reconstan,

Good post.

You mentioned something that hits close to home...Sorry if this is a little long---

My oldest brother is 32 now, 19 when he joined. He joined the Army back in 1994 and went Grunt. He was stationed in Hawaii with the 25th ID. I was 11 then.

After two years of service he went AWOL, came back, and lost rank and was put on restriction.
I remember this like it was yesterday because my dad, a retired Navy Chief, spent long countless hours on the phone with his command trying to find out what was happening and to pull his @ss out of hot water, etc.

To say the least, he left the Army shortly thereafter (1996) and was able to somehow receive a medical discharge & collect 10% on his back and knees from the VA.

Ever since he was discharged, he has always made claims that he was a Sergeant and an Airborne Ranger. Not to mention that he fought in Bosnia and got two kills.

Everybody in the family knows that he never left Hawaii, never was a Ranger, and never was a Sergeant nonetheless. But wait, it gets better...

He claims that while he was on active duty, he was a Running back for the University of Hawaii.

He never did that either. Plus, how could he, being an Airborne Ranger doin alot of killin in Bosnia.

When I was 11, 12 or 13 years old, I was kind of naive but I still expressed some doubt about his accusations. None of it pieced together or made real sense. I didn't have the heart to say anything.

Then I joined the Marines in 2001 and that was when the bull$hit got deep. That is when he started to "out-do" me. Before I went to A-Stan, he would tell me how he was in Iraq, but never being specific or mentioning any dates, etc. Everytime I came home from a deployment, he would say "Yeah, I been there, but have you been here?" and "I did that too, but have you done this?".

It is really sick. I havent called him out yet, but I have grilled him on some of the things he said. I have asked my parents if they thought any if his tales were true and they say "don't listen to him, I think he's fibbin."

I want to call him out on everything but he is my older brother and I actually feel sorry for him. He has a wife and three kids now and they probably beleive him. I hate to embarrass him in front of his family, but I don't feel that it is right for them to think he is Rambo.

He needs help. Any advice?

quote:

Originally posted by Big_Green_Weenie:

He needs help. Any advice?

Yes, Call him out. Plain and simple. You dont have to do it in front of his family, but invite him over have a couple of beers and have a heart to heart with him.

Have all your talking points lined up with a valid argument for everything and be prepared for him to deny.

Yeah, that is probably what I will do. We live in two different parts of the country so it may have to wait.

It will make me feel a whole lot better to let him know how I feel about the situation.

Thanks.

WoW I am actually lost for words I am no doctor nor will ever be I am just a simple guy that overcame many obstacles in front of him.

You have me at a catch 22 to a certain degree and I am a guy that will over come and adapt but wow I did not expect this holy shiiiiiite.

I can say this there has been only two things in life that done it to me, doctors telling me Ill never do it again and you saying your own brother.

Did I state I am not a doctor/?

Can you give me a day or two to actually let me take what all you said in?

And please let me refresh your mind Im just a simple Recon Marine I am no doctor!

Did I say I am no doctor?

ROFL.

This is waaaaaayy too stupid to make up.

It is to the point that it is expected of him to mention something like this while under a military topic of discussion.

It went from shocking, to annoying, to just wanting him to quit lying. Don't get me wrong, he is a good brother and takes care of his family, but he is a baaaaad bull$hitter.

WoW I am still lost at the moment and do feel for you very strongly and like I said I am no expert in this field but yet know they need help for whatever reason.

At this moment in time I wish I was a psycologist but I am not!!!

Maybe he is one that likes all attention on him!

But I dont know I am not there brother and I am hoping whether you figure it out or it takes a doctor all I hope is you all figure out why!

Maybe just the why itself one day will bring it all out and maybe it will give you insight on whay others are doing it so we cans start talking to others on these boards.

Maybe thats your calling who knows I have been waiting for years for god to tell me mine.

please let me know how u chose to deal with it and the outcome.

I'm a cop. A while back I stopped this guy who was about my age (43) He looked like a POS and was driving an old rattletrap with no tags. He had a couple of USMC stickers on his vehicle. The first thing he said to me was "you wouldn't give a ticket to an old Marine, would you?" ...I thought "this guy must have more going for him than meets the eye" I always enjoy running into old Marines and always try to cut them a little break if I can ...to make a little conversation, I said "where did you go to boot camp? " he said "Camp Pendleton". I thought "hmmmm"...just to be sure, I said "So, when did you stand on the yellow footprints?"....he said "WTF are you talking about?"....my next words to him were .."sign here, press hard, you're making 4 copies."

Now that's good to go!

Actually, I too was attacked as a poser on this site, and believe me, it is not a comfortable position to be in. All I could do was profess my innocense in the matter. I even posted all of my docs I received from the Corps and that was still not enough to quiet the guy with an overactive imaqination, but I also noted that the guy was not man enough to apologize to me for casting a doubt on my service and my reputation.

