THOSE CLAIMING MEDAL OF HONOR
NOTE: In 1996 HLI Lordship
Industries (at the time, the OFFICIAL USG contractor for the Medal of
Honor) admitted selling THREE HUNDRED unauthorized medals for $75.00
each from 1991-1994. They were fined $80,000. NOT ALL of those medals
have been recovered. Offenders in possession of an
unauthorized medal can be arrested, fined (up to $10,000) and jailed
(up to a year). It is the only military medal that CANNOT be bought,
sold, bartered, traded, collected, auctioned, exchanged.... EVERY
Medal of Honor is awarded by act of Congress. Less than 150 REAL Medal
of Honor recipients are alive today.
|
The
names listed in the next pages have made VARIOUS or multiple
claims that cannot be substantiated or have been proven FALSE.
|
K
|
| Name |
Date Reported |
Hometown |
Claims |
Findings |
| Kapono,
Clement |
. |
MO |
CLAIMING PURPLE HEART(S),
COMBAT
VFW
- EXPOSED - BACK
IN VFW 12/2001!!! |
Served in Germany, no
record of service in Korea or SF, Airborne. No Unit Citations, PH or CIB noted
in record. |
| Karczewski, |
09/2007 |
. |
Article is about 3/4 down the page
Speaking of the ursine... above is a cammo jacket worn until
last week by a Green Bay Wisconsin puke named Karczewski.
Wearing the cammo he attend a breakfast for the
MOH Recipients during last week's convention.
Unfortunately for him, Vietnam Medal of
Honor Recipient, Al Rascone noted the Combat Parachutist
Badge and the Combat Infantry Badge) and walked over to the former
soldier for a little chat.
Although not an official parachutist rating, any
soldier who completes an airborne jump into a combat zone
can wear the Combat Parachutist Badge.
Obviously, there aren't many men living today who
qualified with a combat jump.
Rascone peppered him with questions: "101st?
or 82nd?" "Where did you go to jump school?"
The impostor's story fell apart in a few minutes;
FBI Special Agents Tom Cattone and Mike Solomon
mosseyed over. "We can do this easy or we can do this hard?
You're lying; tell us the truth and you can leave us the jacket
walk away."
He came clean...far from being in Iraq, seeing
combat and getting wounded as he had claimed for some time, he had
washing out of the army in seven months due to some sort of
injury.
After what must have been the worst moment of his
life, what with a Medal of Honor Recipient, the FBI, Sheriff's
Department and several young soldiers and Mariners surrounding
him, he left without the jacket.
Two hours later: I'm in the hospitality room
trying to figure out the display of the obviously captured BDUs
which was signed by Rascone, Cattone and Solomon.
Guy next to me says, "There's a guy in my
VFW Post named Karczewski, but that couldn't be him."
Well, the story bothered him enough that he made
a cell phone call.
He listened and closed his eyes. "Sonofabitch",
he said, "it is him."
Seems that Karcz had lied his way into the
VFW and under his FFL had even acquired the M1 rifles for the
Post's honor guard.
'We always operated on the honor system."
The guy excused himself to make more calls.
One rat bastard down... several thousand, such as
the jackassess shown above, to go.
If you have a question about some vet who
"just doesn't seem right" and is far too boastful for
your tastes, or seems to claim more top combat awards that Audie
Murphy....
....... gimme a call 940-372-0078;
I got Cattone on speed dial.
Claiming or wearing fraudulent military
decorations is against federal law.
|
. |
| Kardes,
Leonard Martin II |
01/2007 |
MI |
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070105/UPDATE/701050464
January 5, 2007
Search continues for former Navy seal
Karen Bouffard / The Detroit News
An urgent land and air search has been under way near Traverse City for
a disoriented former Vietnam Navy Seal who
wandered away from his rural Fife Lake home Dec. 31.
Leonard "Marty" Kardes, 64, suffers disabling neurological
problems due to exposure to Agent Orange, a chemical the U.S. military
used to defoliate trees in Vietnamese jungles. He also suffers from
insulin-dependent diabetes.
