SELF-STYLED TERMINATOR TERMINATES SELF

CIA ASSASSIN OR GREAT STORY TELLER?

This story first appeared in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Roland Haas, a pathetic wannabe who described himself as a former CIA assassin, accidentally shot and killed himself Saturday. Haas, 58, died after driving a short distance from his apartment, stopping his car on a busy street and exiting it with the engine running. Investigators believe he had a 9mm semi-automatic handgun tucked in his waist and it accidentally discharged. Haas was struck in the leg, rupturing his femoral artery.

"We don't have anything to show that he did it intentionally," said Maj. James Yarbrough, Coweta County Sheriff's spokesman.

In a book he wrote, Haas detailed executing an Afghanistan heroin dealer and the man's two bodyguards, and described undergoing torture in an Iranian jail. People hailed it as a gritty, realistic account of Cold War spying.

Haas's motives for writing his 2007 book, "Enter the Past Tense: My Secret Life as a CIA assassin," are far more unclear. He claimed he was only 19 and a Purdue University student on an NROTC scholarship in 1971 when the CIA recruited him as a deep cover operative.


Bullshit - in 1971 the ranks were loaded with qualified operators with beaucoup experience from Southeast Asia. What the hell would the CIA want with a snot-nosed college kid still wet behind the ears?


At a Fayetteville bookstore appearance, Haas explained matter of fact how he supposedly killed the three men in Afghanistan and the effect it had on him.


Oh how I wish I was there that day. I would have called this guy out on his bullshit phony-baloney war stories. I would have shamed this guy into the middle of next week. I would have made him feel so low down and worthless, trying to pull off a chest-thumping stunt like this in front of an audience of real war heroes, he would have gone home to his hotel room and offed himself then and there, never mind the car stunt in Atlanta.


"Three people were deleted, they were removed," he said. "Those three acts irrevocably changed who I was . . . The day I undertook that first mission successfully, I ceased being the person I had been."

Of his time spent incarcerated in an Iran jail, he said: "The good thing is, you only feel about the first three or four hits and then you pretty much pass out."


Bullshit. Those Middle East regimes staff their prisons with professional goons, and they know how to make the pain go on, and on, and on to the point that just the teensiest pink-prick feels like you've just been skewered with a red-hot iron bar. This guy can't even lie good.


The official word out of Washington on this idiot:

"This individual was never a CIA employee," said Paula Weiss, CIA spokeswoman.

Specifically, the national intelligence agency says Haas wasn't a contractor, freelancer or hired in any capacity.


Plagiarism suggested.

Some readers immediately questioned the source and accuracy of his information. In an Amazon.com review of the book, a man named Geoff Deane accused Haas of using an account of a drug user and a shootout from a website article he wrote, replete with an error Deane had committed.

"It sounded very familiar when I read it," Deane wrote.

Haas's book was published by Dulles, Va.-based Potomac Books, which lists several titles invyolving intelligence themes. Claire Noble, publicity manager, described Haas as "a patriot who made his country better," and said Potomac had no reason to take issue with the book.

"His story passed muster with our outside reviewers and inside editorial board," Noble told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.


Yah, R-I-G-H-T . . . even my little-itty-bitty Korean wife saw through this guy's bullshit, looking over my shoulder as I scripted this post together: "HAH! Him shoot SELF??? That because he a STOOPID! This guy more full bull-dookey than a three-day Kimchee-eating contest!"


What's even MORE unbelievable is that Haas had a verifiable intelligence background; he was a civilian employee with the U.S. Army Reserve Command at Fort McPherson (metro Atlanta), deputy chief of staff for intelligence since 1995, according to Maj. Corey Schultz, Army Reserve spokesman. Records showed Haas came to his post from Wildflecken, Germany.


Just goes to show how a dedicated bullshit artist can pass initial muster, thrive and survive in a bureaucracy as big and wide as the U.S. Department of Defense. What's really unbelievable is the fact that he was able to keep his security clearance after transmitting such a really huge whopper like this.


Haas's duties included planning and coordinating Army Reserve resourcing, training and support within the broader Army and Department of Defense intelligence community. In this role, he had no reason to carry a gun. He was more of a computer geek.

Geek is right. A dead geek.

Spy Talk, a Washington Post blog, reported that a handful of former CIA officers were so turned off by Haas's book, they protested his employment to his Army Reserve supervisors. "As one of an increasing number of former intelligence officers who believes that Roland Haas' book . . . is a hoax, I find your willingness to tolerate Mr. Haas in his scam very disturbing," wrote John F. Sullivan, a retired CIA polygrapher.


