Category: Phony soldiers

Our partners at Military Phonies share another phony SEAL with us. This one, Jim Kapner, claims that he was wounded while he was serving as a SEAL in Vietnam.

Folks wonder how we’re able to spot so many phonies, it’s easy because they begin talking about their secret military records at every opportunity without any prompting. A case in point;

Mr Kapner retired from the active duty Navy and Reserves after 22 years as an AE1 – an Aviation Electronics Mate 1st Class, an E-6. But no awards for Vietnam service, no Combat Action Ribbon, no Purple Heart, no SEAL training.

Our partners at Military Phonies share their work on this fellow, Ruben Lopez, who claims that he was a wounded Navy SEAL who participated in the Grenada Operation and Afghanistan in his more than 30 years of Naval service;

The Navy doesn’t remember it that way;

Ruben Lopez served in the United States Navy from December 1979 to November 1989. That is 21 fewer years than he claims. He left the Navy as a Construction Electricians Mate 2nd Class (E5). His medals include 2 Good Conduct Medals and one Expert Rifle Medal. His records show no schools associated with SEAL Training or a Purple Heart Medal.

Last year, we wrote about this fellow, Norbert Keough who was known as Norbert Basil McLean III while he was in the US Navy. Within weeks, we started receiving letters and emails from a legal firm in Tasmania threatening to sue us for defamation of the poor fellow. Of course, since Tasmanian courts have no jurisdiction over us, we’ve pretty much ignored the threats.

This morning, our friends at Australia New Zealand Military Imposters (ANZMI) send us a link to their very extensive work on Mr Keough/McLean.

While we published his records, and told folks that he wasn’t a participant in the Gulf War despite the awards he wore for that campaign, they found him playing ambassador on New Years Eve 1991 in New York City, half a world away a mere two weeks before the beginning of hostilities.

On New Years Eve 1991, Norbert MacLean III threw a party at the Berkeley-Carteret Hotel in Asbury Park. He mailed formal invitations. He rolled a red carpet from the doorway of the presidential suite to the elevator.

He hung a United Nations flag at the doorway. He posted signs that read, “Reserved for Ambassador MacLean” in the parking area for the white limousine he’d rented.

For months, Maclean had been claiming to be an ambassador.

“He got very offended if you called him Mr MacLean,” JoAnne Guertin, former front office manager at the Berkeley-Carteret said, “He wanted ‘Ambassador Maclean’”

Maclean, a former Lakehurst resident whose father is that town’s police chief, is far from an ambassador. He’s a 22 year-old former Navy sailor recently court-martialed after being charged with bouncing 81 checks.

Just two weeks ago, MacLean was seeking legitimacy in a different forum. He was on the November ballot as an independent candidate for one of the two State Assembly seats in coastal Monmouth County’s 11th District.

Maclean announced his withdrawal from the race on May 19, the day after an interview with the Asbury Park Press during which he was confronted with the Navy charges and other instances of bounced checks. An official in Maclean’s campaign said the interview had not prompted the candidate’s decision.

…’The reason for this painful decision is because of unfinished business with the United States Navy in Washington, DC,” Maclean wrote in a letter to Secretary of State Daniel J. Dalton.

So, the little twerp packed his bags and left for the Land Down Under to escape his infamy and he strapped on military decorations he didn’t earn thinking that no one would discover his lies, until we got his FOIA;

Now ANZMI has questions;

Norbert Keough, or ‘Norb’ as he likes to be called presents himself as a distinguished veteran of the US Navy, a Gulf War Veteran, a champion of veteran’s rights, and a non-practising Barrister. Don’t however, challenge Norb’s credentials as he is very keen to litigate. We wonder why?

The truth is, Norb is nothing but a fraud. Yes, he did serve in the US Navy but if you can call being discharged after being Court Martialled ‘distinguished’ you probably believe the rest of his stories.

After threatening a number of senior members of the RSL with legal action for daring to ask legitimate questions about his past, Norb relocated to Tasmania where he reinvented himself in the Tasmanian RSL and picked up work with Jackie Lambie as an advisor on Veterans Affairs. It also seems Norb is keen to have a tilt at politics.

Norb has created the image of a distinguished US Navy Veteran to enhance his public image, but in doing so, has left a trail of confusing photographs which depict changing medal entitlements, service not consistent with the published record, and lies about his actual service history.

Yeah, Norbert likes to threaten people, but we’re accustomed to that. I’m sure I’ll get another costly letter in snail mail from his lawyers. It’ll join the others in my circular file.

Our partners at Military Phonies share their work on this fellow, David Alfred Jameson who was honored by Elks Lodge #104 in Newport, Rhode Island for being their Veteran of the Year.