U.S. Coast Guard and Michigan State Police helicopters are combing the
scenic landscape near Lake Michigan in hopes of finding Kardes, who
disappeared about 8:30 a.m. on New Year's Eve. Six police canine units
and scores of citizen volunteers also have aided in the search.
Michigan State Police Detective Mark Harris said Kardes was last seen
walking on a road about a half mile from his home. Kardes is described
as 6 feet 2 inches, 200 pounds, with blue eyes, and gray hair balding in
the middle.
He was wearing a red and black plaid pull-over jacket with big pockets
in front, a yellow T-shirt, and hiking boots.
"He's a Vietnam vet, a Navy Seal, but he's got some issues as a
result of his service," Harris said. "He was last seen on
foot. Most likely, (he's) contained in this area.
"If people own cottages, we want to make sure they're checking them
for us and report to the State Police any sign that somebody's been into
them, trying to get things for survival.
Amber Kardes, 26, said her father started acting confused about 10 days
ago, and was becoming increasingly disoriented. He
disappeared just hours before she planned to drive him to the Grand
Rapids Veteran Administration hospital for treatment.
"His head is very confused and disoriented right
now," said Kardes, a student at Lake Superior State University.
"(Doctors) agreed his state of mind was getting to where I should
probably take him down there."
You can reach Karen Bouffard at (734) 462-2206 or kbouffard@detnews.com.
|
From:
Steve Robinson [mailto:shadek@tri-lakes.net]
Sent: Saturday, January
06, 2007 7:36 AM
To: kbouffard@detnews.com
Subject: Missing man is
not a former US Navy SEAL
Dear
Ms. Bouffard,
I
am one of about a dozen men who hold a current copy of the SEAL database
and verifies/denies claims of military service as a US Navy SEAL. After
reading your article about the “missing SEAL” I checked the name you
cited; there are no records of anyone named Leonard Kardes having
completed UDT/SEAL training. There is a man with the last name KARR
listed in our database who completed training in 1969, but given the
average age of men who complete SEAL training, our man KARR would
probably be no older than 56-58 years old. Other than the vague
similarity between our man and the missing man’s name, there is no
evidence to support the notion that Kardes ever went through UDT/SEAL
training. There are several other names which begin with the alphabetic
letters “KAR”, but none of them come close enough for consideration.
I certainly hope Mr. Kardes is located alive and well. Perhaps then his
family and the VA can take steps to more accurately ascertain his true
military credentials.
A
man is missing, his family is distressed, and the community is
concerned… and your article specifically cited him as a former SEAL.
Now you have learned that his military credentials are incorrect. It
seems unlikely that his military claims are the result of confusion or
misunderstanding; the specifics about his claimed military unit must
have come from a family member since the man himself is missing. Yet
there is no evidence that his military claims of being a SEAL are valid.
I assure you that this is not an unusual situation; far from it. There
are countless examples of men making false military claims to bolster
their social reputation, and misleading their entire family as to the
true nature of their military service. I encourage you to do an archive
search online for “Justin McCauley” in articles appearing in the
SACRAMENTO BEE by a staff reporter named BOSLEY. McCauley falsely
claimed to be a SEAL, had his entire family convinced, and then managed
to get a newspaper article written about himself. A number of former
SEALs, including myself, contacted the paper and they went back for a
closer look at his claims. So did McCauley’s Navy superiors; they took
rather a dim view of his duplicity and arranged for harsh disciplinary
actions against the man. The BEE did an entire follow up article –
larger than the original – about the man being an imposter and fooling
his entire family… and their newspaper.