How classic is this? A professional bullshit detector called this guy out on his bullshit!


Marilyn Haas still doesn't question her husband's assertions he was a CIA operative, though she admitted that family members had no knowledge of it until the book was released.

"The family did not know, believe me," she said. "We knew when everyone else did, when the book came out."


That's because he never did any of it, Marilyn. I hate to put it to you like this, but you were married to a bullshit artist. He was a Legend in his Own Mind.


As for the CIA distancing itself from her husband, Marilyn Haas had a ready explanation: "Of course, they said that."


Thus is perpetuated the Perfect Lie - Haas never did any of the shit he describes, and the CIA will therefore continue to denounce the book and its author - the ultimate Plausible Denial.


Bet you dollars to doughnuts old Nerd Nuts never gets a star on the wall, either.


.

WILLIAM CLARK SIGHTING

This latest sighting took place Monday of last week, 23 August 2010. - S.L.


KTVA: Bizarre Con Man On Loose In Alaska




FAIRBANKS - A convicted con artist with a long history of impersonating Army officers has been up to his old tricks in Alaska, according to Fairbanks police.

A Fairbanks magistrate has issued a $100,000 arrest warrant for William James Clark, 37, on one charge third-degree weapons misconduct, or being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Fairbanks police were called to the North Star Council on Aging Monday afternoon after Clark reportedly showed a pistol to the director of the facility, Julie McCumby, and claimed to be a military police officer.

McCumby reportedly told police she believed Clark was mentally ill or an escapee from jail and that seniors were being moved out of the building and away from him, according to charging documents.

When Fairbanks police officer Joshua Lambert contacted him, Clark, a heavyset man with a blond crewcut, was smoking a cigarette while talking on his cell phone.

He had an empty handgun holster on his belt, and a loaded 9mm pistol was found in Clark's car. The gun was placed in the trunk for the safety of the officers present but not confiscated.

At the request of McCumby, Clark was issued a citation for trespassing told not to return. Officers did not take him into custody, and as Thursday night, he had not been apprehended.

While Clark has oustanding warrants in five different states, police were not aware of his history because the statewide Alaska Public Safety Information Network only listed him as a "person of interest" in a Juneau fraud and forgery case from late July and early August.

It was only after they let Clark go that officers discovered Clark's criminal history through the computerized National Crime Information Center. FPD Sgt. Eric Jewkes said that checking the NCIC is not something officers routinely do.

Juneau police spokeswoman Cindy Brown Mills would not release additional information about the department's investigation into Clark because he has not been formally charged.

It's unclear what exactly Clark was doing at the North Star Council on Aging. Because of the ongoing investigation, McCumby would not say if he was an employee or volunteer there, but said that despite Clark's lengthy record of fraud, there was no threat to the records kept there.

Monday's incident was just the latest in a long line of bizarre cases involving Clark.

Clark's most recent stint in jail ended in August 2009, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.


The STORMBRINGER Effect:

Photos and pictures making the rounds on military message boards also seem place Clark at an Aug. 7 Anchorage gun show, during which he was reportedly looking to purchase ATVs for other, fictitious soldiers.

Clark was reportedly wearing a captain's uniform with badges indicating he had special forces, ranger and airborne qualifications.

Spokespeople for the Alaska State Troopers and Anchorage police department said neither agency have had any recent contact with Clark.


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SIGHTING: FAKE SOLDIER WILLIAM CLARK

Regarding the phony wannabe William James Clark - I received this email just now:


Read your post on Blogspot and he was in our store in june and wrote a bad check for $700.00 our store is in Davenport Iowa. FYI


I'm not a lawyer, but it seems to me that check fraud to the tune of $700 is well into felony space - this may explain the FBI's interest in this individual.




Again, the guidance here is CAUTION: While there is no question he is delusional, there is no knowing the mindset of this disturbed individual AND he is known to travel armed. If you encounter this pathetic phony wannabe William Clark - stall for time if appropriate, and contact law enforcement.


STORMBRINGER SENDS


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HEFFALUMPAGUS SIGHTING: THE IMPOSTER WILLIAM CLARK

This came in 24 hours ago - I don't know how long the ferry takes from Alaska to Washington State; subtract that time (in hours) from 24, then arc out a series of circles from the Puget Sound area, how far a car & driver can make it in that time - that will be our search pattern.




