Blast From The Past — Michael Killam; Phony POW
This week’s Blast from the Past “winner” is Michael Killam, Phony POW. He did two years in the military, with a year served in Vietnam as a helicopter crewman. He maintained helicopters in order for them to be combat effective.
This was a contribution, to the Vietnam War, that he should’ve been proud of.
He did this at a time when more people opted for other options than to join the military… Let alone enlist in a branch of the military that provided a good likelihood of being sent to Vietnam.
He’s a Vietnam Veteran, that title alone would garner him a lot of respect from today’s veterans, as well as from the rest of the country.
But, that wasn’t enough for him. He had to add himself being thrown into the fray. He wanted to dazzle people with his tales of “being captured”. He bragged about other activities that he simply didn’t do.
Now, when Jonn posted about him in December 2015, he had an opportunity to tell himself, “The gig’s up”. Then, go from there to examining what motivated him to do that in the first place… With the view of standing by what he actually did and to not embellish.
Nope. Either he, or a sock puppet, decided to double down on the embellishment:
Originally posted by William J. Gainey (sock puppet) on January 7, 2016:
I would ask that we step back and think about what we are doing here. Before Michael Killam can be given an opportunity to be found innocent or guilty you have determined he he is lying scum bag. Is this the way we treat each other? I hope not.
I will know next week the truth. The 3rd SEAC in visiting our troops in combat but has assured me he will dive into this a when he gets home Monday. I promise you I will post what I find out. I am turned off as much as the next guy when someone claims to be something they are not. All I am asking is let’s get some facts before we put this Brother against the wall and shoot him. Is that asking too much?
I will sign off until next week. Some of these comments from folks that know the truth are really disturbing to the is old Soldier.
Signing out for now.
Well, he did come back the following week, January 14, 2016, but without the “truth” that he claimed he’d have. Jonn’s documentation didn’t support this “additional evidence”:
Originally posted by William J. Gainey (sock puppet):
LOL,
No looking for nothing but facts on Michael Killam. I want everyone to realize I am not monitoring This site on a daily basis. I told you that the 3rd SEAC would start looking into it when he returned to OCONUS. He did, he is. I read records for over five hours today and came up with some pretty good information.
Each of you can say what you want about me because it rumors me. Actually I enjoyed some of your comments.
Here’s where I am at:
Michael was assigned to the following units:
7-15 FA
7-13 FA (short stay)MOS was 67V2T with a secondary of 67VM20 after graduating from Fort Rucker.
He was debriefed in May 1970 after either being captured or missing for three day. The video you saw of the Senator stating four months was a shock even to Michael. I did some inquires today to find out why the Senator used four months. No one could give me a solid answer. The debriefing was conducted by the 7-13 FA S-2. I am doing some more research to verify which it was. I have a former commander of the unit assisting me in this mission.
He was wounded in his left leg but was not awarded the Purple Heart for his wound.
A shock, but no correction made. As to the source of his information, same day:
Originally posted by William J. Gainey (sock puppet):
What the hell is a SOCK PUPPET? I have never heard that term but I find them interesting. The reason I can get into records is because I am blessed to have served with some great folks that still trust my intentions and have the capabilities to check these records for me. Today I simply read the information Michael had in a box that he did not think was important.
On January 15, 2016, he “made” a commitment to not come back until he found more information, good or bad:
Originally posted by William J. Gainey (sock puppet):
To all of my Brothers, Sirs and Ma’mas,
I meant NO DISRESPECT toward to tonight. I will sign off for my own good and try to get some sleep (if the demons allows it.) I hope each of you a blessed day and I will not be returning until I discover some more information. Either good or bad I will update you.
He came back on the 17th to declare that he was no longer going to address comments on This Aint Hell. Then, he continued on to rant about the parameters of his “research” on Michael Killam’s claims.
Well, 2 years, 10 months, and 19 days later, still no results from his investigation. Still waiting for that “earth shattering evidence”. I guess he didn’t find any additional information. You could read the commentary here.