I
realize the difficult situation this information now creates for you,
and I have no expectations that you will publish a follow up exposé
such as appeared in the BEE. You are reporting on a missing man who is
in failing health. You certainly have no desire to upset his family or
anger the ‘general public’ by casting aspersions on a man who cannot
defend his claims at the present time. Perhaps when the man is found you
can ask some questions which will spur others to more closely examine
his credentials. Meanwhile, should you in future find yourself with an
opportunity to write another story about a Navy SEAL, please feel free
to contact me for verification of the man’s credentials. The problem
of military imposters has become such an epidemic in our nation that
Congress recently passed the Stolen Valor Act (S.1998), and it was
signed into law by President Bush on 20 December 2006. The act closes
loopholes in the existing sections/subsections of Title 18 of the US
Code related to false military claims and the display of unauthorized
medals/awards. Sadly the problem with military imposters is not a recent
phenomenon, but rather an ongoing and growing problem.
Very
respectfully,
Steve
Robinson
USN
1970-1978
SEAL Team ONE
Inshore Undersea Warfare Group ONE
UDT-SEAL
Association
Special Operations Association
POW Network Advisory Board
Naval
Special Warfare Archives - SOF
Analyst/Contributing Journalist
Disabled
American Veterans - Life Member
FORMER
Special Investigator - SEAL Authentication Team
Author of the book NO
GUTS, NO GLORY - Unmasking Navy SEAL Imposters |
| Kassab, Ralph |
. |
lives Joplin, MO met in Branson |
Claiming
SEAL |
. |
Keinzley, Jack
aka Robert Jack Keinzley |
08/2007 |
Masterton
New Zealand |
http://www.anzmi.net/keinzley/keinzley.html
A MUST READ!!
Claims Green Berets 1974 Navy
SEALS 1975-1980
Vietnam service- Served in Quang-Ngai
Seconded from NZ SAS (no year mentioned)
Occupation SBS Demolition Diver
Injuries sustained- broken back- hip-knee damage plus
body Shrapnel all from a Tree Grenade explosion.
|
NOT a SEAL. |
| Keisser, James William |
11/2006 |
. |
CLAIMS TO HAVE SERVED IN VIETNAM,
INJURED/ PURPLE HEART. THEN SERVED IN IRAQ FOR GOVERNMENT. |
NO
RECORD OF ANY military service. Born in 1966. |
| Kellar, William Owen |
. |
TX |
Claims Medal of Honor,
Navy Cross, Silver Star
CLAIMING 4 PURPLE HEARTS |
. |
| Keller,
Jason Eric |
10/2006 |
MI |
Jason
M/23
Livonia, MICHIGAN
Instant
Message
Send
Message |
Posted:
October 12, 2006 7:31 AM
I'd be offended if I knew what the hell you're saying.Plus I
was a navy seal buddy I'd dispose of you pretty quick fag
if we ever fought.
|
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=5747337 |
21
years old. |
| Kellett, Michael Calvin Jr |
. |
. |
CLAIMING COMBAT STATUS
|
Records
indicate he spent 03/69 until
discharge in 78 in SOUTH CAROLINA as Ammo tech. ONLY medal - OMCR |
| Kelly, Kevin Lee |
09/2003
02/2006 |
Weston
FL |
Claims Silver Star and Purple Heart in SE Asia. Claims secret
mission, and records lost in the fire. |
Served
Aug 1968 to May 1971. Spec 5 at discharge.
Authorized awards and decorations: National Defense Service Medal; Expert
Badge/Auto Rifle; Vietnam Campaign Medal; Vietnam Service Medal; Bronze
Star; 2 overseas Bars.
