# What question could I ask someone I believe is lying about being in the Military? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 15, 2011, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-question-could-i-ask-someone-i-believe-is-lying-about-being-in-the-military/589155 "2011-07-15T18:18:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-question-could-i-ask-someone-i-believe-is-lying-about-being-in-the-military/589155/61 "2011-07-19T03:58:00Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > The food that is served while a ship is underway is far from ‘slop’. I recall having lobster aboard a Navy amphib ship. Wouldn’t be surprised if your captain got his way. All I know, following several years in the 70s of earnestly NOT learning more\*, is what my brother said. - - Y’know, that shooting war and all. Bro actually was 4F because of some preparations involving amphetamines, but enlisted out of guilt–after the shooting stopped. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-question-could-i-ask-someone-i-believe-is-lying-about-being-in-the-military/589155/62 "2011-07-19T03:59:14Z")
> [@Daylate](#): > > Three guesses what the “gun” was. A shovel? No, a shovel? Really, was it a shovel? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-question-could-i-ask-someone-i-believe-is-lying-about-being-in-the-military/589155/63 "2011-07-19T15:41:09Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > A shovel? No, a shovel? Really, was it a shovel? 😉 The Uvula? ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-question-could-i-ask-someone-i-believe-is-lying-about-being-in-the-military/589155/64 "2011-07-19T21:49:18Z")
> [@RadicalPi](#): > > I don’t get this at all. Could you explain? “Chesty” Puller was a Marine Colonel in WW2. Wiki says he was the most decorated (medals) Marine in US history. He has an iconic status amongst the Corps, sort of a “John Wayne of Marines”. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-question-could-i-ask-someone-i-believe-is-lying-about-being-in-the-military/589155/65 "2011-07-19T22:09:05Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > That bugs the crap out of me as well. “weapon” is extremely vague, and in no way preferable to “gun” as a descriptor of the object in question. “Weapon” could mean anything from an intercontinental ballistic missile to an aluminum baseball bat. Yeah, but weapons are for training, guns are for fun. It sounds like the OP is trying to be somewhat delicate in his or her queries. I suggested testing the guy with one the suggestions above, but framing it differently. ‘Hey I’m doing the crossword – marine Chesty [blank]. Can you help me out?’ ‘My friend’s thinking of signing up. Can you tell me more about your training and who he can get in touch with?’ ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-question-could-i-ask-someone-i-believe-is-lying-about-being-in-the-military/589155/66 "2011-07-19T22:17:26Z")
> [@mlees](#): > > “Chesty” Puller was a Marine Colonel in WW2. Wiki says he was the most decorated (medals) Marine in US history. > > He has an iconic status amongst the Corps, sort of a “John Wayne of Marines”. If you have mad Google-fu, you might be able to find a video of John Wayne talking about Chesty Puller. ---
**Author:** ![Algher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Algher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algher)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-question-could-i-ask-someone-i-believe-is-lying-about-being-in-the-military/589155/67 "2011-07-19T22:39:05Z")
I always ask when I think that I am being lied to, “What was your MOS?” I might follow that with a joke of “I hope your DD 214 is better than mine!” - (I had issues with authority figures). These two work with all branches. For Marines - Chesty Puller is the ONLY answer. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-question-could-i-ask-someone-i-believe-is-lying-about-being-in-the-military/589155/68 "2011-07-20T15:46:33Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > If you have mad Google-fu, you might be able to find a video of John Wayne talking about Chesty Puller. Nope, “the force” is weak with me. All I found was this: [Chesty: A Tribute to a Legend (1976) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065541/) ---
**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:** [July 20, 2011, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-question-could-i-ask-someone-i-believe-is-lying-about-being-in-the-military/589155/69 "2011-07-20T16:55:53Z")
> [@mlees](#): > > “Chesty” Puller was a Marine Colonel in WW2. Wiki says he was the most decorated (medals) Marine in US history. > He has an iconic status amongst the Corps, sort of a “John Wayne of Marines”. You mean he was a big fake? ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-question-could-i-ask-someone-i-believe-is-lying-about-being-in-the-military/589155/70 "2011-07-20T17:18:16Z")
> [@Capitaine\_Zombie](#): > > You mean he was a big fake? :rolleyes: I mean the iconic status. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-question-could-i-ask-someone-i-believe-is-lying-about-being-in-the-military/589155.md?page=3)