You probably remember when we talked about Jon Mark Beilue the journalist in Amarillo who wrote the story, and I do mean story, about “William”, the first Navy SEAL who was ordered to training by President Kennedy himself. Beilue writes about his second visit with “William” and his first visit with Don Shipley and Hershel Davis when they paid a visit to “William” the other day, spurred by our own AverageNCO;
Through a Freedom of Information request, Shipley received the man’s military record through the National Personnel Military Records Center in St. Louis. The Globe-News also obtained a copy on Tuesday.
William was in the Navy from 1961 to 1981, but his official record shows his rank was SK2, storekeeper second class. He was a logistician. Any chance his SEAL service was classified?
“None,” Shipley said. “There are records of every man who has qualified for the title of SEAL. There have been and will continue to be secret missions, but there are no — and I mean no — secret SEALs.”
Despite the presence of Shipley and Davis, “William” stuck by his guns even in the face of documented evidence.
“These men have cast doubts on the story I wrote. Was it true?”
“I stand by it,” William said. “So … whatever.”
“It all occurred, like you said?”
“Yes.”
“None has been embellished over time?”
“I don’t believe so.”
“This would be a good time to ease your conscience over the years if it is.”
“No.”
And with that, William pointedly and repeatedly asked us to leave.
Yep, we’ll probably be sanding it off his tombstone in a few years. At least it looks like Mr Beilue learned something. I know that he was very contrite in emails we shared before this visit.
Comments
38 responses to ““William” meets Don Shipley”
Very nice mea culpa from the reporter. Not that he should have done anything less, but we so seldom actually see it.
Thanks, Mr. Beilue. Maybe next time you will check your facts first.
What makes this all the more fucked up, is that the leftards in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals think that wearing unearned medals and claiming craptastic feats of military service, is ‘protected’ under freedom of speech. So, douchebags like “William” can pull this shit and get away with it.
Unfortunately, SCOTUS ruled the same way but left the door open to allow us the use OUR free speech rights to call them out and make their fakery famous.
The old “good with the bad” thing.
No secrets SEALs? No, none of that. But there are secret SQUIRRELs. I’ve seen ’em. They have a spy shop somewhere around here.
Are they flaming secret squirrels?
Flaming squirrels and sticky buns, a hell of a menu. Can I get a Bernath Coconut Cream Pie to take home?
I thought there was only one Secret Squirrel. I used to watch him on TV when I was a kid. I always longed for a crossover episode with Rocky and Bullwinkle that would pit Secret Squirrel against Boris and Natasha.
Sekrit SEALs… must have trained with the Sekrit Nekkid Combat Swimmers. Both groups cfiles are marked with the classification “RABID GERBIL” and held in the top drawer of bodaprez’ desk in the Oval Office
He said “So,… whatever.”, very intelligent and classy! I wonder if he’ll “lawer up”‘with forged documents? He started out with little more than nothing and still has most of t left, he could knock on my door asking for a donation toward building a swimming pool and I wouldn’t even give him a glass of water!
Don and Hershel done good! I’d like to meet this here “William” critter, take him back to Canadian and show me how much it reminded him of Vietnam. Pictures of the area on the link…
It really does look like the ‘Nam, doesn’t it? Do you think they see lights in the sky down there, or is it only when ‘William’ is there?
Any lights to be seen are at night from the ranches, farms and nearby towns. I lived west of there..lol.
Flashback! I’m having a flashback…
This looks just like Qui Nhon if you squint real hard and ignore the lack of jungle, mountains, ocean, rice paddies, bomb craters, sand bags, and little people wearing conehead hats.
It’s uncanny…
I hung this in the back yard to catch the secret squirrels running around our neighborhood.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YM2okGE4a-8
I have to try that. They’re always shaking my birdfeeder and stealing the suet.
We need to find out this jackasses real name and make his sorry ass famous
Don and Master Chief Davis did that on Don’s website. It costs $10 bucks a month, but his videos are well worth it.
Just an Old Dog posted it on the other thread. It’s Billy Don Wheeler. Maybe time for some Google “love”?
20 years and couldn’t make it past SK2???
That is some serious “rock with lips” right there.
Is it possible he was an SK1 at some point and then got caught, and that might be part of why he manufactured his SEAL story lies?
Could be. Can’t say for certain, but I believe in the era he served (1961-1981) it may also have been possible to retire as an E5 without losing rank. Not positive, though.
Up until about ~2010 you could still retire in the Navy after 20 years at E-5. They changed the rules (finally) because there was a lot of dead weight at that rank that was holding up promotions. Now high year tenure for E-5’s in the Navy is something like 15 years.
You can still retire as an E-6 at 20 years (high year tenure) but once again that’s waiverable. We took a HM1 on waiver on deployment because we needed an IDC and he extended his enlistment and finally made E-7 on deployment (at something like 21 years).
I would imagine that times like this try the nerves of real SEAL types quite a bit…methinks there was an overwhelming temptation to beat the brakes off of “William”, not unlike the recent encounter with that clown Bernath…
You can’t yell “fire” in a crowded movie theater because it’s a life safety issue rather than one of freedom of speech. I would argue that Stolen Valor is also a life safety issue because if I ever catch a pieceashit lying about his/her supposed military service, I WILL beat them within an inch of their pathetic lives!
Why didn’t the reporter just ask Rudy Boesch from the first season of “Survivor”? Rudy really WAS one of the very first SEALs and I’m sure remembers everyone he went through training with!
This guy was a complete piece of lying shit, as was the next guy they busted in Houston Dean Ray Cross.
They both stood up defiant and lied through their teeth.
I am actually getting where I don’t enjoy Don’s Videos because there is never any confession or closure. It brings no pleasure to me if the assholes don’t admot they are busted or suffer some consequences. I want to see them confess, be kicked out of groups, fired or arrested.
Don’t worry; the ones who don’t confess here will confess hereafter. When they do, they’ll stand in front of the warriors of the ages, who earned every accolade they ever got, and who won’t let even one of these faker’s lies slide without calling them on it. There are no posers in Valhalla.
Sorry, that was me, Jonn! Fingers got ahead of brain on the keyboard!
Unfortunately it is far too common now for journalists to stick to their guns and refuse to admit they have been had. Kudos to the reporter for manning up.
“Billy-Don’t Be a Hero-Don’t Be a Fool With Your Life”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDkNjg94WpY
I heard that on the satellite radio last week. Serious 70’s flashback. At least they didn’t okay Afternoon Delight.
Thought the song fit him because I think his name is Billy. And I guess the song could be improvised, substituting other names (“heroes” in their own mind) that we all are familiar with on TAH.
E-5 to Captain, folks.
There have been and will continue to be secret missions, but there are no — and I mean no — secret SEALs.
‘course not. They’re all Top Secret.
I wonder if “William” is employed by All-Points Logistics?
How many people work at All Points Logistics?
About a third of them. The rest are searching the local jail cells for the president of the company.
HUGE kudos to Jon Mark Beilue for setting the story straight without one shred of excuse or self-justification.
Here you go: http://amarillo.com/news/local-news/2016-02-06/william-navy-seal-was-fraud
That is One FINE piece of “I screwed the Pooch and I was wrong” from a journalist.
Light years from the first piece and he learned a good lesson.