MOS Information Spec; Broadcast Spec (in Nam). Transcript
of Court Martial "not in file." |
| Kemper, John
"Jack" |
07/2006 |
Opelika,
Alabama |
Claims to be a member of the USMA Class of 1958
but is not listed in the Cullum List for graduates and former cadets
"because he attended USMA as a Captain, especially assigned from
Korea." USMA officials have denied ALL of this claim. He
also claims to be a retired BG. Again no record - BUT he did speak at
the graduating OCS class at Fort Benning several years ago. At the
graduation he claimed to be an OCS graduate, never naming the school, but
around town here he claimed he was commissioned IN KOREA, a battle field
commission for valor! Several people who knew him said that on the walls of
his living room were award certificates for MOH, LM, SS BS-V. ARCOM-V, from
Korea and Vietnam. Several Vets said they were NOT then official
certificates but the ones that can be purchase on line. Kemper's story
was that the originals were destroyed in a house fire several years ago. |
. |
| Keohane, Steve |
. |
Boston, MA |
Claiming SEALS and/or
Frogman... Class, missions, "classified", no team, rather
he was in a "battalion" in 82-83
|
. |
| Kerr, Keith |
11/2007 |
CA |
According to Col. Bill Campenni (USAF, ret), one of President
Bush’s squadron mates in the Texas Air National Guard, there is no
such thing as the California National Reserve of which Kerr claimed to
be a former member.
Campenni told HUMAN EVENTS that Kerr is not even a retired Army
General.
“He retired as a California Army National Guard colonel,” said
Campenni. “It is common at Guard retirement ceremonies to give an
honorary promotion to colonels to the STATE rank of Brigadier
General…[but] it has no meaning other than a fancy certificate for the
wall and use of the title at local Guard functions.”
Campenni said the rank of general is not federally recognized and
the title can not be used or the rank worn outside the state.
================================================
http://www.thegaymilitarytimes.com/Kerr.JPG
Keith Kerr, a onetime colonel in the Army who retired as a
brigadier general in the California National Guard, may
not have been recognized by the audience or the four
candidates who responded that current U.S. policy is sound.
Retired Brig. Gen. Keith Kerr, who is gay, had asked the
candidates why gays and lesbians shouldn't be allowed to serve
openly in the military. Kerr is a member of a steering committee
for Clinton on gay and lesbian issues.
=======================================================
Is there an "official" prohibition on the use of the
General Officer Flag? Curious that this phonie "army
general" uses a Navy-Air Force GO Flag contrasted with an
Army-Marine GO flag!
The
flag issue would seem to have some import, but probably just indicative
of this guy's military naiveté.
|
From Retired Brigadier General William Becker:
IN SPITE OF MY CURRENT DISTRACTIONS AT HOME I AM FORCED TO
ENTER THE PUBLIC ARENA TO EXPRESS MY OUTRAGE AT THE CURRENT REPUBLICAN
DEBATE AS
MANAGED BY CNN. GAY KEITH IS NOT A BRIGADIER GENERAL. HE IS
NOT EVEN AN ACTIVE DUTY RETIRED ARMY OFFICER. HE SPENT HIS YEARS AS A
RESERVIST
SOLELY IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA MILITARY BUREAUCRACY. HIS
BIO IS PUBLISHED IN THE GAY ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO VOIDING THE
"DON'T ASK =
DON'T TELL" POLICY.
FOR DETAILS. YOU MUST NOTE THAT KERR WAS RETIRED FROM THE
INACTIVE ARMY RESERVES IN THE GRADE OF COLONEL. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A
FEW YEARS
SERVED ON ACTIVE DUTY AS A LIEUTENANT HIS ENTIRE SERVICE
WAS IN THE RESERVES IN CALIFORNIA. HE WAS PLACED IN RETIRED RESERVE STATUS
WITH THE
CALIFORNIA NATIONAL GUARD RESERVES AND PROMOTED TO
BRIGADIER GENERAL IN THAT FEDERALLY UNRECOGNIZED STATUS.
THIS IS CONSIDERED AN "HONORARY" TITLE SIMILAR TO
THE PHD AWARDED BY UNIVERSITIES AS HONORARIUM. WE WOULD NEVER REFER TO
SUCH AWARDEES AS "DOCTOR". IT IS ALSO NOTEWORTHY THAT HE WAS A
GRADUATE OF UC BERKELEY AND SERVED AS AN INSTRUCTOR IN ACADEMIA. HE HAS NO
COMBAT EXPERIENCE DURING HIS 43 YEARS OF "SERVICE" AND IT IS A
DISGRACE FOR HIM TO BE ASSOCIATED BY THE MEDIA WITH THE ACTIVE DUTY
MILITARY!!!!