Southern Class said: "I just read over at "TAH" that he was seen leaving Alaska on a ferry to Washington.

He'll be easy to spot; just look for the metallic blue old Lumina sedan that is leaning to the left. Jeezus, I would like to see the car, and put my "Oregon Boot" from Harborfreight importers, on it and watch him shit himself."





I'm guessing he's somewhere in the Pacific Northwest; he has a history in Oregon, apparently. Keep your eyes peeled and good hunting, STORMBRINGERS.

SEAN LINNANE SENDS


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UPDATE: IMPOSTER WILLIAM CLARK

Looks like you readers are coming through for ol' Uncle STORMY:

"I saw the VIN in one of the pics on your blog site. I ran what I believe is the VIN number: 2G1WL52M0W1118456 . . . "



Here's what we've got:

1998 Chevy Lumina, “Regal Blue Metallic” (which fits the pic).

Rear bumper with the chrome strip and “body line” running ¼ the way up from the bottom of the plate.


What we've got going here is an old-fashioned tracking operation - nationwide, and harnessing the electronic resources of the Internet . . .

However I must urge RESTRAINT and CAUTION.

We simply don't know how frustrated or desperate this beast has become - remember nothing is more dangerous than a cornered rat.




IF YOU ENCOUNTER WILLIAM CLARK - take note of his whereabouts and contact law enforcement as soon as possible. The FBI would like to have a conversation with this maggot.

SEAN LINNANE SENDS


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THE IMPOSTER WILLIAM CLARK

Yesterday's post HOW TO SPOT A FAKE VETERAN generated a LOT of interest and gave me my largest hit count in months. It seems the Walrus of Worthlessness is a little more than your average garden-variety poseur.


ADVICE

To hotel and restaurant owners and staff, and other merchants: if you encounter this individual, avoid confrontation with Clark Williams - do what you've got to do to stall him (situation dictating) then contact law enforcement as soon as possible - the FBI apparently has an interest in Clark William's activities.

Amongst emails received concerning this piece of sh*t was a disturbing transmission from an investigator working with local law enforcement - name & jurisdiction withheld - on a possible case regarding Clark, who urged me to contact the FBI.

After I replied that I was merely re-transmitting the original report posted on the GeorgiaPacking comments board, I did a little homework.



Gizmo did a good job of getting front and side profile shots of this heffalumpagus largus.


Clark Williams is an accomplished con artist, active as far back as 1996; in the wake of the TWA Flight 800 disaster this imposter directed air traffic for 2 1/2 days at the Coast Guard Complex in East Moriches (Long Island), New York.

Williams was present at the 2002 bridge collapse disaster on the Arkansas River in eastern Oklahoma. After "taking charge", involving himself in recovery efforts and muddling with the investigation, Williams left town without paying a $900 bill for eight motel rooms which he charged to the U.S. government; quite an accomplishment for a guy with no official military ID - who knows what kind of plastic he's throwing around.

During this same time period, Williams also convinced a car dealership in Searcy, Arkansas to give him a pickup truck after identifying himself as a Special Forces captain and saying he needed a truck to transport supplies to the bridge site. He left with a red pickup worth $10,600. Employee Mike Milligan said the man's manner was very convincing.


Can somebody (discreetly) run those plates and let us know what kind of car Phony Baloney is tooling around in?

AND he has a rap sheet; Clark Williams is a convicted felon - five years for impersonating a U.S. officer - an unusually severe sentence. This goes to show how seriously the Federal government regarded this individual's activities while interfering with the recovery operations and official investigation of the 2002 bridge collapse. Complicating factors in this misadventure included attempting to cross into Canada in a stolen vehicle with a firearm in the back seat; he was charged in Ontario, Canada with fraud, theft, weapons and immigration charges.

Prior convictions include a three-year prison term for theft of services and passing bad checks.


HEARING VOICES

Williams' delusions of granduer go beyond trying to talk up chicks with phony war stories. At some point he apparently reported to the Russian Embassy that he was part of a plot of US government black operators to assassinate the Russian President. Williams has claimed he hears voices, memory loss, and hints at some sort of "mind control" activity to cover "black ops" to explain his total failure to remember calling the Russian Embassy.

