Walts, posers & wannabes (merged)

[Vets Dottir]

Hi folks.

This thread certainly caught my eye as I just went through finding out a longtime online "friend", a Vietnam Vet??? has fed me a crock for years. Another real friend of mine, really US military served, had his red flags flying about some things my "friend" claimed about his service ... end result a lot of email exchanges between me and some real Veterans who I believe have now passed on this situation "to the feds" for a Stolen Valor investigation. I'm thinking he's been gaining things he's not entitled to gain and if so he's in trouble if they catch up with him. I haven't had any updates so don't know where things stand but it's certainly mindboggling to realize this person I thought I knew fairly well ...... well I don't know him at all and suspect his name is an alias too. Not a clue whats real and what isn't about him. I don't get it at all. I certainly don't get his maintaining stories and connetion with me for years as there was nothing to be gained from me that I'm aware of. Strange. And very upsetting to be disillusioned and find out the kinds of lies he told me but very glad I was and know now! He claimed medals, including a DFC *which the DFC site checked and no way us that true, other medals claimed, and other stuff. I gave everything to the vets I had from him and whatever I had and could find out that could possibly help verify and/or ID this guy so had my first experience with outing a poser. YUK ... I never want to go through this again!

Regards this guy this thread is about using a Fallen Soldiers photo/identity (identity theft???)  ... that really stinks big time that he did that, and THAT is an understatement!

Thanks for that Walts link ... that was a total hoot

 

[dustinm]

To make a long story short, I was in a chat room when I mentioned the Forces. Another user happened to correct me on something (I used the term MOC to refer to the job I wanted, he said it was NOC) and then proceeded to tell me he was a CWO.

Now, this struck me as odd because this was a chat room for teenagers.

Here's the following information I got out of him (and I'd appreciate corrections from those in the know :warstory

- He's 26, been in since he was 16
- Started in Reserves, but is now Reg Force
- Will be "J.Lt" next summer
- Claims that when you're accepted for a job, you automatically get a security clearance, but you have to wait for promotions if they require you to have a higher security clearance(?!)
- Said he made MCpl in 2 years through the Reserves, then CT'd to the Reg Force and was a Sergeant for 2 years in the Reg Force before getting promoted to CWO

Now, when he claimed he went from Sgt to CWO, I asked him how he managed to go from Res to Reg F keeping rank, and skip. He said he skipped WO (but not MWO, I guess?), but that he's a bona-fide CWO.

He also came out with this little gem:

You do know that even a Pvt in the reserves holds a secret clearance right? TS is the second level sec class, I currently hold a TSEO class. You will get that during your course probably. I am not too familiar with your NOC so I cant really comment

Is it possible this guy is in the Cadets or something? I'm just curious about where he got all this information.

Is it possible to get CWO in 10 years? Maybe in the Reserves or Cadets or something?

 

[CEEBEE501]

:rofl:

Oh god i love what people say on the internet
all tho i dont know too much, from what iv read im pretty sure its alot of BS

 

[dimsum]

...Just because I'm bored today...

- There is no such rank as J.LT
- Security Clearances depend on what your job is.  You apply for the one you need.
- There is no (well, none that I've heard of) way to make those ranks in that timeframe.  A Sgt-direct-CWO promotion(s) is...unbelievable, at best.

...and he doesn't even spell the abbr. for Private correctly (at least in the CF.)  Now I'll step aside and let the Walt-hunters do their thing  op:

 

[1feral1]

Walts?

Quite frankly why use this word? As they are nothing but liars, imposters and frauds of which I find extremely offensive at best.

Call his bluff.

Cheers,

OWDU

 

[dustinm]

Walts?

Quite frankly why use this word? As they are nothing but liars, imposters and frauds of which I find extremely offensive at best.

Call his bluff.

Cheers,

OWDU

I was acquainted with the term "walt" when, a couple months ago, it was discovered that someone had misappropriated the image of a fallen Canadian Soldier as his own, and was claiming to be a member of JTF-2.

I wouldn't use the word anywhere outside of a military forum, lest I be met with confused looks. I assumed it to be an accepted term (at least it was on the source material, arrse.co.uk.)

I have a feeling (since it was a teenager chat) that he's just a misguided youth, though I'm sure his antics will end him face to face with a Service Member sooner or later.

 

[CEEBEE501]

Silly question but how did the term "walt" come in to usage for this type of person?

 

[Loachman]

"Walter Mitty".

Also, no serving member would use the abbreviation for Pervert (Pvt) in place of the correct abbreviation for Private (Pte) either.

 

[CEEBEE501]

Oh haha, well I'll be dammed we looked at the short story "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" this year in my English 12 class. 

 

[JBoyd]

Walts?