THANKS FOR LISTENING TO THE VOICE OF WRATH OF THIS OLD
MILITARY AVIATOR.
BRIGADIER GENERAL BILL BECKER
UNITED STATES AIR FORCE,
RETIRED COMBAT VETERAN WWII, KOREA, VIETNAM
ACTUAL
RECORDS
|
| Kessler, Howard James
"Rooster" |
2nd report 04/2002 |
Seligman AZ |
Claiming SEALS and/or
Frogman... POW SEAL <<Sunbeam214@aol.com>>
.
|
. |
| Keswick,
David Louis |
05/2005 |
Flint MI |
Claims Vietnam,
Special Forces, CIA......
|
Reserves.
Never left the states. Served in GA and MI. Clerk/Supply Sgt. |
| Ketron,
Michael James |
05/2005 |
Columbia
MO |
If
anyone runs across a Michael Ketron born in 1972 claiming to be Ranger
and Special Forces qualified. Be very careful.
He was only in service for 3 months and 20 days according to the VA....
had a job at Bobcat here in Columbia, and he stole several thousand of
dollars worth of equipment. Owes $6,025 plus $700 damages for a
rental units. He and family have rap sheet that got them arrested
several times this past week.
He will come to you as a GI fresh out of service with a sick son who has
cancer. All I can tell you is, I can steer you to 5 business that he has
ripped off since they hit town on 12/4/05.
|
If
you want look on Case.net look for Michael or Angela Ketron or her
maiden name was Vollmer...
http://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/base/welcome.do
|
| Kettinger, Daniel (E-Bay) |
. |
. |
Claims
Gulf War POW |
. |
|
Kidwell,
Billy Ray
Founder
www.VetsForJustice.com
|
08/2004 |
. |
MY PERSONAL ARMY
RECORDS PROVE THAT I WAS IN THE 5TH SPECIAL FORCES GROUP and that they were
based at Fort Bragg. That I was a Military Advisor with the 5th Special
Forces Group.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sherman Stephen wrote:
Kidwell may have been with 5th SFGA at Fort Bragg when they
returned in 1971 or before they left in 1965, but he was not
with 5th Group in Vietnam nor is he a member of the SFA or SOA.
Joe Oliver states:
Billy Ray Kidwell entered active duty with the Army in January, 1968.
In August of that year, he was disciplined for being AWOL from his unit for
four days.
In January of 1969, he was detailed to Vietnam as an automotive repairman.
While in Vietnam, he was disciplined for being AWOL for a day. He was also
reduced in rank from private first class to private for carrying a pistol
without authorization.
Kidwell left Vietnam and returned to the United States in December of 1969,
where his
disciplinary problems continued. He was disciplined for speeding, and then
for failing
to report to duty. In September 1970, he was charged with being AWOL
for several weeks during the summer, at which point he requested a discharge
in lieu of a court-martial.
The Army agreed, discharging him that October on "undesirable"
grounds. |
Kimmey, Garry Paul
aka Garry Paul Mantooth |
01/2006 |
Lufkin,
TX |
Claim Vietnam
1968=1973. Claims Navy SEAL, secret missions.. |
Served
June 8 1972 - July 21, 1972.
NO AWARDS
NO TRAINING
Discharges as SEAMAN RECRUIT |
Kincaid/Kincade, Ronald
|
12/2006 |
White
Sands Manor #2
Fort Walton Beach, FL |
Claims
Medal of Honor |
. |
| King, Husan |
12/2001
01/2004
10/2004
11/2004
04/2006
05/2007
03/2008 |
Dallas, TX
Irvine CA
|
Claims Navy pilot,
shot down, ejected, caught and beaten. Held in cell for 46 days -
bones broken, held naked with 7 others in cell. 12/2001.....