Regarding his penchant for wearing military fatigues, Williams has claimed "they're comfortable, and they attract women." That MIGHT have worked for him ten or fifteen years ago before his sidebar career as a sock puppet in the federal correctional system - but nowadays even baggy DCUs can't hide that gi-NORmous dunlap of his.



INDICATORS:
Special Forces officers don't wear the unit crest on their beret, they wear officer rank there. Also, the "combat patch" (right shoulder) does not include the Special Forces tab - last time I looked they weren't conducting the "Q" course in combat zones - and a double star on a CIB would indicate service in Vietnam, Gulf War I and the current GWOT.



COMMENT

A confused individual like this can be unpredictable and potentially dangerous; especially if he senses the "end of the road" is approaching for his career of deception; i.e. the guy is getting too old and too fat too pull off the Special Forces officer act. Unless you are a seasoned combat vet with a sharp eye and quick hands, I strongly urge any and all persons to AVOID putting this guy on the spot.

I would LOVE nothing more than a STORMBRINGER post featuring this piece of sh*t in handcuffs on his way to the Big House for dishonoring the uniform and reputation of United States Army Special Forces.

SEAN LINNANE SENDS


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HOW TO SPOT A FAKE VETERAN

. . . NOT THAT YOU WOULDN'T KNOW . . .

Today's brilliance comes from GeorgiaPacking.org who just made Blog of the Nanosecond over there to the right . . . which should generate them a sh*tload of hits so I'm going to post this piece in it's entirety as a public service . . . to further the shame and humilition of the miserable piece of wannabe worthlessness who tried to pass himself off as a real man . . . read below on how they busted this piece of human flotsam - it would be hilarious if it wasn't so pathetic . . .


LIAR! SPECIAL FORCES RANGER 2 STAR COMBAT INFANTRY BADGE

This will be a brief rant about what happened in gizmo's life today:

So, I went to a gun show today with a friend of mine. We were in the mood for some deals, and in general just wanted to go play with some guns. :righton: When we get there we immediately notice an individual in ACU's. Since this is on Aug 7th, a Saturday, this came to us as being odd. So, my friend and I both being active duty NCO's start to eye ball this guy and notice his badges and awards. Before I list his extensive record let me describe this individual first. 30-40 yr old white male, approx 300 lbs, Blonde high and tight hair cut and a goofy overall appearance. He was wearing glasses on the back of his head, a belt on the outside of his ACU top full of gadgets and a radio with a hand mic wrapped around him self and clipped on his uniform.

I wanted a closer look at this guy so I told my buddy I would be right back and conducted some good ole fashion recon. He was at the polaris dealer talking to the sales rep about buying 4 quads "for his guys." I jumped in the conversation

Me: Jokingly "4! Can I have one!"
He chuckled and I asked him what unit he was in.

Him:"10th Special Forces."

Me: "Really? What are you guys doing up here?"

Him: "Oh Im just helping out some friends of mine"

I took note of all his uniform bits and pieces and walked away. He went about his business and I later confronted him again and asked him if I could talk to him outside. He and I walked out to the back of the gun show and I began to ask him a series of questions that only an individual with his experience would know. He failed miserably and I then decided to level with him. I produced my ID and asked for his. He told me it was in his car so I said lets go get it. Of course he did not have one and I began to lay into him. I yelled at him for a good 30 minutes and made him remove all the items he had never earned on his uniform. I called him plenty of names and said that he was wearing a uniform that my friends have died in, and that he didn't even deserve to touch one.

This guy began to apologize and back pedal, and asked me not to "tell on him." I began to tear into him and lower his self esteem even more hoping that he attempts suicide tonight.

All in all this is everything he lied about and what he was wearing:

Special Forces Qualification
Ranger Qualification
Airborne Qualification
Combat Infantryman Badge with 2 stars
Senior Parachutist Badge
Air Assault Badge
Military Police Badge
US ARMY Tape

and last but not least, Captain Rank.

Later people came up to me and told me what he had told others about himself:

He has served 20 yrs in the Army
He just came back from a 49 month deployment from Afganaland
He goes back and forth all of the time on "Special Mission"

His numbers referring to himself as an SF officer:

William Clark AKA "Capt Clark" 760-974-6579

This number is a FT Bragg number, so he has wandered around SF land before to buy the phone
William Clark AKA "Maj Green" 910-705-2260

Here are some iphone pics I took:















I was in 10th Group, I wore that flash on my beret, and like the author of this piece, I have friends who died wearing that uniform with those insignia. This pathetic wannabe disgraces his memory - spread this intell far and wide across the Internet. I don't want this loser to commit sideways - anyways I doubt he has the cojones to shoot himself - I want all his friends, workplace acquaintances and relatives to know him for what he is, and I want him to live in shame for a long, long time.

