Phony Marine due for arrest

[alienlovechild 75]

Rick Glen Strandlof, a former mental patient who posed as a wounded Marine captain to found a statewide veterans group and campaign for political candidates, is being prosecuted under the Stolen Valor Act for making claims he received a Purple Heart.

A federal arrest warrant was issued Thursday evening for Strandlof, who used the alias Rick Duncan when he was acting as a spokesman for veterans issues.

Strandlof will be charged with one count of making false claims about receipt of military decorations or medals, a misdemeanor punishable by a year in jail and a $250,000 fine.

Strandlof, 32, had not been arrested as of Friday evening.

Jeffrey Dorschner, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Colorado, would not say whether authorities know his whereabouts. Dorschner said only that Strandlof will be brought to Denver to appear before a federal magistrate after he is arrested.

Strandlof is the first person to be charged in Colorado under the Stolen Valor Act. The act, passed in 2006, made it possible to prosecute military fakers who make only verbal claims about earning military medals. Prior to the act, phony veterans had to be caught wearing the medals to be prosecuted.

"A lot of people wonder about the seriousness of this," said Pam Sterner, the Pueblo woman who wrote the Stolen Valor Act for a political science class. "What they don't understand is that to misrepresent yourself as someone who has earned a Purple Heart and to claim you are in the same league as someone who has sacrificed their life or lost a limb or something, that is uncalled for."

Strandlof was exposed in May after members of the group he founded, the Colorado Veterans Alliance, became suspicious of claims that he had served three tours in Iraq, survived the Sept. 11 terror attacks on the Pentagon, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and suffered a brain injury during the battle for the city of Fallujah.

They searched military records and contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation after determining he had never served in the military. The FBI began investigating Strandlof and arrested him in May on an outstanding El Paso County traffic warrant.

In interviews with the FBI and local and national media outlets, Strandlof admitted making up the stories. He said he suffered from mental illness. He had previously been hospitalized in a mental institution in Nevada.

"I think he probably is a real con artist. It's tragic. His ideas were to do good and help the vets, but people were deeply hurt by what he did," said his grandfather Richard Strandlof, a veteran who lives in Montana and said he hasn't seen his grandson in 15 years.

The investigation of the phony veteran took five months because the FBI also was investigating whether Strandlof used any of the money he collected on behalf of the Colorado Veterans Alliance for personal gain. Dorschner would not comment on what the FBI found. But there are no charges relating to the fundraising.

The Stolen Valor case against Strandlof was helped by the Internet. Portions of speeches he gave as Rick Duncan are posted on YouTube videos. In one, he claims he was wounded and lost four Marines under his command. He also claimed to have a metal plate in his head from that injury and to suffer from post traumatic stress disorder.

The affidavit noted that a month before his arrest, Strandlof had agreed to appear at a veterans event wearing his medals, but he showed up without them.

When asked why, he said he did not wear them because "it would appear egotistical."

http://www.denverpost.com/ci_13475253

[Danno 1,228]

When I saw this story posted I actually thought of Hillary Clinton telling one of her B.S. stories about how she

"tried to join the Marines".

Of course it's laughable but these people come up with these "handy Stories" to suite the impulse at the moment..... errr should we say the "event" of the moment.

Of Course Bill Clinton was notorious for having been caught in many -such whoppers.

Speaking of First Ladies being creative with the facts, it seems Michelle is not going to be outdone in this regard.

From Michelle Obama’s failed pitch to the International Olympic Committee:

“Some of my best memories are sitting on my dad’s lap, cheering on Olga and Nadia, Carl Lewis, and others for their brilliance and perfection.”

Sounds nice... only problem was Mrs. Obama was like 20 yrs old when Carl Lewis first went to the Olympics.

[Peikko 1,575]

You need to learn a litle discernment Danno. Exactly what did Michelle do wrong? She mis remembered how old she would have been when Carl Lewis ran in the olympics. Olga Korbet however was very much around at the time she was a child, as was Nadia Comaneci. It's not exactly a profoundly disturbing lie, as you seem to believe it is but rather an understandable mistake. I can't remember exactly how I old I was at the time all my favourite Olympic heros performed either.

Edited October 4, 2009 by Madame Cleo

[Peikko 1,575]

The subject of the OP is a rather more disturbing case of lies, but ones that are a product of a disturbed psyche and not some political shenanigans, so I am not quite sure why you went down this particualr path at all, but there you go that's Danno, not the most logical of people.

