Richard "David" McClanahan
TX
07/2007 Ft Worth, TX
Records
-- note the letter from USASOC
denying Special Forces training - and the DD214 says there was!!
MORE: http://www.dramarillo.com/
Reportedly was put in Ft. Knox for 100 days for the Purple Heart & Silver Star stunt. .... Then the Ft. Lewis stuff... Rumored that had he not gotten out then more charges were going to be pressed.
=========================================
Amarillo Man Indicted for Lying
about Military Honors
Reported by: Andy Justus
Wednesday, May 23, 2007 @10:32am
KAMR -- An Amarillo man has been indicted for lying about earning
military medals. Richard "David" McClanahan was indicted in
federal court on three counts. Two were for his claims of having
military honors including 3 Purple Hearts, 3 Silver Stars, and a
Congressional Medal of Honor. The other count had to do with falsifying
bank documents. These indictments have been in the works for at least a
month, our story however, started two months ago. In the beginning it
was a tale of heroics, in the end it turned into an I-Team
investigation. David McClanahan was a poster boy of bravery, at least
that's what so many believed. The letter from the President confirmed
it. It was a nomination for the Congressional Medal of Honor. The letter
told a story of valor, and he confirmed it on more than one speaking
engagement. At a military banquet on March 24, 2007, McClanahan told the
crowd, "It's just a nomination. There are so many more who deserve
it." After several calls to the White House and Pentagon we
confirmed the letter was a fake. By that time McClanahan had already
shared his story with hundreds, including his unsuspecting family. It
was a tale of how he killed Iraqis and saved American lives. On paper
his story of bravery continued. His resume boasted dozens of awards,
including 3 Purple Hearts and 3 Silver Stars. A Lt. Colonel at the
Pentagon looked into those claims for us and e-mailed us this response.
"The Army is looking into this matter, and as of yet has found no
evidence to substantiate McClanahan's claim. If proven, McClanahan's
fabrication is an insult to the real heroes in the Army today - brave
warriors whose deeds go completely unnoticed by the American public.
True heroes need not boast. Their accomplishments speak for
themselves." The FBI investigation into McClanahan's claims took
many by surprise. Jack Barnes with America Supports You worked with
David on more than one occasion. He told us he was shocked that a story
could be so fabricated. David McClanahan just finished up finals at West
Texas A&M and we're told by family members he has moved out of town.
We also talked to him during the investigation. We asked him about
everything - the letter, the awards, and the stories. He wouldn't go on
record, but he referred us to his attorney. In the end we didn't get to
tell a story about a young man who grew up at Cal Farley's Boys Ranch,
who became a hero. Instead we told a story about a man who was indicted
for falsely representing himself. According to the U.S. District
Attorney's office, McClanahan will be arraigned next Thursday.
==================================
Accused Phony War Hero in Court Today in Texas
May 31, 2007 11:15 AM Vic Walter Reports:
The way he told it,
David McClanahan, of Fort Worth, Texas, had been wounded in combat
three times in Iraq, awarded three Silver Stars and even nominated for
the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Today, McClanahan, a nursing student at West Texas A&M, appeared in federal court in Amarillo, Texas, on charges he made up his hero's tale. McClanahan did not enter a plea and was released on bond after being advised of the charges against him. The arraignment is now scheduled for June 13.
His lawyer, Brooks Barfield, says McClanahan will enter a plea of not guilty.
A federal grand jury indicted McClanahan last week under the newly passed Stolen Valor Act, which makes any misrepresentation of military service awards a federal crime, punishable with up to a year in prison.
"This is quite an egregious offense that he held himself out as a war hero," Assistant United States Attorney Christy Drake told the Blotter on ABCNews.com.
Photos: Medals of Dishonor
The grand jury indictment grew out of the work of amateur Web sleuths Chuck and Mary Schantag, who run the Web site POWNetwork.org.
They were asked by a Texas veterans group to do a service record check on McClanahan before he was named guest speaker at the group's yearly banquet.
According to Jack Barnes, who heads up America Supports You in Amarillo, Texas, McClanahan told him he had been awarded three Silver Stars, three Purple Hearts, the Legion of Merit and a nomination for the Congressional Medal of Honor for combat bravery in Iraq.
"We just embraced this young man. His story was so real," recalled Barnes.
