Secretary Of Veterans Affairs Invents Time Spent In The Special Forces
Seems like he should be specially forced to give up his position.
From the LAT editorial board:
Really? The secretary of Veterans Affairs? Surely there is no one who should better understand how offensive it is to lie about one's military service than the secretary of Veterans Affairs. Yet that's exactly what Robert McDonald did the night he participated in the Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count in January. While chatting with a homeless man on skid row who said he had served in the elite special forces, McDonald responded, "Special forces? What years? I was in special forces."In fact, McDonald, who graduated from West Point and did serve in the Army's 82nd Airborne Division, was never a member of special forces. This week, he apologized, telling the Huffington Post, which first reported his false claim, that he "reacted spontaneously." The White House described his claim as a "misstatement" and said McDonald "never intended to misrepresent his military service."
The guy lied. To a vet. Just made shit up.
I just love the LA Times viewpoint:
In his defense, McDonald didn't go as far as some others have. He didn't repeat the untruth over and over or peddle it on his resume. He didn't wear a medal or decoration he didn't earn...
He also didn't murder a family of four. This doesn't make him unguilty of lying. Right in a vet's face.
A few years ago I (zero military experience) was blowing hard in here about one of these cases, and some vet came in and said "I don't know any vets who don't exaggerate their service..."
Offtopic- Gummint just wants us to be nice to the little people.
Crid [CridComment at Gmail] at February 25, 2015 1:01 AM
This is nothing like the politicians and media figures who make things up out of whole cloth and figure no one will ever notice.
McDonald was trying to get a conversation going with a homeless guy. The homeless guy had been in special forces. McDonald had been airborne. In fact, historically, the airborne were a kind of special forces, even though that's not how it's seen today.
So the two are pretty much equivalent in terms of prestige. McDonald fudged things a bit for the sake of establishing a connection to the guy. This is more of a social white lie than anything else.
a_random_guy at February 25, 2015 4:13 AM
I remember the flack Blumenthal (D-Conn) got it with for lying about serving in Viet Nam. Not pretty, and a lot of vets around here still vilify him for it. But he lied to garner votes. And he got 'em anyway.
Flynne at February 25, 2015 4:35 AM
...got hit with...
Flynne at February 25, 2015 4:35 AM
mmm... well he didn't deploy in a unit, but he is trained... so the stretch here for conversational reason can be excused, I would think, especially with the swiftness that he apologized for the misconception...
"While he earned a Ranger tab designating him as a graduate of Ranger School, he never served in a Ranger battalion or any other special operations unit." HuffPo
Now if the vets actually forgive him, is something else, but he has the tab... this is actually nothing like making stuff up... rather a conversation starter with a homeless vet. IF that vet wasn't a ranger, but was a seal or something, their experiences would be different in any case. I'm sure from now on, he'll just say he's a vet, and be more careful.
the BEST thing he could do now, is clean house at the VA, and get it working. Nobody will remember the conversation he had.
SwissArmyD at February 25, 2015 6:53 AM
SwissArmyD at February 25, 2015 6:53 AM ☑
Crid [CridComment at Gmail] at February 25, 2015 7:10 AM
the BEST thing he could do now, is clean house at the VA, and get it working.
You mean the VA that had fake waiting lists for patients so that they could write themselves glowing reports and get pay raises based in part on those glowing reports?
That VA?
Until those people are fire and prosecuted for fraud, I wouldn't hold my breath.
I R A Darth Aggie at February 25, 2015 7:43 AM
I'd hold off till I know why he lied.
To have a connection with a homeless guy and make him feel welcome. Eh not that bad.
For a photo op/votes. Scummy
Joe J at February 25, 2015 9:24 AM
You would THINK that a graduate of West Point would know better.