Of course, he’s not a SEAL. But he tells folks that he was on social media and in LinkedIn;

When he was confronted, the sockpuppets cometh;

The Navy doesn’t know what records his commander and 1SG are looking at;

David Jameson did serve in the United States Navy. He went to schools for submarine duty and served on the USS Atlanta, SSN 712. Jameson did not go to BUD/S or earn a Trident. He did not serve at SEAL Team Four. I still would like to know what Davids Commander saw in his records to make him believe David was a SEAL. I would hope that Stolen Valor is enough to get that Veteran of the year award revoked.

Our partners at Military Phonies share their work on Kevin Michael McGrath. Mr McGrath claims on his résumé that he was an embassy guard and a sergeant of Marines as well as being in Beirut with the 3/8th Marines in Beirut, Lebanon;

Not according to the Navy, though;

Mr McGrath joined the Marines on April 9,1980. He was sent to Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island South Carolina (MCRDPISC) where he was assigned to the 1st Recruit Training Battalion on April 23, 1980.

After Graduation from Boot Camp in July of 1980, Mr McGrath was transferred to Pensacola Fl where he was assigned as a student for training to become a Cryptologic Digital Network Technician Analyst. MOS — 2611. Due to Academic reasons ( flunking out), Mr McGrath was transferred to Headquarters Service Company, Marine Corps Detachment, Quantico VA for the MOS training of 4621 Audio/Visual Equipment Operator. Upon completion of this training, he was transferred to Headquarters Servi-ce Company, Marine Barracks, Washington DC with the MOS’s of 0151 Administrative Clerk and 4621 Audio/Visual Equipment Operator.

The National Personnel Records Center did not find a record showing that Kevin Michael McGrath held the MOS’s of 0311 or 8152. They also didn’t find any evidence of Mr McGrath being assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines. Mr McGrath’s chronological record does not show that he ever deployed off of the Continental United States. He was discharged from active duty with the Marine Corps on May 2, 1984 as a L/Cpl (E-3).

About a year ago, we first wrote about John Shannon Simpson who founded the charity Marines & Mickey. His story was that he was a Recon Marine and drill instructor. He filched several thousand dollars from another charity, the Lance Corporal Skip Wells Foundation which caused them to go public about his dealings. Now he claims that he never made those claims about his service, according to Nooga;

Part of what got Cathy’s trust was Simpson’s assertion that he was a“Force Recon Marine.” Weeks compared that title to a Navy SEAL. Essentially, it’s a high ranking, he said.

Simpson said in a statement on his website that he never made that claim, but an old version of Simpson’s website reads, “Marines & Mickey began in May 2014, founded by John Simpson, a retired Marine who was a Recon Marine and also a Parris Island drill instructor.”

I wonder how he explains this polo shirt with Navy parachutist wings and a scuba bubble;

He was in fact a finance clerk who went AWOL according to his Marine Corps records and a local media article that reported his arrest on a military warrant;

He was subsequently the subject of a special court martial and discharged as a Private (E-1);

Simpson of course, continues to deny that this is the truth and he has threatened the Lance Corporal Skip Wells Foundation with a lawsuit;

Simpson said his funds helped send 14 families to Disney between July and February and that the organization is sending another family this week.

“They tried blackmail and extortion,” Simpson said. “I will be filing lawsuits against the Skip Wells Foundation [and] all of its board members.Also, we will be filing suits on two other foundations and several scum across the nation.”

He also said: “In short, I am doing great.I am a successful businessman and always will be.I am a very proud Marine.Our foundation is still going and will not stop.And I will also have a smile on my face once these morons receive their lawsuit papers.”

Our partners at Military Phonies share their work on this fellow, William Hume Harrison who claims in social media discussions to have been a survivor of the Sunday, October 23, 1983 bombing of the US Multi-National Force barracks in Beirut, Lebanon as a member of the 1st/8th Marines of the 24th MAU. He also claims seven years of service in the US Marine Corps;

He was indeed in the Marine Corps, but he enlisted months after the Beirut bombing;

Private Harrison joined the Marine Corps on May 29, 1984. His Recruit training was held at Parris Island SC. His graduation date was Sep. 19, 1984.

He went from there to Marine Corps Base(MCB) Camp Lejeune NC. for training to become a Motor Vehicle Operator. MOS 3531.

Pvt Harrison was transferred to Camp Pendleton CA on Jan. 10, 1985 where he was assigned to the 1st Battalion 11th Marines as a Heavy Equipment Operator. He was later temporary assigned to the 1st Battalion 9th Marines with the same MOS.

Pvt Harrison was discharged from Marine Corps on Nov. 3, 1986 as a Pvt. E-1.