Paul
A Bennett
|
Multiple reports received since October 2005
Claims POW "for a few weeks." Escaped.
03/2006: He claims to have been a former POW, as well as having a
Navy Cross, Silver Star, DFC and 2 Purple Hearts.
09/2006: Claims he was INDEED a POW. (for several weeks.)
Claims "received
copies of the award certificates for my Navy Cross, Silver Star and
Distinguished Flying Cross." ...It was when I was “out of
the Navy” that I received all three medals in the mail. I have
never been “officially” awarded these medals which is why they do
not appear on any of my DD-214s.
03/2010 - Paul
Bennett is still attending MOPH meetings. Bennett told Major
General xxxx, a member of the chapter where Bennett attends
meetings that he has the Navy Cross etc. Tried to have him banned from
the MOPH, but was told by the State Commander that he was a friend
and was welcome.
|
|
Here is a photo of Bennett that HE put on a Navy web site that shows him
wearing unauthorized awards and decorations.
Even his shadow box at his retirement has the phony stuff in it!
|
|
I wanted to take this opportunity to
inform you I have received copies of the award certificates for my
Navy Cross, Silver Star and Distinguished Flying Cross. I also
received replacement medals and endorsements, (orders), for the
medals. I requested the Department of the Navy put a DD-215 in my
permanent military record and forward a copy to me.
END
QUOTE
10/14/2006
Mary,
Attached
is a letter of apology as well as a request for consideration. I
failed to mention that you are still listing my two Purple Hearts as
questionable. Your own
documentation, obtained by the Freedom of Information Act, has a list of
my awards. On that list is
“Purple Heart w/2 Bronze Stars”.
The DD-214 I received at my retirement on
31
March, 1994
shows Purple Heart (2). The
listing you received is a transcription of that DD-214. The
Navy normally lists more than one Purple Heart by adding a “GOLD”
star. I believe the
transcriber made this error.
You
have answered your own allegations by publishing the list of awards. I
formally request that you remove the two Purple Hearts from your list
concerning me.
Thank
you,
Paul
A Bennett
CWO4
USN-RET.
Mary,
I contacted the Department
of the Navy through the “Freedom of Information Act”.
I received the same documents you have posted on this web site. The
incorrect information came from that source.
I have requested they correct their records. There
are more errors, such as missing Duty Stations and “Special
Qualifications”. I was
not guaranteed these errors would be corrected.
The information I provided to you in earlier e-mails is correct. I
apologize for accusing you of generating “false documentation”.
I do not know how some one
could accuse me of being a POW for over 90 days. I have never made that statement, it is not true.
I have never been in a POW status.
There is no record of this and I do not qualify for the POW
medal. The situation is
strictly hearsay and I respectfully request to be removed from the
“POW Phony Listing”.
Finally, the medals in
question, the Navy Cross, Silver Star and Distinguished Flying Cross
were never on my DD-214. As
you can see in my time in service records, I have “broken service”.
I enlisted in the Navy in August of 1960 and got out in December
of 1969. I enlisted in the
Naval Reserve in 1971 and transferred to “active duty” in May of
1973. It was when I was
“out of the Navy” that I received all three medals in the mail.
I have never been “officially” awarded these medals which is
why they do not appear on any of my DD-214s.
That is why I never wore them after I reentered the Navy. I have mixed emotions about these awards and do not know why
I chose to wear the “Pins” on my MOPH Commander’s Cap. This did not last long as I felt a sense of guilt and was
challenged by fellow MOPH members. So
I removed them from my cap. The
newspaper article is full of lies.
I was never an Administrative Officer and did not have any
opportunity to falsify my DD-214s. Mr.
Ray Funderburk, National Public Relations Officer for the MOPH, denies
saying what was printed in the Review Journal and told me he was going
to contact the reporter by mail. I do not know if he did.
Tom Poulter, now the MOPH National Commander, and the MOPH
National Adjutant, Bill Bacon, have recognized my two Purple Hearts as
being “Official” and I remain a member in good standing within the
Military Order of the Purple Heart.
I am filing a lawsuit against the Las Vegas Review Journal and
the reporter, Mr. Keith Rogers.
I detest a Phony/Wannabe
as much as the next veteran that served and/or participated in armed
conflict. I also witnessed
“self inflicted wounds” being awarded the Purple Heart. I
am also aware of people claiming to have participated in the Vietnam War
that never left Japan. I am
not making excuses for my actions, just some consideration. I am not the only veteran that has medals that do not appear
on their DD-214.