I asked him as I ask you all, where does one go to get back his reputation after something like this happens?

quote:

Originally posted by Joe_Carey:
Actually, I too was attacked as a poser on this site, and believe me, it is not a comfortable position to be in. All I could do was profess my innocense in the matter. I even posted all of my docs I received from the Corps and that was still not enough to quiet the guy with an overactive imaqination, but I also noted that the guy was not man enough to apologize to me for casting a doubt on my service and my reputation.

I asked him as I ask you all, where does one go to get back his reputation after something like this happens?

Hey Joe. IMHO life is too short to wait for an
apology from some one that knows he made a mistake. You know who you are, and some others know who you are. We are who we are and if some are not happy with that it is their problem.
I enjoy your posts and believe that what you say is from the heart and honest.
The only thing that is the same in most of us is that we are different. Semper Fidelis. Blackcoat.

Thank you Blackcoat, I do appreciate it!

SF Bro!

quote:

Originally posted by Bri6366:

quote:

Even though I went Sea Duty, I dont think I ever recited the general again after Sea School, some 26 years ago. What a tool.

I was listening to some talking head on the radio who is a former Marine and a caller claimed to be a former Marine. The talking head's poser test was what recruit battalion on Parris Island is closest to the rifle range. I guessed correctly but honestly didn't know for sure.

That'd be 3rd BN. (I'm such a boot I still reak like aqua velva)

Aqua vela that's funny because I remember in boot camp using that on the deck/and drinking it so your breath wouldn't stink during the C.O inspection.The D.I's made some drink (mouth wash from aqua velva alcohol and some other crap mixed it up in a ammo can and they would make you put it on after you shaved and take a gulp of it before the inspection.

Having gone through 3rd in Bootcamp (plt.361) I can just about remember how far it was to the range,since we had to run to it with all our gear.As I'm one of the first ones there and sweating like a pig I have this sand flea sucking on my neck. I glance around real quick and it looks like the coast is clear, so I whack it.That DI came out of no where,and then the pushups began.

just go beat his As.s like a real grunt....quit b.itchin

Ya I was out somewhere one night and was a table arivee and saw this turd packrat with a EGA and flapping his lips. When he got up, I gave him another japslap and broke his friggin nose. I wanted to fieldstrip the arm and stuff it but I had to leave so my buddies could stay. any more posers? H 2/4

I couldn't care less if there are posers on internet forums, but the ones who lie about it in real life are despicable.

Unfortunately, we've even had guys in our unit go out on libo and lie about being in recon or wearing their uniform with a "libo stack" or jump wings they didn't earn. It's really poor form, and embarrassing for us.

quote:

Originally posted by Freddiefiredog:
Ya I was out somewhere one night and was a table arivee and saw this turd packrat with a EGA and flapping his lips. When he got up, I gave him another japslap and broke his friggin nose. I wanted to fieldstrip the arm and stuff it but I had to leave so my buddies could stay. any more posers? H 2/4

Steroids are bad for you man.

Guess I was lucky in my teen years. My old man was a 20 plus year doggie that did WWII and Korea, my foster father was a WWII Marine and all his friends were either retired Army (WWII, Korea and VN) folks. The single most common piece of advice they all gave me: " People get killed or maimed in war, and yes it can happen to you, because you ain't any better than anyone else, so keep your ****ing mouth shut, your ears open and do what you're told. If you do that you may come home alive and in one piece."

quote:

Originally posted by AnimalMother291:
My dad was in the Army during WW II, I had four uncles that were Marines from almost the start of WW II, all of them infantry, Dad included. Two of the uncles went onto serve in korea. In all the time I spent with them I cannot recall even one war story, even when prompted by others in the family. They just would not talk about it. Funny how you have some men who are like this and others that cannot shut up.

Yeah, I can identify with this... My Grandfather was in the Army during WWII. He served his time in the South Pacific. I know now that he participated in several of the island hopping campaigns. Thing is, he never, not one time. talked about the war in my presence... After he died, the family and I were going through his personal effects for my Grandmother, and I came accross a small wooden box. Inside the box were all of his medals, and their associated warrants. I found out that day that my soft spoken, caring and gentle Granfather was a Warrior in the truest sense. He had been awarded two bronze stars, for actions in the Marshall Islands, and a Silver Star for actions on Rabaul. During his tour he was wounded twice, once in the Marshall Islands, and again on Rabaul. The wounds he suffered on Rabaul were serous, and resulted in his evacuation back to CONUS, where he stayed in the Army, but did not redeploy until the end of the war. I can remember seeing the massive scars on his legs when I was a kid, and I can recall asking him about them, but he just told me that he'd gotten hurt when he was in the Army "a long time ago." I was close to my Grandfather, but other than knowing he fought in WWII, I never knew any of this during his life. I regret this, and I will regret it for the rest of my life! When I came home from Desert Storm/Shield, my Grandfather cried when he saw me. At that time he was just beginning to suffer the effects of Alzheimer's disease, and I thought that his emotional reaction to seeing me was just a manifestation of the disease, because I'd never seen him cry... I know differently now...

Please raise your glass to my Grandfather, Staff Sergeant Raymond Gibney US Army Ret. RIP, a true American Hero!