Edited October 4, 2009 by Madame Cleo

[Ban Hammer 14,640]

From Michelle Obama’s failed pitch to the International Olympic Committee:

“Some of my best memories are sitting on my dad’s lap, cheering on Olga and Nadia, Carl Lewis, and others for their brilliance and perfection.”

Sounds nice... only problem was Mrs. Obama was like 20 yrs old when Carl Lewis first went to the Olympics.

so she really was a daddy's girl......

You need to learn a litle discernment Danno. Exactly what did Michelle do wrong? She mis remembered how old she would have been when Carl Lewis ran in the olympics. Olga Korbet however was very much around at the time she was a child, as was Nadia Comaneci. It's not exactly a profoundly disturbing lie, as you seem to believe it is but rather an understandable mistake. I can't remember exactly how I old I was at the time all my favourite Olympic heros performed either.

asked and answered by the defendant, your honor.

[john & jean 37]

From Michelle Obama’s failed pitch to the International Olympic Committee:

“Some of my best memories are sitting on my dad’s lap, cheering on Olga and Nadia, Carl Lewis, and others for their brilliance and perfection.”

Sounds nice... only problem was Mrs. Obama was like 20 yrs old when Carl Lewis first went to the Olympics.

so she really was a daddy's girl......

You need to learn a litle discernment Danno. Exactly what did Michelle do wrong? She mis remembered how old she would have been when Carl Lewis ran in the olympics. Olga Korbet however was very much around at the time she was a child, as was Nadia Comaneci. It's not exactly a profoundly disturbing lie, as you seem to believe it is but rather an understandable mistake. I can't remember exactly how I old I was at the time all my favourite Olympic heros performed either.

asked and answered by the defendant, your honor.

where is the honor

I hope the azz hole spends every day of the sentence making little rocks from big ones

Edited October 4, 2009 by john & jean

[Peikko 1,575]

From Michelle Obama's failed pitch to the International Olympic Committee:

"Some of my best memories are sitting on my dad's lap, cheering on Olga and Nadia, Carl Lewis, and others for their brilliance and perfection."

Sounds nice... only problem was Mrs. Obama was like 20 yrs old when Carl Lewis first went to the Olympics.

so she really was a daddy's girl......

You need to learn a litle discernment Danno. Exactly what did Michelle do wrong? She mis remembered how old she would have been when Carl Lewis ran in the olympics. Olga Korbet however was very much around at the time she was a child, as was Nadia Comaneci. It's not exactly a profoundly disturbing lie, as you seem to believe it is but rather an understandable mistake. I can't remember exactly how I old I was at the time all my favourite Olympic heros performed either.

asked and answered by the defendant, your honor.

My point was, so what? There is nothing about misremembering that fact that negates her premise, that the feets of our olympic heroes are inspirational when we are children. Her misremembering didn't alter one iota of that message, nor does it lay any credence to the idea that she is a bald faced liar bent on furthering her own position or influence, or further an attempt to subvert anything, or lay the foundations for any criminal or negligent behaviour. it was a silly, but understandable mistake, so again, so what?

[natty bumppo 297]

From Michelle Obama's failed pitch to the International Olympic Committee:

"Some of my best memories are sitting on my dad's lap, cheering on Olga and Nadia, Carl Lewis, and others for their brilliance and perfection."

Sounds nice... only problem was Mrs. Obama was like 20 yrs old when Carl Lewis first went to the Olympics.

so she really was a daddy's girl......

You need to learn a litle discernment Danno. Exactly what did Michelle do wrong? She mis remembered how old she would have been when Carl Lewis ran in the olympics. Olga Korbet however was very much around at the time she was a child, as was Nadia Comaneci. It's not exactly a profoundly disturbing lie, as you seem to believe it is but rather an understandable mistake. I can't remember exactly how I old I was at the time all my favourite Olympic heros performed either.

asked and answered by the defendant, your honor.

My point was, so what? There is nothing about misremembering that fact that negates her premise, that the feets of our olympic heroes are inspirational when we are children. Her misremembering didn't alter one iota of that message, nor does it lay any credence to the idea that she is a bald faced liar bent on furthering her own position or influence, or further an attempt to subvert anything, or lay the foundations for any criminal or negligent behaviour. it was a silly, but understandable mistake, so again, so what?

as mentioned in another thread ... michelle desperately needs to fire her current speech writer and hire one with at least two functional brain cells.

it appears she never read mark twain ... "When in doubt, tell the truth" ... or ... "May every liar be blessed with a good memory"

[Danno 1,228]

From Michelle Obama's failed pitch to the International Olympic Committee:

"Some of my best memories are sitting on my dad's lap, cheering on Olga and Nadia, Carl Lewis, and others for their brilliance and perfection."