But the Web site sleuths, the Schantags, found McClanahan had served two years in the Navy and four years in the Army, from which he was discharged as a private with no medals of valor.
"His claims were too good to be true and turned out to be 100 percent false," said Mary Schantag. "Instead of his record being filled with heroism, there was no record of any of the accomplishments he had claimed."
She quickly passed along the findings to the FBI.
"We were shocked" by the Schantags' discovery, said Barnes. "We can't believe the young man would present himself as a war hero to our group when our nation is at war and we have men and women making the ultimate sacrifice for our country," Barnes, himself a Navy veteran, told ABCNews.com.
"He's gotten himself in a hell of a mess, and I'm disappointed
by it," said Dan Adams, president and CEO of Cal Farley's Boys
Ranch of Amarillo, Texas, where McClanahan attended.
Just last year, McClanahan was awarded a college scholarship worth
$3,500 a semester by Cal Farley's, which is a home and school for
troubled youth.
"He did pad himself as a war hero here and appeared before the
scholarship committee in uniform and wearing medals," Adams told
ABCNews.com. He added that McClanahan also showed off a letter
he claimed was signed by President Bush, nominating McClanahan for the
Congressional Medal of Honor.
In its indictment, the federal grand jury charged Richard "David" McClanahan with two misdemeanor counts of knowingly and intentionally falsely representing himself as having been awarded decorations or medals authorized by Congress, including the Congressional Medal of Honor. The grand jury also charged McClanahan with making a false financial statement in connection with the indictment, a felony.
====================================================================================================================================
http://www.armytimes.com/issues/stories/0-ARMYPAPER-2851858.php
The full story is in the Army Times.
==================================
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/08/Phony_hero_070807w/
Phony war hero
Posted : Tuesday Aug 7, 2007 18:27:20 EDT
A former soldier charged with felony bank fraud and two misdemeanor counts of falsely claiming military awards or decorations is set to plead guilty Thursday to two of the three charges against him, according to the prosecutor handling the case.
Richard David McClanahan, 29, has agreed to plead guilty to bank fraud and falsely claiming a Medal of Honor, said Christy Drake, the assistant U.S. attorney in Amarillo, Texas. As part of the plea agreement, she said, the prosecution will drop the other charge against McClanahan — that he falselyclaimed he had three Silver Stars, three Purple Hearts and the Legion of Merit.
The bank fraud charge carries up to 30 years in prison, and the maximum sentence for the Medal of Honor charge is one year in prison. McClanahan will appear in U.S. District Court in Amarillo in front of federal district judge Mary Lou Robinson. When the plea is accepted, a different date will be set for sentencing, probably a couple months from now, Drake said. Robinson has sole discretion in determining how much time McClanahan should spend behind bars, Drake said.
If McClanahan changes his mind about pleading guilty, the case against him is still set to go to trial Aug. 14.
Army records for McClanahan, a former medic, show he never received an award for valor, and his only overseas assignment, Army officials said, was a year-long tour in South Korea from 2003 to 2004. McClanahan was kicked out of the Army for similar charges, spending time in prison and taking a reduction in rank and an other-than-honorable discharge on his way out, Army officials said. He was in the Army from 2001 to 2005 after a short stint in the Navy.
============================
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/081107dnmetmilitary.1ecf179f.html
Fort Worth man lies about military record
04:50 PM CDT on Friday, August 10, 2007
From Staff ReportsA 29-year-old Fort Worth man who claimed he received numerous military awards now faces up to 31 years in prison for lying about his military record.
Richard David McClanahan, formerly of Boys Ranch, Texas, pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of making false statements and one count of making false claims about receipt of military medals, U.S. Attorney Richard Roper said.
Mr. McClanahan told people he had been nominated for the Congressional Medal of Honor and spoke at local schools and on radio programs about his military awards, the U.S. Attorney’s office said. He received about $11,000 in donations and scholarships.
Mr. McClanahan did have a military record, but it was one filled with lies, demotions and a discharge “under other than honorable conditions,” the U.S. Attorney’s office said.
Mr. McClanahan served in the Navy from January 1999 to May 2001. He then joined the Army as a sergeant in June 2001.
A military evaluation in 2005 revealed that he had continually lied about his civilian life, military career, education and experiences, the U.S. Attorney’s office said. In one case, he falsified a score on his fitness card and then forged the physician assistant’s signature.
