Dallas Wittgenfeld – A Recap
There’s been a lot of rambling and invective on the recent Wittgenfeld threads at TAH (here and here). As a result, it’s been easy to lose track of precisely what claims our “friend” Wittgenfeld actually has and has not made – and which of those claims are valid. Since he’s now entered in the Ballduster McSoulpatch Memorial Stolen Valor Tournament, it’s probably best to have that info immediately available. So I thought I’d take a shot at summarizing Wittgenfeld’s claims and their status.
If anyone finds what they feel to be an error in the information below, please let me know and I’ll correct it – provided I agree, of course. (And if you’re reading this, Wittgenfeld, the only way I’ll accept corrections from you is if they’re accompanied with paperwork you haven’t provided previously. Like a copy of your CIB orders, for example.)
The Legitimate Claims
1. Wittgenfeld claims to have served on active duty with the US Army. That claim is backed by his DD214 and his FOIA report. He served on active duty from Sep 1968 to July 1972.
2. He claims to be a Vietnam Veteran. This claim appears valid. Per the assignments section of his FOIA report, he served in-country from Aug 1969 to Aug 1970.
3. Wittgenfeld claims to have seen combat in Vietnam. This claim appears accurate. Per the assignments section of his FOIA report, Wittgenfeld saw combat in Vietnam with 2 different units. The first was D Co 151st Inf (Ranger) – which was reflagged D Co 75th Inf (Ranger) while Wittgenfeld was assigned to the unit (Aug 1969 to Apr 1970). The second was HQ 2nd Field Force Vietnam (HQ II FFORCEV) from Apr 1970 to Aug 1970.
4. Wittgenfeld claims to have an Air Medal for his service in Vietnam. This claim appears accurate. He was awarded one Air Medal, NOT for Valor, while assigned to HQ II FFORCEV. (The orders for this Air Medal have been removed from their former location on-line. However, I personally reviewed these orders prior to their removal from their former location on-line; they appeared legitimate. I will attempt to coordinate with the owner of the site where they were formerly posted to have them re-posted.)
5. Wittgenfeld claims he has two Purple Hearts. This claim appears accurate. He was awarded two Purple Hearts while assigned to HQ II FFORCEV.
6. Wittgenfeld claims to have been awarded the Army Commendation Medal with V Device (ARCOM w/V). That claim appears accurate. Per his DD214 and FOIA Report, he was awarded the ARCOM w/V, apparently while assigned to D Co 151st Inf (Ranger).
7. Wittgenfeld claims to be Airborne. That claim appears accurate. Per his DD214 and FOIA report, Wittgenfeld is Airborne qualified.
8. Wittgenfeld claims to have been a drill instructor. That claim appears accurate. After his return from Vietnam, per the assignments section of his FOIA report he served as a Drill Instructor (Oct 1970 – Jul 1972).
9. Per his DD214, Wittgenfeld received an honorable discharge.
10. Based on new information brought to my attention on 9 October 2012, it appears that Wittgenfeld’s CIB is legitimate as opposed to questionable. Apparently US Army Vietnam (USARV) - in an exception to Department of the Army regulation and policy of the day – authorized 05B RTOs serving with infantry units whose primary duties were to accompany infantry units on tactical operations to be awarded the CIB. While I have not yet personally located and verified the full text of the USARV exception, the exception is unambiguously referenced in a decision of the Army Board for Correction of Military Records (ABCMR). The ABCMR doesn’t tend to get things wrong.
OK, so much for the “good”. Now for the “bad” and the “ugly”. And, finally, my attempt to make sense of it all.
The Questionable Claims
1. Wittgenfeld claims to have a CIB. This claim is questionable. In fact, Wittgenfeld’s FOIA report and DD214 both indicate he has a CIB. However, the assignments section of his FOIA report indicates he never served in combat as (1) an infantry unit commander, (2) a formally-assigned advisor to RVN forces, or (3) as an infantry soldier (all his assignments in Vietnam were Radio Operator assignments in his primary MOS of 05B). His receipt of the CIB is thus highly questionable, as it appears to be invalid under the regulations of the day (para 96.a., AR 672-5-1, May 1961, w/amendments). Yes, it’s in his records. Whether it’s legitimate or not is another question.
This claim is no longer regarded as questionable. As noted above, Wittgenfeld apparently does legitimately rate the CIB under a US Army -Vietnam exception to DA regulations.
2. Wittgenfeld claims to be, and and promotes himself as, a former “Airborne Ranger”. This claim is arguably true, but – like Roger Maris’ single-season home run record – also comes with a rather large asterisk. Per his FOIA report and the assignments section of same, Wittgenfeld was an Airborne-qualified soldier assigned as a Radio Operator to a Ranger Unit in Vietnam. However, per those same documents Wittgenfeld did not attend Ranger School, is not Ranger qualified, and therefore does not rate the Ranger Tab. Use your own judgement as to whether you accept this claim by Wittgenfeld as valid. I personally don’t buy it – Ranger School has existed in one form or another since 1950, and Wittgenfeld served from 1968-1972 – but I appear to be in the minority on this issue and could well be wrong.
3. Wittgenfeld also claims (by wearing the awards publicly) that he served with a unit during a period for which it was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation (PUC), Valorous Unit Award (VUA), and Meritorious Unit Award (MUA). This claim is questionable if not outright false. I’ve checked the official Army listing of unit awards; none of Wittgenfelds units in Vietnam seem to be listed there – so none of them appear to have ever been awarded a PUC, VUA, or MUA. That means Wittgenfeld almost certainly isn’t authorized these unit awards for permanent wear – and thus shouldn’t be wearing them now. (His Vietnamese Unit Awards are probably legit; many if not most US Army units deployed to Vietnam received one or both of those.)
4. Wittgenfeld has also made claims of “skydiving in Vietnam to entertain the orphans”. Yeah, right. Sorry, but I’m gonna need independent verification from a disinterested party before I’ll buy that one. I’m calling this claim at best questionable if not an outright whopper of a lie.
The Bogus Claims
1. Wittgenfeld was cited multiple times in the past in published articles as having received a “Bronze Star for Valor”. There’s really only one place those reporters would have gotten that info: from Wittgenfeld himself, either by interviewing him personally or from written material provided by him. Follow this link for one example of such a false claim. Per Wittgenfeld’s DD214 and FOIA report, these claims are bogus – and IMO, so is Wittgenfeld’s current claim that he had no influence over what those reporters wrote about him in the past. The fact that there are several other similar articles near the end of the web page linked here IMO effectively disproves Wittgenfeld’s claims of innocence in this area. Could one reporter “screw the pooch” and get his decorations wrong? Yes. Several, all making the same identical mistake? Uh, no, I don’t think so. I’m calling this claim, and Wittgenfeld’s oblique denial that he bears any responsibility for the misinformation those stories, bogus.
2. Wittgenfeld also apparently hoodwinked the Special Forces Association into admitting him by reputedly making false claims of serving as an advisor to the “Royal Thai Army” and of being temporarily attached to the 11th Special Forces Group. These claims also appear to be bogus. No such assignments are documented in the assignments section of Wittgenfeld’s FOIA report. Rather, Wittgenfeld’s Purple Heart orders show him assigned to “RTAVF-SLS”. I’m reasonably certain this designation stands for “Royal Thailand Army Vietnam Forces – Staff (or maybe Strategic) Liaison Section”. His duty position there was 05B – Radio Operator (SLS). Providing comm support while assigned to a liaison team ain’t the same thing as advisory duty.
3. Wittgenfeld’s also made claims of being “Airborne Ranger Special Forces”, too. Those claims are also bogus – there are no SF assignments in his record whatsoever. Wittgenfeld’s claims of “hanging out” with the 11th SF while on “compassionate leave” don’t cut it – that’s neither formal assignment nor attachment, and I’ve seen nothing documenting that it even happened at all. Ditto his claims of being a Ranger Advisor to the Royal Thai Army (serving on a liaison team ain’t the same thing). Bottom line: Wittgenfeld never served with SF, either in CONUS or in Combat. He was never Special Forces, nor is he authorized to wear the Green Beret – period. Even if he did con his way into the Special Forces Association.
4. Finally, Wittgenfeld claims to have been a “LRRP” or “LRP” in Vietnam. This claim is bogus. Wittgenfeld was never a “LRP” or “LRRP” in Vietnam. His first unit there – D Co 151st Infantry – was indeed originally designated as a Long Range Patrol (LRP) unit. But that designation changed about 6 months before Wittgenfeld ever arrived. D Co 151st Infantry’s status and designation was changed in Feb 1969 from LRP to Ranger. Wittgenfeld arrived in Vietnam in Aug 1969, so he never served with a LRP unit in Vietnam – and he absolutely did not serve with the 101st as a LRRP, as he’s previously implied. Wittgenfeld served as an RTO while assigned to a Ranger unit. He never served in a LRP or LRRP unit.
The Asshattery
Other than the above, Wittgenfeld’s dealings with others are textbook examples of how to make enemies and influence people the wrong way. Read the comments by “LoNg RaNgE PaTrOL 41” starting here. Yes, that really is Wittgenfeld playing with the shift key like a teenage girl (or a spastic) and using that asinine screen name. And after reading those comments, you can probably decide for yourself whether his tournament nickname of “Flying Assclown” is apropos.