Here’s what Jonn said in his original post:
He claimed that he was a POW (the period of capture changes from time to time from three days to four months, depending on how Killam feels) and that he was wounded, that he had two Purple Hearts, that he was in the 75th Infantry. From Kera News;
During the first 90 days of his tour in Vietnam, Michael Killam says he felt invincible.
“I had weapons,” he said. “I had power over life and death. I could make people live or I could let them die. I became God-like.”
Killam was only 19 at the time. During his tour, he was captured for three days, hung upside down, and tortured for hours. Eventually, he escaped and returned to duty.
Well, he was in Vietnam;
He was a helicopter crewman, but with the 7th Battalion 15th Artillery, not the 75th Infantry. It looks like he was a mechanic on an OH-58 OH-6 Cayuse which would have been used for artillery observation and spotting, not in assault aircraft as he claims;
He left the service as a Private E-2, though, so I think he probably wasn’t the best soldier, but then how many of us were?
Category: Past Posers
*To the tune of “Frere Jacque*
Lying Michael
Lying Michael
Piece of shit,
Piece of shit,
We’re not gonna let up,
We’re not gonna let up,
Fu-uck you,
Fu-uck you…
Here’s a little love from the infamous fuck-you lizard. Imagine listening to this all night… in the bush… with green tree snakes possibly slithering along on a branch above you, sweat pouring off your nose, and the dark so deep that you wonder if you’re blind… and then you hear this.
And then someone yelled “free fire”.
Don’t give me ideas, Beans!
Snakes are no big thing. It’s the spiders, centipedes (both of which bite like a whatever), and the leeches. Oh, the leeches.
Tarantulas. Great big Tarantulas.
With fangs.
Buddy shot at one that crawled into the hooch. He missed and another guy smashed it with a board. Fun times.
Woke up one night on one of those swell camping trips with a splitting headache. Next morning I shook out the shirt I was using as a pillow. A large centipede AND a large spider fell out and scampered away. One or both bit me.
Things grow big in the tropics. I once saw what I thought was a snake burrowing into the ground. Upon closer inspection it was a foot long earthworm. Either that or a snake with a bad skin condition.
Speaking of skin conditions….
The Texan Observer did a story in October 2016 titled “Combating Moral Injury: For Some Veterans, Guilt and Shame Can Linger Years After Combat — And It’s Not PTSD”…and guess who was interviewed and identified himself as a Door Gunner:
https://www.texasobserver.org/combating-moral-injury/
You be the Judge:
“Another veteran I spoke to in Fort Worth, Michael Killam, was profoundly scarred by the combat he saw as a helicopter gunner in Vietnam. Sixty-five and lean, with long gray hair held back by an American flag bandana, Killam was anxious during our talk: He insisted the door to the conference room remain open, and his narrative was peppered with nervous laughter. A recovering alcoholic and heroin addict, Killam recounted an almost stereotypically horrible stint in Vietnam. His most heartrending tale occurred in 1969, when his helicopter was called to the site of a mortared orphanage. He and his crew were asked to find survivors. Killam says he stumbled upon a baby with a piece of shrapnel stuck in its chest. When he pulled it out, the baby bled to death, he remembers.”
“The memory still pains him. ‘Sometimes I feel like I left my soul over there,’ he told me several times. His return from combat only aggravated his guilt. ‘When I got off the plane and was walking across the tarmac, a woman in the crowd called me a baby killer,’he said. ‘How did she know? I couldn’t understand how she knew.”
“It wasn’t until each man identified his moral injury (Killam also suffers from PTSD and traumatic brain injury), found the proper mentor, and began helping other veterans that the recovery process began in earnest. A breakthrough for Killam occurred when one of Brock’s colleagues suggested he view his key moral wound differently: Maybe the baby was going to die anyway, and Killam was able to offer a loving embrace in its last moments of life. ‘That was such an amazing, loving way to think of it,’ Killam said. ‘I’d never thought of that. Maybe that’s what the whole thing was about.”
