# Debunking a phony "Marine Veteran." **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 3, 2010, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunking-a-phony-marine-veteran/562873 "2010-12-03T23:11:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunking-a-phony-marine-veteran/562873/61 "2010-12-05T15:53:43Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > Also: what is the “Icorp”? I corps was a region of the Vietnam. It is also, IIRC, an army corps. Not Marine. I vote for the guy being full of BS. Ask him if he was an in country trained sniper or whether he went through the Camp Pendleton school, and get the dates. That will expose much. Footnote… IMNAS, but I have friends! ---
**Author:** ![cwthree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@cwthree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cwthree)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunking-a-phony-marine-veteran/562873/62 "2010-12-05T15:57:21Z")
> [@postcards](#): > > Marriott Hotels does all this? It’s not entirely impossible. Marriott does provide food service to universities and such. The Marriott connection isn’t always obvious - at the school where I work, the food service was branded with the school’s logo and names that were meant to appeal to students. Marriott also operates retirement and assisted living facilities. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunking-a-phony-marine-veteran/562873/63 "2010-12-05T16:10:39Z")
[Here](http://www.stolenvalor.com/index.cfm) is a fun site. The OP’s acquaintance may be interested in knowing that the site’s team includes people who really were SEALS and federal law inforcement personnel. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunking-a-phony-marine-veteran/562873/64 "2010-12-05T16:42:03Z")
I found one of the threads on imdb where this was called out. The guy apparently has friends on imdb’s ancient board as they all rallied around him and poo-poo’ed the frauds he was committing. Very sad. ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunking-a-phony-marine-veteran/562873/65 "2010-12-05T17:39:59Z")
> [@casdave](#): > > By the way, medals are all numbered, let him quote his number on his medals. The number is on there, because you don’t actually own the medals and they have to be traceable - it means they can be accurately verified and thieves can be readily caught out, as can imposters.He should also be able to quote the cite on his medal certificates. Do you have a cite for this? ---
**Author:** ![Uber\_the\_Goober](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/58956e/32.png) [@Uber\_the\_Goober](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uber_the_Goober)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunking-a-phony-marine-veteran/562873/66 "2010-12-05T17:42:25Z")
He’s probably a schizophrenic. My mom is, hardcore diagnosed schizo for years. Major medication and she still believes that she has twelve children noone else can see and that she wrote the lyrics for most of the radio hits of the 70’s. These people are so convinced of what they say that no amount of evidence to the contrary would make them go “Alright, you got me. I made it all up.” They believe it, and cannot distinguish reality from their imagination. A true Marine Vet wouldn’t be concerned with proving himself to anyone like this guy is. He’s living in his fantasy, you’d be better off ignoring him. It’s easy to see he’s a fraud. Until he does harm to himself or others, you’re getting worked up over nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunking-a-phony-marine-veteran/562873/67 "2010-12-05T17:49:37Z")
I don’t think you need such a fancy mental explanation. Some people just lie to make themselves look good and seem like an authority to the people they know. They may have an active fantasy life but they don’t need to be mentally ill to let it drift into their life stories, they just need to get away with telling the tale a few times. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunking-a-phony-marine-veteran/562873/68 "2010-12-05T18:18:46Z")
> [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](#): > > it begs the question, “why do people do this?” Approval. If they can’t make it, they fake it. I worked with a guy a few years back like this. Pure bullshit. His name became a synonym around work for eggagerated stories. Claimed to have been an Army Sniper and dominated out Concealed Carry class with his constant babbling. Then when we get into the range he clearly had never held a firearm in his life, and almost got kicked out for his unsafe behavior. Claimed his previous job was driving Kenny Chesney’s tour bus (then what the fuck are you doing in an $11 an hour security job?) Claimed all sorts of experience at this and that. When he finally quit, he claimed he was leaving to take over as “Fleet Manager” for a nationwide trucking company. Sure fella, sure. ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunking-a-phony-marine-veteran/562873/69 "2010-12-05T18:37:38Z")