His abuse of the Army uniform and his disrespectful attitude towards other veterans, veterans’ supporters, and others in general are reprehensible. His narcissism is obvious in his staged photos, his deeds, and his words. He is also one of very few people I’ve ever even heard of to get arrested for flying a plane while intoxicated (2nd part of article here). And when you read Wittgenfeld’s own words, it’s easy to conclude that he’s also a racist.
In short: he’s a real piece of work. He’s definitely a legend in his own mind, and obviously thinks he deserves to be famous.
The rest of the world? Either “deserves to be infamous” or “Dallas Who?” is probably more a accurate description of how the rest of the world feels about Wittgenfeld.
Reconstruction of Events, AKA Reality
Here’s my reconstruction of what likely actually happened. I could be wrong, and if I’m presented documentary evidence I am, I’ll revise this.
D Co 151st Infantry (Long Range Patrol) was an Indiana National Guard unit. It was one of the few Army Reserve Component (USAR and ARNG) units mobilized and sent to Vietnam, and was the only National Guard Infantry unit so mobilized and deployed. This unit was mobilized in April or early May 1968, departed Indiana in mid-May for extensive pre-deployment training at Fort Benning, and deployed to Vietnam in December 1968. The unit was assigned to II FFORCEV. It was redesignated D Co 151st Infantry (Ranger) in Feb 1969.
Per Wittgenfeld’s FOIA, Wittgenfeld was not originally a member of D Co 151st Infantry - he enlisted after D Co 151st Infantry had departed for pre-deployment training. The assignments section of his FOIA shows Wittgenfeld began active duty in September 1968; attended basic training at Fort Campbell; Leaders Prep and 05B AIT at Fort Knox; Airborne School at Fort Benning; and then was assigned to the 82nd Airborne at Fort Bragg, arriving in April 1969. He served as an 05B – Radio Operator with the 82nd Airborne for approx 3 months, then ended up on orders for Vietnam. He arrived in Vietnam in late August 1969 and was assigned to D Co 151st Infantry (Ranger) shortly thereafter.
Wittgenfeld was thus never assigned to D Co 151st Infantry while it was designated a “Long Range Patrol” unit, arriving approx 6 months after the unit had been redesignated “Ranger”. He was most likely either an individual replacement or Regular Army cadre assigned to that unit because of the pending reflagging of that unit as D Co 75th Infantry (Ranger), which occurred in November 1969 and was almost certainly due to the end of the period of mobilization of D Co 151st Infantry. Wittgenfeld thus served in D Co 151st Infantry (Ranger) for 2 1/2 to 3 months, and then continued to serve with D Co 75th Infantry (Ranger) after his unit was reflagged. While assigned to D Co 151st Infantry (Ranger), Wittgenfeld apparently received an ARCOM w/V. Per his official records, his assignment with both units was as an o5B – IS Radio Operator.
Wittgenfeld’s reflagged unit of assignment, now D Co 75th Infantry (Ranger) continued as a part of II FFORCEV until April 1970. At that time, D Co 75th Infantry (Ranger) stood down. As a Active Duty soldier on a 1-year tour, Wittgenfeld still had several months remaining in-country. He was then transferred to HQ FFORCEV for the remainder of his time in-country.
Wittgenfeld appears to have been assigned to a HQ II FFORCEV Staff/Strategic Liaison Team (RTAVF-SLS) with the mission of providing II FFORCEV liaision between HQ II FFORCEV and a subordinate Royal Thai Army unit HQ (the Royal Thai Army Vietnam Forces were subordinate to II FFORCEV). Wittgenfeld’s duty assignment was 05B – Radio Operator (SLS); his duties doubtless consisted providing long-range comm support for the liaison team, most likely often relating to fire support provided by US artillery to Royal Thai Forces. This is in no way, shape, form, or fashion “duty as a Ranger advisor to Royal Thai Army Rangers”. While assigned to this liaison team, Wittgenfeld was wounded twice and received an Air Medal. He served with II FFORCEV for less than 4 months – from April to Aug 1970. Approx 10 days before Wittgenfeld’s one-year in country anniversary, he departed Vietnam for CONUS.
After departing for CONUS, Wittgenfeld took about 45 days combined leave and travel time. He arrived at Fort Knox, KY, in early Oct 1970. He served as a Drill Instructor at Fort Knox until his ETS in July 1972.
Wittgenfeld served honorably in dangerous and demanding assignments in Vietnam. He received both combat decorations and wounds. But was never “Special Forces”, a “Ranger Advisor”, a “LRRP”, or a “LRP”. He does not have the Ranger Tab. He was an Airborne-qualified RTO assigned to a Ranger unit for about 8 months, then was assigned as a radio operator for a liaison team from HQ II FFORCEV to a subordinate Royal Thai Army unit HQ for a bit less than 4 months. That’s all.
Coda
Wittgenfeld’s a rather sad case, actually. His military service was honorable, and based on what I’ve seen his claim of PTSD could well be legitimate. IMO he definitely seems to have operator headspace and timing issues.
But having issues is no excuse to be a liar and a out-of-control asshat. And IMO Wittgenfeld is both of those many times over.
Author Note: The original article castigated Wittgenfeld for falsely claiming to be an “Airborne Ranger” even though he does not have a Ranger Tab. However, the consensus of initial comments appears to be that service with a Ranger unit vice qualifying for the Ranger Tab entitles one to call himself a “Ranger” permanently. I’ve thus removed those portions of the original article and/or reworded them appropriately.
Jonn added: Here’s another picture I have of Wittgenfeld’s uniform with some SF beret flash on his pocket with the SF DUI stuck to it;
ADDED: Kevin writes to tell us that the SF thingie on his pocket is the SF Association’s thing. The SF Association told us that Wittgenfeld wouldn’t be a member these days because he’s been grandfathered from a time before they required documentation and he has none on file.
July 7th, 2012 at 2:11 pm
I’m certain that service in the 75th is enough to call yourself a ranger and wear the tan beret, at least while assigned to the 75th. Pretty sure both of those designations are tied to the unit, the beret stays with the unit, just like a maroon beret stays with the airborne unit (you can also wear a maroon beret without jump wings). The tab carries along with the soldier, but plenty of short tabbers never served in ranger units or wore the ranger beret, whatever the color at the time. I’m not sticking up for the guy, just trying to keep accuracy levels up.
July 7th, 2012 at 2:20 pm
Awesome summary. Wittgenfeld is my top pick to sweep the Stolen Valor tournament, mostly because of his subsequent comments and the invective directed at Mrs. Schantag.
July 7th, 2012 at 2:24 pm
jz638: Don’t think so. By that logic, someone who’s merely served in a Special Forces unit in a support role could call themselves “Special Forces” when they didn’t have the long tab. That’s a NO-GO.
I’m also relatively certain most folks currently serving in the 75th Ranger Regiment would disagree with you. I think they’d take a rather dim view of one of their soldiers awaiting a slot to Ranger school calling themselves a “Ranger” – whether or not they were authorized to wear the beret in formation. And I think they’d take a similarly dim view of anyone without the Ranger Tab wearing a Ranger Beret after discharge, whether or not they’d ever served in a Ranger unit. Guess I could be wrong, though.
Finally, you might want to check the current Army awards reg. The Ranger Tab requires one of two things – either (1) completion of a Ranger Course taught by either the US Army Infantry Center and School or the Ranger Training Command, or (2) during World War II only, receipt of the CIB for service with either Merril’s Marauders or a Ranger Battalion. Wittgenfeld doesn’t qualify. Period.
July 7th, 2012 at 2:26 pm
Can anyone confirm what jz638 is saying about the wearing of berets? That doesn’t sound right to me.
July 7th, 2012 at 2:28 pm
Hondo, guess we posted around the same time. I know that at the 173rd ABCT in Vicenza, Italy only those who are Airborne qualified wear the maroon beret. All others wear the black one. I kinda think if someone not Airborne qualified tried to wear the maroon beret there they wouldn’t last long. I also think the Rangers would take the same stance.
July 7th, 2012 at 2:28 pm
@1… Commo guys attached to ranger units wear maroon berets and never wear the tab. They are considered support personnel. I personally know someone who had a similar career path. Incidentally, he also was a commo guy who participated in combat. He wears a CAB, not CIB.
July 7th, 2012 at 2:28 pm
Hondo: I was with 1/75. Every man that passes RASP and is assigned to one of the Battalions is a Ranger. Once you don your tan beret, and pin your Ranger scroll at Ft. Benning after graduation from RASP, you are officially an Army Ranger. You tell that otherwise to all the Army Rangers who died in combat with a scroll and not a tab. A scroll makes you a Ranger, a tab make you qualified.
July 7th, 2012 at 2:31 pm
JAGC: It may have been different back then, but our commo guys go through RASP (used to be called RIP) and have the opportunity to earn their tab like all the grunts do. But that’s today, I don’t know about that era. A lot has changed…
July 7th, 2012 at 2:32 pm
One additional note is that support personnel in ranger units typically get first dibs at ranger school slots if they do a good job with the unit.
July 7th, 2012 at 2:37 pm
JAGC: They (support) get the same opportunity as everyone else. It’s usually about at the year mark in Regiment that you go to Ranger School (generally speaking for most Rangers). By then you’ve already done a deployment as a Ranger and earned your combat scroll.
July 7th, 2012 at 2:39 pm
Paachute Cutie: the Army has gone back and forth on beret policy over the years. Can’t address the policy changes for the tan beret, but I can give some historical background on the Green Beret wear policies.