“Recovering alcoholic and heroin addict”.
I doubt it. Looking at this clown I imagine he still is…..
I must admit, it is a good story. Mortared orphanage, a little Killam, MD, some drama on the back end. Yeah. Good stuff.
Yeah. He is on the sauce….
“stereotypically horrible stint”
It’s almost like he made it all up from watching war movies.
Killam with bullshit was how he rolled….
What an effing crock. This lying bastard is right up there with the Winter Soldier traitors. Pushing all this killing of civilians horseshit. In reality, he spent almost all of his service in the RVN in the rear, twisting a wrench. He may have ridden in a helo on occasion. Since there was no shortage of people who weren’t school trained helicopter mechanics who could crew the aircraft, I seriously doubt he was on an OH-6 crew on a regular basis. For one thing, there was only one EM on an OH-6 crew. The two in the front were both pilots, usually warrants. Every OH-6 I saw had a least a Spec-4 who was the crew chief of the bird, and the only EM on board.
Anyone know a heroin or other hard drug addict who isn’t an accomplished liar and manipulator of others?
“Moral injury”, eh? Sounds like life to me. Isn’t feeling guilty about something a Christian/Catholic/Jewish tradition? But I guess if you can get the feds to pay for it and get a few pats on the back for being a “hero” it’s not a bad scam.
Oh, Claw’s gonna love a second chance to rip these two a new flatus vent. (smile)
In case anyone wants to double-check for themselves: no US personnel with a last name beginning with the letters “KIL” was taken POW in Southeast Asia. Further, the escapee list includes multiple personnel held captive for shorter periods than 3 days – so any “not held long enough” claim is, well, BS. If Killam had been a POW in Vietnam, he’d be on one of these two lists.
http://www.dpaa.mil/portals/85/Documents/VietnamAccounting/pmsea_escapee.pdf
http://www.dpaa.mil/portals/85/Documents/VietnamAccounting/pmsea_returnee.pdf
On, and spending time at the “LBJ” doesn’t qualify as “POW time”. (smile)
Long time since I heard of LBJ as related to that time, up close to the center of the country or what was center of the south it was referred to as the “LBJ Ranch” and also heard they didn’t have any cattle on the ranch and accommodations were not too good if you was to visit inside. probably should have tried to visit my brother in law as he was on outside there or at least talked to him before he passed away. Never have figured out these folks as to wanting to get more of those candy bars as they only mean as much now as they did back then which meant nothing to any one. I kinda remembering having a couple but that only meant some holes in your fancy outfits. Now that a couple of years have passed don’t really care about any of it anymore.
Slimy bastard. The only posers worse than fake POWs are stolen Purple Hearts.
Killam grabbed for the brass ring and claimed both. Great pick for the BFTP, tb.
Killam’s Enabler is the 1st Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (SEAC):
https://www.armystudyguide.com/content/army_board_study_guide_topics/nco_history/1st-seac-sgm-william-joseph-gainey.shtml
As Claw pointed out, the 1st SEAC wears the National Defense Service Medal (NDSM) with 2 silver stars.
The 1st SEAC “enlisted in the Army under the Delayed Entry Program in 1974 and entered basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky on 17 June 1975.”
The eligibility period for the Vietnam War Era for the NDSM ENDED on 14 August 1974.
You be the Judge…
So the embellisher had the help of an embellisher? Is that what I’m understanding?
Both had honorable service until….well you know.
Bitch (descriptive adjective used) brought dishonor on my beloved Artillery Corps. Remembered reading about him in my lurking days. ESAD, both you mofos
Killam’s tales remind me of an embellishing local poser I’ve been tracking. Same MO, can’t make up his mind which hero he was, sniper, door gunner, LLRP, with head full of demons. This local was in GANG for awhile. When he suspected I was lurking thru the fakebook pages mining evidence, he started the scrub thing.
Hey Michael Killam, still a lying embellishing POS huh?
I hate these f’ing bastards.
WTF???