AGAIN 01/2004 - Dayton, OH - He has a white Navy uniform
with Commander stripes and a star, a dark jacket with Captains
stripes and Continental wings. He claims he is 36 and flew F-18 in
the Gulf War in 1991, was shot down, ejected, captured by the
enemy, savagely beaten and held in captivity for some 46 days. He
claims he suffered broken bones, arms and legs, was eventually
transported by the Red Cross to a neighboring territory and then
to a military hospital in Germany. He claims he has been
"put" back together with metal plates, has no bone in
one foot, just artificial joints, has a damaged heart valve due to
all the beating and torture and hence had to leave his position
with Continental Airlines (a 757 Captain) due to high blood
pressure.
Has a Criminal record in California. Recently
evicted.
11/2004 - Claims he was shot down during the 1st Iraq
war. Said he was an F-18 fighter pilot and was shot down either the 8th
or 9th day after the war stared and was held as a POW for 42 - 43 days.
He was suppose to be a Lt. Commander of the Navy and attend the Naval
Academy (top Gun).
01/2005: On line pilot's data bases indicate he is a
powerplant/airframe MECHANIC
04/2006 - Reportedly under FAA investigation.
05/2007 - Reports state FAA decided he lied and will loose all
licenses.
03/2008 - All license' have been pulled.
Terminated from American airlines. He is still portraying
himself as a pilot on my space. Still wearing a captains
uniform. He is now living with his
parents in Irvine California, and working for his dad at Dick Church's
Restaurant in Irvine Ca.
|
| King, Lonnie Dale |
03/2003 |
. |
Claiming SEALS and/or
Frogman...
Guest of State of Nebraska, Tecumseh State Correctional
Institute. Claims CORPS SEAL, Purple Heart, Korea Campaign Medal, Nam
Campaign Medal, NAV Medal of Honor.
|
. |
| Kipp, Frank |
. |
. |
Claims
Korean War POW. Has
POW license plates -- Virginia
- 673N bearing POW insignia |
. |
| Kleppick, Richard |
. |
. |
Claiming SEALS and/or
Frogman...
Africa, demolitions during 60's
|
. |
| Knapp, Donald E. |
07/2005 |
. |
http://www.bcstandard.com/News/2002/0612/Obituaries/034.html
Donald E. Knapp, Sr.
Mr. Donald E. Knapp, Sr., 71, passed away on
Monday, June 3, 2002. He was an eight year veteran of the Army and served in
the Korean Conflict where he was a two time recipient of the Purple Heart
and was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor....Funeral
services were held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 8, 2002, in the Chapel of
Arlington Park Funeral Home, 6920 Lone Star Road, Jacksonville, Florida,
with Dr. Anthony Fox officiating. The family received friends from 6:00 p.m.
until 8:00 p.m. on Friday at the funeral home. Entombment followed the
service in Arlington Park Cemetery.
|
| Knowles, John D. |
11/2007 |
. |
Was active duty during the Gulf
War - but never saw combat or Iraq. He led a tragic life during and after
leaving the military and he died the same way in January
2007.
The obit
claimed he served in Iraq when he died. Yet
another
http://www.verdevalleynews.com
http://verdeindependent.1upsoftware.com/main.asp?SectionID=10
quote:
The newspaper so far refuses to correct the
information, despite having been furnished the truth in the form you
posted and other facts. We are now making a request to the military
for John's entire military records. The newspaper won't even
print a letter to the editor offering equal time.
If you find it
appropriate to include, it should be noted his family furnished this
false information despite requests from his kids not to do so. They know
very well he didn't serve in Iraq, he couldn't have.
end quote
|
His DD214
|
| Koch, Karl Joseph |
. |
. |
Claiming SEALS and/or
Frogman...
SEAL/POW, may own "restaurant in Virgin
Islands", fluent in Arabic....
|
NO records found |
| Koltzan, William C. Jr.
