Stolen Valor : How the Vietnam Generation Was Robbed of Its Heroes and Its History Hardcover – September 1, 1998

I'm glad they're been identified and exposed

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Robert Gee

December 1, 2014

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

I didn't realize there were so many wannabes out there. I'm glad they're been identified and exposed, and rank had nothing to do with it. I had one member under my command who claimed to be a retired Marine Captain, during one of the military gatherings in town, with him presenting awards to other veterans, and posing for the local paper. I called up the reporter, and she said they only printed the information which was provided. I went viral!. I wrote a nasty letter to this individual, and he doesn't appear in the media anymore. I really couldn't put the book down until I've read the last page. I'm sending the book to a buddy, and hopefully, he'll send it on when he's finished. War stories never end.

5 people found this helpful

Excellent description of the trees, but misses the forest

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Ken godwin

August 27, 2015

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

The book documented the abuses of individuals, the media, and the VA in the handling of Vietnam Vets, particularly of those who claimed to have been in combat. The authors used the Freedom of Information Act to show the bias in many news accounts of returning vets, the bias in blockbuster movies, and the failure of the VA to check the stories of all the soldiers who claimed PTSD but were not in Vietnam or were not in combat roles. All of this was excellent. What the author did not include were the results from a large number of academic studies of Vietnam Vets with statistical comparisons of vets from other wars, soldiers who served during the same period but were not in Vietnam, and soldiers in Vietnam that saw combat and those who were in Vietnam but did not see combat. Had the authors included those studies, they could have shown us the forest as well as the individual trees. We would have seen the Vietnam veterans were no more likely to come back "damaged by war" than soldiers of other periods and that, on average, Vietnam vets have been more successful than persons of similar backgrounds and educations who did not serve.

3 people found this helpful

A Wannabe Best Friend Lost

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Kindle Customer

May 30, 2010

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

After almost two decades I still cannot bring myself to speak to the one person -- close friend and former Marine who was best man at my wedding after finding out that we fought back-to-back in hand combat in Vietnam. This revelation was disclosed when his companion's adolescent son related the story to the guests. Needless to say I was embarrassed but didn't want to refute this in public. What made this relationship even more untenable when his companion was puzzled when two former Marine Corps pilot neighbors suddenly stopped visiting and avoiding them. As it turned out she learned the pilots discovered numerous inconsistencies in my friend's claim to be a MarCorp aviator.

The next nail in the wannabe column involved a clinical psychologist's Army husband who was having difficulty obtaining VA benefits. He was part of the forward recon team in Argentina. Because of his "spook" ops, he could not apply for VA benefits until President George W. was out of office. That should have been the alarm. Stranger than fiction. This wannabe's downfall came at the Marine Corps birthday ball when he told the story of having been rescued by a single Seal team member and being carried 20 clicks to safety. Pinned on his -- the wannabe's chest was a Silver Star along with other fruit salad.

"Stolen Valor," could not be truer. And I had the unfortunate chance to experience it.

6 people found this helpful

Shining a Light on the Truth

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Lodge2

November 27, 2006

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

An outstanding book that gives an honest analysis of the Vietnam era and its veterans. Burkett shines a bright light on the truth, and exposes the fakes hiding in the shadows.

Having been raised in a military family, I was always frustrated by the depiction of Vietnam vets in the media and culture. The people I saw on TV and in the papers were not the same ones that I had grown up with. My father, step-father, uncles, neighbors - they were not stressed out victims. They were professional soldiers who served their country with honor and pride.

Burkett does a fantastic job of debunking most of the myths surrounding service in Vietnam. He demonstrates how the anti-war crowd, liars and malingerers created and sustained an alternate reality of what happened. The war has been over for 30 years and yet the battle at home still continues. This book goes a long way toward setting the record straight.

Long and repetive at times, this is not light reading and will probably leave you angry at those who have pepetuated and profited from the myths. If you are interested in the Vietnam era, this book would be a great starting point. Burkett points out the flaws in many books and TV shows of the era (i.e. he researched quite a few of the people who provided "first hand" accounts and found they were frauds). Especially relevant if you follow the events in Iraq/Afganistan since the rhetoric against the war is exactly the same as what was used during the Vietnam era and it is coming from the same people and organizations.

10 people found this helpful

Absolutely outstanding! It brings to light all of the hippie dressed “soldiers” that weren’t soldiers at all. Research is there. Those who don’t like the truth don’t like it.

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Most recent customer reviews

John

Fake Vets

Published 22 days ago

vanguard8

Five Stars

Wow the things you didn't know.

Published 5 months ago

Amazon Customer

Great reading for exposing fake heroes.

I am a Vietnam vet. and decided to preview the book thru my local county library. I could not finish the book in the allotted time and was unable to renew it so decided to buy...Read more

Published 7 months ago

PIKCAP

An absolute must read for honest Vietnam War veterans - ...

An absolute must read for honest Vietnam War veterans - I've read it twice and still find it mind boggling that our government is so effed up.

Published 10 months ago

Leonard Rigsby

Five Stars

Out standing book, opened my eyes to the problem some people have being honest.

Burkette is as full of "beans" as those he wants to expose. Though he makes SOME valid points, his remarks that most "rag tags" as he calls them are fakes is as...Read more

JC7071

Hated this book

poorly written. Long winded. I wish I didn't buy this book

Johnny

not good at all

This was purchased as a Christmas gift for our daughter ...

Jgreg

This was purchased as a Christmas gift for our daughter in law who is working on her graduate degree covering the Vietnam war.

Love the produce. Arrived quickly.

Curcio

Five Stars

Outstanding expose of those who would steal the honor of our true heroes from the Viet Nam War era.

JonPittsburgh67

Burkett and Whitley have written the definitive expose of the pretenders and wanna-be's of the Viet Nam era, along with the VVA, the VA, and the worthless journalists that will...Read more