Where on Earth are those “silver stars” you write about?? According to YOUR link he was only awarded one, for which he was eligible since we have had two eligibility periods since 1974.
Those “silver stars” Pat mentioned were a slip of the fat fingers on a key pad. What Pat meant to say was “two Bronze Service Stars.”
Take a look at any of the pictures of the 1st SEAC and they are clearly visible.
Tim:
Claw is correct. My statement should had read “Service” stars instead of “Silver” stars. Should had written “Bronze Service” stars.
Thank you, Claw for correction to my error.👍
Tim, Claw is also correct about the 1st SEAC’s picture. Gainey awarded himself the NDSM for the Vietnam Era. He did not come on active duty until 1975, the year he graduated from High School.
If he intentionally awarded himself an unauthorized decoration he sure had strange taste in “stolen valor” if he chose the NDSM. I would condemn him more for stupidity than dishonesty.
Wikipedia says he enlisted under the Delayed Entry Program in 1974. Perhaps the award was legitimate. I know nothing about that program.
Tim: Did you ever serve in the Miltary?
When one enlists on the Delayed Entry Program (DEP, they are NOT on Active Duty (AD).
Gainey was NOT on AD in 1974. He was still in High School. Even though he was born in 1956, he did not graduated until 1975. If you look when he went to Basic Training at Fort Knox, you will see the date of 17 June 1975, right after High School.
The eligibility period for the Vietnam War Era for the NDSM ENDED on 14 August 1974. One has to be on AD at that timeframe to have earned the NDSM. Gainey wasn’t.
Gainey should know all of this. He was a CSM and the 1st SEAC.
This link explains DEP:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delayed_Entry_Program
“The Delayed Entry Program (DEP), also called the Delayed Enlistment Program (or called the Future Soldiers Program in the Army), is a program whereby individuals going into active duty in the United States Armed Forces enlist first in the DEP before they ship out to Basic Training, or “boot camp.” While those who join the DEP have signed an enlistment agreement to report on a certain date for training, they are not yet members of the United States Armed Forces until they enlist in the regular component of their selected branches on their ship dates.”
I know what I am talking about. I enlisted under DEP (NOT AD), but did not go to Basic Training (AD) until 2 months later.
Hope this answers your inquiries as to why Joe Gainey is unauthorized to wear 3 Service Stars on the NDSM. He is NOT a Vietnam Era Veteran.
“Tim: Did you ever serve in the Miltary?”
Yes.
1,053 days since the last Sockpuppet Report and the suspense is still Killam me.
I blame Jeff for this.
Don’t blame Jeff. It was GDContractor that coined the phrase of “the suspense is Killam me.”
Hat Tip to GDC
Claw:
As of today, 1,053 days could qualify the 1st SEAC for a 3 year tour if he still was on Active Duty…heck, he could be CSM of the Cricket Brigade, which means he can add another Bling to his uniform and resume…😉
Where is Killam’s leather vest and motorcycle? His 1,000 yard meat-gazer stare confirms his alleged in-country nickname: Private Parts.
He has closed the distance to 100 yards from a 1000.
Gazing at meat seems to have a logistical impact on him as we see in him getting closer to the meat.
Keep you pants up, boys.
More like 10 feet…
“Baby Killer” Killam being recognized by Congressman Veasey, Texas, in this 13 November 2015 news video:
https://youtu.be/6jOzWEOzHAU
I also love how he looks like he got caught stealing in the helicopter picture.
I do not guess much has changed….
“Baby Killer” Killam and his Enabler, the 1st SEAC, were very popular on the 2015 TAH post. It had 620 comments:
https://valorguardians.com/blog/?p=63422&cpage=1#comments
He’s Bacckkkkkkkk
BHWHAHAHAHAHA
That’s all folks
My favorite comment from Killam’s Enabler, the 1st SEAC from the 2015 TAH post. It never gets old:
“Oh, by the way, since you do not personally know me, NEVER QUESTION MY DEDICATION TO MY VETERANS AGAIN. Are we clear?”