Regards,
Paul A Bennett
|
|
|
| Ask him to provide copies of the citations for
the awards and see how he tries to weasle out of that. He digs a
deeper hole every day. |
| Desperation...he still does not address the
ribbons on his active duty picture that he "never wore
while he was on active duty." |
|
The mistake I made was wearing the
“pin devices” on my MOPH Department Commander’s Cap
The "mistake" was only wearing
the 'pin devices".. Ahh, Bennett went out and
purchased valor medal miniature devices and put on hat, and it
appears on a uniform at some point, and this is just a
'mistake'. You bet it is.
|
|
... And also how selective he is in
his comments, dig at one point and hope the light fades all
the other/all. ...
|
| Let's see... the uniform wearing a Purple Heart
ALONG WITH the Navy Cross, Silver Star and DFC which he did not
earn and was not awarded somehow "proves" that he
actually was awarded the Purple Hearts? Put that to him
and see how he responds. |
| The issue with that picture is that he is wearing
all of the decorations he claimed he did not earn on active
duty. Still violation of Federal law. |
| Could you give me contact information for them so
they can get this picture for their case files? |
| He admitted that the medals were never awarded to
him they "just arrived in the mail" and he never said
anything about wearing them at his retirement ceremony - he said
"I never wore them while I was on active duty." Where
are the ORDERS and citations that accompanied them? If he
really earned these medals he would have been obligated to wear
them and the ORDERS/citations would be concrete proof they were
awarded to him. |
| He's just
squirming. |
| Will he send you the corrected
copy of his awards? I think not!! |
Got something new for you. Remember when
Bennett said, "I have never been 'officially' awarded
these medals which is why they do not appear on any of my
DD-214s. That is why I never wore them after I
reentered the Navy."
I went to Military.com and joined the unit organization page for
VQ-1, then searched the roster of registered members and, lo and
behold, there was Bennett. When I accessed his bio page I
found the following picture of him in-uniform on active wearing
the awards for which he has no proof *and admits he never
received) and which he claimed he never wore on active duty.
Absolute proof that he wore those awards while on active
duty. |
|
Pathetic..
|
|
Still wish someone would start questioning
his Ph. D. claim.
|
| So much for his claim that he did not start
falsely wearing those awards until after he left active duty!
Unless I recall incorrectly, wearing those ribbons for medals he
was not awarded on his uniform is a Federal crime. |
|
I"ll bet you that Bennett doesn't have a
PhD, either. What a crock...
|
IF awards "arrived in
the mail" they would have been accompanied by the documentation
pertinent to the awards and that documentation could be provided
to BUPERS to validate the awards and getting the record
corrected would be no problem.
The only way the Navy will add qualifications, duty stations or
special training is if the service member has verifiable
documentation from the proper sources. Just asking
"pretty please" and making claims will not work. |
| "Mental Problems?" |
| If the Ph.D is form Old Dominion Univ, as was
said, they never heard of him and records show no Doctorate
awarded. |
|
Dear
POW Network,
I
wish to set the record straight. I have never claimed to be a
POW. I would not taint the honorable veterans that were placed
in that position.
I
don't know where this "claim" originated but I have NEVER
claimed to be a POW. I have several friends that were
"actual" POWs during the Vietnam conflict, mostly POWs
held at the "Hanoi Hilton". I would never disgrace
their honor or my own by claiming to have been anywhere near their
status. I am proud of my service in the U.S. Navy, 34 years in
all, and do not wish to be classified as a "phony".
I
hope this puts this horrible rumor to rest.
Paul
A Bennett
CWO-4
USN-RET
|
Mar. 26, 2006
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal
STOLEN VALOR: Acts of Dishonor
Despite laws against it, thousands wear unearned medals
By KEITH ROGERS
REVIEW-JOURNAL
At least one in a position of authority among veterans groups, Paul A.
Bennett, former Nevada state department commander of the Military Order
of the Purple Heart, has been accused of displaying valor medals that he
wasn't authorized to wear.
Sources from local Purple Heart chapters reported that Bennett, a
Vietnam-era veteran, displayed a miniature Navy Cross medal as well as
medals for a Silver Star and Distinguished Flying Cross on his
commander's hat on several occasions including the 2004 Veterans Day
parade in downtown Las Vegas.....
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Mar-26-Sun-2006/business/6284275.html
|
|
Note - In reading these, compare the "list"
of awards to the orders and citations contained in the records.
---------------------------
POW
Network,
I
have reviewed your documentation and find it to be flawed. To
start with, my listing of awards states with the Purple Heart with
two bronze stars and the Air Medal with 24 numerals. This is an
incorrect statement. My DD-214 lists the Purple Heart with one
gold star, which is how the Navy lists more than one award for the
Purple Heart, the Air Medal is listed as Air Medal with the numerals
24, again incorrect. The Air Medal is listed as "Air
Medal with Strike/Support (24). Those are the most glaring
errors on this document, there are more. This list was
obviously prepared by someone other than the National Personnel
Records Center. To anyone reading this document, it is obvious
it is not an "Official Document" and it is not
signed. The listing also fails to list the "Navy
Expeditionary Medal" along with the "Vietnamese Air Cross
of Gallantry" with "Gold Wing". Both of these
awards are listed on my DD-214. The credibility of this
"prepared listing" is lacking. I request this
document be removed from your web site. Continuing, the list
of military training, again a "self prepared" list is also
lacking the many "Survival Training Schools" I attended
including "Jungle Survival Training" in the Philippines.
