ANZAC Day Imposters (1 Viewer)

[TomB]

To fully understand who ANZMI are you need to visit their site ANZMI.com or ANZMI.net.cases.html.....these people are dedicated to exposing imposters in the ex-servicemen Unit Branches ....not the RSL...everyone including the drovers dog can join that mob these days.....TomB

 

[Martin Tabony]

Facebook is full of "Walter Mittys" being exposed most wearing invented uniforms!

Martin

 

[TomB]

Facebook is full of "Walter Mittys" being exposed most wearing invented uniforms!

Martin

True... there are harmless one's and others not so harmless.... ANZMI gives the full details of imposters and goes all out to expose them...a lot of these imposters have caused harm to the reputation of the units they are supposedly ex-members of.....if people want to award themselves a few extra bodgie medals to bulk up their rack...good luck to them.... the people who wear medals they are not entitled too and tell John Wayne stories ...they are the one's who should be exposed....some of these people are really good con men...they can suck in the most experienced vets.....actually they would be better off utilizing their conman talents by selling the Sydney Harbor Bridge to tourists....cheers TomB

 

[Martin Tabony]

There was one fella telling everyone at his work place that he was a colonel who had serviced in both the SAS and the SBS ! He used to turn up to work does in a made up uniform wearing WW1 and Afghanistan medals. Apparently his work mates thought it was normal.
As you say though some are not so funny. One has recently been done for defrauding a military charity after bluffing his way in!

Martin

 

[TomB]

There was one fella telling everyone at his work place that he was a colonel who had serviced in both the SAS and the SBS ! He used to turn up to work does in a made up uniform wearing WW1 and Afghanistan medals. Apparently his work mates thought it was normal.
As you say though some are not so funny. One has recently been done for defrauding a military charity after bluffing his way in!

Martin

The ANZMI has exposed a lot of this sort of thing in Aust and NZ...the Govt aint interested in this type of thing...no votes in it... the sad part about it is..a few of the wanabee's..are ex vets....who did their job as did everyone else..but... now want to be John Wayne....TomB

 

[Mitch]

Not entitled to wear the medal then you should not wear it period. If all these who want to be generals etc want to be John Wayne how does this harm veterans or the armed services?? He was an actor!!!LOL
Mitch

 

[Simpson & his donkey.]

I was surprised by how many of these fools there are out there. People who have no lives and have to pretend to be something or someone they are not. A real SHAME. Chris.

 

[The Military Workshop]

The ANZMI do "out" some who deserve to be named and shamed. I even did business with a "Vietnam vet" who wasn't but told me he was. Only a couple of years later did I discover on ANZMI site he had never left Australia. That particular person has used his "vet" status to help in his business as he dealt with many service people. The Association who recommended him to me were surprised when I told them.

I don't know the full story of the issue with the Peacekeepers Association as the news article did not say what it was. I guess the Peacekeepers Association may have commented in general about their methods. I had an ex Army soldier call me today to ask my advice. He has five original medals, three already mounted together and has two more not mounted (Iraq and a 4 yr service medal). He asked if it was OK to wear the two singles next to his mounted three. He specifically mentioned he did not want to be photographed by the ANZMI guys and put on their web page. I told him his medals were proper medals and not what ANZMI would be interested in. I said he should have no problem other than a few mates taking the mickey out of him for not wearing them correctly. He has another medal coming so is waiting for that before mounting all together. The fact he even thought ANZMI might put him on their web page is sad.

The ANZMI is a faceless organisation who do not show contact details on their web page. Whilst the majority of those on their web page deserve to be there they are perhaps a little too zealous in some cases. I have heard of a case of an imposter who was hounded so much that he moved out of his state but they would not let up and found out where he was. He finally committed suicide. After his death he was removed from the web page.

I personally know a case that should not be on their site as clearly the person has "issues". That is the case of a genuine former SAS soldier who attended a major SAS reunion in 2007 wearing medals he was not entitled to. Even prior to that event I knew this former serviceman was suffering a number of mental and physical problems related to injuring his back parachute training and also from the use of CS gas during training. I spoke to this person in 1998 and even then knew he had problems as did others I have dealt with. He has campaigned for compensation for guys for training related issues. He does not fit the profile of an imposter. Clearly if you attend a reunion where many know you and you are wearing medals people know you did not earn then there is something else going on. The guy needs assistance not being shamed on a web site. He does not deserve to be on the web page and has possibly suffered more for his country than some who did serve overseas.

The main issues with medal imposters are :
Former servicemen adding more medals than they qualified for (three examples below).
Civilians who totally make it up (probably the worse category).
Those who wear commemorative medals to bulk up their originals medals. I have a newspaper clipping of a former Navy guy on my shop notice board of high profile ex servicemen fighting for a particular group of veterans. More than half his medals are not real medals and at first glance it looks very impressive. I am surprised he is not on the ANZMI web page. I refuse to mount such medals with real ones.

Three cases I know are :
A former genuine British Para had been a regular customer for a couple of years, One day comes in with wife and kids to ask me to research his medals as says threw them away when left Army. Said he had a DSO from the Falklands but I knew this could not be true as even if he had been an officer he would have been to young to earn one then. I don't think he was an officer. I said I could not research his medals. A couple of years later he came back with replicas including DSO he had got from the UK. He wanted them mounted. Unfortunately he was with wife and kids. The wife seemed to think he had a DSO. Thought about it very hard but simply could not challenge him in front of his family. They were with him when he came back also. I doubt he was planning to wear them outside and appeared out to impress his kids.

