{"id":172957,"date":"2025-08-18T07:30:07","date_gmt":"2025-08-18T11:30:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/valorguardians.com\/blog\/?p=172957"},"modified":"2026-01-17T19:21:38","modified_gmt":"2026-01-18T00:21:38","slug":"dreamcatcher-u-s-navy-door-gunner-in-somalia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/?p=172957","title":{"rendered":"Dreamcatcher: U.S. Navy Door Gunner in Somalia"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_172958\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-172958\" style=\"width: 250px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/washoe_sunglasses.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-172958 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/washoe_sunglasses-250x333.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"333\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/washoe_sunglasses-250x333.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/washoe_sunglasses-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/washoe_sunglasses-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/washoe_sunglasses-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/washoe_sunglasses-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/washoe_sunglasses.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-172958\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Wes Washoe<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The folks at <a href=\"https:\/\/militaryphony.com\/2025\/08\/17\/wesley-wade-washoe-u-s-navy-door-gunner-veteran-of-the-gulf-war-and-somalia-seal-contract-blog-of-shame\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">MilitaryPhony.com<\/a> send us their work on this Wesley Wade Washoe fellow, who claims to have been a U.S. Navy door gunner (yes, a door gunner), a veteran of the Gulf War and Somalia, and SEAL dreamer extraordinaire.<\/p>\n<p class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">Meet Wesley Wade Washoe, his city&#8217;s own military fiction novelist, age 54 and still workshopping his material as of August 2025.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/washoe-photo_reno-gazette-journal.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-172959\" src=\"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/washoe-photo_reno-gazette-journal-455x333.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"366\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/washoe-photo_reno-gazette-journal-455x333.jpg 455w, https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/washoe-photo_reno-gazette-journal-300x219.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/washoe-photo_reno-gazette-journal-768x562.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/washoe-photo_reno-gazette-journal-1536x1123.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/washoe-photo_reno-gazette-journal-2048x1497.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">Note the Native American heritage reference above\u2014we&#8217;ll circle back to this plot twist faster than Wesley supposedly circled Somalia in a helicopter he definitely didn&#8217;t gun from.<\/p>\n<p class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">Wesley has crafted an impressive military r\u00e9sum\u00e9 that would make Tom Clancy weep tears of pure imagination:<\/p>\n<p class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\"><strong>WESLEY&#8217;S GREATEST HITS:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul class=\"[&amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc space-y-1.5 pl-7\">\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">Elite Navy helicopter door gunner (presumably the guy who opens and closes helicopter doors with tactical precision)<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">Combat veteran of both the Gulf War AND Somalia (because why pick just one war when you can collect them all?)<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">Wounded warrior who was &#8220;hit&#8221; (by what? Reality? A sudden case of conscience?)<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">Had a &#8220;Navy contract&#8221; for SEAL training (apparently the same kind of contract I have with Marvel to be the next Spider-Man)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\"><strong>THE EVIDENCE SPECTACULAR:<\/strong> Our investigation uncovered a treasure trove of Wesley&#8217;s self-promotional materials, courtesy of police body cam footage (because nothing says &#8220;low profile&#8221; like bragging to cops about your imaginary military career):<\/p>\n<ul class=\"[&amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc space-y-1.5 pl-7\">\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">Vehicle &#8220;bling&#8221; that screams &#8220;I definitely shot things from helicopters&#8221;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/washoe-vehicle.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-172960 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/washoe-vehicle-300x156.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"156\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/washoe-vehicle-300x156.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/washoe-vehicle-500x260.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/washoe-vehicle-768x399.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/washoe-vehicle.jpg 1350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">A combat veteran baseball cap (available at any military surplus store for $12.99)<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/cap-larger-scaled.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-172961\" src=\"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/cap-larger-317x333.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"315\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/cap-larger-317x333.jpg 317w, https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/cap-larger-286x300.jpg 286w, https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/cap-larger-768x806.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/cap-larger-1463x1536.jpg 1463w, https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/cap-larger-1951x2048.jpg 1951w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">Social media messages that read like rejected Top Gun dialogue<a href=\"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/WesPM.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-172962\" src=\"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/WesPM-156x333.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"427\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/WesPM-156x333.jpg 156w, https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/WesPM-141x300.jpg 141w, https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/WesPM-768x1639.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/WesPM-720x1536.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/WesPM-960x2048.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/WesPM.jpg 1179w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">His own name mysteriously appearing in a museum&#8217;s Iraq Native American Combat Veterans display (self-nomination is the sincerest form of flattery)<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/washoe_museum.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-172963\" src=\"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/washoe_museum-239x333.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"240\" height=\"334\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/washoe_museum-239x333.jpg 239w, https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/washoe_museum-216x300.jpg 216w, https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/washoe_museum-768x1068.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/washoe_museum.jpg 949w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 240px) 100vw, 240px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">Police video (obtained through public request):<\/p>\n<p>[videopress H8b2TZ7x]<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\"><strong>REALITY CHECK TIME:<\/strong> We contacted the actual government archives (you know, the people who keep track of these things):<\/p>\n<p class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\"><strong>BUD\/S-SEAL Database Says:<\/strong> &#8220;Wesley who? Never heard of him.