"Billy" |
. |
Los Angeles, CA |
Claiming SEALS and/or
Frogman...
SEAL/Army
|
(actual
- "Other than Honorable" for the good of the Navy - repeated
misconduct) |
| Kovick, William |
06/2005 |
Michigan |
Huron
Daily Tribune
05/31/2005
Remembering the fallen
... A
group of veterans shared stories in Caseville......
Congressional
Medal of Honor recipient and highly decorated Chief Warrant Officer, William
Kovick, was a special speaker Monday at the Port Elizabeth Marina and Yacht
Club’s Blessing of the Fleet in Caseville, hosted by Christopher Cristiano
who co-owns the marina with his mother, Judith Mendelsohn....
©Huron Daily
Tribune 2005
"The
FBI is all over this guy. Apparently
he wore the medal to the service. As
soon as they were notified they were sending an agent to his home.... "
---------------------------
Saturday, June 25, 2005JOE SNAPPERTHE SAGINAW NEWS
CASEVILLE -- He wore the nation's most prestigious military service medal
as proudly as he did illegally.
A 78-year-old Caseville man and former member of the U.S. Navy could face
federal charges of wearing the five top U.S. Armed Services medals --
which he never earned, the FBI said.
William Kovic, pictured in the Huron Daily Tribune in full military dress
with his medals glinting sharply on Memorial Day, turned over the hardware
to federal agents this week.
Kovic admitted he bought the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1977 for
$500. Photos show him wearing it, which is a criminal misdemeanor, said
FBI Special Agent Steve Flattery, who paid Kovic a visit Thursday.
Kovic also admitted mail-ordering the Navy Cross, Silver Star, Bronze Star
and Purple Heart medals -- the next four most prestigious encomiums --
which he wore along with the Medal of Honor, said Flattery, from the FBI's
Bay City office.
Ordering and owning unearned medals is legal. Wearing or selling them is
not. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Bay City is pondering charges, Flattery
said.
It a rare soldier who can wear a Medal of Honor. Just more than 120 people
are authorized to do so. While more than 3,400 have been awarded since the
Civil War, just 851 of them have come since the start of World War II, and
525 of those were posthumous decorations.
It is given expressly "for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at
the risk of life, above and beyond the call of duty, in actual combat
against an armed enemy force."
Recipients get higher pay, preferences for their children at military
academies and typically are saluted by all other service members -- even
the President of the United States as Commander-in-Chief.
Flattery said several veterans groups have called him in the past couple
of weeks to express fury over Kovic's posturing.
The callers were "livid," said Flattery, who has sent the medals
to the FBI in Detroit. "It's a big deal. Veterans are really upset.
"He was going to all these parades in these dress uniforms,"
Flattery said. "It's pretty nasty."
A Daily Huron Tribune reporter tipped off the FBI after Kovic delivered a
speech Memorial Day at the Blessing of the Boats in Caseville, Flattery
said.
Federal agents had contacted Kovic in past years to inquire about the
medals, but he had told investigators he'd gotten rid of them, Flattery
said.
The case was the first of its kind for the Bay City office, Flattery said,
but the medal-wearing impostor is not uncommon.
A West Patterson, N.J.-based FBI special agent, Thomas A. Cottone Jr., has
prosecuted more than 100 since the government began aggressive enforcement
of military medal laws around 1995.
A Class A Misdemeanor makes it illegal to wear an unearned Medal of Honor.
Penalties include up to a year in prison and a $100,000 fine.
Cottone exposed the Pentagon's private contractor, Lordship Industries of
Long Island, N.Y., as the producer of hundreds of fake Medals of Honor.
The company pleaded guilty to illegally selling 300 of them, paid fines
and lost government contract bids for 15 years, Cottone said.
An agent of 33 years, Cottone has spent the past decade developing a
specialty in pursuing these military medal frauds.
He said most exposed impostors -- they have included a judge and even
high-ranking military officials -- typically are punished more by
embarrassment than any criminal prosecution.