😆
My favorite comment to Killam’s Enabler was:
“You’re not the SEAC anymore, so kindly modify your tone. Are we clear?”
H/T to Smaj
CBS News did an interview/ story on Killam in 2015. They identified him as a Vietnam POW…and he never corrected them. The 1st SEAC fell for Killam’s story as well (but won’t admit it).
If you go to this link, scroll over until you see his picture and click on it. To continue hearing his story, click on the next couple of pictures:
https://archive.org/details/WBZ_20151019_070000_CBS_Overnight_News/start/300/end/360
🙄
Guy has two identical beards
Yeah, it’s the same old poser story yet again.
— sigh —
Everyone wants to run their mouth about being a helicopter door gunner in combat, that is until it’s time to actually be a helicopter door gunner in combat.
Love all the gung-ho “don’t lead ’em as much” bovine scatology. As soon as I hear that, or something like it, I know the speaker is FOS, and has never fired a round from a moving helo.
Killam + Gainey = Mini Dutch Rudder Club!
Yes, it only takes two for a Dutch Rudder. Anyway, so I have heard. Anyone know if there is such a thing as a Double Dutch Rudder? I am thinking that was the basic formation for our own beloved Dutch Rudder Gang. But since their formation has a “missing man,” they likely had to modify their MO.
Fixing LOACHes wasn’t good enough…. this is why we can’t have nice things.
He didn’t fly LOACHes. He likely occasionally rode in one to check the results of his wrenching or to get from A to B. If he doesn’t have four plus Air Medals he was not a regular flight crew member.
Note: Killer Killam’s FOIA response shows no Air Medal, period. That tells me he never flew combat sorties in any helo. I have three Air Medals for the combat sorties for my flights on combat assaults/insertions in the rifle companies I commanded and the G/75th Inf combat operations.
I recall at one point Killam was claiming to have served in a 75th Ranger unit. Since I am familiar with the Ranger company (LRRP unit) TOE (Table of Organization and Equipment) I can state with some authority that there was no slot (position) for a helo mechanic in a Ranger unit. We did not have organic aircraft. The only slots we had for EM were infantry positions, radio operators, and a handful of clerks and supply types in the company HQ. Irrespective of what his records say, Killam never served with a Ranger Company, period.
Hey, wait, I thought he said he was hung upside down.
https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/8c58e521-7413-4020-beee-a954f0e7e0cf#HkjOMAcH14.copy
I’m not sure that either this twit or trampbone is worth the time and effort it takes to post comments about them. They aren’t going to change, and they blame all their faults on you, anyway.
We can’t help it. Most of us just enjoy exposing these POSing liars. Especially when some douchebag or sockpuppet shows up to defend them.
PH has a good point. Unlikely what I say will have any positive, long lasting effect on these turds. It’s just the way they are, often with other motives, such as scamming people, particularly women. It’s what they know. They have a moral defect which requires they feed a need. Maybe they had no puppy as a child. Maybe they were/were not breast fed. Whatever. I bash them b/c I take great exception to these turds taking the honor of others as their own. Until they stop, I’m not planning to stop.
This twit (Killam) is worth commenting on if you remember a couple of other things about him besides lying about being a POW w/multiple hearts:
1. He brought his high school classmates into his web of lies by saying that two of them had been KIA in Vietnam. (They weren’t)
2. He managed to wrangle about a 30K remodel of his home by smoke and mirrors when that money could have went to some honorably discharged vet who really needed it.
3. Need I go on?
Ex-PH2: It IS worth the time to comment on those two Yo-Yos again.
Neither one of them, ESPECIALLY a Retired Senior NCO of the US Army, have never admitted they were wrong, nor come out publicly with the truth.
Killam was a Counselor…some Counselor. He was supposed to be hoping folks, yet he himself needed help with his lying and coverup.
Hope this post/thread makes Michael Killam, Phony Vietnam POW, go right back to being Number 1 on Google hits. The same with William Joseph Gainey, the Enabler who is wearing an unauthorized recognition on his NDSM. The 1st SEAC IS NOT a Vietnam Era Veteran, but I bet his family will try to have that engraved on his VA issued headstone or private headstone.