In April 2005, the Army found him guilty of wearing unauthorized awards and badges. The Army reduced his rank and sentenced him to 100 days of confinement. Three months later, the Army charged him with making a false official statement that included lying about his bachelor’s degree, his Army physical fitness test score and earning numerous military course certifications and badges, including the basic parachutist badge and a Navy Seal certificate.
In July 2005, he was discharged.
Mr. McClanahan move to Amarillo and continued to share with others his stories of military awards and decorations. He received $2,000 in donations from the “America Supports You,” organization, which assists service members.
In March, he sent a letter to an Amarillo Ford car dealership and asked them to donate a vehicle to him because of his congressional medal nomination. The dealership declined the donation but agreed to help him with financing.
Mr. McClanahan later admitted that he submitted a false financial statement, the U.S. Attorney’s office said.
A sentencing date has not been set. Mr. McClanahan could also face $1.1 million in fines.
===============
====================
'Hero' pleads guilty to lies about war honors
Car loan application trips up man who had embellished his military career10:02 PM CDT on Friday, August 10, 2007
By STELLA M. CHÁVEZ / The Dallas Morning Newsschavez@dallasnews.com
To those who met him, Richard David McClanahan was quite the hero, an attractive man with an impressive military career. Three Purple Hearts. Three Silver Stars. Two tours in Iraq. One tour in Afghanistan. He was a POW being considered for the Medal of Honor.
Richard David McClanahan of Fort Worth pleaded guilty this week to one count of making false statements and one count of making false claims about receipt of military medals. He faces a maximum statutory sentence of 31 years in prison and a $1.1 million fine.
The only problem was none of it was true.
"He'd wake up in the middle of the night, saying he was having flashbacks to when he was a POW," recalls Robin Beard of Amarillo, his soon-to-be second ex-wife. "I think it was just his conscience keeping him up."
As Ms. Beard would later discover, the man to whom she had pledged sacred vows was not the man she thought he was. He had conned her and every other woman in his life, she said. He'd conned his family. And he'd conned the military – lying about awards and badges, as well as his education and experience, and falsifying military documents.
Military medals
Richard David McClanahan pleaded guilty this week to making false claims about receiving military medals. Here is a look at his military record:
HONORS HE EARNED:
Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation, Army Commendation Medal, two Army Achievement Medals, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, two National Defense Service Medals, Korea Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Marksman Marksmanship Qualification Badge with Rifle Bar and Aviation Badge
SOME HONORS HE CLAIMED TO EARN:
Medal of Honor nomination, three Silver Stars, three Purple Hearts, the Legion of Merit, Parachutist Badge, Special Forces Tab, Prisoner of War medal and service in Iraq
Sources: Dallas Morning News research, POW Network, www.dramarillo.com, U.S. attorney's office.
In April 2005, the Army found him guilty of wearing unauthorized awards and badges, reduced his rank from sergeant to private and sentenced him to 100 days of confinement. On July 25, 2005, he was discharged from the Army under "other than honorable conditions."
Mr. McClanahan continued the lies, which eventually caught up with him. In May, he was indicted in U.S. District Court on charges of making false statements on a bank form and lying about receiving military medals. On Thursday, he pleaded guilty in federal court in Amarillo to one count of making false statements and one count of making false claims about the receipt of military medals.
Mr. McClanahan, 29, who now lives in Fort Worth, according to federal officials, faces a maximum statutory sentence of 31 years in prison and a $1.1 million fine. A sentencing date has not been set.
Mr. McClanahan and his attorney could not be reached for comment Friday.
'Stolen Valor'
The Stolen Valor Act, which President Bush signed into law in December, makes it a felony to impersonate military heroes by falsely claiming to have been awarded the nation's top military decorations, such as the Medal of Honor. The law not only prohibits people from wearing unearned medals but also bans them from claiming to have earned such awards verbally or in writing. The act is named after the book Stolen Valor , which was co-written by B.G. "Jug" Burkett of Dallas.
A news release from the U.S. attorney's office explains that the false statements charge relates to financial documents Mr. McClanahan submitted to a bank detailing his income and assets for a car loan. He "had grossly inflated his income" and "he admitted that he knew at the time he completed the financial statement that it was false and he did it to influence the financial institution to approve his loan," according to the release.
