Advice, please. I’ve read a resume and more recently (2016, located in August 2018) the obituary of a former USN E-5 seaman (confirmed) who first claimed to be a retired USN O-6 captain with the Navy Cross and at one time the president of the Portland Oregon Navy League. I personally saw hm wear the Navy Cross at a formal dinner, and also his business cards for the Navy League with the military rank.
Called out on those claims the man’s USN captain and Navy Cross references disappeared, Is there any issue with his apparently phony claim for being a Merchant Marine captain?
Mackenzie obit
Well there’s plenty of Captains running around out there. The easiest way to tell if that most legit Captains don’t have Captain on their business card or mail box.
This guy is dead so there really isn’t anything to be gained. The O6 and Navy Cross are a stolen valor case that is illegal in some states.
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If this gentleman is deceased, what’s the bother? Stolen valor aside, the rest is fairly mundane in my opinion.
Also, that obit has him as having “risen to the rank of captain in the USMM” I guess you could say that I first ascended to that rank with my six pack when I was 20, then my 1600 ton when I got my 2/m ticket at 24, and finally unlimited master at 28. I’ve held a piece of paper that says I’m a captain for quite some time but only gave it any weight since I started sailing as one. This person’s claim to achieving the rank may have some truth to it and if it’s what his family wanted to celebrate about his life, why not?
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Who writes their own obituary? Maybe it was a friend, spouse, child or employee of a funeral home doing the story telling? Stolen valor is a pretty lousy thing but I don’t have it in me to call up a mourning widow or grieving son/daughter & tell them their husband/dad was a lieing cheat.
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Agree.