In the late 1970s, if I recall correctly, SF restricted wear of the beret to only those who’d passed the Q course; those who hadn’t wore the baseball cap w/parachute disk to show they were airborne qualified. At some point, either JFKCMA or DA directed that everyone would wear the beret – and by 1981, that was the policy. This was before the SF tab existed, so a “Unit Identification Bar” (a 1/2″ by 2″ stripe in the SF Group colors) was worn on the beret by those who were not SF qualified; those who were SF qualified wore the complete beret “flash”. The Unit ID Bar was derisively called a “candy stripe”.
That was the policy in the early 1980s. Can’t say with certainty what the policy was much later than that, as I left Fort Bragg in late 1982.
As I recall, at the same time the 18th Airborne Corps policy for wear of the maroon beret was different. Only those on jump status wore the maroon beret. Others wore the baseball cap – with parachute ID disk if jump qualified and without if not, as I recall. But that was over 30 years ago now, and I could be mis-remembering policy for Corps units. I also don’t recall whether or not the 82nd varied from Corps policy or not.
July 7th, 2012 at 2:40 pm
Lee1/75: interesting. That wasn’t my impression, and it definitely isn’t the way SF treats the same issue.
Jonn: your thoughts as a former 75th guy?
July 7th, 2012 at 2:41 pm
Guys this stuff is basic information. I really enjoy this web site, but when you start going off on shit you know nothing about (tab vs scroll thing), it irritates me. A quick google search can verify a lot of this information about Ranger stuff. But don’t come on here and say a man with a scroll isn’t a Ranger until he’s gone to school.
July 7th, 2012 at 2:52 pm
Regiment is a very special place. Infantryman initially go through OSUT/Airborne/RASP
RASP is the Ranger Assessment and Selection Program. It is a 8 week selection process to determine if you’re good enough for Regiment. Read about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranger_Assessment_and_Selection_Program
If you graduate RASP then you get assigned to a Ranger battalion as a Ranger, with a tan beret and Ranger scroll on your shoulder.
You will do a combat rotation as a line guy before you go to Ranger School (usually) and you will earn your CIB and Ranger combat scroll. Around the year mark in Regiment, you’ll be sent off to Ranger School and expected to graduate, if you ever want to pick up a team of your own.
We have a saying in Regiment. “The tab is just a school, the scroll is a way of life.”
You can have a Ranger tab and never have stepped foot in Regiment, never lived the life of a Ranger, or did our missions.
So in the end you have two kinds of Rangers: tabbed Rangers and scrolled Rangers. Scrolled Rangers are a much different breed.
July 7th, 2012 at 2:57 pm
Don’t know if Jonn is following this right now but since we both came from 1st Batt back in the day, I’ll wade into this shit storm. Hondo is correct that the beret for non-qualified individuals has never been nailed down for very long. When I first got to Battalion (there were only two at the time and no Regimental HQ) each Batt had its own RIP (current RASP). The day I graduated from RIP I was issued a black beret. As a side note, at the time we had what were called RATs (Ranger Augmentation Team). These were motorpool guys, some cooks and few other soft skill guys. They were not even assigned to the Battalion but still wore black berets.
Dallas may be a dick but if he served honorably in a Ranger unit in combat, he’s a Ranger in my mind.
Less that 2% of people who qualify for a Ranger Tab ever spend a day in a Ranger Unit and probably wouldn’t last long if they did.
And Lee1/75, get a beer and relax young man; it’s too damn hot to be getting excited.
July 7th, 2012 at 3:01 pm
According to Wittgenfeld twisted turns, while in RVN my unit 1/11 provided artillery support to SF. So I can claim to be SF?? I call bullshit. Too bad a man who has served honornably sinks to this level.
July 7th, 2012 at 3:07 pm
@3: Hondo, check out the book “Charlie Rangers”, about C Co. 75th in Vietnam. They were/are called Rangers, even though they didn’t have the Ranger tab.
July 7th, 2012 at 3:20 pm
Serve in a Ranger Unit… you are a Ranger… Tab is for a school, how can you call a tabbed guy who served in a regular infantry unit that he’s a Ranger and a guy who never made it to school, but ran missions overseas with a Ranger unit that he’s not a ranger because he never went to the school? Thats some dumb logic. Yes SF is different, their support wears the Maroon beret with the Groups flash and SF crest. Ranger, if your in the Batt, wether your support or not, you had to make it through some sort of assessment, and you wear the Tan Beret. Its not just the infantryman in a Ranger Unit that wears it. If the man was a radio operator in Vietnam with a Ranger Unit, he’s a Ranger… period. Did he qualify for the CIB? That I can’t say… but the issue of him as a Ranger is settled in my mind. On to the next issue. Special Forces… Ranger Batts are all under JSOC. Just like the Green Berets, Phsyops, Civil Affairs, etc… they are all considered Special Operations. Now if he’s claiming to be a Green Beret and he’s not, then its BS. If he’s claiming to have been Special Operations… he’s right, he was. People often mistakenly say Special Forces when they intend to mean Special Ops. SO at this point thats my question for him. He was clearly Special Ops, but was he Special Forces, was that a mistake he made, or did he intend to mislead people?
July 7th, 2012 at 3:23 pm
COB6: Roger… a little has changed since your day. I went through RIP back in ’04, served at B Co 1/75. The only reason this gets me fired up is because my war is still fresh on my mind and I’ve lost too many friends who represent that Ranger scroll.
I just find it a little disheartening that someone posting about an individual’s stolen valor on TAH doesn’t even understand basic knowledge (Ranger) pertaining to the topic. I think more research and discretion needs to be served before putting possible inaccurate information out in the future. I agree with everything else in the recap.
I don’t know much about this Dallas guy, he’s probably a big asshat like the rest of them. I don’t know his circumstance entirely with his service in the Rangers. But if he legitimately served in a Ranger unit in combat (I mean actually assigned as a Ranger, not some “I was attached BS”), he’s a Ranger. But I don’t know enough about his service in that aspect…
Just an FYI: Rangers were formed (Ranger Battalions) during WWII before there was ever even a “Ranger School”.
Anyway I’ll get off my soap box.
July 7th, 2012 at 3:49 pm
Well, if you look at Wittgenfeld’s picture, you’ll notice that he’s wearing the tan beret with an 82nd unit patch and the French cord (you spell it) that goes with being in the 82d. I can’t see the DUI clear enough to ID it and I can’t see what’s on his right shoulder.
I’m pretty sure that no one in the 82d wears a tan beret. Of course, he was also wearing a green beret with the 82d patch at the Wall.
July 7th, 2012 at 3:52 pm
@15: That’s the way I remember it, also, in regards to who got to wear the beret in 1/75. I remember one poor bastard that hadn’t been through RIP, yet, was caught wearing the beret as he came onto Hunter to report to 1/75 by a couple of Rangers. You can imagine what happened to that young private. RIP was a block down the road from my unit’s barracks and orderly room.
July 7th, 2012 at 4:13 pm
I agree with parachute cutie, when I was with the 173rd only airborne qualified wore the maroon. I never once saw a non airborne soldier in a maroon beret always black. Some of the MPs on post were airborne and some were not, they wore the corresponding head gear.
July 7th, 2012 at 4:19 pm
@Hondo – In the ’90′s at least….the Maroon beret was a unit headgear. Some units on Smokebomb Hill and definitely over at 1st COSCOM…if a unit was designated at ‘ABN’, all members wore the beret.
I know this first hand because my new bride at the time, asked me [I was in Division] to shape her friends beret as she was a leg, but had been assigned to one of the COSCOM units.
I hope they’ve since amended that unseemly policy.
July 7th, 2012 at 4:26 pm
All: Interesting. We seem to have consensus that I’m wrong, and that service with a Ranger unit (either in combat or peacetime assignment) allows one to legitimately call oneself a “Ranger”, so I’ll edit the article above.
I will say that it’s my impression the SF community views the same issue very differently. I served with an SF group many years ago in one of their organic support units; I never went to the Q-course. But you will never hear me make the claim that I’m “former SF” – because I don’t rate the long tab. And I’d expect to get ripped a new asshole by those in the SF community if I ever were unethical enough to make that claim – just like Ken Aden’s getting right now.
What you’ll hear me say is that I “served in an SF support unit” or “I served in SF in a support role”. You will never hear me say that I am “former SF”. That implies a qualification or service (ODA) I simply don’t have.
July 7th, 2012 at 5:57 pm
didn’t mean to stir up such a hornet’s nest there about the beret. (if I did, I’d probably bring up Lyddie England wearing a maroon beret to her courts martial to prove my point). It looks like regardless of his being or not being a Ranger at one time, Dallas’ uniform is unsat.
July 7th, 2012 at 6:27 pm
Hondo, I personally know a gentleman that served with our Indiana Rangers, matter of fact he did a sponsored trip to Iraq while I was there with the 1/163rd 2005-06(Also from Evansville)to do a documentary for the local TV station.
My point is he very active in the reunions of Co.D 151st Inf. and a tireless point man for the military families in the Evansville area military deployees.
He maybe able to supply you with more information.
Let me know I can hook the two of you up.
Also:
http://www.ranger151.com
Stu
July 7th, 2012 at 7:11 pm
What a great summary of a complex context.
Thanks, Hondo .
July 7th, 2012 at 7:50 pm
Yes, a very good summary.