- Sean Linnane


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STOLEN VALOR ACT RULED UNCONSTITUTIONAL

By Mr Wolf

Sit back, take a deep breath, and get your BP meds ready. Stupidity has found another outlet in the judicial system. And be prepared to memorize this face:





Read the whole shameful episode at BLACKFIVE

A NEW ANGLE

Bank of Nigeria



I get a LOT of emails from those "Nigerian Bank Scams". You know the deal:



Hello ,
I am writing to you for a business co-operation and your assistance .
I have some money, i will like to invest with you in your country on a good areas you could choose . . .



Dear Respectful One
I am writting this letter with due respect and heartful of tears since we have not known or met ourselves previously I am asking for your assistance after I have gone through a profile that speaks good of you. I will be so glad if you can allow me and lead me to the right channel towards your assistance .




END OF YEAR AWARD BONANZA
FROM THE DESK OF THE DIRECTOR
PROMOTION/PRIZE AWARD DEPT.

Dear Winner,
We are pleased to inform you the result of the computer random selection for the LUCKY DAY LOTTO NL International program held on 4th of Feb,2010 as part of our new year Bonnaza.Your personal or company email address, attached to ticket number EE7-_____YH-__, with serial number PP___B-__ drew the lucky numbers 5-2_-_8-2_-_2-6_, and consequently won the lottery in the 2nd category . . .




Here's a new format I haven't seen before:



Hi there,

How are you doing today? I am Kenneth P_______, a US Marine currently serving in Iraq. I am actually one of the few Marines remaining in Iraq. We are waiting for executive order for our next deployment to Afghanistan this new year. I got your email from a business directory and I believe that you will maintain the level of confidence and trust that this mission I am about to inform you of require. Several months ago, my unit discovered some abandoned cash in the mansion of a militant ruler during a covert military raid. The total cash we discovered was $11.5 Million USD. We stashed all the funds in one trunk box and moved it secretly out of Iraq to Kuwait for safekeeping. We waited for several months to ensure that nobody is on our trail. Now, we need to move the money out of Kuwait. I am contacting you because we need your assistance in receiving the box for us on our behalf, and securing the cash until we return home from service. Please note that we cannot use any of our known relative or friend for this

1. Your Full name
2. The address where you want the box to be delivered
3. Your private telephone number where you can be reached 24 hours

If for some reasons you don't want to or can't help us, I want you to delete this message immediately and assume we never had this conversation. However, if you are going to fully cooperate with us in this transaction, we will compensate you with 25% of the total cash after the mission is accomplished. Like I said earlier, we are a GO and waiting for your response. This is a very serious deal and I wouldn't be asking for your help if I am not convinced that this is not going to bring any harm to you or your family, or put you in a risky position. We have worked the kinks out and am very convinced this is gonna be successful.

Once we get a positive response from you with the info requested, we will proceed into the next step and I will give you further instructions. I hope I can rely on your sense of discretion. Write back soon buddy. Wishing you a prosperous new year.

In God we trust,

Ken

kenneth._____@infantry-marines.com




What's interesting is this one seems to be genuinely written by an American; "We have worked the kinks out and am very convinced this is gonna be successful." but I doubt he was a Marine, or even in the military. Indicators: "trunk box" - we call it "foot locker", and a Marine doesn't end a letter with "In God we trust," he says "Semper Fi".


The greatest indicator is the email address suffix: 'marines.com' - no .mil or .gov

My instincts aroused, I ran the " @infantry-marines.com " suffix through Google and came to SCAM-O-MATIC - a site that alerts on such scams. It turns out I WAS RIGHT! In fact, they have a copy of the email I posted above practically verbatim from a different guy but with the same email address at the end of it.


Some comments by the SCAM-O-MATIC:

* The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:

o "trunk box" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
o "million us dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
o "i got your email address from " (this SPAM email was probably sent to thousands of people)

* This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.


I know plenty of Marines - they are honorable, decent upright people; the Marines I know and have worked with, I would trust with my life.




"No Greater Friend, no Worse Enemy."



This guy is a wannabe, a phisher and a scamster. Be warned.


