Posted on Nov 23, 2015
"Fallujah Marine veteran beaten over mistaken case of stolen valor"
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From: USMC Life
A Marine veteran who fought in Fallujah was attacked by an airman who believed he was lying about serving in the Corps. It happened over the weekend at The Long Shot, an Arden-area bar, according to CBS Sacramento.
The Marine veteran, Michael Delfin says he tried to show the airman his ID, but he believed he was looking for a fight.
“I noticed a guy had a fade and he asked me if I was in the service and he said, ‘Yeah, I’m in the Air Force,’ and I said, ‘Oh I was in the Corps,’” he said.
The airman was looking for an active duty CAC card, but since Delfin was a veteran, he only had this VA card – he was accused of lying about serving on the spot.
“So, I asked him to read my ID, and he was like nahh stolen valor, stolen valor; this guy’s a fake,” he said. “He’s ignorant. He needs to learn how to read an ID, plain and simple,” he said. “When a vet tells you he’s a vet and he’s obviously wearing a fallen brothers bracelet doesn’t even recognize that.”
Things started turning ugly and the Delfin tried leaving, but was jumped in the parking lot by the airman and one of his friends.
“And before I knew it I couldn’t get off the ground. My leg gave out; it was kind of a blur,” Delfin said.
Delfin’s tibia is broken, and his jaw might be too.
“I did over 12 years in the Marine Corps; I was a tracker and I was in combat in 2004 in Fallujah,” he said.
“Because everybody that’s in the service does their job, but when you go to combat it’s a different thing, so to claim on me I’m stolen valor, that’s a slap in every veteran’s face,” he said. “He needs to get caught. He needs to get made an example of, plain and simple.”
Sacramento Police have filed a report, Delfin has also heard from an Air Force investigator.
http://usmclife.com/2015/10/fallujah-marine-veteran-beaten-over-mistaken-case-of-stolen-valor/
A Marine veteran who fought in Fallujah was attacked by an airman who believed he was lying about serving in the Corps. It happened over the weekend at The Long Shot, an Arden-area bar, according to CBS Sacramento.
The Marine veteran, Michael Delfin says he tried to show the airman his ID, but he believed he was looking for a fight.
“I noticed a guy had a fade and he asked me if I was in the service and he said, ‘Yeah, I’m in the Air Force,’ and I said, ‘Oh I was in the Corps,’” he said.
The airman was looking for an active duty CAC card, but since Delfin was a veteran, he only had this VA card – he was accused of lying about serving on the spot.
“So, I asked him to read my ID, and he was like nahh stolen valor, stolen valor; this guy’s a fake,” he said. “He’s ignorant. He needs to learn how to read an ID, plain and simple,” he said. “When a vet tells you he’s a vet and he’s obviously wearing a fallen brothers bracelet doesn’t even recognize that.”
Things started turning ugly and the Delfin tried leaving, but was jumped in the parking lot by the airman and one of his friends.
“And before I knew it I couldn’t get off the ground. My leg gave out; it was kind of a blur,” Delfin said.
Delfin’s tibia is broken, and his jaw might be too.
“I did over 12 years in the Marine Corps; I was a tracker and I was in combat in 2004 in Fallujah,” he said.
“Because everybody that’s in the service does their job, but when you go to combat it’s a different thing, so to claim on me I’m stolen valor, that’s a slap in every veteran’s face,” he said. “He needs to get caught. He needs to get made an example of, plain and simple.”
Sacramento Police have filed a report, Delfin has also heard from an Air Force investigator.
http://usmclife.com/2015/10/fallujah-marine-veteran-beaten-over-mistaken-case-of-stolen-valor/
Stolen Valor
Air Force
Marine Corps
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 102
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IMO what really bothers me wasn't that it was an airmen and his buddy who blindsided a Marine, the fact that it was an ACTIVE DUTY MEMBER JUMPING A VETERAN that makes my blood boil! We all raised our right hands, we all stated the same oath, we all cherish our Nation's principles. This is idiotic and a prime example of the younger generation's ignorance/disrespect to military history and traditions. Growing up, I would never even think to question an elder or veteran, now it seems to be a weekly occurrence.
Sad state of affairs, no pride, no integrity,
No Espirit De Corps- this has to stop NOW
S/F
Sad state of affairs, no pride, no integrity,
No Espirit De Corps- this has to stop NOW
S/F
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That is absolutely terrible. I hope that airman is caught, and removed from service immediately. That behavior has no place in the service. Period.