Quite frankly why use this word? As they are nothing but liars, imposters and frauds of which I find extremely offensive at best.

Call his bluff.

Cheers,

OWDU

This might help with understanding why they are called 'walts'

http://www.arrse.co.uk/wiki/Walts


Helped me when I was reading the same thread that Neo Cortex referred to

 

[Roy Harding]

The origin of the term "Walts" is as posted by Loachman.  It is a term (so far) more in use in the British Forces than ours, but it is growing in popularity (the US guys seem to favour the term "poser" for the same type of individual).

What your particular Walt describes is impossible in today's military.  It may be that he was once a Cadet - maybe.  He may also be an American - Pvt is the US abbreviation for that rank, and they do have Junior Lieutenant's in their forces (Lieutentant (Junior Grade) is, I think, the correct term).  Maybe he's an airsofter - who knows, who cares.

Whatever he is - don't waste your time on him, unless you think he's spouting dangerous misinformation to innocent users of your (unlikely - these idiots rarely know enough to actually qualify as "dangerous")

 

[ModlrMike]

I know you're right Roy, but it's so much fun poking them with an appropriately baited stick.



As long as one remembers that the distance between wit and twit is one letter.

 

[Roy Harding]

I know you're right Roy, but it's so much fun poking them with an appropriately baited stick.



As long as one remembers that the distance between wit and twit is one letter.

Well - as long as you're having fun, I wouldn't count it as a "waste" of time.

 

[VIChris]

What are the odds of getting the forum and user name out in the open?

 

[daftandbarmy]

An ignominius death to Walter Mitty's (Walts) everywhere: Honour Thieves extraordinaire...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYJ2EASH_g0

 

[X-mo-1979]

These are the people I would love to ask to go for coffee.To discuss the stories as they seem like such awesome people.

Then bury them in the basement.

 

[Kiwi]

So here's a little story in progress for you chaps, I'm currently living and working in Kelowna.  I'd been doing day labouring at a site for a couple of days where I met a guy by the name of Corey.  I introduced myself to him and we started working together loading wood into a waste bin.  We get to talking and I tell him about my recent arrival in Canada and that I had been a Medic in the NZ Army for the last couple of years.  He then tells me that he used to be a Marine.  I assumed that he meant the USMC but no, apparently he was in the 'Canadian Marines'.

The BS meter starts ticking...

This revelation makes me wonder if the little I do know about the CF might be wrong - I'd heard you had the usual trio of Airforce, Navy and Army.  I decide to take the guy at face value and ask him a little about service life.

Over the next two days I'm told that:

• He was shot twice in Afghanistan for which he received the 'Medal of Honour'
  
• The Canadian service rifle is alternately the 'M3' on the first day and the 'M5' on the second
  
• He was present for Saddam's execution in early '06, apparently this was held in Kandahar, Afghanistan (History be damned!)
  
• He was 45 minutes away from capturing Saddam but another unit got there first
  
• Canadians were in Iraq (I'm aware that a small amount of personnel were in Iraq but he was talking about an entire infantry unit)
  
• His unit was the '54th' Infantry
  
• Basic training was 23 weeks long
  
• After his 2.5 years service he had attained the lofty heights of 'Gunnery Sergeant'
  
• And various other facts that just didn't seem to add up

Please note:  This is all said with a straight face.  Like anyone I'm not a big fan of being lied to and I especially dislike people lying about military service.

Today I asked him about some of the major inconsistencies with his story, mostly the fact that Saddam was executed in Baghdad, Iraq.  Instead of admitting to lying he continued to assert that he was right and that my sources must be wrong.

NZ has some issues with people claiming false veteran status and medal fraud and I understand Australia has had similar problems.

What are your thoughts on this sort of thing?  Is it relatively common in Canada? 

I've printed off a bunch of reference material to give him, should be interesting.  Will post with the results.

-Kiwi


P.s. A good site dedicated to exposing imposters in NZ and Australia, has some interesting reading: http://www.anzmi.net/

 

[Fishbone Jones]

The guy is a Walt. Most of his 'experience' seems to be from reading SOF magazine with every second page missing. Walk away.............very fast, and don't look back.

Alternately, you can get him to sign up here so we can have fun for awhile. ;D

 

[Sub_Guy]

Sounds like he is pitching an online gaming resume to you.    :


For the entertainment value I would continue to ask this guy more questions.

 

[gcclarke]

I wouldn't say "relatively common", but yes, it happens. Mostly often on the internet. Actually, it turns out that I've never been in the Navy at all! In fact, I'm still in high school! Muahahaha! My nefarious scheme has gone undetected!

But seriously, it happens, but like you experienced, they're usually quickly found out by those with even a modicum of information / curiosity.