Most any weekends, I get to see Veterans who fought in Wars from WW2 to current, at the Flea Market. 2 WW2 Vets come in often to walk and talk with the people. One gent is getting more frail from age. Another walks his Jack Russell terrier untill she gets cold, then he carriers her inside his jacket. He had a leg operation durring WW2 by a German Doctor which was viewed by 300 American Doctors.
This past Sunday I stopped a Vet and asked if I could see his hat. Korean War era Vet, UDT and Navy SEAL. The man has 3 Purple Hearts, 2 Distinguished Service Crosses and a Medal of Honor, pinned by President Eisenhower. I even got to shake his hand. His wife said he entered service @ 14 years old because he had a High School Diploma. He told me he and his men did something over there which ensured 500 American Service Men could get out. I didn't get all the details. It made my day to talk with him briefly and say thank you. Awsome people!

There are a bunch out there, new and old. I get to meet many at my VA appts and always appreciate the wisdom they share, the lessons they teach, and the history they made.

No offense intended, but a brief scan of MoH/ UDT recipients turned up no one matching your description.

Just a thought.

No SEALS in the Eisenhower Administration.

quote:

I stopped a Vet and asked if I could see his hat. Korean War era Vet, UDT and Navy SEAL. The man has 3 Purple Hearts, 2 Distinguished Service Crosses and a Medal of Honor, pinned by President Eisenhower.

Not saying it couldn't be legit if there are some details you missed, however that seems pretty unlikely.

Korean War only had 7 US Navy MOH recipients, 5 Corpsmen (likely with the Marines) and 2 pilots.

http://www.cmohs.org/search-re...&conflict=Korean+War

Of course it could be some of those "secret" medals no one gets to see.

Again, small chance it could be legit, assuming there are details left out. He could be a Korean Vet who got the MOH in 'Nam, or maybe WW2.

But on face value the B/S detector goes off. As it does with most heavily decorated Vet hat wearers.

Unless he’s a senator as well, small chance it is from Vietnam.

I’m sure he was mainly doing it to impress the lady, and your questions made him restate the “facts” he had told her.

Two DSC’s and a MOH awarded by President Eisenhower as a result of actions in the Korean War. That stretches credulity

quote:

Originally posted by reloader-1:
No offense intended, but a brief scan of MoH/ UDT recipients turned up no one matching your description.

Just a thought.

I tried to search some too, even thinking I might recognize him.

quote:

Originally posted by JALLEN:
No SEALS in the Eisenhower Administration.

JALLEN, I believe those UDT teams are the beginning of Navy SEALS.

Also, for what it’s worth, a SEAL would not receive a distinguished service cross

He would receive the Navy Cross, the naval service equivalent

The distinguished service cross is the second highest award for valor in the Army

FWIW, the Air Force Cross is the equivalent USAF decoration, unless awarded during service with the USAAF, then it would be the DSC

quote:

Originally posted by David Lee:

quote:

Originally posted by JALLEN:
No SEALS in the Eisenhower Administration.

JALLEN, I believe those UDT teams are the beginning of Navy SEALS.

UDT are the predecessors to the SEALs, in many ways, although they briefly existed in tandem. I believe Jim is very familiar with the matter as he lived quite close to Coronado in California and has personal connections as well.

So why would a moderately well dressed gent who must have been near 70 and his wife of similar age say and do such things? I believe he is ligit. I would like to know.

I'm sorry to say but I think you have a Stolen Honor type person here, maybe he did serve in Korea but it's not adding up here with those awards.

The man said when he enlisted, he told them he wanted to join the frog men. Would that be Navy of the period or Army?

quote:

Originally posted by David Lee:
So why would a moderately well dressed gent who must have been near 70 and his wife of similar age say and do such things? I believe he is ligit. I would like to know.

Why do people cheat? Lie? Steal?

If he was 14 at the beginning of Korea (HIGHLY doubtful), he’d be 80 this year.

Maybe the old man is senile? Or perhaps the OP misunderstood him? Or maybe he accidentally picked up someone else's hat after happy hour at the VFW?

quote:

Originally posted by David Lee:
The man said when he enlisted, he told them he wanted to join the frog men. Would that be Navy of the period or Army?

Navy.

I met MSgt. Bill Bercaw about ten years ago, in a Walmart. He was looking for "carbon paper", as he was writing letters on behalf of "his men" for actions in 2 May 1970 in Cambodia (Armored infantry).

He was most unpretentious, but I recognized his demeanor and his mannerisms and "picked up" that he was "military". (lifers know what I mean).

So I asked if I could help him, as he was walking around in the computer section looking for something.

He then said he was looking for carbon paper and started talking, and then simply began explaining what he was doing (and his frustration).

All these years later and he was still writing trying to get decorations his guys earned on that day.

He talked for almost three hours, and I listened. He applogized at one point and said he was sorry he had taken so much of my time, and I told him he earned all the time I had, and that I was honored thatr he would share all of this with me.

He was also at Ia Drang "LZ X-Ray", with Hal Moore, and talked of many of the guys there that were lost.

Out of all of the notable people I have met, and many of them hero as well, MSgt. Bercaw was still "looking out for his men", and it was obvious to me that he had heartfelt concern for them in the day, and these years later.

I cannot convey what that encounter was like, I am wholly inadequate to "tell his story", but the "Indian/Jew" thing about the "telling of the story", is important.

There was no deflection on my BS meter. Not a notion of movement the whole of the time he talked.

And even though it was three hours, it only seemed about 15 minutes.

Ironic, that a few months later I watched "Twelve O'Clock High" with Gregory Peck and the Opening and closing with Colonel Stovall, and that is the best I can describe. That I was "taken and shown" through MSgt. Bercaw's eyes, his story as he told it.

I am fortunate to have lived here in the Panhandle, and to have served with and met many of the best, and sadly, watched them leave us.

I am also very fortunate to have known and know many people from SEA that were able to flee and make their homes here. I have no trouble finding people that love this country and do not see a "War Lost", but that it was a life of freedom that was bought and paid for, by strangers, and they cherish it.

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
I'm sorry to say but I think you have a Stolen Honor type person here, maybe he did serve in Korea but it's not adding up here with those awards.

Would you wear a hat like this, be among other Veterans in a public place, knowing some other Vets would stop and talk with you? I even stopped and talked briefly with another Korean War Vet inside the market 1 hour later.

quote:

Originally posted by David Lee:
So why would a moderately well dressed gent who must have been near 70 and his wife of similar age say and do such things? I believe he is ligit. I would like to know.

If he was 70’ish, he would have been a toddler in Korea. I’m 72.

SEAL teams were commissioned in the early 1960’s. For awhile they were side by side, then UDT was phased out. I have friends who were each. Maybe the UDT guys had to go to jump school or something to get their Budweissers. I really don’t know.

I can recall 3 Viet Nam era SEALS, Robert Kerrey, Michael Thornton and Tom Norris. Norris’ award was for saving MOH recipient Thornton who earned his in a separate incident.

Most of the Korean era Navy MOH were posthumously awarded to Hospital Corpsmen serving as Marine medics. There was a pilot or two, I think.

Navy guys don’t receive DSCs.

There are quite a few SEAL wishtheyweres. I recall a SEAL of my acquaintence saying some years ago that there were 2500 SEALS and he had met close to 10,000 of them.

One prominent SEAL makes a near full time job exposing phonies. Every man who has ever received his Budweisser is known, on the list, and nobody who has not received the designation is on that list.