Veteran’s POW, service claims challenged

PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN ^ | July 24, 2009 | ANTHONY A. MESTAS

[george76]

The Crowley County veterans affairs officer is disputing claims by military historians that he lied about being a prisoner of war.

In a telephone interview Wednesday, Ronald Crumley said he is a former POW and that he will prove it at a meeting next week.

"All of the allegations will be answered by two people. One is a four-star Marine general and the other is a former assistant U.S. attorney general," Crumley said.

"I see how this has happened to other people and I want to take care of it now," Crumley said.

Military historian Doug Sterner of Pueblo and Mary Schantag, a researcher for the POW Network, said that Crumley never was a prisoner of war.

Crumley is listed on POWnetwork.org under its "phonies and wannabes" section as claiming to be a Vietnam prisoner of war.

Crumley allegedly claimed to have been captured in I Corps and held as a prisoner of war in South Vietnam for three years before escaping.

Sterner said he has contacted an FBI special agent and reported Crumley to him as a violator of the Stolen Valor Act.

[george76]

http://www.military.com/HomePage/UnitPageBulletinBoard/1,13492,500230,00.html?Page=11

[colorado tanker]

"There are some extenuating circumstances about what went on (during his time in Vietnam) and they can answer those questions for you next week," Crumley said.

"Extenuating circumstances"?? Hmmm. They may have found a faker here.

[FlyVet]

Being a POW should be really easy to prove.

If he is, I honor him; if he isn't, he's probably just got a screw loose. No sane person could believe they could get away with claiming that if it wasn't true, could they?

But then we had that Clinton buddy Lawrence that got buried at Arlington, and later disinterred, because he was later found out to be a fraud.

Who the heck would want to claim they deserved such an honor, if they didn't deserve it?

(Just a rhetorical question. I met some people on the golf course who had no problem shaving strokes. I don't know how cheating makes you feel better about yourself, when you know you didn't really deserve it.)

[george76]

Remember Richard Strandlof formed a group called the Colorado Veterans Alliance ?

Posing as a wounded Iraq War veteran named Rick Duncan

He was one of three people featured in an ad attacking Republican Senatorial Candidate Bob Schaffer

http://www.koaa.com/aaaa_top_stories/x551456484/Local-veterans-worried-about-fallout-from-imposter-arrest

[31R1O]

Sometimes, not so much.

[colorado tanker]

Ah, yes, I remember that con artist well. I hope he’s warming a cot at one of Uncle Sam’s dreariest facilities.

[ansel12]

Schantag said the POW Network obtained Crumley's official military records through the Freedom of Information Act and found he served 10 years in the Marines as an aircraft safety equipment mechanic, never was promoted to warrant officer, never flew 500 combat missions and was never a Vietnam POW.

He has a lot of lost records to find, the 500 combat missions in an F4 and his promotion records from enlisted to Warrant Officer and the missing three years of being a POW.

[SIDENET]

he was promoted to warrant officer and flew 500 combat missions in F-4 Phantom jets.

WOs didn't fly F-4s.

[higgmeister]

You know, I thought it was funny when Eddie Murphy rolled around with sunshades on and his legs hidden in that hollow dolly, claiming to be "Agent Orange" when he was in Viet Nam

This story doesn't sound very funny.