by Mark TarsesOne of my pet peeves is fake Vietnam veterans. We have a lot of them panhandling on the streets of Berkeley. You see them everywhere, not just around campus, but at busy intersections, at freeway entrances, on BART trains, and working the lines at movie theaters. I don't know why they annoy me. I've never been to Vietnam, I'm not a veteran, and these people never get any money from me.
Many of these fake Vietnam vets are obvious fakes. For one thing, many of them are too young. The last U.S. troops left Vietnam in 1975, so that means that all real Vietnam vets are over 50 years old. However, I frequently see panhandlers claiming to be Vietnam veterans who look 30 to 40-something, and in some cases, 20-something.
What percentage of beggars claiming to be Vietnam veterans are fakes? Nearly all of them. According to a survey by the Vietnam Veterans of America, over 90% of street beggars claiming to be Vietnam veterans are fakes.
Beggars figured out a long time ago that they could get more money from passers-by by claiming to be veterans and by making themselves look like veterans. In ancient Rome, beggars falsely claiming to be disabled or honorably discharged Roman soldiers were subject to death in the arena.
The fact that a beggar claims to be a Vietnam vet and looks like one is meaningless. It is very easy for panhandlers to dress up like veterans. Old camouflage army uniforms, complete with battle ribbons, decorations, and insignias of rank are available very cheaply at thrift stores and can often be obtained from church free boxes.
Many successful politicians built their careers on false claims of military service and valor. Senator Joseph McCarthy based his career on his claim that he was a war hero, wounded in the South Pacific while shooting down dozens of Japanese planes. In reality, "Tail Gunner Joe", as McCarthy liked to be known, was a desk officer during the war. He never saw combat. Yes, he was wounded. That claim was true. However, his "war wound" was not incurred in combat. In 1943, McCarthy got drunk at a party, fell down some stairs, and broke a leg. He applied for a decoration and got it.
David Duke, former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, has long claimed to be a war hero. Duke claimed that during the Vietnam War, he took part in covert operations in Laos, voluntarily risking his life behind enemy lines. However, according to Pentagon records, David Duke's only military experience was a brief stint in the ROTC program at Louisiana State University. Thats a long way from Laos!
There are many widely-held misconceptions about the Vietnam War and Vietnam veterans. Here are some real facts:
There are no American POWs (Prisoners of War) in Vietnam. Over half of all Americans believe that American POWs are still being held in Vietnam. This myth is constantly being reinforced by movies like the Rambo series, which are seen on TV all the time; and by disreputable charities which claim to be working for the release of American POWs in Vietnam. There is no credible evidence that there are any American POWs in Vietnam.
Vietnam veterans are not poor or mentally unstable. Of course, there are some real Vietnam veterans who have real psychological problems resulting from their wartime experiences. That happens after every war. But there is no evidence that Vietnam veterans, as a group, have a higher rate of mental illness than the general population of the U.S. Also, Vietnam veterans are no more likely to be poor, homeless, or addicted to drugs than the general population.
If you would like to help real Vietnam veterans, don't give money to panhandlers wearing old Army uniforms and carrying signs that say "Help a homeless Vietnam veteran." Almost all of those people are fakes. Instead, make a donation to a legitimate veteran organization, like: Vietnam Veterans of America or Veterans of Foreign Wars. These organizations have programs to help real veterans, and donations to these organizations are tax-deductible. Money you give to panhandlers is not tax-deductible.
If you would like to see a movie about a panhandler falsely claiming to be a Vietnam veteran, I recommend "Trading Places" starring Eddie Murphy as a wonderfully funny, but dubiously disabled veteran.
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