Reggie L. Buddle
aka
Reggie Buddel
USMC uniform, rank....
Poses as a Marine Chaplain and was working out of a Marine recruiting office in Tacoma. He wears full regalia including medals. He is also reportedly marrying Marines, attending funerals and performing pastorish duties.
Served in the Army from April 6, 1967 to
April 1 1973. Active Duty April 6 1967 to March 19 1969.
Awards: National Defense and Expert Badge/Rifle.
Training: General Supply Course
Stationed: Ft Lewis WA; Ft Gordon GA; Ft Jackson MS; USAREUR
Claims brother "Al" (above!!) died in Nam.
====================
UNITED
STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Western
District of Washington
April 5, 2007
PUYALLUP MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO POSING AS MARINE CORPS
CAPTAIN AND CHAPLAIN WEARING UNEARNED MEDALS OF VALOR
Conducted Weddings, Funerals and Other Events Illegally Wearing Uniform
and Medals for Valor
REGGIE L. BUDDLE, 59, of Puyallup, Washington, pleaded
guilty today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to Unlawful Wearing of
United States Military Medals and Decorations, a violation of federal
law punishable by up to six months imprisonment and a $5,000 fine.
BUDDLE will be sentenced June 21, 2007.
In pleading guilty, BUDDLE acknowledged that during 2005 and 2006, in
the State of Washington, he repeatedly posed as a decorated member of
the United States Marine Corps, wearing a Marine Corps uniform, with
insignia and rank of Captain, and wore official medals and service
decorations awarded to soldiers on the basis of service and valor to the
United States. In fact, Buddle never served in the United States Marine
Corps, and never earned those medals and commendations. The medals and
commendations worn by BUDDLE included such prestigious and well-known
awards as the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, awarded for
extraordinary contribution to national defense; the Combat Action
Ribbon, awarded to soldiers for actual combat with opposing forces; the
Presidential Unit Citation, awarded for extraordinary heroism in combat;
the Vietnam Service Medal, available only to soldiers who served in
Vietnam; and the United States Marine Corps Gold Jump Wings, awarded
only to Marine Corps members.
During this same period of time, BUDDLE posed as a Marine Corps Chaplain and Reverend, officiating and presiding at weddings, baptisms, and funerals of servicemen, and others. BUDDLE had never been ordained as a chaplain, and was not authorized by State law to act in such a capacity. On February 27, 2006, wearing the Marine Corps uniform with the above military medals and decorations, Buddle participated in the opening ceremony of the Washington State Senate at the Capital in Olympia, Washington, and gave the opening prayer to that body, posing as a Chaplain.
“Falsely claiming medals is stealing “Valor” from those who put themselves in harms way protecting this great country. We must continue to recognize our veterans for the true and actual sacrifices they have made, and to publicly condemn those who tarnish that service by stealing their valor,” said Douglas Carver, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Veteran Affairs, Office of Inspector General.
The case was investigated by the Department of Veteran Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG) and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Friedman
==============================
Puyallup, WA, man sentenced to tend
graves in military cemetery
Associated Press - July 30, 2007 7:05 PM ET
TACOMA, Wash. (AP) - A 59-year-old man has been sentenced in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to two years of probation and 500 hours of community service for the unlawful wearing of U.S. Military Medals and Decorations.
Magistrate Judge Kelly Arnold today ordered Reggie L. Buddle, of Puyallup, to perform 500 hours of community service tending graves and performing labor at the Tahoma Military Cemetery in Kent.
The judge said he was "pleased the beneficiary of the community service will be connected to the criminal event."...
Last updated July 30, 2007 3:09 p.m. PT
Fake Marine must work at military cemetery
By MIKE BARBER
P-I REPORTER
A Puyallup man who posed as a decorated Marine veteran of the Vietnam war must now spend his time tending the graves of real veterans.
