A tie between Charlie Manson and Stolen Valor fakers? Yes
February 22nd, 2012 | Awards Pop culture | Posted by Dan Lamothe
With the Stolen Valor Act under scrutiny by the Supreme Court today, it seemed like a good time to bring a story out of the mothballs.
In 2009, I covered a story for Marine Corps Times that falls squarely in the truth-is-stranger-than-fiction category. The short of it: A man who claimed to be a retired four-star Marine Corps general had previously been married to convicted murderer Susan Atkins, ex-wife of the notorious serial killer Charlie Manson.
I know this because I went to great lengths to prove it. Donald Laisure claimed in the Marine Corps Association’s membership registry that year to have earned the Navy Cross, the Silver Star and an Air Medal in a 54-year career that included service in Vietnam, Panama and the Persian Gulf War. His registry profile also claimed that he went on to become the CEO and chairman of the board at Laisure Oil Refinery & Production Company in Greenville, Texas.
Based sheerly on those details, the profile already looked fishy. But a Google search also showed that a man by the same name had married Atkins in 1981. He reportedly decided to wed her after his psychic readings told him she wasn’t guilty of the horrific crimes of which she’d already been convicted. A records request to the state of California showed the wedding actually occurred.
In a phone interview, Laisure admitted that he had lied about his military service. He also acknowledged having been married to Atkins previously. They divorced a few months after their ceremony, and Atkins later said that Laisure was “not being totally honest with her,” according to a transcript of her 1985 parole board hearing.
I bring all this up to show the level of absurdity that can go with stolen valor issues. Based on experience covering stories like this, it’s clear that the individuals who lie about military service sometimes have myriad other issues.
That isn’t always the case, of course. Others have done it out of pure greed, reaping unearned benefits, gifts and admiration by claiming heroic acts at the expense of those who actually have performed them. Our newspaper chain has a full online database, the Hall of Stolen Valor, devoted solely to tracking and exposing those actions.
The Stolen Valor Act was passed in 2006 to deter these sorts of lies. As news reports like this point out, however, it’s constitutionality is considered shaky.
It’ll be interesting to see how the court rules on this issue. A prominent blog covering the Supreme Court suggests the justices may opt to narrowly define the law, rather than throw it out. Depending on how that occurs, that may be greeted as a victory by those who helped develop the law in the first place.
Behind the Cover: ‘Kyle covered that grenade’ — Marines weigh in on grenade blast survivor’s heroism
January 23rd, 2012 | Afghanistan Awards Infantry Marjah Medal of Honor | Posted by Dan Lamothe
It’s rare indeed that Marine Corps Times will publish back-to-back cover stories on the same subject.
Lance Cpl. William Kyle Carpenter’s story is exceptional, though. As I reported last week, the Marine Corps is investigating what happened in the moments before he and Lance Cpl. Nick Eufrazio were hit with grenade explosion in a guard post near Marjah, Afghanistan, on Nov. 21, 2010. Carpenter took the brunt of the blast, and the service is researching whether he deliberately attempted to protect Eufrazio.
The story prompted a strong response from our readers — and for several of Carpenter’s fellow Marines present that day to step forward to tell their side of the story. They’re adamant in their response: based on what they saw, Carpenter deserves the Medal of Honor, they say.
This week’s cover story reflects that. It outlines what they remember and what the Corps has asked them to do as the investigation moves forward. Combined, the two cover stories share Carpenter and Eufrazio’s ordeal in a way that no other publication has, more than a year later.
As we’ve mentioned before, the case is complicated by chance. All of the Marines interviewed for this story were close when the grenade exploded, but could only hear it and respond. Carpenter said he doesn’t remember what happened, and Eufrazio has been unable to speak about the incident due brain damage he suffered as a complication.
The issue is on newsstands now beginning today. You can also read it by subscribing here online.
Video: Marine Lance Cpl. Kyle Carpenter, injured by a grenade, discusses his recovery
January 17th, 2012 | Afghanistan Awards Marjah Wounded warriors | Posted by Dan Lamothe
Lance Cpl. Kyle Carpenter speaks with Marine Corps Times about injuries he sustained in a grenade blast in Afghanistan. (Photo by Colin Kelly/Staff)
As mentioned on this blog yesterday, this week’s Marine Corps Times cover story focuses on Lance Cpl. Kyle Carpenter, the Marine infantryman who has achieved a miraculous recovery after sustaining a grenade blast near Marjah, Afghanistan, in November 2010.
