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

Rating:
Summary: THOSE BOYS DESERVED BETTER...
Review: When will Hanoi jane and Hanoi John Kerry, and other 60's liberal radicals apologize to Vietnam vets for their horrendous treatment of them?

The Author B.G. Burkett was asked by some friends to help raise money for a Vietnam veterans' memorial in Texas. As he tried to approach potential donors, they turned him away, sneering that they would not contribute to any Vietnam veterans' cause because they -- Vietnam vets -- are nothing but a bunch of addicts and losers. When Burkett tried to talk with the press, the reporters turned away, only to interview a scruffy bunch of clowns in old camouflage uniforms with odd headgear and medals pinned on here and there.

Angered at this situation, Burkett began to research these local "Vietnam vets." He used the Freedom of Information Act to gain access to the military records of these "vets" and the results rocked him. These "Vietnam vets" were either not veterans, not Vietnam veterans, or, if they had served in Vietnam, their tales of combat did not match their service records.

Spurred by this, Burkett began to research more and more individuals who appeared to be professional Vietnam vets. He turned up more and more phonies. In Stolen Valor, Burkett unmasks dozens of phony Vietnam veterans -- many of them had risen to high positions in veterans' organizations, had been feted in banquets and parades, were local heroes. Most of them wore chests full of medals that they never earned.

But, It Does Not Stop With Phony Vets
If the only thing that Burkett did was to unmask phony vets, then this book would be interesting reading and no more. However, he devotes considerable attention to other topics that have been identified with Vietnam veterans.

Burkett argues that PTSD -- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder -- was largely manufactured by zealous Veterans Administration officials who needed more patients for their declining hospital population and by anti-war psychiatrists and psychologists who used the supposed destruction of the mental health of a generation to vent their anti-war views. He is careful to make certain that the reader understands that there are men who suffered and still suffer emotional and psychological problems from the stress of combat but he argues that their numbers are nowhere near the numbers of Vietnam vets who are supposedly wrecked by PTSD. Burkett exposes several cases of those being treated for PTSD as phonies.

Remember the claims that Vietnam vets are suicidal? One often hears the quote that more Vietnam vets died of suicide after coming home than died in combat. Burkett quotes study after study that proves that Vietnam vets commit suicide at a rate lower than that of the rest of the population.
Burkett also devotes space to Agent Orange, the defoliant containing the carcinogen dioxin that was used on jungle areas of Vietnam. One hears today claims that the dioxin has caused serious problems for many Vietnam vets, including birth defects for their children and cancer for them. Burkett is not convinced and he cites numerous scientific studies that tend to refute these claims.

Well-researched book


Rating:
Summary: Clearing the Odor of Liberal Myth
Review: Stolen Valor is an overdue and crucial review of the myths surrounding the American soldiers conduct in fighting the Vietnam War, and in their return to the mainstream of our society.

As a point-by-point refutation of the half-truths and outright lies of our biased media, aided by those "useful idiots" in Hollywood, Stolen Valor makes airtight the case that we all owe our Vietnam Veterans a huge apology for our belief that they prosecuted an callous, inhumane war, and returned to peacetime in America as a gaggle of drugged out, socially deficient misfits.

What I personally found most interesting about Stolen Valor was its analysis of the fabrication that black men were sent into combat as cannon fodder, suffering far greater casualties than other ethnic groups represented in our Army. The truth is that black men volunteered for combat duty in disproportionately higher numbers, suffered wounds almost exactly in proportion to their representation of our combat forces, and were decorated for bravery in at a significantly higher proporationate percentage.

This evidence of race baiting proves the depths to which the "blame America first" crowd will go to lead us all to sign on to their agenda. Those who continue to denigrate their country for its participation in the Vietnam War are truly beneath our contempt.

The only thing more despicable are those who protested and lied to further their agenda during the War, and now are denying their participation in such a monumental fraud only for political gain.

Freedom of speech is a wonderful thing. However, it comes with the responsibility to not yell "Fire" in a crowded theater.

