Henry B. Hallowell, Stolen Valor

[Subdeacon Joe]

Stolen Valor Is not just reserved for this generation…I’m pretty sure this has existed since before the time of the Roman Legions…

I just worked a case this past couple of years of probably the greatest valor fraud in the history of the Corps residing in Oregon….still alive, claiming Navy Crosses, Silver and Bronze Stars, 5 Purple Hearts, heroism and POW medal among many other accolades…when in fact he never left the US during the Vietnam War.  He did however serve honorably for 4 years in the Marines but it seemed that service wasn’t good enough for him so he had to concoct a brilliant story that duped people for decades and probably frauded  hundreds of thousands in government benefits, and numeorus VSO’s as well…many thanks to the FBI and some other 3 letter agency friends in helping flush that out.

Story as old as time unfortunately.  A friend reminded me of this old story today that i leave here….

The Greatest Fraud in the History of the Marine Corps
 
Henry B. Hallowell enlisted in the Marine Corps on May 28,1860. The following October he was assigned to the Marine Guard aboard the USS Richmond, which shortly departed for the Mediterranean. When the Civil War broke out, the ship was called back to the U.S., whereupon Hallowell promptly deserted.
 
On July 21, 1861, Hallowell enlisted in the 28th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, and was promoted to first sergeant of Company K three days later. In February 1862, however, he was found to be a deserter from the Marine Corps and was arrested. Under normal circumstances he would have been severely punished. But the Civil War created an enormous demand for Marines, and Hallowell escaped the usual penalties, being reenlisted and assigned to the Marine Guard aboard the USS Flag.
 
On October 27, 1862, Flag ran down and captured the blockade runner Anglia in Bull's Bay, South Carolina. Hallowell was assigned to the prize crew aboard Anglia, which took the ship to New York, where he jumped ship.
 
For the next year and a half, Hallowell laid low, but in May, 1864, he was again arrested. Surprisingly, he suffered only a reduction in rank, and was again assigned to duty, this time aboard the USS Juniata. During the First Battle for Fort Fisher, in December of that year, Hallowell served as one of the ship’s gunners, while during the second battle, he went ashore with the 400-man Marine Battalion, to take part in the January 15, 1865 assault on the works.
 
Hallowell was discharged from the service on September 28, 1865, and, for the next several decades was just another veteran making his way in the world. Then, in 1917, he was interviewed by John Leonard and Fred Chitty, authors of The Story of the United States Marines. They included Hallowell's story of the attack on Fort Fisher assault in their book.
 
The publication of the book, and the popularity that the Marines gained during World War I, apparently prompted Hallowell to concoct a new life for himself. Shortly after the war he purchased a set of full dress blues, attached first sergeant's stripes and fifteen hash marks to the sleeves, and thus instantly transformed himself from chronic deserter to career Marine. In 1921, he showed up at the San Diego recruiting office and convinced all and sundry that he had been on active duty for sixty-one years. His story was picked up by the Mare Island Navy Yard newspaper Peepsight.
 
For the next seven years, Hallowell traveled around the country and was welcomed at every Marine post. Finding receptive audiences for his tall tales at every stop, he was the delight of the Corps. Everyone seemed charmed by this salty old sea-soldier. Everyone but Major F. E. Fegan, the officer in charge of Marine recruiting.
 
In 1927 Fegan personally looked into Hallowell's service record, and found the man to be a fraud. He promptly issued orders that Hallowell not be mentioned in Marine publications and banned him from all posts. Following Fegan's edict, Hallowell vanished into obscurity. But his picture, replete with hash marks from wrist to shoulder, still perpetuates the myth to this day of him having been the longest serving Marine in the history of the Corps.

 

 

 

[watab kid]

ive never understood this , but i guess there is always someone looking to gain some cash and notoriety for something they didnt do , personally i find this worthy of judicial proceedings 

[Pat Riot]

I personally feel that False Valor should be punished by serving time in a military brig run by the Marine Corps. 
If the miscreant is dead there is not much that can be done uncles the family persists in spreading the false value then they can visit the brig for a while. 
 

 

 

 

 

PS: I know civilians can’t be put in a brig…yet!