Marine Corps Times has taken some heat for reporting that there are questions over whether Carpenter covered the grenade to protect his buddy, Lance Cpl. Nick Eufrazio. Actions along those lines have yielded prestigious valor awards in the past, obviously.
Those questions exist, though, at least in the minds of some in the Corps. Additional Marine sources have reaffirmed that since the story was published yesterday. Both lance corporals are heroes nevertheless, but Marine officials acknowledge they are uncertain what happened and still investigating.
That doesn’t take away from Carpenter’s sacrifice, though — or the inspiring way he carries himself now. I sat down with him at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for the story, and was blown away by his optimism and grace. When you see this video, I think you will be, too.
We’ll have another story about this incident in next week’s paper featuring comments from other Marines who were in the compound when the grenade exploded. This story isn’t going away anytime soon.
Behind the Cover: Did Lance Cpl. Kyle Carpenter cover a grenade to shield his buddy?
January 16th, 2012 | Afghanistan Awards Behind the Cover Marjah | Posted by Andrew deGrandpre
UPDATE: An updated version of this story has now been posted online here.
You may recognize this face. That’s Lance Cpl. Kyle Carpenter, who was severely wounded in Afghanistan in 2010 when insurgents chucked a hand grenade onto the roof where he and another Marine, Lance Cpl. Nick Eufrazio, were posting security.
In the months since the attack, as Carpenter has undergone numerous surgeries to address his injuries, he has become an ambassador, of sorts, for the Marine Corps and its wounded warriors, inspiring family, friends and fellow Marines with his undying optimism in the face of a difficult recovery. He has dined with Vice President Joe Biden, attended events hosted by the commandant — and even mugged for photos alongside college cheerleaders and UFC star Brian Stann.
Eufrazio, by contrast, weighs 100 pounds and is unable to speak. He resides in a Florida veterans hospital that specializes in caring for patients who’ve sustained traumatic brain injuries. These men’s stories, writes Marine Corps Times senior writer Dan Lamothe, is “a classic example of the cruelty of war.”
Carpenter came to our attention last year, when we received word that the state legislature in his native South Carolina honored him with a resolution claiming he “took the full blast from an enemy hand grenade in seeking to save a fellow Marine.” He and Eufrazio are the only two eyewitnesses to what happened that day on the outskirts of Marjah. Carpenter says he can’t remember what happened in the moments right before the attack. Eufrazio can’t communicate. The Corps continues to investigate the incident, officials say, and it’s unclear whether all of their questions ever will be answered.
But if Carpenter did try to protect his buddy from the blast …
… that would put him in some exclusive company.
This story is not to be missed. It hit newsstands Monday. You also can subscribe online to read it right now.
Marine veteran raps birthday tribute to Cpl. Jason Dunham
November 11th, 2011 | Awards Iraq Medal of Honor Pop culture | Posted by Gidget Fuentes
In his four years stationed at Miramar Marine Corps Air Station in San Diego, former Cpl. Joe Potter had never met Cpl. Jason Dunham.
Potter joined the Marine Corps the year that Dunham died. But Dunham’s legacy as a combat warrior and Medal of Honor recipient who gave his life to save his fellow Marines from an insurgent’s grenade in Iraq in April 2004 had been well ingrained in Potter’s memory during the four years he spent working as an expeditionary airfield specialist with Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron.
Since hanging up his uniform, Potter has worked in his father’s painting business, often listening to music to pass the time. “Music is a hobby,” he said. While he was in the Corps, “I rapped a lot.” What he hoped could be a music career took a back seat to marriage and a child and the responsibilities of family. Then, six months ago, he picked it back up, prompted by a catchy song he heard on his iPod. “I was outside, painting with my dad,” he recalled. “I wanted to do something.”
That’s when Jason Dunham came to mind. “We had all heard about him,” he recalled. “He’s just like a legendary hero.” So he jotted all sorts of ideas that came to him, “and before I knew it, I had verses down.” He set out to learn more about Dunham, devouring the book, The Gift of Valor, and pouring through whatever he could find online. “He’s a modern-day hero. He gave his life. It takes so much courage,” he said.
Potter, 26, knew that Dunham shared the same birthday as the Marine Corps itself: Nov. 10. So a week ago, with the final verses completed, and photos and images collected and edited into a video, he recorded the song and posted it on YouTube the following day. He sent out scores of emails to people he knows and others he’s never met, including a group of Blue Star Mothers, promoting the video and pointing out the site on YouTube.