However, I would prefer to never hear from or about the idiot ever again. He craves attention, and giving him what he wants simply isn’t in my plans.
July 7th, 2012 at 7:54 pm
Stu:
Would be happy to hear from the individual. Do I have your OK to contact you via e-mail to arrange contact with him?
July 7th, 2012 at 9:10 pm
Yes, again, SF and Ranger Units are very differently run. For instance you never get on a team until after you have completed Qcourse, however completing ranger school has nothing to do with wether or not you join your Platoon and deploy as a Ranger. Two different types of units. Again, support personnel actually in the SF Group wear the Maroon Beret with the Flash of that Group and the SF crest, they do not wear the Green Beret. Only ones who earn the Green Beret are 18 Series who have graduated the Qcourse, period. Ranger Batt is different, the Beret has nothing to do with wether or not you graduated Ranger school. If you pass your assessment, wether its Rip, Rope, Rasp… whatever it happens to be now, and you are assigned to a Batt as a medic, infantryman, artilleryman, etc.. you will wear your Tan Beret. I was a LRSD soldier, selected and went to the Q in 2008. I did not graduate due to having shoulder surgery. But that is the way things are, much different between SF groups and Batt…. not the same things.
July 7th, 2012 at 9:18 pm
Boys and Girls,
I think this meat gazer should get a low seed. He served, honorably it seems, but embellished his “rep” in old age.
Whatever, a dime a dozen. He is special, all right. Notice the “quasi” gang flash on his right hand. Or maybe he just wants his hole punched. Who knows? Turd Licker.
Now my boy “Ranger” Burrell, the “4th Most Dangerous Man In The World”. Yale Grad, author (My Weekend with Rick, I mean Rita”, his annual membership in the “Gentleman of the Backdoor Society”, confirmed “invisible ninja”, Medal of Honor Recipient (MOH), etc.
This man does not even blame the ex-wife, ex-lover, or the ex-girlfriends for his shitbaggery…he goes straight to the threats to you, your family, and others.
Got to give credit where it is due.
This is a potenial dark horse….
Posers in the night…stealing Valor by the firelight….
Pose on!
11V
July 7th, 2012 at 9:35 pm
The very real deal LRRP Airborne Ranger and still current parachuting qualified LoNg RaNgE PaTrOL 41′s summary of this Orwellian Truth Summary:
Well, I see some real deal 75th Infantry Airborne Rangers stood up to clear the bullshit flying around here. The Scrool is a way of life… I remind every ass wipe here that I was the very first person to ever wear a black ranger beret….. a Green Beret Colonel awarded it to me and assigned me to a “special ops LRP team” of trail assassins, Sooo you Leggs can suck this. An RTO 05-2P is a special forces MOS… Common knowledge.
In the real airborne rangers doing real Special Operations missions a C.I.B. and or an Infantry Air Medal is a minor detail for all combat Rangers.. no Infantry training needed. In our real ranger training we used real bullets and killed real gooks… no cardboard targets and no blanks allowed. We 5 LRPs inserted covertly, we watched & killed covertly, and we escaped & evaded the enemy on every mission.
I like the part of this summary looking at my 5 unit citations from the 75th Rangers like they are nothing and I can’t wear them either.
See how stupid these people are.
Hey Ranger buds. They found 6 or so incorrect newspaper articles over several years… of some 100 other correct news articles they never mentioned. In the novel 1984, the Orwellians called this a “minitruth”. My shit is straight always has been.
The part that is missing from your report is the begining.
I was just sitting around Face Booking my bitches and suddenly they ask why I call myself a Ranger when I didn’t go to Ft. Benning. Then I realized I had been invaded by a dozen or so valor vultures inside my face book pages. That’s what I get for being “computer illiterate”. I am a 63 year old disabled man who is teaching my self the computer and I meet these assholes hereon. “Welcome to the new generation of military veterans, I say to myself.”
Nowhere in this summary does it mention that while you Iraq & Afghan war punks are impuning me… That at the same time I am helping raise more than $50,000 for the Wounded Warrior Project in my hometown. Another Orwellian “mini truth” exclusion.
I see a few guys have had to change what all they dreamed up and wrote down… but I still have yet to here that “Sorry Dallas, We Apologize”
But to those young Rangers on here. I apologize to you. Because I didn’t ever want to get on here and piss you troopers off. Because you are my brothers. Let’s go jumping..
July 7th, 2012 at 9:37 pm
Ya know guys, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, if you guys had and kept ONE uniform, this kinda thing wouldn’t happen. Scrolls, tabs, patches, berets, discs, etc. I mean you guys can’t agree who is and who isn’t a Ranger or who gets to wear which beanie!? Dingleberry gets away with his crap because; 1) he’s a liar, and 2) this kind of confusion.
From the lowliest…whatever to the baddest Recon Marine, we all wear the same uniform with the same cover. No patches, no tabs, no nothing, just the Eagle, Globe and Anchor. Our title is United States Marine, your MOS is secondary.
July 7th, 2012 at 9:40 pm
@32..What the fuck are you talking about??? Are you sober?
July 7th, 2012 at 9:41 pm
Dallas is correct in one aspect…the “scrool” is his way of life.
July 7th, 2012 at 9:48 pm
Tanner: thanks for the update concerning today’s policy concerning wear of the Green Beret. However, that was not the policy in the early 1980s – which was also before the 18-series MOS/AOCs existed, by the way. (The 18-series SF career field didn’t exist before 1 Oct 1984.) The Army’s – and individual unit’s – policies concerning the wear of distinctive headgear have changed repeatedly over the years, as I observed in comment 11 above.
July 7th, 2012 at 10:32 pm
@32. Is this even really him posting or some random kid playing the part? I’m not convinced. Either way, he’s a dip shit and fails to live up to that 5th stanza:
“and under no circumstances will I ever embarrass my country.”
Go elevate your feet somewhere…
To the rest of you gents constantly seeking these posers, good work.
July 7th, 2012 at 10:34 pm
Wittgenfeld: you’re asking for an apology? For what? For my pointing out your lies, questionable claims, misrepresentations, and generally asshattish behavior? Get real.
Your records say you have no Ranger tab. Yes, you served with a Ranger unit. Go ahead and call yourself a “Ranger” if you like. Your official records say you’re not Ranger qualified, and that’s good enough for me.
Contrary to your past claims, your official records show no service with an SF unit in either peacetime or wartime. You were never a LRP or LRRP; your first unit in Vietnam was redesignated from LRP to Ranger about 6 months before you ever arrived in Vietnam; your second unit was never designated LRP; and your last unit (HQ II FFORCEV) was also never a LRP unit. Your official records show no assignment as a “Ranger Advisor” to the Royal Thai Army. Your official records show no assignment as an advisor to any RVN unit. Your official records show no BSM w/V device. None of your units in Vietnam seem to appear on the Army’s master list of unit awards as receiving any unit awards awarded in Vietnam – so that means any unit awards you were authorized to wear then were temporary, and are not authorized for permanent wear by you. Yet you’ve claimed all of those at one point or another since your ETS.
You want an apology? Then first show us some kind of documentary proof that your official records are wrong. THEN maybe you’ll get an apology. Until then – fuggeddaboudit.
You’re nothing more than a sad old man, Wittgenfeld. Your actual combat record is far more valorous and respectable than most. Yet that wasn’t enough, and you had to embellish it to make yourself the hero you felt you deserved to be. That’s truly sad.
I respect your Vietnam service, Wittgenfeld; that was honorable. But as an individual – no, I don’t respect you one whit. In my book, you forfeited all right to respect as an individual the day you started claiming deeds you didn’t do, and honors you don’t rate.
July 7th, 2012 at 10:36 pm
@ 13.. You have strength in your argument but you have to complete the course to wear the Tab.
It is not about the Tab, it is what you do with it. Am I mistaken?
July 7th, 2012 at 10:40 pm
Lee1/75: Yeah, that’s really him – the source IP address and return e-mail address checks out as the same one he’s consistently used when commenting here at TAH.
You might want to read his comments on the thread I linked in the article at the first link under “The Asshattery”. Some of them are even better than this one.
July 7th, 2012 at 10:44 pm
I’m just ever so impressed that he believes he’s the first person in the Army to wear the black beret….
A cursory glance at US military history shows otherwise…but Walter Mitty believes it…
July 7th, 2012 at 10:46 pm
@39. It was about tabs AND scrolls. Some didn’t know the difference.
Correct, you must complete the course to wear the Ranger Tab. Most with tabs don’t serve in the Rangers, but instead other conventional infantry units.
You must also successfully complete Ranger Assessment/Selection to be assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment and wear the Ranger Scroll. This is for all (not just grunts).
Scroll is with service in the 75th Ranger Regiment(USASOC). Ranger School (TRADOC) is a leadership school. Both important aspects of Ranger history, but a lot of difference.
July 7th, 2012 at 10:47 pm
@40. I’ll take a peek again, browsed through a little of it awhile back.
July 7th, 2012 at 11:16 pm
@18 while the 75th Ranger Regiment in its current form falls under USSOCOM, as far as I know in Vietnam the 75th Ranger Infantry Regiment (Airborne) consisted 15 seperate companies that were attached to distinct Divisions, Corps, or seperate Brigades. They did not fall under a Special Operations Command.
His uniform is completely unsat. While its possible he was awarded a CIB, his records show he never held an Infantry MOS, so he doesn’t rate the blue cord or disks.
