How the vietnam generation was robbed of its heroes and its history, by b. How the vietnam generation was robbed of its heroes and its history is a book by b. Burkett s year in country during the vietnam war and his return to the united states. The book begins with an account of the building of the texas vietnam memorial and coauthor b.
Burkett is a retired army officer and financial advisor. Real veterans dont advertise their deeds and claim unbelievable acts of heroism. Burkett s stated goal is to steal back the valor of the vietnam veterans who really served in vietnam. Burkett, a vietnam veteran, and glenna whitley, an investigative journalist. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Stolen valor is an excellent book using novel technique to keep the reader going, but it uses the same technique it argues against. Burkett in his book, stolen valor, exposed one of the smelliest legacies of the vietnam war.
False claims of stolen valor hurt good veterans includes. Ptsd exists, but the author claims it doesnt and anyone who suffers from war trauma is likely to be faking. How the vietnam generation was robbed of its heroes and its history by b. Burkett s book stolen valor, writing for soldier of fortune magazine, larry bailey, is associated with the infamous swift boat lies propagated by b. The phrase stolen valor was coined by vietnam veteran b.
Burkett and glenna whitley not only sets fire to postwar myths. Burkett and glenna whitley, the authors of stolen valor, a book that exposes phony vietnam veterans, have put together some helpful hints on the books web site. The absurd conservative obsession with stolen valor. Burkett is the foremost expert on stolen valor and author of the book stolen valor. As a veteran of the vietnam war, ive always been outraged to learn of these deceptionsand im glad that they began to receive exposure two decades ago, starting with an investigative book by authors b. Burkett and glenna whitley not only sets fire to postwar. Burketts stated goal is to steal back the valor of the vietnam veterans who. Burkett is a retired army officer and the author of the book stolen valor, which received the colby award in 2000. The absurd conservative obsession with stolen valor the outline.
In june 20, congress approved the stolen valor act of 20 public law 112. How the vietnam generation was robbed of its heroes and its history burkett, b. Burkett came from a military family and always planned on joining the military. Stolen valor stolen legacy vietnam veterans against. Rarely can a book change the public understanding of a major period of history. To me, this has destroyed the credibility of an otherwise great book. How the vietnam generation was robbed of its heroes and its history, which documents, among other topics, wannabes who lie about their experiences in the southeast asian conflict. How the vietnam generation was robbed of its heroes and its history is a selfpublished book by b.
Stolen valor book how the vietnam generation was robbed of its heroes and its history winner of the william e. How the vietnam generation was robbed of its heroes and its. Military fakers are not only stealing honor, in some cases they are stealing millions of dollars from the public. The term is taken from a 1998 book by vietnam veteran b. Decked out military groom to be sent to the brig news. Supreme court strikes down stolen valor act a law meant to outlaw lying about military honors was struck down 63 by the supreme court. Vn debunking the tales of frauds who claim to be vietnam veterans is a great tribute to those who actually served. Burkett and glenna whitley read 9 aug 2003 i read this to follow up on a statement in the book vietnam now a reporter returns read 8 june 2003 that several thousand american prisoner gis went over to the nazis and fought for them. You are on leave, back home in your non military hometown.
Ask a group of folks to name a hero from world war ii. Burkett and glenna whitley which asserts both that there is a popular view of vietnam war veterans as broken men and psychopaths and that this view is false. Eventually, i would track down his book, stolen valor. How the vietnam generation was robbed of its heroes and its history b. One of the leaders in fighting this kind of ripoff is b. The son of an air force colonel, he joined the us army in june 1966. How the vietnam generation was robbed of its heroes and its history by burkett, b. His book details how many socalled vietnam veterans convicted of crimes had never served in vietnam, or in the military, for that matter. He uncovered thousands of cases of individuals who steal the honor off bona fide vietnam veterans with false tales of heroism in that war. It was selected for this years colby award, presented at the william e. Why this disservice to veterans remains an ongoing problem.