You know, the place with the Honor Code that reads:
"We do not lie, cheat, or steal, or tolerate amongst us those that do. . . . "
Keith Glass at February 25, 2015 10:23 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2015/02/25/secretary_of_ve.html#comment-5867140">comment from Joe JYou can connect with a homeless guy by being a person or a homeless vet by saying you, too, were in the armed forces.
It's like how I don't claim to be a garbage man, a gas station attendant, a video game designer, or a chef. Because I'm not.
I also don't claim to be a novelist. Because I can make real life funnier and more entertaining, but I just cannot make shit up. Parameters are too wide.
Amy Alkon at February 25, 2015 11:32 AM
Silver wings
upon their chest
These are men
America's best
Lie and cheat
And let vets rot
Thats' our VA
The best we've got
Oo rah, semper fi, and all that.
I mean, if you're healthy and active duty, that is. Otherwise, piss off. We've got reports to falsify and it keeps us damned busy.
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at February 25, 2015 1:11 PM
A few years ago I (zero military experience) was blowing hard in here about one of these cases, and some vet came in and said "I don't know any vets who don't exaggerate their service..."
Well, here's one.
I spent five years in the US Navy. I served on a Perry class frigate and a Dixey class destroyer tender. I trained sailors how to shoot guns, managed an armory, and spent a month in Hawaii. I never came under enemy fire, was not trained in hand to hand combat, and never fired a shot in anger.
I have an honorable discharge, and I'm proud of my service. I don't have to pump it up for anyone.
Steve Daniels at February 25, 2015 1:30 PM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2015/02/25/secretary_of_ve.html#comment-5867283">comment from Steve DanielsMy dad volunteered for the Air Force (enlisted during the Korean War) and never got sent anywhere. He never mentioned being in the Air Force; I just remembered he'd been in some branch of the military (because there's a picture of him in uniform in some scrapbook somewhere), and I'm trying to help my sister find out about college grants and loans.
Amy Alkon at February 25, 2015 2:09 PM
Gosh, I am just too old-fashioned and out-of-date for this modern world . . .
He LIED! period. I don't care why he lied, nor do I care that he meant well. He LIED! Fucking boot him out. period.
I don't care that others have done worse - that's a very poor excuse for any bad behavior.
And boot out all the other liars too.
charles at February 25, 2015 6:10 PM
some vet came in and said "I don't know any vets who don't exaggerate their service..."
I've never known a combat vet who would talk about his service beyond unit, general location, and MOS (military specialty). The ones I knew served in Vietnam or earlier, so there might be a generational difference between them and recent veterans.
As far as I can tell, the odds are that a homeless man who claims to be a "Special Forces" veteran never served in combat or any elite unit - he either wasn't in the military at all, was discharged from boot camp for unsuitability, or (like the majority of veterans) served one term in a low-skilled support position. And if you talk to him for a few minutes, you'll find that he has no idea what Special Forces do - that's a particular branch of the Army with jobs that are quite different from Rangers, Seals, etc. "Special Operations" is a better umbrella term for all such units, but in my experience someone who actually served in one of them will proudly cite his particular unit, but wouldn't talk about what his unit did, even if it wasn't classified. (Airborne used to be an elite unit, but in our current smaller, all-volunteer, highly professional Army and Marine Corps, it seems like everyone who chooses a career in the infantry will put in for parachute training until he gets it.)
So I'm not shocked at McDonald using a white lie (not for personal profit) to try to form common ground and continue the conversation - or to implicitly warn the guy to cut out the BS, if he is BS'ing.
markm at February 26, 2015 10:52 AM
The magic phrase might be "combat" vets. "Ever see any action?" is not a fair question from those of us who never did.
It seems that anyone in the world --no matter what their background, including children of billionaires-- can find offense in the comments of strangers when they want to.
And twenty minutes ago, in contexts OTHER than military, I was thinking about how younger generations aren't humble about anything at all... Recessions, sexuality, religion, policy.
Crid [CridComment at Gmail] at February 26, 2015 5:35 PM
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