Paul Harpole, vice president and partner of John Chandler Ford dealership in Amarillo, said he fell for Mr. McClanahan's lies – at first. He had heard him speak to a group of parents of West Point students and was brought to tears by his stories.
A couple of days later, he received a letter from Mr. McClanahan asking if the dealership would donate a car because of his military record. He later showed up and apologized for writing the letter.
The dealership tried to help him find financing so he could buy a car instead. That's when Mr. McClanahan falsified information on his loan application and changed a document he received from the bank.
Some of the things Mr. McClanahan said seemed exaggerated or untrue to Mr. Harpole, a veteran of the Vietnam War. So he contacted the FBI with his suspicions.
"He was so blatant about it," he said. "He was out there telling this story and collecting money. He was a con artist deluxe."
One letter Mr. McClanahan showed Ms. Beard about being considered for the Medal of Honor was dated March 13, 2007.
After detailing his supposed heroic actions as a Special Forces medical sergeant in northern Iraq, the letter states: "Laura and I are praying for you and your family." But it is signed George H.W. Bush, the president's father.
Ms. Beard, who has filed for an annulment of her marriage, is now trying to help other would-be victims of Mr. McClanahan's scams.
"My perspective is more of a victims' advocate," she said Friday. "I just want people to know so they can make an informed decision. I don't want them to be stuck with a $30,000 debt."
Since learning about her husband's habitual lying, Ms. Beard has received e-mails from girlfriends he had while married to his first wife. She's also been in touch with some of his more recent girlfriends – women he has dated since he and Ms. Beard broke up in April. One bought him a car and a cellphone, she said.
"I'm up to six, if not eight" girlfriends, she said of the women she's been in contact with.
Scholarship
According to court documents, Mr. McClanahan graduated from Boys Ranch High School near Amarillo in 1997. He spent five or six years at Cal Farley's Boys Ranch, said Dan Adams, president and CEO of the organization.
Citing confidentiality reasons, Mr. Adams said he could not comment on Mr. McClanahan's behavior or record while living there. Boys Ranch is a nonprofit organization that takes in children via private referrals from parents or relatives who are having trouble with their kids.
Mr. Adams said he was disheartened to hear the news about the former resident.
"I think it's unfortunate, especially when you have a war going on," he said. "I'm sorry for him and his family and the people he has hurt. But I think when you do things like that, society tends to hold you accountable, and I think that's OK."
Federal officials say Mr. McClanahan received $9,500 in scholarship money from Boys Ranch.
Mr. Adams said alumni are eligible to receive scholarships if they meet certain criteria, including passing grades. He said Mr. McClanahan was going to school to obtain a nursing degree and met the criteria when he received the funds.
In military circles, both online and in organizations, the reaction to his claims ranges from shock to condemnation.
Charlie Skipper, a retired master sergeant who served 15 years in the Special Forces and spent a total of 23 years in the Army, said he knew Mr. McClanahan was up to no good when he read his bio.
"I took one look at it and instantly knew he was a fraud," he said. "To have three Silver Stars is just unheard of. ... There were so many things on that bio that made no sense."
Mr. Skipper's commander asked him to investigate because Mr. McClanahan had been invited to speak at the Amarillo Armed Forces Day banquet, an event sponsored by the America Supports You organization.
Mr. Skipper called a friend in the Special Forces – nobody had heard of Mr. McClanahan or his purported military achievements.
'Outlandish'
During his research, Mr. Skipper contacted the POW Network, which ultimately uncovered a number of false records through open-records requests directly to Fort Bragg and Fort Benning. The documents show he was never in the Special Forces.
Mary Schantag said Mr. McClanahan spent 100 days in the brig for forging documents, but his record was never corrected.
"His story was outlandish and didn't ring true from the start," she said.
Ms. Schantag, whose nonprofit organization has no paid staff but has volunteers working every day, said, "We have more frauds than ever, but no one to deal with it."
She said the network receives 12 requests every day. About once every week, the network reports fraud to the FBI and inspector general's office.
"This is an epidemic," she said. "It is a disgrace. It is morally and ethically wrong. Guys are doing it by the thousands, changing history. And there's little we can do about it."
The POW Network started 18 years ago to tell the stories of former prisoners of war but has evolved into an investigative agency.