I knew a girl who use to claim that she could work with the electrical crew at a music festable because her dad was in the SeaBees when he was in the Army. Anything that was mentioned she had experience in it. Tall tells and she and only she believed them. No point in arguing just a waste of time. the next year our director had her assigned to another team and away from us. Why waste your time? ---
**Author:** ![SanDiegoTim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@SanDiegoTim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanDiegoTim)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunking-a-phony-marine-veteran/562873/70 "2010-12-05T18:42:30Z")
“I dont think SEALs were called SEALS back then am i right?” Don’t recall when the term SEAL came into existence, but the term SEAL was not used in the mid 60’s. Could be wrong, but a commonly used term was UDT (Underwater Demolition Team). ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunking-a-phony-marine-veteran/562873/71 "2010-12-06T00:32:19Z")
Who wrote this, Napoleon Dynamite? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunking-a-phony-marine-veteran/562873/72 "2010-12-06T00:55:54Z")
Maybe someone should ask him what kind of skills he has. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunking-a-phony-marine-veteran/562873/73 "2010-12-06T01:03:55Z")
The people on the “Twilight: Breaking Dawn” forum where “Usher” posts have swallowed all of his lies to such an absurd extent, it confirms all of the worst stereotypes about Twilight fans. Maybe he’s told them that he’s also a vampire and a werewolf. ---
**Author:** ![AmunRa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@AmunRa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AmunRa)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunking-a-phony-marine-veteran/562873/74 "2010-12-06T01:18:06Z")
> [@casdave](#): > > By the way, medals are all numbered, let him quote his number on his medals. The number is on there, because you don’t actually own the medals and they have to be traceable - it means they can be accurately verified and thieves can be readily caught out, as can imposters.He should also be able to quote the cite on his medal certificates. Maybe the Marines are different, but the army does not give out numbered medals; the medals are just for show and don’t really mean anything by themselves. In the Army you get orders with each medal, which would have a permanent order number. I am pretty sure this holds true for every medal up to, but probably not including the Medal of Honor. > [@RickJay](#): > > Nothing about the guy’s story makes any sense. He would not have accomplished any of these things at the age he did. He clearly doesn’t know what snipers do, how they’re chosen, or for that matter the fact that “sniper/scout” as a job description is like saying “barber/barista” … Not quite: [Scout Sniper](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scout_Sniper) is an MOS in the Marine Corps. I’m not for a second saying this guy is legit, I just want to make sure the info used to crucify him is legit. ---
**Author:** ![Capitaine\_Zombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunking-a-phony-marine-veteran/562873/75 "2010-12-06T01:23:02Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Maybe someone should ask him what kind of skills he has. His claims as a chief could be real: [http://www.chefblog.marriott.com/2008/06/index.html](http://www.chefblog.marriott.com/2008/06/index.html) But, my, his blog ( [Google Search](http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fusherhouse3.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F05%2Ftigers-and-smores.html&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a) ), I was laughing my ass off. I loved the “I have seen genocide, I have felt the murderous heft of a weapon, I have heard the low growl of an uncaged lion in the dark. I have seen the glittering eyes of hyena just past the light of a campfire. I have held my babies. I have repaid the favors given to me and have made good on promises of revenge.” (is that a Rambo quote? Sounds like one. ) and the " It is from these experiences that I really don’t care for hot climates anymore" (like, “blowing Cobra bases in the freezing Arctic has left me with a strong distate for cold”). Also he goes on a rant about Montagnards being chased by the Cambodgians (I assume he means Khmers Rouges) but Montagnards are from Vietnam. Taken from the wiki page on Montagnards: “Thousands of Degar fled to Cambodia after the fall of Saigon to the North Vietnamese Army, fearing that the new government would launch reprisals against them because they had aided the Army of the Republic of Vietnam. The U.S. military resettled some Degar in the United States, primarily in North Carolina, but these evacuees numbered less than two thousand. In addition, the Vietnamese government has steadily displaced thousands of villagers from Vietnam’s central highlands, to use the fertile land for coffee