July 7th, 2012 at 11:51 pm
During the time that the independent Ranger units operated in Viet Nam even after they were designated as companies of the 75th Infantry Regiment they carried out as their main mission Lon Range Reconnaissance. To cut and paste Wikipedia which matches my understanding:
“Each independent company was attached to a Division or Separate Brigade. Rangers in Vietnam conducted long range reconnaissance behind enemy lines. They collected intelligence, planned and directed air strikes, acted as conventional operations force multipliers, assessed bombing damage of enemy territory, executed night and day ambushes, and sniper attacks.”
I’m not sure it’s a big stretch to claim to have been a LRRP or LRP if you performed these missions in a Viet Nam era Ranger Company.
July 7th, 2012 at 11:52 pm
I don’t know how he got that CIB and don’t care. He doesn’t rate to wear it unless he’s a grunt.
On a side note, I witnessed on my last deployment Navy personnel being awarded Combat Action Badges (CAB) in lieu of Combat Action Ribbons (CAR) because they were working with Army. I also saw Artillery MOS guys being awarded Combat Infantryman Badges because they went to some 2-week course the National Guard (Pennsylvania) was offering that somehow qualified them as 11B and entitled them to CIBs. Very stupid shit and I don’t know how much stuff like that went on in Vietnam or other wars.
Nonetheless, he should be ashamed of wearing it.
July 7th, 2012 at 11:59 pm
That’s right, Apologize to those Rangers dingleberry, because you’re dishonoring the Regiment with your behavior. You do not represent it well. AT ALL.
July 8th, 2012 at 12:02 am
Hondo, you might check with the Quiet Professionals,Socnet and Rangerup sites about the Ranger Quals for the Viet Nam era.They guard their Honor like us Marines do. Just a throught. Joe
July 8th, 2012 at 8:46 am
Just when I’m ready to chalk this up to dementia, the fool comes back in #32 and confirms his need to be voted top (dis)honors in the Stolen Valor Tourney. “Dallas, you are the Biggest Loser”
July 8th, 2012 at 9:31 am
If you all want the long explanation then pick up a copy of Dick Couch’s Sua Sponte. He lays out in great detail the way into the Regt. OSUT (or Basic/ AIT ) Airborne school and then everybody goes through RASP, regardless of Rank or MOS. Those who have never served with the Regt. go through RASP 1 at Benning where the attrition is about 50%. Upon successfully completing RASP 1, the RGT CDR or the DCO (depending who is in theater) award the graduates their Scroll and Tan Beret. Then they go to wherever they may go in the Regt as Rangers. Lee 1/75 seems to be on target but my understanding is that you must complete Ranger School to put on SGT’s stripes.
All prospective platoon sgts and any prior Regimental Rangers who have been away from the the Regt. more than two years must complete RASP 2 prior to assignment back to the RGT.
July 8th, 2012 at 10:05 am
Lee1/75: correct. Even if Wittgenfeld’s claims of “Thai Advisor” duty (not in his records) or 11B SMOS are correct, the plain fact remains that he also had to meet the other requirements for a CIB. That is, he had to perform duties as an Infantryman. Simply being involved in a firefight isn’t enough – you have to actually perform the duties of an Infantry soldier. Wittgenfeld’s records show zero assignments in an 11-series MOS.
July 8th, 2012 at 10:56 am
Joe Williams: Army Award regs specify the recognized methods of both Ranger and SF qualification (both tabs are technically qualification badges). The current version is AR 600-8-22 (Dec 2006).
There are recognized methods of valid SF qualification during Vietnam that do not involve attending the Q-course. These methods are specified in para 8-49 of AR 600-8-22. During Vietnam, one either had to (1) serve 120 days with specified SF units (LRP/LRRP/Ranger units and advisory duty are NOT among those specified) PLUS receive the CIB during such service, or (2) serve with SF during wartime, be not required or unable to attend formal SF training, but be awarded the appropriate ASI anyway by competent authority. Fulfillment of either of these requirements can award the SF tab to the individual concerned. It’s my understanding that such award was/is not automatic and that concerned personnel need to apply and provide supporting documentation to be awarded the long tab.
For Ranger qualification (AR 600-8-22, para 8-48), there were no Vietnam-era exceptions. You either went to the school or you didn’t get the tab – period. All exceptions listed in AR 600-8-22 allowing award of Ranger qualification without Ranger School attendance are for Ranger service during World War II, which predates the beginning of formal Ranger training in 1950.
You’ll have to ask DA why wartime SF service in Vietnam can qualify someone for the SF tab while wartime Ranger service in Vietnam doesn’t do the same for the Ranger tab. I don’t understand it either, but it’s not my call and I wasn’t asked my opinion. (smile)
July 8th, 2012 at 11:23 am
To Whom It May Concern:
There are times, when understatement better accomplishes the goal .
July 8th, 2012 at 1:00 pm
82 nd patch on his shoulder, what unit was he assigned to in the duece?
July 8th, 2012 at 4:40 pm
Regarding the CIB… I don’t know how relevant this may be, I hadn’t thought about it earlier until someone mentioned Navy guys receiving CABs. While I was in 25th LRSD in Afghanistan in 04-05, we where attached to a CAV unit, while we ran our own missions, our Direct Leadership was housed with said CAV unit. During this time I was awarded the CAV Spur… I am an 11B and do not rate the Spur, but I have the certificate nonetheless… Don’t know if that might be what kind of thing went down with his CIB, more of an honorary award for deeds completed with his Infantry unit, although he doesn’t rate wearing it. Possibly what happened?
July 8th, 2012 at 5:42 pm
Tanner: Wittgenfeld’s CIB made it into his official records somehow. It’s not an honorary award of same. But there are huge questions as to how and whether it’s legit.
– break –
paratrooper82…: Per the assignments section of his FOIA report (see link in article above), Wittgenfeld was assigned to A Co 82nd Sig Bn from 2 Apr 1969 to mid-Jul 1969. He departed Bragg on Casual status en route to Vietnam on 15 Jul 1969.
July 8th, 2012 at 6:05 pm
Ok this has me intrigued now. As was noted earlier by Hondo, and yes I was aware, SF and ranger designations were very different in this time. But now I have been doing some digging, Field Force Vietnam had a lot of interesting ties that could ultimately support this many of this man’s claims. Again his cib could be honorary like my spur, which now that he’s retired he could wear if he wanted. However the blue discs and cord would still be a question to me. The LRP deal doesn’t surpise me, and I would say he’s probably honest in that regard, just because they reflagged the u.it from LRP to ranger, doesn’t mean they stopped operating as a lrp unit. My LRSD history is very similar, going from infantry to lrp to ranger to lrsd. When 25th LRSD was fco 75th ranger it was raj the same as it was when they changed us to 25th lrsd and put us under MI. Missions bassically stayed the same and our ranger standards and practices stayed in place, to include assesment and an ranger tab requirment for all leaders e5 and above. From reviewing field Force Vietnam I have found it tied as you may already know to MACV, not MACV SOG mind you, but MACV. FForcev has ties to the Thai volunteer army, which with the way things shuffled around in those days could have had the man working with them as a trainer alongside SF, I have no proof of that, but those days were very chaotic and unorganized in those types of roles. The man may still be lying, but he def has avenues for which I need more answers before completely throwing him under the bus. Blue cord and discs, that I need answers for. Cib I can live with as honorary or maybe a mistake. But I also know that if your an infantryman and u get assigned to a non infantry unit, you could be forced to take off ur cord and discs. So I wonder was that a practice of the time to have all members of the infantry unit wear them regardless of mos. I’m not trying to make ur job harder, its just that when u called his ranger qual (which I have no doubt that in the ranger alumni he would def be counted among them) and with his very honorary record, he desreves the most scrutiny of any of these guys you have exposed before passing full judgment. To me it seems a lot has been under investigated at this point. The 82nd patch possibly an attatchment through macv or field Force v? I say dig deeper, but don’t exhaunerate either.
July 8th, 2012 at 6:15 pm
Tanner, I have a set of CAV spurs and can attest that there is absolutely no MOS requirement for them at all. To qualify for the Order of the Spur a soldier must be serving with a CAV unit and either A) complete a Spur Ride in which you earn your silver spurs (not all units do this, mine didnt) or B) serve a combat tour with a CAV unit. Since your unit was attached to a CAV unit you would rate your spurs. There were some folks that were attached to our CAV unit who received their spurs the same way you did.
July 8th, 2012 at 6:18 pm
Btw typing from my phone, so apologies for shitty gramar.
July 8th, 2012 at 6:22 pm
As for Dullass, stop playing dress up dude. Its ok, not everyone can be high speed. You had an honorable record but now we will only remember you for you dicked up commentary, your dicked up uniform, and your ridiculous internet tough guy attitude. Go back to being a door gunner for the space shuttle fleet and fade to obscurity like the rest of the ass hats have once theyve been outed.