Veronica McClanahan, Mr. McClanahan's first wife, said that he told her about one of his supposed Purple Hearts but that she didn't hear many of the tales that would come later.
"He only said it [the Purple Heart] was for what he did in Korea but he wasn't allowed to disclose what happened," she said.
She said she was there when he was court-martialed in 2005 for wearing medals he didn't earn.
"He lied about a lot of things," said Mrs. McClanahan, who is now friends with Ms. Beard, the second Mrs. McClanahan. "I think that was his favorite thing to do."
Staff writer Jay Parsons contributed to this report.
=====================================================
Awards deleted from record of MOH faker
Posted : Sunday Aug 19, 2007 10:43:59 EDT
Human Resources Command has deleted four items from the DD214 of a former soldier who recently pleaded guilty to felony bank fraud and falsely claiming he had received a Medal of Honor.
Richard David McClanahan, 29, pleaded guilty to the two charges Aug. 9 in U.S. District Court in Amarillo, Texas. In exchange for his guilty plea, prosecutors agreed to drop a third charge against him, in which he was accused of falsely claiming he had three Silver Stars, three Purple Hearts and the Legion of Merit.
After an inquiry from Army Times, officials at HRC found a number of entries on McClanahan’s DD214 that could not be verified.
Based on the concerns raised from the initial documents, HRC reviewed McClanahan’s entire DD214, spokesman Master Sgt. Keith O’Donnell said at the time.
“There are enough questions to question the validity of every item on the document,” O’Donnell said.
A DD215 issued June 28 to correct the DD214 deletes the expert field medical badge, parachutist badge, Special Forces tab and the second award of the National Defense Service Medal from McClanahan’s record. Army Times obtained the DD215 through a request under the Freedom of Information Act.
In court Aug. 9, McClanahan admitted to knowingly making a false statement to a federally insured financial institution in an effort to get a loan, according to court documents.
McClanahan, who was an Army medic, also “continually lied about civilian life, military career, education and experiences” and he “displayed poor judgment by falsifying military documents,” according to the court documents.
“He lied about his participation in Operation Enduring Freedom; he lied to his senior [noncommissioned officers], officers and commanders about his military service, combat injuries, decorations and awards; and he was incompetent and disregarded soldiers’ medical issues by writing and signing unauthorized medical profiles,” the court documents said.
McClanahan also admitted to falsely claiming he had a Medal of Honor.
The prosecution said that during the course of his misrepresentation of his military service, McClanahan received $9,500 in scholarship money and $2,000 in donations. He also tried to convince a local car dealership to give him a car because he had been nominated for the Medal of Honor, according to the court documents. When the dealership declined to donate a car to him, that’s when McClanahan “grossly inflated” his income in his loan application to Amarillo National Bank, the documents stated.
Army records for McClanahan show he never received an award for valor, and his only overseas assignment, Army officials said, was a yearlong tour in South Korea from 2003 to 2004. McClanahan was kicked out of the Army for similar charges, spending time in prison and taking a reduction in rank and an other-than-honorable discharge on his way out, Army officials said. He was in the Army from 2001 to 2005 after a short stint in the Navy.
McClanahan will be sentenced six to eight weeks from now. He faces a maximum of 31 years in prison, a fine of no more than $1.1 million and up to five years of probation, according to the plea agreement.
===========================================
Stolen Valor leads to prison term for veteran
LubbockOnline.com - Lubbock,TX,USA
McClanahan, 29, of Fort Worth is one in a small-but-growing list of fake military heroes prosecuted nationally under the Stolen Valor Act of 2005. ...
Story last updated at 4:07 a.m. Friday, November 2, 2007
Stolen Valor leads to prison term for veteran
CHRIS RAMIREZ
MORRIS NEWS SERVICE
AMARILLO - His resume reads like a military awards manual.
The Purple Heart is given to soldiers wounded or killed in battle. Richard David McClanahan claimed to have three of them.
Then there were the Silver Stars. He boasted to have three of those, too, more than military legend Audie Murphy.
![[]](images/2760db31.jpg)
But it was all a lie.
Now, McClanahan will have to spend 34 months in federal prison.
McClanahan, 29, of Fort Worth is one in a small-but-growing list of fake military heroes prosecuted nationally under the Stolen Valor Act of 2005.
