forward , but as is the case with these liars they just don’t have it.
He starved hogs to death?????
Animal abuse is just the tip of the iceberg. There’s no excuse for it, and no real farmer would do that to any livestock.
This guy is a mental case.
Lying about what he does and lying about his “service” go hand-in-hand with each other. What else has he done?
That picture of him with the two sheep…
Didn’t the sheep look traumatized?
He looked upset he’d been caught.
I would venture to say a pathological liar about everything.
Definitely NOT a farmer, but a very, very bad joke on the world.
LOL “Bacon Seeds.” Nicely done, Jonn. 😀
Karma is a bitch, and she’s in heat.
thanks
What’s truly sad, if you know the area, is that the guy he was going to be a placeholder for on the ballot that didn’t run, is a former paratrooper and has been in the Guard forever, and the GOP chair he lied to is deep in the 173rd association, a Korengal vet, and in Restrepo. From what I understand, Jerry’s local credibility as a vet was what sold them both on getting behind his run for state house.
This is what happens when these guys lie, they do the rest of us dirty. He could cost local conservatives and libertarians a usually solid pro-2nd amendment seat with this nonsense.
Copy of this story sent to both newspaper listed at the top of the page. The Portland Press Herald seems most interested in exposing the truth, thanks to a story by reporter Eric Russell. Will advise if I hear from either one of the newspapers.
I would be shocked if the BDN gives you the time of day. They have been throwing Viet of the Nam vets under the bus for decades.
If a vet gets even a parking ticket the story will be about the crazy vet.
The nineties were particularly bad with numerous police shootings of “crazy” vets
Only recently did they start pretend “honoring” vets because you know, 9/11 and stuff. The paper is dying. Good.
Interestingly, when Eric Russell contacted me with Jerry’s DD214s back in the beginning of April, I turned him on to This Ain’t Hell. Jerry never claimed overseas service when he talked to me, but he had told Eric Russell that “it’s classified” when Eric questioned him about it. I told him to visit this site because almost all possible permutations of “my records were destroyed in a fire”, “my missions were classified” are covered here. I mean, I was a paratrooper in the 1990s and have been in the Guard since, but this site is an encyclopedia of space shuttle door gunner shenanigans.
I bear Jerry no ill-will personally. I’ve never heard him claim overseas service, but I have seen him take umbrage on Facebook about how the media has mischaracterized his service. Without any further clarification from him (LESs with some kind of hazardous duty pay, orders to and fro, orders for campaign medals, anything that covers the holes in his DD214s), I don’t know what he means by that. I’m not in a position to be objective, though because of the relationship. I want to believe him, of course. Today’s the deadline to withdraw his candidacy; what comes next for all of us in the legislative district depends on how that goes.
You probably have the most interesting relationship to this guy on the entire page. I’m dying to know more about your involvement, but I understand if you can’t for privacy reasons. Make a throwaway email and we can chat.
No concerns about privacy. I’m mentioned in the PPH article. The reason Eric Russell reached out to me was because I was a candidate in the state house race and a vet, and I got the sense this stolen valor thing had been on his radar for longer than the race. We recruited Jerry nth hour to be a placeholder when our ballot petitions were due, because this year Maine imposed a rule on party changes prior to the primary. I changed from Libertarian to Republican to run, only too late. Jerry decided rather than be a placeholder, he’d like to run. No harm, no foul. It was his name on the primary ballot, he was willing to take the punches. My wife has never been keen on my political life anyway, so there was some relief. But then the pig story dropped, and Eric contacted me. I’ll be honest, I haven’t known Jerry very long, but the UFV work is exciting. There’s a coop selling locally grown/slaughtered products from veteran farmers. There’s plans for grocery delivery of these veteran produced goods. There’s even a somewhat pie-in-the-sky plan for a meat plant / “slaughter college” that will train veterans in employable skills. Traditionally Maine has struggled with finding distribution channels for meat in New England, let alone further, so I’m a little iffy on it, but there’s a real possibility that they could construct a distribution channel for Maine veteran farms out of whole cloth. To see it all laid out, to hear Jerry talk about it…it’s amazing. This is why the stolen valor stuff surprises me so. He barely talks about his service, doesn’t regale with war stories. But he’ll talk about UFV efforts, and it’s all real and happening. If he’s benefitting from fibs about his service, I’m not seeing it. I’m just seeing a guy trying to make a difference in the lives of fellow veterans. And I’m not alone in that. A commenter above mentioned that Jerry lied to Mike and I. We’re pretty tight, a couple of paratroopers, and that’s really not the case. We’re… Read more »
BK
Read Warheads on Foreheads comments written on July 11 at 3:00 am. The comments will fill in your gaps in terms of the “I just don’t know..” some of us do and have seen his lies manipulation.