July 8th, 2012 at 6:27 pm
Ok so I rate them, but the army wouldn’t enter them into my official record when I retired, so I assumed I wasn’t allowed to wear them. I was told at one point I could only wear them during active duty if I was at a cav formal or something like that. But hey I was a dumb spec4 then and had no clue about much of anything at the time. But if I ra,te em cool, one more trinket lol. In response to Dallas tho, even if you are ultimately exhaunerated here, I still don’t like the way you are taking these guys on. What TAH does for us is indeed very neccessary, and I would not see them stop even if mistakes are made, that being if this is indeed a mistake. They aren’t out to badger those who have served honorably, but claiming shit one didn’t earn makes us all look bad and ultimately hurts the group rather than just the individual, so keep up the good work guys, if Dallas turns out to be innocent I hope he changes his tune and forgives. I would imagine it would be frustrating, but knowing the bigger picture, if it happened to me, I would say drive on with this honorable mission.
July 8th, 2012 at 6:56 pm
@#33
Yeah man…I’ve said the same thing…
July 8th, 2012 at 8:10 pm
Uh, Tanner . . . “Cav spurs” are not an official Army award, decoration, or badge authorized and controlled by AR 600-8-22. I’m pretty sure only such officially recognized awards/decorations/badges go on the DD214, and that honorary awards don’t.
In contrast, the CIB is an officially-sanctioned Army combat badge. Criteria for award of the CIB is controlled by DA, and is specified in AR 600-8-22.
Take a look at the FOIAs on Wittgenfeld referenced in the article, as well as his DD214 (links to all of the above are found in the article above). These clearly show (1) Wittgenfeld’s CIB is in his official records, (2) Wittgenfeld never had an assignment as an advisor in Vietnam, (3) Wittgenfeld’s assignment to HQ II FFORCEV was as a Radio Operator (SLS) – indeed, ALL of his duty assignments in Vietnam were as an O5B radio operator. Yes, Wittgenfeld may well have served with the Thais – but per his official records, he apparently served as a radio operator providing comm support to the US liaison element to a Thai HQ, not as an infantry soldier or Ranger advisor. And the same is true of his service in D Co 151st Inf and D Co 75th Inf – his duty assignment in each unit was as an 05B Radio Operator, not as an 11B.
Wittgenfeld’s service with HQ II FFORCEV, and in Vietnam in general, was honorable service; he got 2 PHs and an Air Medal during the 4 mo (-) he served with them, plus an ARCOM w/V previously. Based on that alone, I’m sure it was duty with a fairly high APF. But per his official records, Wittgenfeld never served as any type of advisor to the Thai Army, or as an infantry soldier, while in Vietnam. He was a radio operator throughout his tour in-country.
If Wittgenfeld’s official records are incorrect, he needs to produce documentation showing that they’re incorrect. Otherwise, he should expect his claims to be questioned – ’cause they just don’t square with what’s in his official military records.
July 8th, 2012 at 9:50 pm
Ok, first the UH… Shit is unnecessary. I was an 11B and clearly stated I don’t know shit when it comes to the cav spur, nor did I ever honestly care. When I retired I handed all paperwork off awards to them so the could make sure they were all in my records. They told me it didn’t go, good enough for me, wasn’t worried about that. My point to you, sir, is not every damn thing one does in the army shows up in paperwork. and when running around in units such as that, it is possible that the man did shit you may not find records of. I’ll give a for instance. I was in 2-27 inf in 04 in the ghan, I was pulled via request and my volunteering to go to 25ths LRSD, its not in my record, because before we left country I went back to my line unit. I didn’t get along with the guys since I had not done assessment and they where disbanding upon return to schofield anyway so it was not worth my staying with the unit. The only thing I have noting that I was apart of LRSD is my spur order and my arcomm from that deployment. While apart of that unit we had three marine recon snipers attatched to us, as well as snipers from my line unit 2-27. We ran a task force called task force talon, which was an anti odd task force. We were told if it worked we might have formed a completely new force, it never went that far. But I have yet to be able to find any info of this online, so the only way I could back it up is with other members of that unit. Shit happens, and paper trails aren’t always perfect. Now his award is in his orders, great I get that he was a radio operator, that still doesn’t mean he was not a ranger. In lrsd we had comm guys in our detatchment, they where not infantry, but they were lrsd and had made it through asessment to get there. I raise questions because you are calling the man out on things that very well may he true, the ranger part is settled for me, the rest I agree more info could be brought to light. But don’t get all high and mighty, I don’t know everything, but I did know that he would be considered a ranger and you didn’t, all I’m saying is that with an honorable record as his, which we all agree he has, being as thorough as possible is a good idea. Im not sure he’s telling the truth, but I’m not sure he’s lying either, shit happens sometimes. But I also don’t agree with his attacking the hell out of you guys back either, because what your doing should be done, but don’t assume you won’t ever make mistakes, and those mistakes will likely cause hurtful emotions if or when they occur.
July 8th, 2012 at 9:52 pm
Anti ied
July 8th, 2012 at 10:16 pm
Wigetfield says, “Nowhere in this summary does it mention that while you Iraq & Afghan war punks are impuning me…”
This statement in and of itself proves without any doubt, he is a complete class “A” jackass. It is recommended therefore, that he be awarded an old and soiled toilet seat to wear around his neck.
He still has not addressed me directly!
July 8th, 2012 at 11:13 pm
Tanner: I understand where you’re coming from. In the article and in comment 37 above, I address the “Ranger” issue, I may well be in the minority there.
However, you might want to take a look at Wittgenfeld’s many false claims from the past (take a look here – http://scotty-stolenvaloroffendersexposed.blogspot.com/2012/06/dallas-wittgenfeld-army-embellish-er.html ). After seeing all those bogus claims and his other flaky and/or asshattish behavior, I’m not inclined to cut him much slack at all. So if he’s gonna claim something, it best be “by the book” or I’m going to point out the fact that he’s making yet another questionable claim.
Regarding his CIB: unless Wittgenfeld has something to prove he worked as an infantryman somewhere along the line in Vietnam, I’ll continue to question that too. An “honorary” CIB doesn’t make it into one’s official records, and that’s in his official records. And his official records show only 05B radio operator service in Vietnam.
If you’ll read the comments on the original Wittgenfeld thread ( http://thisainthell.us/?p=29627 ), you’ll see I was originally one of Wittgenfeld’s defenders, and initially gave him the benefit of the doubt. He convinced me otherwise by being a complete asshole, coupled with my doing a bit more research. I’m now convinced he’s a soldier who served quite honorably in Vietnam – hell, service as an RTO with a Ranger unit, Airborne Qualified, 2 PHs, an Air Medal, an ARCOM w/V, and 18mo as a drill sergeant is pretty damned impressive for less than 4 years active duty and a single combat tour. But for whatever reason, that wasn’t enough for Wittgenfeld – and he’s been blowing his own horn to make everybody believe he’s “John Wayne reincarnated” ever since.
July 8th, 2012 at 11:18 pm
The Order of the Spur…. can be awarded through a unit assessment/qualification during peacetime to a trooper of any MOS and each Squadron has it’s own Spur Program which was approved by the Squadron or Regimental Commander. Units’ programs varied from high;y professional skills/knowledge/leadership/ gut check to straight up hazing (ugh…). Can also be worn for combat service in any MOS while assigned or attached to a Cavalry Squadron/Regiment.
This is not a DA recognized award, but purely local. The award certificate (no orders are cut as it is not DA recognized) typically states that spurs and Stetsons are to be worn at Cavalry functions as directed by the commander. That could mean wearing all at beer call through Regimental dining in but not at the installation dining out or attending as an invited guest to another branch’s function.
This goes hand-in-hand with honorary awards such as the the Order of Saints George, Maurice, Barbara. Worn at specific functions but not in your official military personnel file as they are not official awards.
So enjoy the fact that someone thought enough of you to honor you with one of these awards but it is not an officially recognized service award or decoration. It is purely a unit program and while nice to have is a local or branch specific unofficial award.
Thus it cannot in itself be used as proof that a soldier is entitled to other awards, qualifications, or decorations. For example:
1. As a cavalry troop commander I tested and passed the EIB with my 11C mortar-men. Great for moral, but not entitled to an EIB.
2. Served with an infantry brigade in combat as S3 in the BDE Cav Sqdn. 19C MOS so no CIB.
3. While on joint duty flew 150+ missions (back seat F-16 on flight status) as class 3 air crewman. Class 3 means SLLUG (Self Loading Luggage). No MOS training = no crew member wings. Class 3 crew-member is not eligible means that I was not eligible for an Air Medal for every 10 missions flown inside the SA-2/5 targeting radar range as the pilots did.
So let’s just agree that not all deeds are recognized. You may have lived it but that doesn’t mean you’re qualified to wear/claim the badge/award. Just be proud you did your work well when called upon.
July 9th, 2012 at 6:31 am
Exactly my point re: Wittgenfeld, Elric. His service was honorable, and he received a number of bona fide decorations – at least one of which was for valor. He had many legitimate things to be proud of. But all of that apparently wasn’t enough for him.
July 9th, 2012 at 7:02 am
Honorable service, yes, however the fact he is an abominable bucket of douche kind of negates all of that, IMO.
July 9th, 2012 at 7:10 am
Plus all the shit he’s embellishing.
July 9th, 2012 at 8:07 am
Redacted1775: I’ll still respect his service and regard that as honorable. But the individual? No. I have no respect for liars that act like complete assholes.
July 9th, 2012 at 10:20 am
I’d like to throw out a vote not to put Mr. Wittgenfeld alongside these other guys.