I request this unsubstantiated document be removed from your web
site. You also list one of the awards I falsely claim to be
the DSC. Once again a non-official document. I never
claimed to have been awarded the DSC, it isn't a Navy award.
My claim is the Distinguished Flying Cross. I only request you
get your information correct. It's obvious you'll post
anything that is provided to you without first checking it's
credibility. If you read your own documentation posted on your
web site you'll find you have conflicting information. It has
been stated I was an administrative officer and could have produced
my own "official records" but only in the newspaper
article. Nowhere in your "official records" do you
state I was an administrative officer.
I
respect the task you have taken on and agree with your goals
however, if you are going to "attack" an individual please
get your facts straight. Nowhere in your documentation does it
show I claim to have been a POW other than in your listing of
"Stolen Valor" charges. Where did this claim
originate? We know where the other charges come from and where
I stand on those issues. It appears this may be a
"hearsay" issue. If so, please remove this charge
immediately or have the person responsible come forward with direct
evidence. When I was interviewed by Keith Rogers of the Las
Vegas Review Journal, I was asked if I'd ever been a POW. My
answer was emphatically "NO"!!!
Lastly,
you photo of me shows NO MEDALS of VALOR on my MOPH Cap.
Paul
A Bennett
CWO4
USN-RET.
|
Subject: Receipt of Confirmation of Awards.
Date: Mon, 4 Sep 2006 20:18:05 -0700
Patriots,
I wanted to take this opportunity to
inform you I have received copies of the award certificates for my
Navy Cross, Silver Star and Distinguished Flying Cross. I also
received replacement medals and endorsements, (orders), for the
medals. I requested the Department of the Navy put a DD-215 in my
permanent military record and forward a copy to me.
It's too bad, then
National Senior Vice Commander MOPH, Tom Poulter did what
he did in asking me to resign as Department of Nevada Commander,
MOPH. It would have been better for him to ask me to step aside
until the matter could be resolved.
I'm going to have an
awards ceremony after the first of the year because of this being
an "Election" year and I
plan to ask Senator Harry Reid act as the Presiding Official. It
will be a "By Invitation Only"
ceremony. I will not invite Don Weichold,
Mike Stern or Bill Anton as all three had a hand in the
news article. Tom Poulter and Bill Bacon convicted me with out
giving me a chance, as a result, all representatives from National Headquarters,
MOPH are not welcomed. My Purple Hearts were re-verified
at the request of Bill Bacon. That request was the FINAL
INSULT from the Military Order of the Purple Heart.
The fact that my purple hearts were on my "certified"
DD-214 could only make me come to the conclusion I was being
accused of submitting a false or modified DD-214.
I will request the Review Journal
print a complete retraction and admit they lied about what I told
their reporter, Keith Rogers.
I am
not a vindictive person and anything but a "Want-To-Be"
hero. Anyone who knew me during my active duty time will
attest to the fact I NEVER wore any
ribbon or medal higher than the Purple Heart on my uniform.
The only exception to that was at my retirement ceremony. It
was during this ceremony that I said I would gladly give up "ALL"
of my decorations if just one POW/MIA could be found and returned
to freedom or buried on United States soil.
Many
of you are not familiar with all that went on during the Vietnam
Conflict but I can tell you that not everything has been released.
Certain assignments I was on are still under wraps but the Review
Journal's article about me gave me enough leverage to at least get
positive proof confirming my awards and decorations, consisting of
"Certificates and Orders" issued with the awards, along
with replacement medals which I did not request. You must
also be aware that awards and medals are not always listed on the
veteran's DD-214. I know of several veterans in my same
position and are unable to document awards of valor.
It is
a shame that the Military Order of the Purple Heart had to become
so involved in my situation. The sad part is no one from the
MOPH offered to help me during the crisis. All the MOPH
did was ask me to resign as Commander, Department of Nevada and
demand they be authorized access to my service records to confirm
the validity of my Purple Hearts. All because of a bogus
newspaper article. I requested assistance from our National
Adjutant and National Commander and received no response. I
talked with the then National Senior Vice Commander, Tom Poulter,
on several occasions and exchanged many e-mails with him.
All of his comments were negative. What happened to the
"Brotherhood of Combat Wounded Veterans"?
I
firmly believe in the MOPH and it's doctrines but what will happen
if another Patriot is placed in the same situation as I was?
Lastly,
I resigned for the "Good of the
Order", at the
request of Tom Poulter, and not as an
"ADMISSION of GUILT",
I intend to send a "Certified Copy" of my DD-215 to the
MOPH National Headquarters as soon as I receive it.
Yours
in Patriotism,
Paul
A Bennett
L18041
Military Order of the Purple Heart
|