A U.S. magistrate in Tacoma on Monday ordered Reggie L. Buddle, 59, to work 500 hours of community service by working at Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent. Buddle had pleaded guilty to unlawfully wearing military medals and decorations. Buddle acknowledged posing as a decorated Marine captain. He never served in the Marines nor won the medals he wore, including the Distinguished Service Medal, a presidential unit citation for heroism in combat and a medal for serving in Vietnam.....
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Last updated 7:19 a.m. PT
Man who posed as Marine hero sentenced to tend military graves
For pretending that he was a decorated U.S. military veteran, 59-year-old Reggie L. Buddle of Puyallup must tend to the graves of those who really were.
Reggie L. Buddle of Puyallup, standing in the khaki shirt, during the 2006 opening ceremony for the Washington State Senate. (Photo provided by U.S. Attorney's office) |
||
U.S. Magistrate Kelly Arnold in U.S. District Court in Tacoma on Monday sentenced the counterfeit Vietnam vet to two years' probation and 500 hours laboring at Tahoma National Cemetery for posing as a decorated U.S. Marine captain and military chaplain in 2005 and 2006.
Buddle, who never was in the Marine Corps, pleaded guilty in April to unlawful wearing of U.S. military medals and decorations. That followed an investigation by the inspector general of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2007/07/fake-vietnam-ve.html
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SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/325954_fakevet02.html
How one bogus Marine fooled
an entire family
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Last updated
7:23 a.m. PT
By CAROL SMITH
P-I REPORTER
Reggie Buddle, the man who posed as a combat-decorated Marine and military chaplain, wasn't authorized to officiate at veterans' funerals, recruit new Marines, perform their marriages or baptize them before they went to Iraq, but for one family, he managed to do all four.
Buddle, who in reality is a retired Boeing Machinist and an Army veteran who never saw combat, encouraged Debbie Laukeman's son to join the Marines, in part by sharing his own made-up experiences. Her son, Christopher Bearce, was 19 at the time and turned to Buddle, who was engaging and a good storyteller, for advice.......
P-I reporter Carol Smith can be reached at 206-448-8070 or carolsmith@seattlepi.com.
© 1998-2007 Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Last updated 12:04 a.m. PT
Cemetery duty for impostor Marine reviewed
Tahoma director worried presence will upset families
The man who impersonated a decorated Marine has so incensed the military community that the director of Tahoma National Cemetery plans to ask the courts to reconsider whether he should do his community service there.
"When this whole thing came to light, it raised a lot of hair on people," said Jim Trimbo, the director of the National Cemetery in Kent.
Reggie Buddle, 59, was sentenced earlier this week to two years of probation and 500 hours of community service at the cemetery after pleading guilty to unlawful wearing of U.S. military medals and decorations......
False Marine chaplain spun web of deceit
Posted : Saturday Aug 4, 2007 9:14:26 EDT
Reggie Buddle, right, officiated the wedding ceremony for Courtney Hopkins and her husband, Staff Sgt. Ryan Hopkins, in 2005. Although Buddle served two years of active duty in the Army, he was never a leatherneck and never earned a commission despite wearing the uniform of a Marine captain.
Courtney Hopkins, a former Marine, first met Reggie Buddle in 2004 at his home, where he presided over a wedding for a leatherneck who had just finished boot camp.
A year later, the man she called “the Rev” baptized her newborn son and presided over her wedding to Staff Sgt. Bryan Hopkins, a week before her new husband deployed to Iraq.
“I had known [Buddle] for a year and my husband knew him even longer, so it just seemed like the natural choice. We trusted him,” Hopkins said.
Buddle wore the uniform and rank of a Marine captain and spun heroic tales of serving in Vietnam. He attended the local Marine Corps birthday ball in full uniform. The Marines at the recruiting substation in Tacoma, Wash., trusted him, asking him to marry them and baptize their children. The Washington State Senate even arranged for him to give an invocation with a Marine color guard to start a daily session.
There was only one problem. Buddle lied about it all.......