The measure seeks to penalize people who either distribute phony medals or fraudulently claim to be decorated veterans.
At a sentencing hearing Thursday in Amarillo, McClanahan conceded he made "terrible choices" and acknowledged he "disrespected this nation and the uniform I wore."
"I take full responsibility. It was wrong, and I knew it was wrong when I did it," he told U.S. District Judge Mary Lou Robinson. "I have no right to ask for forgiveness. I tainted this country with my irresponsible actions, and for that I'm sorry.''
He was later led out of the courtroom and placed in immediate custody.
McClanahan pleaded guilty Aug. 9 to federal charges of lying about his military service record and making false statements for financial gains. Prosecutors also said McClanahan overstated his yearly income to get a Ford F-150 King Ranch financed through Amarillo National Bank.
Military records show McClanahan served nearly 21/2 years in the Navy and nearly four years in the Army. His service ended in April 2005.
After that, he began taking license with his service record, prosecutors said.
McClanahan made false claims that he received the Medal of Honor, three Silver Stars, three Purple Hearts and the Legion of Merit, court records show. He boasted to have collected more honors than Murphy, the son of Celeste sharecroppers who received 33 medals during World War II.
An investigation determined McClanahan, a 1997 graduate of Cal Farley's Boys Ranch High School, did not receive any of those medals. He bought medals and certificates on eBay and tried to pass them off as his own.
McClanahan also was given five years' probation on each count. Robinson admonished him for "a consistent pattern of lying."
"You lived a completely fictitious life for this period of time," she said. "You have a long course of behavior that has hurt other people.''
McClanahan faced a maximum sentence of up to 31 years in prison and $1.1 million in fines.
Richard David McClanahan
Awards he claimed to have received:
• Medal of Honor
• Three Silver Stars
• Legion of Merit
• Three Purple Hearts
• Meritorious Service Medal
• Two Army Commendation Medals
• Three Army Achievement Medals
• Iraq Campaign Medal
• Three Combat Medic Badges
• Special Forces Tab
• Parachutist Badge
• Foreign Jump Wings
• National Defense Service Medal
• Two Navy Achievement Medals
• Navy Good Conduct Medal
• Freefall Badge
• SF Dive Badge - properly called the Special Operations Diver Badge
• POW status
• Navy SEAL status
Merits he actually received:
Navy
• Meritorious Unit Commendation Army
• Army Commendation Medal
• Two Army Achievement Medals
• Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
• Army Good Conduct Medal
• National Defense Service Medal
• Korea Defense Service Medal
• Army Service Ribbon
• Overseas Service Medal
• Marksmanship Qualification
• Aviation Badge Keeping them honest?
• U.S. Rep. John Salazar, D-Colo., was the driving force behind the Stolen Valor Act of 2005, the measure under which Richard McClanahan was prosecuted.Salazar hopes to go a step further with HB-3769, dubbed the Military Valor Role of Honor Act. The measure calls for the creation of a national database containing accurate information on senior military citations.Its aim would be to enable relatives and others to verify service records of former military personnel."People need to have this information available to them," said Eric Wortman, a spokesman for Salazar, a member of the Armed Services Committee. Roughly 30 representatives are co-sponsoring the measure, Wortman said.The committee is likely to vote on Salazar's bill early next year. (MNS writer Jon Mark Beilue contributed to this report.)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stolen Valor Act
Thinking Out Loud
Amarillo.com (subscription) - Amarillo,TX,USA
Let us hope other jurists take as dim a view of what McClanahan did as Robinson, who sentenced the faux hero under a federal law, the Stolen Valor Act of ...
See all stories on this topic
Thinking Out Loud
ARTICLE TOOLS: Email Article | Print-Friendly Format
David McClanahan has gotten what he deserves: a 34-month prison sentence and a long probationary period after that.
McClanahan said he was a war hero. He wasn't. He said he earned the Medal of Honor, three Silver Stars, a Legion of Merit and three Purple Hearts. It was all a lie.
He received his judicial medicine from U.S. District Judge Mary Lou Robinson in Amarillo and will do time in a federal prison.
Let us hope other jurists take as dim a view of what McClanahan did as Robinson, who sentenced the faux hero under a federal law, the Stolen Valor Act of 2005.