I urge all Americans to read Stolen Valor, and to pass along a well-deserved thanks to those gallant men who fought a war they could not win because of the lies perpetuated by those who would see America emasculated and embarrassed.

Ben Davis-Houston, Texas



Rating:
Summary: A Terrible Gift for a Vet
Review: I bought this book for my husband, a Vietnam war hero. I have never seen my husband as angry as he was after reading this book. People he knew personally were slammed. Lies were told about good decent people who served their country with VALOR.

Think twice before you buy this book for the Vietnam Vet in your life. I wish I could go back and spare my husband the pain.

Rating:
Summary: I doubt Shelby Stanton wrote the reviews listed here
Review: I have not read Stolen Valor, but I have read several of Shelby Stanton's books. The person posting on Amazon claiming to be him, and complaining about the charges against Mr. Stanton made in Stolen Valor, is almost certainly not Shelby L. Stanton.

1) There are numerous misspellings. Mr. Stanton is a meticulous researcher, and his order of battle books in particular contain hundreds of pages of tables and lists. He would never leave errors like "Special Froces" or "plagarized" or "the Burkett's" uncorrected.

2) The writing is utterly unlike Mr. Stanton's drily factual style. He would never say "You are a crazy dupe to believe this treasonous anti-American..."

3) Similar posts, from a variety of anonymous AOL e-mail addresses and always claiming to be from Shelby L. Stanton, appeared elsewhere on the internet at around the same time, for example on True North, a Christian site that carried a review of Stolen Valor: "Too bad they are so damn evil, that they mock God and His Truth, by continuing to post lies against me. They are frightend to respond to me." Note the poor spelling.

4) This book has been in print for six years. If Mr. Stanton wanted to dispute its claims on Amazon, or anywhere, he would likely have done so before last fall. However, there is a certain irony (the kind that would appeal to pranksters) in denouncing a book about phony Vietnam veterans and their pretense at mental problems by assuming someone else's identity and writing a rambling, deranged outburst.

As I have not read Stolen Valor, I cannot address whether what Mr. Burkett says about Mr. Stanton is true, or not. For what it is worth, I read in one review (not on Amazon) that Mr. Burkett concedes that Mr. Stanton served a year in Thailand as an administrative officer in a special forces camp. This is exactly what I thought Mr. Stanton did, based on my reading of his books. If Mr. Stanton made claims beyond that, I never heard them.

As an author, Mr. Stanton has done outstanding work in documenting the Vietnam conflict. He is entitled to his reputation. I hope that Amazon will investigate this matter and remove these phony posts made in his name to embarrass him.

P.S. My rating of 4 stars for Stolen Valor is simply to avoid distorting the average, as I haven't read the book. I will try to read it as soon as I can.

Rating:
Summary: America Owes Vietnam Vets Apology (I Also Apologize)
Review: This books is VIETNAM HISTORY CLASSIC, no exaggeration, a rapid-fire page turner. Fascinating insights on not just fakers and men telling tall tales, but the liberals in America since Vietnam.

The truth is as a young man I too bought into the myths and lies that Burkett straightens out - or at least I never bothered to seriously question the baloney from Dan Rather's crowd. I saw "Hearts and Minds" and "Platoon" and "Deerhunter" and allowed myself to be sucked in by that fecal matter.

I agree with Burkett that Congress ought to pass an official resolution-apology to all honorable Vietnam veterans for the disrespect, defamation and collective amnesia.

Exposed are the old anti-war leftists still trying to dominate media and wrap their cowardice in moral superiority. Exposed are the quack shrinks and Agent Orange Witch Hunters. Exposed is leftist film con-artist Oliver Stone. Exposed are Senators Tom Harkin and John Kerry.

Since I also wrote previously a positive book review about Capt. Shelby Stanton's "Rise and Fall of An American Army", I was angry and shocked to read from Burkett how Stanton faked some of his own army records and stole government documents. I can only blame myself and have contempt for my gullibility. Thank you Mr, Burkett for your service.