&#8221; Not in BUD\/S-SEAL training, not assigned to SEAL teams, not even in the SEAL gift shop mailing list. (Although he *did* say he was &#8220;hit&#8221; and was injured *before* he could attend BUD\/S to become a SEAL.)<\/p>\n<p class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\"><strong>FOIA Results:<\/strong> The most anticlimactic plot twist since &#8220;What Dreams May Come.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/NPRC-FOIA-Results_3.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-172964\" src=\"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/NPRC-FOIA-Results_3-257x333.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"582\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/NPRC-FOIA-Results_3-257x333.jpg 257w, https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/NPRC-FOIA-Results_3-232x300.jpg 232w, https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/NPRC-FOIA-Results_3-768x994.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/NPRC-FOIA-Results_3-1187x1536.jpg 1187w, https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/NPRC-FOIA-Results_3-1583x2048.jpg 1583w, https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/NPRC-FOIA-Results_3.jpg 1700w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/NPRC-FOIA-Results_4.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-172965\" src=\"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/NPRC-FOIA-Results_4-257x333.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"582\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/NPRC-FOIA-Results_4-257x333.jpg 257w, https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/NPRC-FOIA-Results_4-232x300.jpg 232w, https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/NPRC-FOIA-Results_4-768x994.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/NPRC-FOIA-Results_4-1187x1536.jpg 1187w, https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/NPRC-FOIA-Results_4-1583x2048.jpg 1583w, https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/NPRC-FOIA-Results_4.jpg 1700w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/washoe-dodmanpower-redacted.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-172966\" src=\"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/washoe-dodmanpower-redacted-257x333.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"582\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/washoe-dodmanpower-redacted-257x333.jpg 257w, https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/washoe-dodmanpower-redacted-232x300.jpg 232w, https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/washoe-dodmanpower-redacted-768x994.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/washoe-dodmanpower-redacted-1187x1536.jpg 1187w, https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/washoe-dodmanpower-redacted-1583x2048.jpg 1583w, https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/washoe-dodmanpower-redacted.jpg 1700w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>From MilitaryPhony.com&#8230;<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Our investigation found no record of military service prior to August 1993 for Wesley Wade Washoe. This absence of service records before Aug 1993 invalidates several key claims, including his purported participation in the Gulf War (1990-1991), as well as placing doubt on a claim of fighting in Somalia (Oct 1993). Navy boot camp lasted 12 weeks in 1993, plus two weeks extra to \u201cclass up\u201d or wait for enough people to come on board to make a complete class. Washoe\u2019s records show he detached from boot camp on November 9, 1993, and reported to the USS Abraham Lincoln for his next duty station.<\/p>\n<p>Although the USS Abraham Lincoln was in Somalia in October 1993, and flew air patrols over Somalia for 4 weeks, the USS Abraham Lincoln departed the coast of Somalia in November 1993. Washoe did not report on board until December 16, 1993, and may have been on leave from boot camp before that. Therefore, it makes it nearly impossible to be a U.S. Navy door gunner and\/or in Somalia in 1993.<\/p>\n<p>Since he claims he had been \u201chit\u201d and injuries kept him from participating fully on active duty, it seems unlikely that he would have participated in combat after this \u2013 therefore, his claim in the video of \u201cIt\u2019s all I knew, man\u2026 was how to go to combat\u201d to the law enforcement officer appears deceptive if not altogether untrue.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\"><strong>THE TIMELINE THAT BROKE PHYSICS:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul class=\"[&amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc space-y-1.5 pl-7\">\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">Gulf War: 1990-1991 (Wesley was presumably mastering civilian life)<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">Wesley enters Navy: August 1993 (fashionably late to every conflict)<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">Somalia action: October 1993 (Wesley still in boot camp, learning to tie Navy-approved shoelaces)<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">Wesley reports to USS Abraham Lincoln: December 16, 1993 (after the ship left Somalia, because timing is everything)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">So let&#8217;s recap: Wesley claims to be a door gunner in Somalia while he was actually in boot camp learning which end of a mop to hold. The USS Abraham Lincoln left Somalia in November 1993, and Wesley didn&#8217;t show up until December, making him about as effective in combat as a screen door on a submarine.<\/p>\n<p class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\"><strong>THE GREATEST CONTRADICTION:<\/strong> Wesley told police, <em>&#8220;It&#8217;s all I knew, man&#8230; was how to go to combat,&#8221;<\/em> which is technically true if you consider his daily battle against factual accuracy to be combat experience.<\/p>\n<p class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\"><strong>SUMMARY:<\/strong> If Wesley leveraged these creative writing exercises for personal gain, he might find himself starring in a real-life legal drama under the Stolen Valor Act\u2014finally, a role he&#8217;s actually qualified for!<\/p>\n<p class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\"><em>Next week: Local man claims to be astronaut based on extensive experience with Google Earth&#8217;s satellite view.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The folks at MilitaryPhony.com send us their work on this Wesley Wade Washoe fellow, who claims &hellip; <a title=\"Dreamcatcher: U.S. Navy Door Gunner in Somalia\" class=\"hm-read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/?p=172957\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Dreamcatcher: U.S. Navy Door Gunner in Somalia<\/span>Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":654,"featured_media":172958,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[604,400,722,119,627,461,712,408,183],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-172957","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gulf-war","category-iraq","category-mogadishu","category-navy","category-persian-gulf-war","category-purple-heart","category-seals","category-stolen-valor","category-stolen-valor-act"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172957","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/654"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=172957"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172957\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/172958"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=172957"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=172957"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=172957"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}