It's one thing to inflate one's military service over a cold brew among friends. McClanahan - a Boys Ranch High School grad - took such prevarication to a new level. He accepted speaking engagements and honors from those he duped through a systematic series of lies.
This is a sad, tragic case of a young man who apparently thought he could get away with something so egregious as fabricating a heroic war record.
Thanks goodness a law is on the books that enabled Judge Robinson to rule as she did.
==============================================
As we prepare to remember America's veterans, take a moment to honor some of the greatest in our nation's pantheon of heroes: Sgt. Alvin York, Audie Murphy, David McClanahan ... David McClanahan?
If you did a double take of that last name, you're not alone.
For years, David McClanahan told anyone who would listen about his heroic exploits in winning the Congressional Medal of Honor, three Silver Stars, three Purple Hearts, and the Legion of Merit. He professed to have served in both the U.S. Army's Special Forces and the U.S. Navy SEALS, and to have been a POW. There was just one problem: none of it was true.
Last week McClanahan achieved one distinction - he became one of the first individuals prosecuted under a relatively new federal law, the Stolen Valor Act of 2005 (signed into law by President Bush in December 2006). The Stolen Valor Act makes it a crime to falsely claim to be a decorated military veteran, punishable by up to six months in prison and a $5,000 fine. The penalties are doubled if the claim involves the Distinguished Service Cross, Air Force Cross, Navy Cross, Silver Star, or Purple Heart.
The law, which was introduced by U.S. Rep. John Salazar of Colorado, expands the scope of pre-existing law, which only criminalized unauthorized wearing of the Congressional Medal of Honor (our nation's highest award for valor). McClanahan, who was facing up to 31 years in prison and up to $1.1 million in fines, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 34 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Mary Lou Robinson.
McClanahan had actually served in the military, with a hitch in the Navy from January 1999 to May 2001, followed by a stint in the Army from 2001 to 2005. However, his only overseas duty came in South Korea, and he was ultimately jailed, reduced in rank and given a "less than honorable" discharge from the Army for wearing unauthorized awards and badges.
A 1997 graduate of Cal Farley's Boys Ranch, McClanahan returned to Amarillo in 2006 spinning yarns of battlefield heroism that moved audiences at schools and civic groups to tears. Wearing a uniform full of medals he bought online through Ebay and military surplus stores, McClanahan used his ever-more outlandish lies to line his pockets.
He received $9,500 in scholarship money, thousands more in donations, and tried to pressure a local Ford dealer into giving him a car. When the dealer refused, McClanahan "grossly inflated" his income on an auto loan application -- a move that would lead to other legal charges.
McClanahan became entangled in his own web of lies -- in one forged Medal of Honor nomination letter, he claimed to have charged 180 meters up a hill, killed 12 Iraqis and been taken prisoner only to later escape with nine other Green Berets, killing eight of his captors in the process. The ersatz warrior may have been watched one too many Rambo movies, but he didn't pay much attention to detail: one of his Medal of Honor nomination letters purported to be from President Bush, but it was "signed" by the wrong one- George H. W. Bush, the President's father. Oops!
If you think that a fraud like David McClanahan is a rarity, think again. According to FBI agent Mike Sanborn, since the new law went into effect, between 600 and 700 violators have been identified -- and those are just the most extreme cases. Moreover, while many of these individuals have falsified their claims of heroism as part of schemes to collect school tuition, medical, or disability benefits to which they're not entitled, others have perpetrated these cons to prey on an unsuspecting general public.
A widow and Veterans Administration employee at Bay Pines VA Medical Center in Florida was allegedly bilked out of $45,000 by Lawrence Hammer, who falsified records and claimed to be an ex-Navy SEAL who had won the Medal of Honor for exploits in Vietnam.
Reggie Buddle of Washington state was sentenced this past summer to two years probation and 500 hours of community service for illegally posing as a decorated Marine Corps chaplain and presiding over weddings, funerals, and baptisms.
John Eastman of New Galilee, Pa., regularly appeared before civic organizations and veterans groups claiming to have been - depending on the audience -- a Marine major, a Navy SEAL, a sniper, and a pilot. He would hand out business cards bearing his self-given nickname "The Terminator" and boasting of having won the Navy Cross (the second-highest medal in the Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard).