Burkett and glenna whitley, was written to describe, how the vietnam generation was robbed of its heros and its history. Anyone who has an ounce of historical sense will name patton, macarthur, audie murphy. Colby award for outstanding military book autographed by coauthored b. Burkett served with the 199th light brigade infantry in vietnam. Stolen valor, how the vietnam generation was robbed of its. Burkett began helping with the texas vietnam veterans memorial he didnt know he would embark on a journey that would lead to a crusade.
American warrior radio discusses a new book, stolen valor by bg jug. How the vietnam generation was robbed of its heroes and its history is a powerful piece of investigative journalism. It won the colby award for military writers in 2000. We read or hear much about the false heroes and veterans claiming honors that they never earned. Perhaps you are in the local watering hole, or at a family. Military lies are harmful to actual veterans share this. In conservative parlance, this heinous act is known as stolen valor, and rooting. Jug burkett, the vietnam veteran whose 1998 book stolen valor inspired the original law, told he was disappointed by thursdays ruling, but expects. There is simply no excuse for not checking the claims of, say, a mentally ill street. Burkett wrote a book about investigating socalled stolen valor. Burkett and glenna whitley is a book every vietnam veteran should read. Pretenders, liars and frauds claiming military honors they didnt earn. Lawmakers retarget valor thieves after court rules bogus.
The first time i learned that agent orange was not harmful to humans was in the book stolen valor by b. Burkett, and glenna whitley should be required reading for all americans. No, better yet, every military veteran should read it because of. Military lies are harmful to actual veterans the denver post. It received the colby award for military writers in 2000. Burkett served in vietnam in 1968, and separates this book into four parts. Colby military writers symposium at norwich april 57.
How the vietnam generation was robbed of its heroes and its history. If you use any of the internet search engines such as or and enter the keywords stolen valor, you will be rewarded with a large number of responses. In addition the book purports to document wannabes. Burkett and glenna whitley chronicling phony vietnam veterans. Burkett does not claim to be a social scientist, nor should he be mistaken for one. He is best known as coauthor of the selfpublished book stolen valor 1998, written with journalist. How the vietnam generation was robbed of its heroes and its history 1998 is a selfpublished book by b. Stolen valor names names and backs up the uncovering of these honor thieves with facts. It is a scene that many of us can readily identify. True stories of liars in violation of the stolen valor act.
Selfpublished bookall this relentless research burbles up in burkett s 692page book, stolen valor, which he wound up having to publish himself verity press, at its web site of. Dux this author is personally familiar with how stolen valor vultures make false allegations and invent evidence in order to enrich themselves or their associates. Growing up his heroes were not sports figures like mickey mantle and willie mays but the fighter pilots. He is best known as coauthor of the selfpublished book stolen valor, written with journalist glenna whitley. Stolen valor is one book that every vietnam veteran should read. How to check records of military service plenty of. I could not finish the book in the allotted time and was unable to renew it so decided to buy the book. Burkett s book stolen valor, for whom the act is named. Uncovering the foodbased version of stolen valor pro.
Military fakers are not only stealing honor, in some cases they are. Burkett, who cowrote the 1998 book, stolen valor, which remains in print and is the goto volume for anyone interested in such ungrand larceny. Im sure all that any genuine vietnam vet would ask of anyone would be is to read this book stolen valor by b. How the vietnam generation was robbed of its heroes and its history, b. Burkett and glenna whitley write about the phony war hero phenomenon. It reveals that numerous people claiming to have been mentally injured by serving in the vietnam war never served there. Stolen valor, how the vietnam generation was robbed of its heros and history, by b. That book was written to refute the numerous lies about the vietnam war and its vets including. It counters the view that vietnam war veterans were broken people and psychopaths, and provides details of people said to have lied about serving in vietnam and received military awards. Burkett and glenna whitley stolen valor stolen valor, book by b. In addition, it reveals persons who were mistakenly given military awards.
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