Sounds nice... only problem was Mrs. Obama was like 20 yrs old when Carl Lewis first went to the Olympics.

so she really was a daddy's girl......

You need to learn a litle discernment Danno. Exactly what did Michelle do wrong? She mis remembered how old she would have been when Carl Lewis ran in the olympics. Olga Korbet however was very much around at the time she was a child, as was Nadia Comaneci. It's not exactly a profoundly disturbing lie, as you seem to believe it is but rather an understandable mistake. I can't remember exactly how I old I was at the time all my favourite Olympic heros performed either.

asked and answered by the defendant, your honor.

My point was, so what? There is nothing about misremembering that fact that negates her premise, that the feets of our olympic heroes are inspirational when we are children. Her misremembering didn't alter one iota of that message, nor does it lay any credence to the idea that she is a bald faced liar bent on furthering her own position or influence, or further an attempt to subvert anything, or lay the foundations for any criminal or negligent behaviour. it was a silly, but understandable mistake, so again, so what?

while we agree the false testimony was not of grave importance, I can't quite call it "an understandable mistake".

Why don't you share with us some historic event which you could not recall if it had happened when you were a 5 or 6 year old ... or in College?

Get real Girl, no one mixes up the events of life this far apart.

It is much more likely the phrasing of the sentence was just wrong and rather than come off as a "panning"

across her youthful recollections.. it came out as one specific time period.

Anyway, I am much more inclined to dismiss these clear factual errors when the essence of them are not ego stroking nor hiding other wrongdoings.

The Clintons delt in these types of lies from day one, While i support very little "this" president does... I certainly have a lot more respect.. on a personal level than I did the Clintons.

(so far)

[Darnell 8,480]

Wow - a Captain in the Corps? YIKES.

Perhaps he'll be sent to Gitmo ?

[HYENA 4]

When I saw this story posted I actually thought of Hillary Clinton telling one of her B.S. stories about how she

"tried to join the Marines".

Of course it's laughable but these people come up with these "handy Stories" to suite the impulse at the moment..... errr should we say the "event" of the moment.

Of Course Bill Clinton was notorious for having been caught in many -such whoppers.

Speaking of First Ladies being creative with the facts, it seems Michelle is not going to be outdone in this regard.

From Michelle Obama’s failed pitch to the International Olympic Committee:

“Some of my best memories are sitting on my dad’s lap, cheering on Olga and Nadia, Carl Lewis, and others for their brilliance and perfection.”

Sounds nice... only problem was Mrs. Obama was like 20 yrs old when Carl Lewis first went to the Olympics.

Carl Lewis? You're a young'in!

It did mention he's a mental patient? Hey, I thought we had freedom of speech here! LOL!

Edited October 5, 2009 by HYENA

[Danno 1,228]

When I saw this story posted I actually thought of Hillary Clinton telling one of her B.S. stories about how she

"tried to join the Marines".

Of course it's laughable but these people come up with these "handy Stories" to suite the impulse at the moment..... errr should we say the "event" of the moment.

Of Course Bill Clinton was notorious for having been caught in many -such whoppers.

Speaking of First Ladies being creative with the facts, it seems Michelle is not going to be outdone in this regard.

From Michelle Obama’s failed pitch to the International Olympic Committee:

“Some of my best memories are sitting on my dad’s lap, cheering on Olga and Nadia, Carl Lewis, and others for their brilliance and perfection.”

Sounds nice... only problem was Mrs. Obama was like 20 yrs old when Carl Lewis first went to the Olympics.

Carl Lewis? You're a young'in!

It did mention he's a mental patient? Hey, I thought we had freedom of speech here! LOL!

Sure, we have freedom of speech but it like all freedoms are limited by TIME, PLACE and MANNER.

[HYENA 4]

Then it's not freedom of speech; it's just a sales pitch that sounds good.

Kinda like the US being capitalist with its monopoly price fixing corporations (cell phones for one)...compare with any capitalist nation and that's a start.

I'd love to have freedom of action and do things no country alows