“Last night, Corporal Dunham’s mother called me,” Potter said, speaking Nov. 10 from his home in Boca Raton, Fla. Her call surprised and moved him. “I was trying to explain the idea, as best as I could,” he said. “I said, I hope that writing this song doesn’t bring back any pain.’”
Debra Dunham reminded him that Jason would have turned 30, he said, and she reiterated to Potter a simple message. “Never take anything for granted,” he said. “She said, ‘you just don’t know how long you’re going to have it.”
Dakota Meyer jokes with David Letterman
September 23rd, 2011 | Awards Ganjgal Pop culture | Posted by Dan Lamothe
Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. Dakota Meyer appeared on “Late Show with David Letterman” Thursday night, and thing got loose pretty quickly. You’ve got to love “greasing the Bobcat” jokes, in particular:
For what it’s worth, it appears Meyer is still laughing about the appearance. He posted the following message on Twitter this morning:
The full episode is available here.
Thoughts on the ’60 Minutes’ piece with Dakota Meyer
September 19th, 2011 | Afghanistan Awards Ganjgal Washington | Posted by Dan Lamothe
President Obama presents Marine Sgt. Dakota Meyer the Medal of Honor in a ceremony at the White House on Sept. 15. (Photo by Rob Curtis/Staff)
Last night, the messy background behind Sgt. Dakota Meyer’s Medal of Honor was reintroduced to the nation.
In a 15-minute piece on “60 Minutes,” CBS reporter David Martin outlined what went wrong in the six-hour battle in Ganjgal, Afghanistan, that led to Meyer taking his life in his hands on Sept. 8, 2009, in an attempt to save as many Afghan and American forces as he could from the teeth of a well planned ambush.
The clip is up here:
Some of the details reported last night will be common knowledge to those who have tracked Ganjgal, but there were some new details.
The Army Center for Lessons Learned training video of the account had not been widely distributed, for example. CBS also tracked down retired Col. Richard Hooker, one of the two officers who investigated the leadership failures that played a key role in what went wrong. Meyer himself also described what happened with refreshing candor, as painful as it is.
Readers of Marine Corps Times, Bing West’s “The Wrong War,” and some of McClatchy reporter Jonathan Landay’s initial reporting on the battle will know much more about the failures and frustration that day, however.
Since late 2009, I’ve actually written four Marine Corps Times cover stories that focused heavily on Ganjgal (note: I’ve linked them below), along with about 20 other shorter pieces.
There’s always another thread to pull on with the story. What about the reprimands? What about awards that are still pending? It’s a messy situation, and it still isn’t all resolved.
Martin’s piece last night does the story — and the families involved — a great service. It elevates Ganjgal’s profile yet again, adding in a lot of things that didn’t come up last week when President Obama awarded Meyer the nation’s top valor award.
Already today, The Associated Press has jumped on the story, leveraging comments that Gold Star family members Susan Price and Charlene Westbrook made on “60 Minutes.” They’ve shared their thoughts before, but this time it’s with a recently awarded Medal of Honor in the national consciousness.
It’s hard to say what’s next. Already, the Battle of Ganjgal has become a signature moment in the Afghanistan war, and that’s without considering the Medal of Honor case pending for Will Swenson, the Army captain who assisted Meyer in bringing home the bodies of four Americans killed in the battle.
If Swenson receives the award, it’d mark the first time since 1993′s Battle of Mogadishu that two service members receive the Medal of Honor for actions in the same fight. In yet another way, Ganjgal would become Afghanistan’s “Blackhawk Down.”
We’re watching history unfold before our eyes. It’s just shame it has to be so painful.
Previous Marine Corps Times cover stories on Ganjgal
– Families outraged over engagement restrictions
– Report: Army denied aid to team under fire
– Heroism in ambush may yield top valor awards
– MoH nominee says he does not feel like a hero
More on Dakota Meyer’s beer summit with Obama
September 15th, 2011 | Awards Ganjgal Washington | Posted by Dan Lamothe
UPDATED: A White House spokesman tells Marine Corps Times that the beer shared by Obama and Meyer was home-brewed there. It’s called White House Honey Blonde Ale. That’s pretty sweet.
