Last
January when I received the monthly issue of the Legion of Valor magazine
(which they so kindly send me each month), there was the listing (a scan of
that page is below for a new member), Raymond R. Sawyer of Arvada, CO. I
checked it against my own database, and did not find him listed. I then
checked the name against Jane Blakeney’s index of Marine Corps Navy Cross
and Silver Star (in case it was a late upgrade), and she did not list him
for either award.
Before
contacting the Congressionally Chartered Legion of Valor, I called Marine
Corps Awards and Decs, and they researched him and advised me that they
didn’t have him listed as a Navy Cross recipient, or have a biography on
him (which they believed they normally would if he was legitimate.) At that
time I advised Phil and Tom Richards (USMC Navy Cross recipient and another
officer in LOV.) Phil advised that Mr. Sawyer was enrolled based upon
discharge papers and a NX citation that he provided, and Phil does have
those copies. Phil further FOIAd Mr. Sawyer, and got the all-too-common
“No Record” response.
I
do know that Mr. Sawyer is a former Marine who DID in fact serve in the
Pacific in WWII. His name is inscribed in his home town on the WWII memorial
of veterans from that county who served. Also, upon being admitted to the
LOV, Mr. Sawyer’s original home town of Woburn, MA (he now lives in a
Arvada, CO, Suburb) did a news story on his acceptance in LOV. That story is
also below and contains some additional claims you may find suspect. Mr.
Sawyer ALSO was wounded at Okinawa (in the heel), earning a Purple Heart. We
have VERIFIED that he did NOT receive the Navy Cross.
Last
week I learned that Mr. Sawyer
was to have been “contacted” this week by the FBI, pursuant to an
investigation into his false claims to the Navy Cross. We had actually hoped
he would be the first case charged under the new Stolen Valor Act, since
that bill originated in Colorado, and was introduced by Colorado Congressman
John Salazar and co-sponsored by four of Colorado’s other six members of
Congress and by both Colorado Senators. In fact, a week ago Lowell McGuinn
was charged under the SV act in New York, becoming the first case under the
new law.
The
below story was just found ONLINE regarding Mr. Sawyer, who was to have been
contacted this week by the FBI in regards to possible charges under the
stolen valor act.
Sincerely,
Doug
C.
Douglas Sterner
3111
Thatcher Ave.
Pueblo,
CO 81005
(719)
564-1755
|
Posted
by KKAT TV on Thursday April 5, 2007 at 2:56 pm MST Link
to story:
http://www.glendaledailyplanet.com/
GLENDALE,
Ariz. – On August 31, 1981, Glendale Police Officers and
Detectives went to 5200 W. Phelps where an adult female had been
found. The female was a victim of an obvious homicide. The victim,
Frances Sawyer, originally appeared to have been sexually assaulted
and had been strangled to death. According to her husband, Raymond
Sawyer, she was on her way to Metrocenter Mall. That lead as well as
others were pursued, but the case remained unsolved. The
case was reviewed periodically through the years but nothing new
came up. Glendale Police Department “Cold Case” Detective, Roger
Geisler, traveled to Arvada, Colorado to re-contact the victim’s
husband in an attempt to develop new leads. During the interview,
Raymond Sawyer, the victim’s husband at that time, broke down and
confessed revealing details he had never revealed before that only
the murderer would have known. On
April 2, 2007, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office filed first
degree murder charges against Raymond Sawyer and he was subsequently
arrested by Arvada, Colorado investigators. |
This
is a scan from the Legion of Valor Magazine announcing Sawyer’s membership
in that organization, based upon the (bogus) discharge papers and (bogus)
Navy Cross citation he provided:
Article
in February about Mr. Sawyer in his hometown newspaper in WOBURN, MA