However, when he decided to tell his tall tales before an overwhelmingly military audience at the Soldiers & Sailors National Military Museum and Memorial, he was busted. Ron Gancas, the museum's president, observed "He had more battle activity than eight guys put together. Why he picked this place to [lie] I don't know. Everybody was in the military here."
The ranks of these fake heroes aren't just the down and out. They include a CEO, a mayor, at least one police chief, and even a judge. For years, Illinois District Judge Michael O' Brien displayed not one but two Medals of Honor in a framed case in his chambers. People around the courthouse, not to mention the residents of his city, were convinced that in their midst was not only a leading pillar of the legal community, but one of America's greatest heroes.
That is, until Judge O'Brien applied for Medal of Honor License plates from Illinois' Department of Motor Vehicles. A skeptical DMV employee contacted an actual Medal of Honor recipient, and the judge's lies were soon exposed. One clue might have been the fact that there are only 111 living Medal of Honor recipients, and there have only been 18 dual winners in U.S. history.
O'Brien isn't one of them, but his public disgrace could have been far worse: his fraud was discovered before the Stolen Valor Act took effect, at a time when the only law on the books criminalized the wearing, manufacturing, buying, selling, or trading the Medal of Honor. O'Brien couldn't be prosecuted under federal law because, at the time, it wasn't a criminal offense to possess or display the distinction on one's wall.
Another phony hero who betrayed a trusting public is J.C. Ortiz, who for years attended veterans affairs, offered comfort to grieving families and spoke at community events throughout the Rio Grande Valley. Ortiz claimed to have risen to the rank of sergeant major in the U.S. Marine Corps after serving 39 years in the armed forces, including four tours of duty in Vietnam.
His "fruit salad" (the military slang for the award ribbons on a soldier's chest) included seven Purple Hearts, two Silver Stars, two Bronze Stars and other decorations that he bought online or at military surplus stores. His multiple sets of paratrooper's wings raised suspicions, especially when he claimed to have attended a Marine parachute training school (the Marines don't have one).
Ortiz even received the "Spirit of Freedom Award" from the McAllen Monitor for his service in uniform. Ironically, it was that some newspaper whose investigation later revealed Ortiz' fraudulent past, after fellow veterans expressed doubts about his exploits.
As the story unraveled, J.C. Ortiz was shown to have been born Gerrold Jerome Bowman, a ne'er do well whose military career lasted all of three-and-a-half years before receiving an "undesirable" discharge in 1962 as a Marine private for going AWOL (absent without leave).
Sadly, cases like these are just the tip of the iceberg. Local journalist Glenna Whitley and Plano resident and veteran B.G. Burkett wrote the award-winning book Stolen Valor several years ago, first exposing the prevalence of such military imposters and providing the impetus for changing the law in this area.
And while not every fake hero does it for financial gain, it can hardly be called a victimless crime. As Tony Cottone, a New Jersey FBI agent who has investigated such frauds for over a decade, points out "They're doing it to garner unearned respect and dignity based on their 'heroic' military exploits. These people are literally stealing the valor of people who really did it, and they're taking advantage of the trust of the American people."
One judge in Saginaw, Mich., recently found a way to implement some poetic justice. Philip Kolinski pleaded guilty to taking part in a scam in which he solicited scrap metal donations - ostensibly for a military memorial to those who have fallen in Iraq - but actually sold the metal and pocketed the proceeds. After ordering Kolinski to pay $9,000 in restitution and $2,095 in fees and fines, Judge A.T. Frank added something else. He ordered Kolinski to clean a local veterans' memorial with a toothbrush, while wearing a placard saying "I stole from veterans."
The Stolen Valor Act should remind us, not just this Veterans Day, but everyday, that the brave individuals who have earned distinction in service to our country should not have these honors tarnished by frauds.
When you take part in your daily activities (even something as mundane as reading this column), remember that you have the freedom to do because of what has been guaranteed by countless veterans throughout our history.
When you go to sleep at night, remember that you are sleeping beneath the blanket of protection that these veterans have provided, not just the veterans you may meet but those who never made it back to receive the thanks of a grateful nation.
EMAIL A FRIEND | | DIGG THIS | POST TO DEL.ICIO.US
![[]](http://www.lubbockonline.com/stories/110207/../../images/20071102/89747_512.jpg)