We know that on his shortsheet of achievements, there’s no speculation that he earned his place at the hero table. Sure, there’s some indulgence in building his own mythology. Converting an ARCOM with a V into a Bronze Star, the Green Beret thing. I saw my friend’s ARCOM W/V citation, and it read like what should have been a Bronze Star, except for the inevitable downgrade for a PFC. I have a sour taste, when they hand it out to E7 and above folks that never left the wire. The CIB? It’s hard not to be cynically aloof concerning it when you see it denied a couple of platoons who never saw contact, but then got it as part of a brigade blanket order. With all of that, it leaves me extremely troubled about making hey out of Wittgenfeld’s record. He saw contact, he sustained wounds. If there are doubts about his CIB, what about the kid that got one for sitting in the JCOC for 9 months?
As for the whole Green Beret thing – there’s an absence of contrition, to be sure. I was in a Guard LRSD for a few months between coming off active duty and joining my Air Force ex-wife at DLI in California. While in reality the only distinction between them and line infantry in the Guard was that they went out to the field on drill weekends instead of haunting the armory, and were on jump status, they still held themselves to be far more special. There was an egregious layer of self-aggrandizing bullshit, and I imagine that didn’t even start in the Vietnam era. I came off active duty to that unit from 1/501st in Alaska, and the number of tabless/scroll-less “Bat Boy Rangers” was staggering. In my experience at the Rakkasans and 501st, the tabless/scroll-less bat boys couldn’t cut the mustard in the 75th at what was then RIP. But a lot of them had scroll tattoos and thought they were special. At least Wittgenfeld can say he ran missions with a real Ranger unit.
I try to judge on the good he makes in spite of the unethical conduct of inflating what would already be a pretty awesome record. He’s out there supporting vets in a manner I’ll be jealous of when I’m his age.
For crying out loud, at least he’s not Gordon Duff!
July 9th, 2012 at 10:21 am
For crying out loud, at least he’s not Gordon Duff!
Okay, so he’s the SECOND-dumbest kid on the short bus.
“He will be our GOD…he can eat soup!”
July 9th, 2012 at 10:36 am
Have to disagree, BK. IMO, people like Wittgenfeld and Aden deserve even more scorn than the run-of-the-mill military phoney.
People like Wittgenfeld and Aden actually served honorably in demanding assignments – and in Wittgenfeld’s case, also with valor and significant sacrifice. But that wasn’t enough for them. They had to make others believe they were some reincarnation of Audie Murphy or SGT York. So they misled people about what they did in order to make the gullible believe they were.
As I said previously: I honor Wittgenfeld’s service. But I have no use for the individual. He forfeited my respect when he started making misleading, self-aggrandizing claims – some of which were simply false – and claiming honors and accomplishments he never rated.
And in the former VP’s words: he’s also an asshole. Major league.
July 9th, 2012 at 10:42 am
Asshole in the sense that he pisses on the sacrifice that people not named Dallas Wittgenfeld have made, in some cases far beyond anything he ever even dreamt of. I’ll put an Iraq/Afghan vet who has done multiple tours over DullASS any day of the week, mostly because the former is highly unlikely to brag and bullshit about what they did, and has respect for their fellow veteran, regardless of what theater they served in or whether or not they even saw combat.
July 9th, 2012 at 10:46 am
These are fair points.
Aden troubles me more than Wittgenfeld. Wittgenfeld still does something to honor troops past and present, even if he’s bumped up his resume. Aden’s 18B claims, on the other hand, are clearly and shamelessly aimed at getting into office and establishing a credibility he could have garnered with the truth.
My main gripe: why does it always have to be paratroopers? Jesus, we jumped from airplanes! That was always enough to elicit more than the obligatory “wow” from civilians even in peacetime. At the Passover table, those of us of the Heeb persuasion recount the plagues of Egypt and for each one, we say, “dayenu,” or “it would have been enough for us.” Dayenu, serving alone is enough for us! Serving in a Ranger unit in Vietnam, dayenu!
Ah, well. Wittgenfeld probably could undo a lot of the harm done just by sheepishly saying, “okay, I embellished just a little bit,” perhaps apologize for the misogynistic and subhuman attacks on Mrs. Schantag. I gather that won’t happen.
July 9th, 2012 at 10:52 am
BK: I wouldn’t recommend holding my breath waiting for Wittgenfeld to apologize. I’m guessing he never will.
But as has been observed here at TAH before: no one ever lies about being a clerk or a cook. They almost always seem to lie about being “high speed/low drag” killers.
July 9th, 2012 at 10:57 am
I don’t know that it’s axiomatic that the “real deal” will not brag about what they did.
My first platoon sergeant had a combat patch for each day of the week. That old-looking scroll for Grenada, a scroll for Panama, 7th Corps (so you know at least this one he might have worn MOPP-4 for a week) for the Persian Gulf, and 10th MTN (2/14) for Mogadishu. I think he had a SCUBA bubble or something. I know he was quoted in a bunch of articles about Mogadishu, and I have no reason to believe he wasn’t the real deal in any capacity, but he surely talked about it all the time. I liked his stories, but what I learned from him is that the desire to be center-stage all the time doesn’t end with combat experience.
July 9th, 2012 at 11:42 am
BK: obviously I didn’t phrase my last comment correctly.
It’s been my experience that most who’ve served in combat don’t brag about their experience. Most will talk a bit about what they’ve done if the discussion lends itself, but they’ll then let it go. But some will brag – not many in my experience, but some will. And a few, like Wittgenfeld and Aden, will both brag and embellish.
What I was trying to say was that I don’t think I’ve seen many (if any) absolute “making it up out of whole cloth” phonies claim to have served as a clerk/mechanic/cook/etc . . . . The vast majority of them have claimed to be a CIA/SF/SEAL/Ranger/Airborne/fighter jock/”so classified I can’t talk about it”/(insert favorite “high speed/low drag” occupation here) killer. They just never seem to want to lie and claim they did something ordinary.
July 9th, 2012 at 12:20 pm
It’s so true…everyone goes for the the brass ring when they manufacture service stories. The only phonies I’ve seen aim lower are the effective con men.
The only time I ever used being airborne qualified as a vaginal attractor went poorly – she was gorgeous, but accessorized with a spit can. I do resent this class of subhuman that is able to leverage audacious claims of derring-do for personal benefit, if only for the incredulity I receive for having been a paratrooper. Maybe it’s the whole “Woody Allen with a M-4″ motif, I dunno.
July 9th, 2012 at 12:29 pm
Yeah, I’ll call bullshit on that vote to to throw out Wittgetfucked and move that a permanent spot on the Wall of Shame be reserved for a weekly photoshopped portait of his visage.
What, exactly, does he “still do for the troops”? Oh, we’ve heard dozens of claims and constant bluster, but no evidence substantiating his claims, only real-life AND cyber attacks on those who both served honorably and CONTINUE to actually work their collective asses off for veterans.
July 9th, 2012 at 6:36 pm
Tanner, BK, and those couple real deal 75th Rangers and a few others are the only smart people on here.
Everybody on my real deal 75th Rangers missions gets the C.I.B. people…. If you are a cook and carry an m-16 into a long range patrol team and killed some gooks. You are with C.I.B. there after. Common knowledge EXCEPT, here with these young brainiacs hereon.
Dig deep enough and you will find all Ranger/LRP RTOs became 11F-2P secondary MOS to qualify P.F.C. Airborne Ranger me for (jump-pay)and the C.I.B. officially … no honory C.I.B.s men.
Also you guys only found 6 or so mistakes in over a hundred newspapers articles about me. NOW, I am on here because of that. STOP IT …. Is there anybody else on this thread that has had more than a hundred good newspaper articles about them. 10 percent media mistakes or more is common knowledge also.
I have never wore a bronze star, bragged about a bronze star or being a qualified Green Beret. BUT I was trained by Green Beret/Rangers in Vietnam at the MCAV-SOG echelon and I was later an advisor in the jungle with the Thai Rangers of the RTAVF and Green Beret Colonel was my Commander and which easily qualifing me to Special Forces Association life membership.
I was also the Military Order of the Purple Heart “Patriot of the Year” on recommendation of the Florida State Commander. what have you people been doing…. THIS..?
July 9th, 2012 at 7:32 pm
Wittgenfeld: you’re full of it. The folks above were defending your right to call yourself a Ranger, which is at least arguable. They were not defending your CIB. No 11-series MOS or no 11-series duty assignment = NO LEGITIMATE CIB. That was as true in 1969-1970 as it is today – go read the regs yourself (the link is in the article). Your records don’t show any 11-series assignments while you were in Vietnam – period. All of your assignments there were as an 05B radio operator.
What I’ve seen of your records doesn’t show any “11F-2P” SMOS either, Wittgenfeld. And someone with MOS 11F during Vietnam was an “Infantry Operations And Intelligence Specialist”. Given your 05B background and the fact you had less than 2 years on active duty when you left Vietnam, there’s no way in hell you’d have gotten 11F as a secondary MOS. That requires training, skills, and experience that a very junior RTO just doesn’t have. So how about you quit “blowing smoke” and pulling stuff out of your 4th point of contact like a clueless idiot?
By the way, Wittgenfeld: in case you didn’t know, the term “gook” is considered a racist slur today. Oh, wait – sorry, I forgot that you don’t seem to care about using racist language.