- Sean Linnane

MAIL CALL

From: J. Davis <______@_______.com>
Subject: Interview request from Fox 5
To: linnane_sean@yahoo.com
Date: Wednesday, October 21, 2009, 8:38 PM

Hi there. My name is Jennifer Davis and I'm a reporter with Fox 5 News in Washington, D.C.

We are doing a story tonight about Marine Sgt. David Budway, who you wrote about in your blog. He's being sentenced today for claiming to be an injured veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan and scamming his way into free events.


(Former) Marine David Budway. He dishonored the Corps.


We wondered if you are local - are you based in the DC area? If so, you seem to have a strong opinion about this guy. Would you want to talk about it on camera?

It's Wednesday, about 430 Eastern and I'm doing this story for 10 PM tonight. Please call me at our assignment desk if you want to talk - (XXX)-XXX-XXXX.

Thanks.




I answer all emails from readers, each and every one of them:



Hello Jennifer,

Sorry I'm so late in getting back to you - I just got off work, late. Thanks for the update on David Budwah - note I do not honor him with the title of "Marine" for he has dishonored the Corps, and I doubt he is still a sergeant.

Thank you also for your interest in my opinion - I am honored. Although I spend a lot of time in the DC area, I do not live there. My home is in North Carolina. I travel a lot in my work and at present time I am in the Midwest, for at least the next month or so.

Now I must be straight with you: I work in the security field and aspects of my work is sensitive in nature. Bottom line, my employers would not be excited to see me voicing my opinions on TV. Therefore, I must decline your offer for an interview. Anyhow, I don't know if I really want to be too closely associated with this story. There is no honor here.

Anyway Blog STORMBRINGER is not about publicity and it is not about a personal agenda; it satisfies a need I have for a creative outlet, and helps me explore the philosophy I am developing. There is legitimate reason I go by a pseudonym - there are people out there who know who I am, people I've served with, and that's good enough for me. The rest of you just have to have good faith, and enjoy STORMBRINGER as it develops.

Thanks again for your interest, and thank you for all the good work you do at the Fox network. You have a new fan.

Thanks,
Sean Linnane

P.S. My opinion about David Budwah - what do you think? He's a pathetic loser, and that's putting it mildly. He has virtually spit upon the graves of those who died for this country, and he has dishonored the tens of thousands of disabled veterans who suffer pain and disability for the rest of their lives. I don't know what's worse - all that, or the fact that he let down those kids. The whole thing is shameful, a disgrace. Thank you for publicizing this case, and I am glad I could do my bit. - S.L.


Here at STORMBRINGER we honor the Few, the Proud, the Marines. Semper Fi, guys. Keep doing what you do - God loves you, and you know why.

MARINE CHARGED WITH FAKING WAR WOUNDS, DECORATIONS FOR GAIN

I'm re-posting this story on STORMBRINGER because it's always good to bust phony war heroes. The way I learned it, it's one thing to be woofing some far-out war stories to some blonde in a bar, but you never lie to a fellow warrior. This douchebag took it above and beyond that, he not only lied to his own Corps, he lied to the kids. The good news is it looks like he will do some hard time for his phony valor. Read on . . . S.L.

Marine Sgt. David W. Budwah, phoney wannabe.

By DAVID DISHNEAU, Associated Press Writer David Dishneau – Mon Sep 21

SABILLASVILLE, Md. – On a sultry day in July 2008, Marine Sgt. David W. Budwah strode in his battle fatigues to the front of a picnic pavilion to tell three dozen young boys what he did during the war.

With his clear gaze, rigid posture and muscled, tattooed arms, Budwah looked every inch the hero he claimed to be. He said he was on his second tour of duty in Afghanistan when a homemade grenade exploded, wounding his face and arm when he dove to shield a buddy from the blast.

"We're here to make sure of the freedom you have every day," Budwah told his audience at Camp West Mar, a wooded American Legion compound about 60 miles northwest of Washington.



But the Marines say Budwah is a liar, a fraud and a thief. They are court-martialing the 34-year-old Springhill, La., native, alleging he was never in Afghanistan, wasn't wounded and didn't earn the combat medals he wore — or the many privileges he enjoyed.

Budwah joined the Marines in October 1999 and spent nearly all of the next six years with a radio communications unit in Okinawa, Japan, according to the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Va., where Budwah has been stationed since February 2006.

