Stolen Valor : How the Vietnam Generation Was Robbed of Its Heroes and Its History

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.

I did not like the book as much as I would have preferred. I thought that there would be cut and dry names of the individuals that claimed to be the recipients of these much coveted medals, but that did not earned them. Instead the book is a long dissertation of so many aspects of the military that eventually I lost interest. As opposed to another book that tells the personal stories of great heroes, what they did, and what branch of the service they were part of when they got their medals, basically the a-z of the courageous men that have earned these distinguished commendations, this book does not have a chronological list of names of those that try to say they did get the medals under false pretense. No respect whatsoever for these individuals, for if there are capable of lying in such a way with no restrictions, who knows what else they can lie about.Anyone can buy medals and pin them on, but that is not what it is about. Takes a lot more guts than that. There is the north and the south pole, an insurmountable gap between actual heroic acts, and liars. That would be the aspect I respect the most about this book, a well researched book whose main goal appears to have been the unmasking of liars. Service in war is too far serious of a subject to have fools running around claiming they are heroes. As I mentioned, many angles to the book, well written for sure, but could not find enough cases of singled out false heroes. 3.5 Stars.

Lots of great statistics on Vietnam. I was a "ground pounder" with the 101st Airborne, 67-68, and saw a whole different side of the War. A great amount of research went into this book and I have to give "big kudos" to Mr. Burkett for that effort. It's great to see the "wannabees" exposed for what they are. Dan Rather is no exception, along with the Hollywood crowd. The honesty that Mr. Burkett wrote about his tour in the Nam, was indeed "heroic" in itself. Golf Clubs and Purple Hearts for a couple mortar rounds, is really tough for the "ground pounder" to swallow, but at the same time, very enlightening to hear the truth. I never knew that the Marines actually had a "War Correspondence Company", in Da Nang. Guess that's why they got all the great coverage they received. Great idea, as we now have some really great Documentaries. Too bad we didn't have some "War Correspondents" in the "Bush", with the U.S. Army. Or did we? If so, I didn't see any during the 18 months I was there.

Thank you B. G. Burkett for writing this book about Stolen Valor. No one wanted to go to Vietnam, now everyone wants to be a Vietnam Vet. Many have never even been in the military and yet they are stealing VA benefits from the real Veterans. It can also show you how the media shows people who never went to Vietnam and claim that they are Vietnam Vets. It is a good read and if you are of that generation, reading this may make you every angry.

The Author rightfully claims not all Nam Vets are suffering from PTSD. Many have had no problems coming home but some have.While the Author spent his Nam time in the rear areas doing computer projects and scrounging equipment there were others who spent everyday in the bush catching hell. We should not characterize all Nam Vets as stressed out and unbalanced. We should remember some Nam Vets do have PTSD depending on where they served in Nam and their own reaction to what they experienced in that hellish place. The Author does a fine job of calling out the wannabees and phonies who falsely claim what is not rightfully theirs. I applaud him for that.

I sent a copy of this book as a Christmas gift to the retired Colonel who had been my Company Commander in Vietnam. He deserved it for his dishonorable and fraudulent actions. He plagiarized my flight log and awarded himself the 4 Air Medals and Army Aviation Badge (Crew Wings) I earned while serving as his Lieutenant. He was a Captain. He ordered me to fly many of the missions which got quite dicey due to the inordinate amount of ground fire we took. His excuse was he had a wife and child. I connected with him 40 years later through the power of the internet since I remained not only curious but rather bitter that I had not received what I had earned. He offered me money for my honor using the lame excuse that since I was not "career" he didn't think it mattered to me. Imagine the lack of character of wearing another man's medals on your chest for 20 years and that's what Stolen Valor is all about.

B.G.Burkett s account of the scams and deceit that followed the Vietnam war is an eye opener. He is passionate about protecting the legacy of genuine war heroes by exposing the fakes is commendable

Guaranteed an excellent book on exposing the fraudulent pretenders that are hood-winking everyone that they can to receive 100% ex-servicemen pensions or with their fame to claim self-inflated egos of being real life "Rambo Types". More than a few wannabe heroes advertising themselves as so brought into the front & center along with their so-called Veterans Associations.The news media, documentaries, radio & TV talk shows not acquiring the documented facts from the Military, Medical Professionals, Chemical analysts, etc, but believing the cooked-up stories of whatever or whoever in the name of sensationalism. Strange to the uninformed but any of my Vietnam Veteran friends are all clean cut, respectable, successful, pillars of their communities. People I'm proud to know & associate amongst. And I should mention some were front line Combat men in action with more than one wound with scars to match. To these gentlemen war is a memory, they served their country like their fathers,uncles,etc before, believing in patriotic duty to their country & we all should salute them. Really, I could go on & on about what we've all heard from the media & certain Hollywood celebrities along with journalists looking for that story no matter how untrue. I'm sure all that any genuine Vietnam Vet would ask of anyone would be is to read this book "Stolen Valor" by B.G. Burkett & Glenna Whitley to read the actual truth. Exposure to the true facts through the FOIA (Freedom OF Information Act). You'll be surprised of who you thought was a Vietnam Vet as they themselves boasted. Actors, Politicians, even ex-servicemen of the era looking for hero status. If you are a fan of people such as Jane Fonda or John Kerry just to name a few, maybe documented proof in this book might hurt but if what ex-Army Lt.Burkett prints is an untruth I'm sure Jane's & John's as well as others lawyers would have long brought Mr.Burkett & Glenna to a court of law. If a person can face the truth on the Vietnam Veteran with both pros & cons this book will open your eyes up to the real story not something cooked up. The next time you hear or read of a crazed Vietnam Veteran I hope you might be watching "Wheel of Fortune" with Pat Sajak or NYPD Blue with Dennis Franz, could either one of them be Vietnam Vets, they don't look crazed to me ! DEFINITELY FIVE STARS & THANK YOU Mr.Burkett & Mrs.Whitley as well as all contributors to this book that brings out the truth. And again DEFINITELY FIVE STARS & Thank a Veteran sometime.