Wow. I don’t even know what to say. Eric Russell mentioned that the suspicions started with the media project Warheads on Foreheads mentioned.
Interestingly, our exterminator, also a veteran, was turned off by the UFV with his own boutique slaughter business over the hostility to things organic. He also mentioned another vet who ramped up his egg production on a verbal commitment that they could sell that volume through the Newburgh coop, only to see that backtracked after his own investment. Then there’s the public spat with the grant-writer.
They can’t all be vegan conspiracists. I want to see the best in people, but I also don’t like being gaslighted. I’m not in farming, so the benefit of the doubt hasn’t cost me anything, but I would like to adequately represent Waldo County ag interests in Augusta, and it’s important to know who can give useful counsel. I probably would have been more assertive prior to the primary had this emerged sooner, as the GOP in Maine has already had enough state house candidates garner black eyes for the brand.
All I can hope is that he offers either unequivocal clarity or contrition on the whole service record thing.
You got neither unequivocal clarity nor contrition. Jerry has doubled down with this comment on his FB page:
“Before you start asking me about this one please use some common sense and realize what is going on here people. If you have ever been to my office in Bangor there are dozens of things hanging on my wall to prove this story is false and designed to divide us. Don’t give them the time of day…it just is not true!”
So alll you have to do to see proof is go to Jerry’s office, during normal business hours, knock, and ask to see the military things.
And this in the comments:
“Apparently if you are in the Guard and Reserve and you are on title 10 orders and go anywhere like on tdy to another country it does not count as service according to the Portland Press Herald guy”.
No shame, no grace, no integrity.
I don’t think the things on his wall speak louder than his DD 214’s do they? Is the legal paperwork from the government or is that part of the conspiracy also?
When do his lies stop or when is he going to be stopped? He keeps taking shots at people and smiling that psychopathic smile. How many more people have to get smeared (like the grant writer and others in the UFV membership) before the org puts a roll of duct tape on his mouth?
Provided the DD214s were obtained from official sources, they don’t.
You can find Internet sources that will provide bogus certificates for damn near anything.
B K…for someone who as articulate as you, gullibility seems to be your strong suit. When you have time in the future one day I’d like to tell you about Santa Clause as well as the Tooth Fairy. Dude, you need to stay out of politics altogether. Nice guys like you get eaten up in no time.
Here is his personal FB page:
https://www.facebook.com/EmilyandJerryIreland
Annnnnnd shut down. But not before 20 of his friends received replies….
Nah, I see it and one (at lease) of your posts. He probably blocked you.
Yes he blocked anyone that challenged him (me!) or posted truthful comments based on facts that did not support his stories and his conspiracy theory. Of course he posted slanderous BS about me and then like a coward blocked me so I could not respond.
Cowardly farmer, starving animals then shooting them because the state was coming for an inspection ( after months of trying to work with him), he shot the pigs and buried them the day before they were to come.
Who does that? He does believe he is above the law and he is arrogant lieing bully.
He has destroyed so much good that has been done. He is a pathological and diabolical liar. He spins tales faster than anyone can imagine.
He needs to be stopped and pay for his crimes, which are many.