President Obama enjoys a beer Wednesday outside the Oval Office with Dakota Meyer. The president will present Meyer, a sergeant in the Individual Ready Reserve, with the Medal of Honor on Thursday. (White House photo by Pete Souza)
By now, you’ve seen the photo above. It’s President Obama having a beer yesterday with Dakota Meyer, who will become today the first living Marine in 38 years to receive the Medal of Honor.
The idea was reportedly Dakota’s. When the president’s staff called Meyer over the weekend in advance of today’s ceremony, the Marine asked if he could have a beer with Obama, White House press secretary Jay Carney said in a tweet last night. The president invited Meyer yesterday.
During the Beer Summit in 2009, the guests drank Red Stripe and Blue Moon, while the president had Bud Lite. Based on the photograph, it appears they may have had Bud Lite yesterday, too. I’ve inquired with a few sources to see if we can clear that up. Inquiring minds want to know, and all.
Dakota Meyer: The first Medal of Honor social networker?
September 14th, 2011 | Awards Ganjgal | Posted by Dan Lamothe
President Obama will award the Medal of Honor tomorrow afternoon to Dakota Meyer, the first living Marine in 38 years to receive the nation’s top valor award.
For many, the ceremony is heavily anticipated. There are many people still recovering from the scars created in Ganjgal, Afghanistan, on Sept. 8, 2009, when the heroism of Meyer and others prevented an awful situation from becoming even worse. As it was, the battle led to the death of five U.S. service members and at least eight Afghan troops.
Meyer already is in Washington, and appeared Tuesday night at the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation’s 2011 ceremony to announce the creation of the Sergeant Dakota Meyer Scholarship Initiative. It’s a push to raise $1 million to help the children of wounded Marines get through school.
Meyer mentioned the effort when I interviewed him last month in Kentucky for this feature, but the details were still a bit fuzzy. They’re crystal-clear now, though. In the last week, he even has backed the launch of dakotameyer.com, which outlines the push and what it means to him.
To propel the initiative, Meyer also has embarked on an apparent first: taking to social networking websites as a living Medal of Honor recipient. There’s a Facebook fan page, which includes announcement and links to media coverage. There’s also a Twitter page, which he suggested yesterday that his Facebook fans follow.
It’s all a long way from where Meyer was a year ago, when he was hesistant to discuss the awful details of what happened in Ganjgal. The reason appears to be simple, based on his website:
“I chose to partner with the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation on this initiative because of our common mission of supporting Marines and Navy Corpsmen families. Education paves the path for our future, and the money we raise will lead to a brighter future for the sons and daughters of many Marines.”
Expect more appearances in the future. Among the first: He’ll be throwing out the opening pitch at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 20.
Video: Marine Corps Times interviews Dakota Meyer, Medal of Honor recipient
August 19th, 2011 | Awards Ganjgal | Posted by Dan Lamothe
Dakota Meyer on his grandparents' farm in Greensburg, Ky., on Aug. 16. (Photo by Chris Maddaloni/Staff)
GREENSBURG, Ky. — It has been a long journey.
Dakota Meyer will receive the Medal of Honor on Sept. 15, two years after he braved enemy fire multiple times in Afghanistan in attempt to save fellow U.S. service members in Ganjgal, Afghanistan. He made it out of the valley alive, and they didn’t. It’s a tough situation to digest.
Marine Corps Times readers know the story well by now — various aspects of it have led me to write three cover stories since early last year, including a profile on Meyer.
With the White House announcement now official, however, I made my way down to Meyer’s hometown this week with staff photographer Chris Maddaloni.
We met him at his grandparents’ farm Tuesday in this rural town of 2,500 people, sitting in their living room to discuss the battle, its aftermath and how he handles all the attention. An excerpt of the interview is available here:
We’ll have a lot more in next week’s print edition of Marine Corps Times, but I thought it was worth sharing some personal observations here.
Meyer has taken the time to do at least 20 interviews since the White House’s announcement — a heavy workload that must be both monotonous and exhausting. Still, he sits dutifully, answering questions from reporters — some of whom clearly haven’t done their research and ask dumb questions, based on a quick Google search.
Meyer still loves to crack jokes, and clearly has a great relationship with his grandparents, Dwight and Jean Meyer. Married 58 years, they’re planning to fly to Washington for the ceremony. They proudly shared their recollection of the Korean War, which Dwight served in as a Marine. His haircut is still squared away, snow-white hair and all.