Phony heroes aren't unusual. Thousands of complaints pour in annually to the FBI and civilian groups about impostors flaunting store-bought medals.

Their very prevalence exposes something else — a nation so eager to embrace its war fighters, especially the wounded, that it sometimes fails to discern between the real heroes and the fakes.

"In every society in history, the warrior is glorified," said phony-hero debunker B.G. "Jug" Burkett of Plano, Texas. "The second you say you're a warrior who has performed heroically in combat, everybody perceives you differently."

Burkett, 65, a Vietnam veteran and author of the 1998 book, "Stolen Valor," said the urge to honor the wounded can cloud a person's judgment.

"I tell reporters that when you've got a guy who's vocal — 'Let me tell you how I won my Silver Star' — your antenna should go up," Burkett said. "The real guys typically don't talk about it."

Budwah's case is remarkable because he is an active-duty Marine facing military justice, not a civilian charged with wearing unearned medals. Of nearly 3,100 courts-martial last year in the four major armed services, only 27 were trials for wearing illegal decorations. Just two involved Marines.

Prosecutors say Budwah wore unauthorized medals and accepted VIP invitations to rock concerts, major-league baseball games, banquets and other events meant to fete wounded warriors.

He faked post-traumatic stress disorder in hopes of leaving service early and was sent to the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, where he bluffed his way into 33 events from late July through November 2008, according to charges obtained by The Associated Press through an appeal of its Freedom of Information Act request.

Bethesda hospital spokesman Chris Walz said the staff tries to involve as many patients as possible in such activities, which range from free NFL tickets to speaking engagements like Budwah's at Camp West Mar.

The charges include making false official statements, malingering, misconduct and larceny. Budwah faces up to 31 1/2 years in prison and a dishonorable discharge if convicted on all eight counts at a trial set for Oct. 20. at Quantico.

Budwah, who declined to enter a plea at his Aug. 5 arraignment, denied wrongdoing in a brief telephone interview in April. "The allegation is not even true," he said, declining to comment further.

Defense attorney Marine Capt. Kelly Repair and prosecutor Marine Capt. Thomas Liu also have declined to comment.

Recent prosecutions of active-duty service members include Dontae L. Tazewell, a Navy hospital corpsman sentenced in January 2008 in Norfolk, Va., to two years in prison for wearing an unearned Purple Heart and other decorations. Tazewell falsely claimed he had rescued six Marines and recovered the bodies of four others in Iraq.

Prosecutors portrayed him as a failing sailor so desperate to remain in service that he fabricated the story.

Navy corpsman Robert White, got 45 days in the brig after pleading guilty in December at Great Lakes Naval Station, Ill., to wearing a Purple Heart he bought. A former girlfriend testified White obtained the medal after he was shunned by his peers for assaulting her, the Navy Times reported.

People fabricate military injuries for many reasons, including laziness, greed, sympathy and psychosis, said Loren Pankratz of Oregon Health & Science University, who wrote about PTSD impostors in his book, "Patients Who Deceive."

"A more common theme would be somebody who would represent sort of the antihero — the guy who's given his all and yet been abused and misunderstood," Pankratz said. Burkett said others are simply con men.

Walter E. Boomer, who served as assistant commandant of the Marine Corps from 1992 to 1994, vaguely remembers meeting Budwah in November when they were guests at a Grand National Waterfowl Association benefit on Maryland's Eastern Shore. They shot at ducks, drank and dined with other VIPs and shotgun manufacturing executives.

"I accepted his story at face value," Boomer said. "Nothing that I recall would have set off alarm bells."

Budwah again managed his way to the center of attention at a September 2008 boxing event in Glen Burnie, Md. Organizer Scott Wagner said the highlight of the night was when he brought Budwah and dozens of other military hospital patients into the ring for a standing ovation.

"Were they injured or not? I don't know and I really don't care. If half of them were injured, I still feel good about it," he said.



A year after Budwah's speech to the youngsters at the American Legion camp, Spencer Shoemaker sat stunned in the family's kitchen as he read the charges against his Marine idol for the first time.

Shoemaker, then 10, was so impressed he had his picture taken with Budwah and kept a treasured newspaper clipping about the visit. He said Budwah's talk made him want to join the Marines.

"Well, it's better that I know," the boy said after a long silence. "It did tear me down, but I'll still join the Marines."

His father Michael, a construction worker, seethed at the news about Budwah.

"He scammed America," Shoemaker said. "He scammed a kid."