I’ve noticed that this bloviating piece of shit hasn’t said a peep on his social media since this news broke, and his organization’s page is no longer accepting public comments. I know his world is coming to an end, and I am so fucking happy that he can no longer be his sanctimonious and conspiratorial self in public. Hopefully he will just disappear, but I could also see him going the Jimmy “I Have Sinned Against You” Swaggart route. The credulous morons he surrounds himself with will fall for that.
Fuck this guy.
I first met Jerry Wilfred Ireland back in 2016, as I began to look into an organization called The Farmer Veteran Coalition. https://www.farmvetco.org/ At the time he was the ED of the Maine chapter. I had potential business interests with the National organization, but was weary of FVC for a few reasons, mainly due to the founder not being a Vet (right or wrong). Jerry didn’t come off as the scumbag he clearly ended up being -right away. He claimed to have been deployed in support of both OIF and OEF. He seemed like many of my brothers and sisters-in-arms who had been through a lot in service to our great nation. But something was definitely off. Once he learned that I served on Active duty for nearly 10 years and had also deployed, he shut the fuck up about anything to do with the military. I had not ever met one Vet who strayed off of questions or topics about deployments, past units, or any details of such, like he did. Foolishly, I gave him the benefit of the doubt and hoped it was just my paranoia. I can honestly say, I really wanted the guy to be legit. Jerry insisted the organization was great and convinced me (through my own hopes) that I should partner with his chapter. I mean, helping Veterans, Farming and fighting our domestic war within our food system against big food? What better mission and objective stateside than to help Vets grow a solid business producing good food for our communities? A terrible mistake. Shortly after we established a partnership, he announced to me that he was organizing a coupe against FVC. Most of his board knew allegedly, but the members would not learn until after he had executed his plan. What caught my attention at that point (beyond this unprecedented turn) was that prior to this he had been planning an event, while still the FVC of Maine ED, for the FVC, but then told me he was planning on using the funds raised from the event, for his new United Farmer Veterans… Read more »
Thank you for posting this information. It is critical that people know just how deep his layers of lies runs.
Knowing Jerry and the organization well- your writing could not be more accurate.
The linked article mentioned “native of Lincoln Maine”
If true, I’ll bet that Mill town has a story or two.
Wow, thanks for sharing those details. I hope you aren’t going to be hurt financially or any other way from this clown. Kudos for doing your due diligence regarding the 214’s for the media project. It sure does tug at ones mind when we ignore our 6th sense, we all do it, you’re not alone, better late than never on finding out about this fool. Onwards and upwards…God Bless! Hopefully we hear soon that he is facing criminal charges and being held accountable for his lies and deceit.
Back in the news again:
https://bangordailynews.com/2018/09/01/news/midcoast/embattled-swanville-veteran-resigns-from-another-leadership-role/
Damed funny how they had to shut down his acess to funds
Nice to see they’re not putting up with his shit, I wonder what’s next for that slobbering Sphincter Weasel?
“This new board is respectful and appreciative of Jerry Ireland getting these organizations as far as he could. It’s unfortunate that at this time he had some personal issues that he agreed were not in the best interest of the organization,” Nunnally said. ”
Seriously? Respectful and Appreciative?
This turd, lied and shit all over all Veteran’s who actually sacrificed and endured the pains of war for this great nation, to further his own reputation and receive appointment to the very position you are respecting and thankful for! The article even says, he didn’t do shit for the whole past year and the new leaders got it done in 3 days! WTF
Maybe they whitewashed their statement thinking he’d go Bernath all over them if they told the truth?
Somebody once said “discovery is a bitch”.
Looks like some people are rising above this sad story.
https://bangordailynews.com/2018/09/20/news/midcoast/nonprofit-scarred-by-former-leaders-alleged-pig-massacre-regroups-by-helping-an-elderly-vet/
Back in the news again.
The pig slaughter was sloppy.
https://bangordailynews.com/2018/10/29/news/midcoast/search-warrant-that-led-to-pig-exhumation-at-maine-farm-challenged/
I hear his wife leaving him she put a protection from abuse order on him and big suprise there