Customer came into shop to order a medal picture frame for his grand dad as a gift. Story was that the great grandad had seven medals from WWI which included 4 bravery medals (including DCM, MC (an officers medal), MM). When checked the record online the guy was a Private who only had one medal as arrived in Liverpool in late OCT 1918 and never got to Europe. Told customer and he went away. Returned later after discussing with family and went ahead with the false set. We only framed the medals without any photo or name. The recipient still believes his Dad was a WWI hero but all other family members know the truth.

Most ridiculous case I have mentioned on here a few years ago. Mail order customer (Dragon 1/72 stuff) asks if I can do his replica medal set of 15 medals. I say no problem and say should be a WWII/Korea/Vietnam type set (do able). He writes back to say he joined British army in 1977 but British would deny he existed due to secrecy provisions. His claimed set :

Military Cross in 1977 for Counter Terrorism activities in N Ireland (not possible as could not be in Sandhurst and SAS in 1st year).
Victoria Cross and UN Medal for Counter Terrorism in Lebanon (no such event and SAS would never be under UN command).
2nd Victoria Cross for Counter Terrorism activities in N Ireland
DSO for Falklands (would only be a CAPT in 1982 and not on the official list which does include SAS names).
Top German medal for Counter Terrorism activities in Germany
Legion of Honour for Counter Terrorism activities in France
In 1991 (he got out in April !) he claims he got Iran/Iraq UN Observers Medal, US Legion of Merit, UK Gulf War Medal, Kuwaiti and Saudi Medals.
Also had GSM N Ireland and Falklands war medal (these ones may be true).
He also listed commemorative medals and said last one received was Global War on Terror Medal which he said Americans had given him for his previous services (I know he bought it for $8 on Ebay {sm4}). Total list was about 20.

I wrote back and started off by saying he was the most highly decorated British soldier of all time (naturally I did not believe him). I suggested he could get 3 million for the medals (from Lord Ashcroft) and 3 million for book and movie rights. Said I could do 15 of the medals but he would need documentation. No surprise never heard back from him.

Seen plenty of medal sets in the past few weeks and glad the ANZAC day rush is over (wife did 16 hours of mounting medals yesterday which was pretty impressive going - and was shocked when I told her it was 0200am{bravo}}).

Hope Aussies and Kiwis have a great day tomorrow. LEST WE FORGET.

Brett

 

[TomB]

Not entitled to wear the medal then you should not wear it period. If all these who want to be generals etc want to be John Wayne how does this harm veterans or the armed services?? He was an actor!!!LOL
Mitch

I used J Wayne because he was an actor.....wanabee's...actors....do you see the connection ?......the harm I mentioned is these wanabee's can use their false image for personal gain and through some of there action bring disrespect to the unit they are supposedly ex member of.....in case you do not know it Mitch...soldiers have pride in the units they served in.......TomB

 

[Mitch]

Thanks TomB I did get that obviously you failed to notice the LOL. Never mind!!! Having known many troops and have many family members serving and have served I don't see any shame brought on any regiments by people saying they have either served when they have not or similar. I think, people can clearly see nut jobs who have to say they fought here or there and won this medal when they did not for what they are and, no reflection comes on the regiments at all. The SAS is still the finest unit in the world but, a great number of people have said they served when they clearly did not. When the proverbial hits the fan people don't say lets not call the SAS because look what is attached to them do they??

I also have never heard of any soldiers etc who have lost pride in their regiments etc for people who pretend to be one of them. Again, those with psychological issues are the ones who are tarnished.

There have been a number of cases like this reported and the regiments etc in question have always seemed to come away quite well during the publicity. I will always believe this will be the case.

The issues are more pertinent when members of the regiments who have served decide for whatever reason to embellish upon what they have done. However, as I said in my post if you don't deserve to wear it don't pin it on your chest. Having said that a few have made a lot of money from doing it but, again the regiments don't seem to have been tarnished.
Mitch

I used J Wayne because he was an actor.....wanabee's...actors....do you see the connection ?......the harm I mentioned is these wanabee's can use their false image for personal gain and through some of there action bring disrespect to the unit they are supposedly ex member of.....in case you do not know it Mitch...soldiers have pride in the units they served in.......TomB

 

[TomB]

Thanks TomB I did get that obviously you failed to notice the LOL. Never mind!!! Having known many troops and have many family members serving and have served I don't see any shame brought on any regiments by people saying they have either served when they have not or similar. I think, people can clearly see nut jobs who have to say they fought here or there and won this medal when they did not for what they are and, no reflection comes on the regiments at all. The SAS is still the finest unit in the world but, a great number of people have said they served when they clearly did not. When the proverbial hits the fan people don't say lets not call the SAS because look what is attached to them do they??

I also have never heard of any soldiers etc who have lost pride in their regiments etc for people who pretend to be one of them. Again, those with psychological issues are the ones who are tarnished.

There have been a number of cases like this reported and the regiments etc in question have always seemed to come away quite well during the publicity. I will always believe this will be the case.

The issues are more pertinent when members of the regiments who have served decide for whatever reason to embellish upon what they have done. However, as I said in my post if you don't deserve to wear it don't pin it on your chest. Having said that a few have made a lot of money from doing it but, again the regiments don't seem to have been tarnished.
Mitch

Mitch you always get the last word in.........no sweat....I did not mention the SAS but it is clearly the unit of choice for the wanabee's......cheers TomB