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at first I thought scrubs that are stealing Valor being outed was a good thing but the more I read about crap like this I am turning against it to do this to a real Vet is way beyond shameful and criminal Service members who do this need to be made an example of reduced to the rank of E-1 and a bad conduct discharge there is no excuse for it at all
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Yet another young or incompetent military guys screwing up shit for the rest of us. Who ever you are airmen Deflin before you go smashing and accusing get your head out of your ass. Your battle buddy who played as an accomplisher you both should be a shame for the actions you both did (beating a fellow vet). You both should get the hell out of the military service for your characters are not that of any values or core you were taught either being in the airforce,army,marine,navy or coast guard boot camp.
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An airman questions a MARINE. Talk about hypocritical given that many MARINES served 12 PLUS month in Iraq and Afghanistan while members of the air FARCE early on only spent 120 days in either location.
As an air force retiree it disgusted me to hear air force personnel WHINE while being interviewed by the media about the hardship they and their families would have to endure while he or she was serving in either Afghanistan or Iraq for a MEASELY 120-days. Thank god I retired in 1991 when air force personnel were still professional. Those currently serving in the air force today are nothing but a bunch of whiny, pissy pant crybabies.
As an air force retiree it disgusted me to hear air force personnel WHINE while being interviewed by the media about the hardship they and their families would have to endure while he or she was serving in either Afghanistan or Iraq for a MEASELY 120-days. Thank god I retired in 1991 when air force personnel were still professional. Those currently serving in the air force today are nothing but a bunch of whiny, pissy pant crybabies.
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TSgt Steven Lodahl
MSgt Devon Saunders - I spelled the word force as FARCE because in my humble opinion, that is what the air farce has become since Gen McPeak was CSAF. McPeak is the WORST csaf ever to hold that position.
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TSgt Steven Lodahl
SFC WARREN = I totally agree. The congress should revisit the National Security Act of 1947 and eliminate that portion which created the air farce as a separate branch of service. The U.S. Army would be better served if they had their OWN ground support aircraft [i.e. the A-10 and the AC-130]. My nephew was a MARINE during OPERATION Desert Storm, he was in that column of MARINE vehicles which was strafed by that hot shot A-10 pilot. He lost a close friend and knew several of the MARINES who were seriously wounded - one of them losing his arm. Needless to say, the MARINES only accept air farce ground support when it is a true life or death need. They prefer MARINE air support because they know their fellow MARINES will get the job done with little or no friendly fire happening to them.
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Sgt Hard Philips
I was with the Marine Air Wing (2ndMAW) 68-72 and I agree it is curious why the USAF separated from the Army. The Navy has its air wing, the Marines have theirs, why is the AF separate from the Army? Even now the Army Forts and AF Bases are melding into one space (e.g., Lewis/McChord outside Tacoma, WA). Remerging the AF with the Army would mimic the private corporate world in the restructuring and allow for one chain of command, as in the Navy and Marine Corps.
But all that is an aside. Laying in wait and ganging up on someone in a parking lot is dastardly criminal and if the airman is caught, after whatever civic charges are applied, he ought to go to courts-martial and receive a DD. So far as stolen valor goes, it is now a crime, call a cop - a lot of them are vets.
Another aside for an inside joke (and my brother was 21 years with the AF and my Dad 31 with the Army so I repeat this with all due respect): Grunt in Nam said when they called in firepower the AF answered by coming in high and bombing for effect. Navy fighters would swoop down and strafe pretty good, but the Marine pilots after offloading all their munitions would go so far as to start knocking the enemy down with their wings. Low down humor? Semper Fi
(p.s. I've notified Facebook that every time I type "Semper" their spellcheck turns it into "Temper" and "Temper Fie" is like saying "I'll be angry if I want to" and anger is what starts all the fuss to begin with...temper, temper, temper.)
But all that is an aside. Laying in wait and ganging up on someone in a parking lot is dastardly criminal and if the airman is caught, after whatever civic charges are applied, he ought to go to courts-martial and receive a DD. So far as stolen valor goes, it is now a crime, call a cop - a lot of them are vets.
Another aside for an inside joke (and my brother was 21 years with the AF and my Dad 31 with the Army so I repeat this with all due respect): Grunt in Nam said when they called in firepower the AF answered by coming in high and bombing for effect. Navy fighters would swoop down and strafe pretty good, but the Marine pilots after offloading all their munitions would go so far as to start knocking the enemy down with their wings. Low down humor? Semper Fi
(p.s. I've notified Facebook that every time I type "Semper" their spellcheck turns it into "Temper" and "Temper Fie" is like saying "I'll be angry if I want to" and anger is what starts all the fuss to begin with...temper, temper, temper.)
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WHAT A IDIOT AIRMAN...I HOPE HE FELLS GOOD.....AND PROUD.......OF IT.......
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I think I served in the Army to protect the freedoms if every American. Even the ones that try to claim they are former military. That means if some guy wants to stand on a street corner and claim he is a vet so he can get some money then so be it. It isn't my job or duty to figure out his past. Some people just need to get over it and move on.
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