But criminal charges are fitting in "aggravated" cases, which
the circumstance of Kovic's situation seem to fit, although Cottone said
he could not comment specifically on the case.
"They all know what they're doing," Cottone said. "They get
something out of it. In many cases it's financial. In many cases it's
recognition they normally wouldn't warrant.
"There should be absolutely no sympathy for these guys."
A Saginaw News call to Kovic's home at Oakwood Senior Citizens Housing,
6905 North Caseville, went unreturned Friday.
Flattery said Kovic's neighbors at the complex described him as a
well-liked handyman.
Joe Snapper is a staff writer for The Saginaw News. You may reach him at
776-9715
© 2005 Saginaw News. Used with permission
|
| Kucinkas, Vincent Joseph |
11/2007 |
CA |
The
fairy tale
The real
records
|
. |
| Kunich, George |
07/2006
07/2007 |
NY |
Claims SEAL TEAM 6, 1968-1977
=================================================
Evans Man Fighting County Over Drainage Ditch
July 26, 2006 06:53 PM CDT
(Evans, NY, July 26, 2006) - - An Evans man is gearing up for a fight
with the county over a ditch. Call 4 Action's
Al Vaughters reports his neighbors are
coming to his defense in his fight over the property.
George Kunich said, "If it just goes to our backyard and stops, then
you're setting us up for a lawsuit from our neighbor!"
Decorated Navy veteran George Kunich and his neighbors preparing for
a possible battle with the county over a ditch.
Highway officials want to take part of George's land for a drainage
easement, but the retired Navy SEAL says
it would ruin his property.
Kunich said, "There's nowhere for the water to go! You're going to give
me everybody's water with nowhere for it to go. You're going to destroy my
property!"
Bennett Road homeowners say they had to re-work the ditch a few years ago
because their yards and basements were flooding.
They say if the county takes the easement now, their problems will start all
over again.
Bennett Road neighbor Wayne Mollnar said, "Because these never did work
right, the drain, because I can show you photographs of my mom and my dad,
up to their knees in mud here, trying to harvest tomatoes."
And George's neighbors blame any drainage problems on the county's poor
maintenance.
Bennett Road neighbor David Viscuso said, "You are asking these people
to damage their house, because you guys do not want to maintain your
drainage."
But county officials say an easement along George's property would promote
natural drainage away from the road, and into a protected wetlands basin.
The question is: How do you move storm water more than 100 yards from the
road to the basin, without flooding yards along the way?
Kunich said, "Everybody is willing to put a pipe in all the way back. I
know he doesn't want to do that. He just wants to put in some little
drainage ditch that goes back 20 yards and floods out my backyard."
Legislator Bob Reynolds wants county highway officials to take another look.
Reynolds, a Democrat from Hamburg, said, "With the county taking some
budget cuts, and we don't have the drainage money we used to have, and we're
trying to put it in the key areas right now."
Legislator Reynolds told us highway officials might have to plot out new
maps to check out the drainage, while trying to keep a lid on costs.
Of course, the Bennett Road folks say they can save a lot of money by
leaving the drainage as it is.
Stay tuned.
|
Since original
reports - he faked his own death. To add some more color to the
fanciful tale, he 'died' heroically, pulling his wife from a burning car
with a broken back...after a head on collision. Three months later, he had
the audacity to re-invent himself as George Kunich Jr, ( grandson of the
hero ) and start up the BS spinner once again. This time, he failed to get
the capital and backing of his 'board' because his family betrayed him, sold
the controlling interest and kicked him out on his ass... oh... and George
Jr. came home from the war to replace his grandfather in the family
company... George Jr carried on the fine family
tradition of (lying), being a member of the armed forces... as a Ranger...
|
Kutz
Norman
Norman Kutz |
Round
2 05/2001 |
North
Carolina |
Claiming SEALS and/or
Frogman...
SEAL/Assassin
|
. |