Thank You, Claw for requesting that these 2 be revisited and thank you, thebesig for reposting.
goarmybeatnavy
I say we nail their posing embellishing asses to the proverbial wall/mountain/continent. When you’re supposed to be setting an example, it is not supposed to be a bad example; unless of course you are me, cause that’s what I excel at.
The POS I can semi understand his POS embellishing ass. It’s the SGM enabler that I can’t understand. Didn’t strike me as a shitbird enabler. You never know.
Bring it!
Gainey was protecting Killam… probably couldn’t deal with the fact that his counseling “sea daddy” lied about his service.
He does have a nice prison pussy going for him…
I must have missed something. How is William Gainey involved in this other than a few unverified comments made by someone identified here as a sock puppet? Is a sock puppet an actual person?
“few unverified comments”? – Read all of the 1st SEAC’s comments on the original thread for the full effect./smile
He sure loved throwing that 1st SEAC status all around, acted like he was still in uniform at talking to the troops.
He reminded me of too many E-9’s that had their little group of “boys” that they would protect, no matter what the situation was that they found their ass in.
timactual:
Go to this site and start at the 2:38 mark:
https://youtu.be/gEFPjG0Gh5g
Guess who you will see together, talking to each other…😉
Gainey was Killiam’s Enabler on the original thread, unless Killiam pretended to be Gainey. They have been photographed together at various functions.
Don’t know what their relstionship is today. “whenvetsgather” seems to be now defunked.
Both are embellishers: Killam claiming Vietnam POW status…Gainey claiming Vietnam Era status.
Gainey should be ashamed of himself, especially now there is a Gainey Cup Tournament for US Soldiers Combat Arms type named after him.
Please go to the original thread that I provided in the above comments and read what Gainey commented to TAH about Killam. He made a promise he never kept,i.e. he would prove Killan was wounded in the left leg as well as being a Vietnam POW.
timactual:
Here is the original thread on Michael Killam. There are 620 comments, to include Joe Gainey’s interaction with TAH, defending Killam (unless it was Killam masquerading as Gainey).
https://valorguardians.com/blog/?p=63422&cpage=1#comments
Thanks for the link. To be generous, Gainey is a dumb SOB. Alarm bells should deafened him as soon as Killam claimed POW status.
I am still not sure Gainey is an embellisher (see comment above) but you certainly convinced me of the rest. Thanks for your patience.
Tim, what you may have missed is this:
At the time the original post went up, Gainey was in the process of gaining a veterans peer to peer counseling certificate. Killam was the authenticator/issuer of that certificate.
That is why Gainey went all “Sockpuppet” defending Killam.
Oops-should read “in the process of obtaining”, not “gaining”.
Another thing to remember is that the biographies written up on both Killam and Gainey as board members of the When Vets Gather said that both of them had been awarded the Purple Heart.
Neither Gainey or Killam had those bios corrected/amended before whenvetsgather went dark.
Ah, so. Curioser and curiouser. Thanks.
You really had a very good career, one which many others would covet. But you felt it necessary to hose it up with bogus crap. You didn’t have to do that to have the respect of others. Well, hoping you’re happy with your Google fame. You can explain this to your family until the end of time. Continue enjoying your infamy.
Seems like he had some missing days, as in AWOL, between training and reporting to his assigned unit – could be misremembering that detail, though. Not gonna reread the original posting and comments to verify.
This one is particularly irritating because he is counseling people. Any “help” he gives is compromised because it is based on his lies. Beyond disgusting. He’s in a position to do real damage to potentially very vulnerable people.
OWB, the last time I checked out (about three weeks ago) the MHMR Tarrant County website, Killam is no longer listed as the Veteran’s Legal Counselor.
Don’t know if he retired, quit or got shit-canned, but he’s no longer listed on the site in any capacity.
Good. It had been a while since I’d checked. At that time he was still employed there.