plantations.” So, didnt seem like there was some massive onslaught on Montagnards in Cambodgia (even more so, there wasnt in Vietnam neither, they got forcibly displaced but they dont seem to have been massacred). Anyway, 2000 refugees doesnt match his prose. He seems to confuse countries of ex-Inodchina, mistaking Vietnam for Cambodgia. The cherry on top being his story where he’s about to fuck two of the village chief’s underage teenage daughters, along with her mother, for ridding the village of a tiger. And then, he has to go to the local Temple Of Doom to get back the village’s sacred stone from the clutches of a nearby evil cult, I guess. What’s strange is that those kind of rants usually emerge out of a basements, from certified slackers, rarely from someone who has a career, a career that might be hurt by writing such nonsense on the net. I’ll end with this quote from the guy: " but I had an interesting talent that became evident during the psych tests: I could predict behavior patterns in sociopaths". I’m sure you psych tests did have sociopath written on them. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunking-a-phony-marine-veteran/562873/76 "2010-12-06T03:30:30Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > oooo he got a BS in anthropology as well as being uber chef … Well, he has BS anyway. > [@casdave](#): > > Seems unlikely that anyone under 40 would describe this item in this way, you’d call it an earpiece. I am definitely over 40 and have never heard the word “earbud” before. > [@yoyodyne](#): > > Do you have a cite for this? That regarding numbered medals. Even if it turned out not to be true, the guy may freak and think it is, since it’s doubtful he has any. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunking-a-phony-marine-veteran/562873/77 "2010-12-06T05:17:16Z")
> [@Mr.Miskatonic](#): > > I don’t think you need such a fancy mental explanation. Some people just lie to make themselves look good and seem like an authority to the people they know. They may have an active fantasy life but they don’t need to be mentally ill to let it drift into their life stories, they just need to get away with telling the tale a few times. Right, but it seems like this guy constantly has his stuff proven false. You’d think a liar would reinvent their story to make it more match up with the facts. Whether this guy truly believes everything he is saying or not, I wouldn’t put a mental health problem past him. ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunking-a-phony-marine-veteran/562873/78 "2010-12-06T05:18:26Z")
> [@AmunRa](#): > > Maybe the Marines are different, but the army does not give out numbered medals; the medals are just for show and don’t really mean anything by themselves. In the Army you get orders with each medal, which would have a permanent order number. I am pretty sure this holds true for every medal up to, but probably not including the Medal of Honor. Army medals have the recipient’s name engraved on the back. No numbers, at least not on my father’s Bronze Star. ---
**Author:** ![AmunRa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@AmunRa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AmunRa)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunking-a-phony-marine-veteran/562873/79 "2010-12-06T05:53:55Z")
> [@postcards](#): > > Army medals have the recipient’s name engraved on the back. No numbers, at least not on my father’s Bronze Star. The name on the back has no meaning though… Anyone can buy a bronze star at the PX. It’s the orders that matter. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunking-a-phony-marine-veteran/562873/80 "2010-12-06T06:05:50Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Right, but it seems like this guy constantly has his stuff proven false. You’d think a liar would reinvent their story to make it more match up with the facts. Whether this guy truly believes everything he is saying or not, I wouldn’t put a mental health problem past him. The ones with the mental problems are his IMDB defenders. I’ve never seen such unquestioning, blind loyalty to such an obvious phony. They all claim to be friends with him on Facebook (as if that somehow means they know everything about him to be true) and talk about what a gentleman he is. I wonder if this is actually the real John Usher, or if it is someone who stole parts of Usher’s identity and fabricated a fictional online persona, using the Marriott Chef part of the real Usher’s bio (as well as his name) and then mixed it in with all this Marine/Law Enforcement/Rambo Badass nonsense. Fakers and posers piss me off endlessly and the fact that people can continue to believe them after being so thoroughly discredited makes me really sad about the sorry state of humanity (almost as much as the popularity of Twilight does.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunking-a-phony-marine-veteran/562873.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunking-a-phony-marine-veteran/562873.md?page=5)