July 9th, 2012 at 9:15 pm
Wittgenfeld, you fat mass of blubber. You said: “,,, I am a 63 year old disabled man ,,,,,,”. Do you think that is supposed to open the door to a pity party? You are a liar and a thief. Let’s play the age thing here…. You STOLE a photo, (by claiming it as your work), and then accused the owner of it of stealing it from you, all from a nearly 72 year old citizen. This citizen is NOT a senior citizen, and is not sucking ass for a pity party by impuning the service of honorable people like you and the mess that you run with on Facebook, making childish posters, false accusations, and outlandish statements to recent, very respectable widows.
You are a fat lyin, thievin piece of shit, and I wonder if you are even still jumping. Haven’t seen any proof of that, haven’t heard the ground quake and shake with your heavy ass landing anywhere around the Deland Air Park…. You lose.
July 9th, 2012 at 10:20 pm
“Everybody on my real deal 75th Rangers missions gets the C.I.B. people….” YOUR real deal 75th Rangers missions huh. What do you have a fricking airsoft league named 75th Rangers you ass hat? As far as what were we doing goes, some of us here actually have been places and done things that we are proud of instead of having to make up our record as we go along. Cough up some legit orders for all this shit that you wear and then maybe, just maybe someone here might believe you. At this point though, I would have to see proof from God himself before I believed anything you said Dullass.
July 10th, 2012 at 12:57 am
I don’t know guys. This discussion is dead to me. I’m still not convinced it’s actually him posting on here because an IP address (whether the same as a previous post or not) does not verify anything. Could be some bored ass kid on here just trolling, or not, who knows. I’m not sure about the CIB or Green Beret thing. About the only way this shit gets solved is by speaking in person. Out…
July 10th, 2012 at 12:36 pm
http://truthaboutharassment.blogspot.com/2012/07/stolen-valor-faces-of-valor-vultures.html?spref=fb
July 10th, 2012 at 1:04 pm
Wittgenfeld: Is that the best you can do? Really? Hell, if I couldn’t come up with better than that, I’d be ashamed to post anything for public viewing. That’s lame.
Do you really think anyone (besides that circle-jerk of other tools with questionable resumes and histories you call “friends”) gives a damn about the cartoonish, juvenile, asinine crap you post on Facebook?
You really are a pathetic fool.
July 10th, 2012 at 1:59 pm
Wow, thats pretty creative there Dullass. Almost as creative as my third grade cousin. Hell, I think my third grade cousin could have come up with some better insults than the ones you tagged all those photos with. Oh and hey Dullass, if youre going to try to run a facebook page in support of folks who have PTSD its wise to not post angry rants and hate speech. Those of us who have PTSD dont tend to thrive well in that sort of environment. Nice try though loser.
July 10th, 2012 at 2:56 pm
I’m sorry, but did he really photoshop Harry Potter glasses, a Hitler ‘stache, and a penis onto TSO’s face?? Seriously?
Excuse me while I go file suit against this juvenile idiot so that I may seek compensation for the Vernor’s I just spit out at the utter immaturity displayed.
July 10th, 2012 at 3:16 pm
ROS: I’m guessing he had someone use Photoshop for him and told them what he wanted. Wittgenfeld doesn’t strike me as capable of actually figuring out how to use Photoshop on his own.
July 10th, 2012 at 3:23 pm
This guy is a loony toon.
July 10th, 2012 at 3:40 pm
Hondo- Methinks you’re spot-on. Sadly, he gave Jonn’s statue a larger phallus than the one drawn on TSO’s face.
Amateur.
July 11th, 2012 at 7:43 am
http://newsblaze.com/photo/20100514/military1_jpg
July 12th, 2012 at 12:01 pm
Dallas can go on accusing anyone and everyone who questions his manner of dress, when all he has to do is to refer to the very branch of service to either support or disprove his claims, He, being a former Non Commissioned Officer should have referred to the AR 670-1. Yet he wants to play kiddy games and make himself look like a total loon by posting crap such as this- http://truthaboutharassment.blogspot.com/2012/07/expose-poser-facebook-hunters-harassers.html, I have been on the fence about Dallas and his claims from the get go, I actually took the time to call members of his former units, researched the unit history, dig into Army regs to find something to point either way if he was legit or a scam. The unit history to an extent backs his claims as far as his training, his unit was trained in Nam by SF, but was Dallas there when the actual training took place?? According to former members of his unit he was not present at the time the unit was being trained, and arrived after the fact, he’s like the cat who replaced Ringo when the Beatles toured Australia, yeah, he was a drummer, but was he an ACTUAL Beatle?? Dallas MOS was officially an RTO, not Infantry, yet he sports the CIB (which is on his 214), now, the question is, did he actually earn it,or did he have a buddy in the S-shop who fluffed his record?? What needs to be found out now: Are there any other SMs in Vietnam who got the CIB while NOT being a grunt?? Does SF pin everyone in a team, regardless of MOS or specialty with an Infantry award?? Find the answer to that question and then decide if he is legit. As for the ass cracker who says the Marines are more squared uniform wise (#33) and say the Army needs one uniform like the Marines, dude the Marines have so many variations of dress, they have to take out a second mortgage to pay for them all
July 12th, 2012 at 6:33 pm
Correction dilly Dallas. I have 14 ( That’s 4 more then the ten fingers you count with ) news paper articles of you claiming the Bronze Star with Valor. That’s at least 14 times that you allowed that one lie to be published about you. And that happened right after you returned from RVN. ( 1972-76 ) Now instead of dressing up as a clown to entertain the crowds. You just use the Army uniform itself as your costume. Then you insult the very same combat troops that you claim to be preforming for in order to collect donations for. Bottom line Wittgenfeld. The internet caught up with your embellishing ass & has exposed you for the POS that you are.You’ve made a living enhancing your Military history and you’ve been caught. Time for you to be a man for once in your life & face the truth. PS. I know your gonna come back with your normal guess how many f/b accounts Scotty has had de-activated.Like how long does it take to create a new account. Your such a childish moron. Say hi to all your poser buddies that you hang out with now. Most of which we have busted for their lies just like you. http://scotty-stolenvaloroffendersexposed.blogspot.com/2012/06/dallas-wittgenfeld-army-embellish-er.html
July 13th, 2012 at 10:56 am
Strike and Kill: any heartburn with me contacting you via e-mail? Would like to compare notes.
August 24th, 2012 at 4:17 pm
http://truthaboutharassment.blogspot.com/2012/08/cyber-stalking-yes-it-is-crime.html?spref=fb
August 24th, 2012 at 4:24 pm
VIRGINIA STATUTES; “Cyber-Stalking”
Last updated: January 11, 2012
§ 18.2-152.7:1
If any person, with the intent to coerce, intimidate, or harass any person, shall use a computer or computer network to communicate obscene, vulgar, profane, lewd, lascivious, or indecent language, or make any suggestion or proposal of an obscene nature, or threaten any illegal or immoral act, he shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.
§ 18.2-186.4. Use of a person’s identity with the intent to coerce, intimidate, or harass; penalty.
It shall be unlawful for any person, with the intent to coerce, intimidate, or harass another person, to publish the person’s name or photograph along with identifying information as defined in clauses (iii) through (ix), or clause (xii) of subsection C of § 18.2-186.3, or identification of the person’s primary residence address. Any person who violates this section is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.
Any person who violates this section knowing or having reason to know that person is a law-enforcement officer, as defined in § 9.1-101, is guilty of a Class 6 felony. The sentence shall include a mandatory minimum term of confinement of six months.
(2001, cc. 775, 782; 2007, c. 736; 2010, c. 767.)
Take down all your shit about me or I am going to send the Virginia State Police a formal charge on Lilyea at Ft. Ashby,Virginia. Scotty Hughes already went to jail recently.
THE LRRP COMETH….
August 24th, 2012 at 4:35 pm
You f’n retard.
August 24th, 2012 at 4:42 pm
Ah Ft Ashby, Virginia…no finer place!
August 24th, 2012 at 4:56 pm
Guess we’ve ignored him too long…
August 24th, 2012 at 4:57 pm
Wittgenfeld, as the article above clearly states: if you have documentary proof that anything in the above article is not accurate, send the documentation and I’ll review it. If your documentation checks out and supports your claims, I’ll change the article accordingly.
August 24th, 2012 at 6:06 pm
Does Wittlessgelding not know that he’s incriminated himself by using threats and profanity on this blog?
August 24th, 2012 at 6:22 pm
Well, yeah, and he’s contacted TSO’s and my employers trying to get us fired with his incessant whining. I guess that’s not stalking. He is quite possibly the worst stalker I’ve ever had since he doesn’t even know in which state he should stalk me. And I guess “I will…visit Ft. Ashby address of this blog” means he’s bringing me cookies and tea.
Like I said before, I put TAH on Google Earth so none of the Stolen Valor cabal would have an excuse for not coming here. I also have all of my contact information in White Pages for the same reason. I’m not the one who is a coward here.
August 24th, 2012 at 7:00 pm
That someone about whom something is written feels coerced, intimidated, or harrassed by the writing is not a measure of any of those things. What’s more, whether one’s panties gets bunched or not is neither here nor there either. The question is whether the writer had the specific intent to coerce, intimidate, or harrass. So, best of luck with the misdemeanor criminal complaint jocko.
August 24th, 2012 at 7:05 pm
Dallass, you do know Ft Ashby is in WEST Virginia, right, fucktard?
Holy shit you’re a fucking moron.
August 24th, 2012 at 7:07 pm
I cannot believe this turd (old at that) is still news.
When people quit talking about him he will dry up and “poof”, be gone.
August 24th, 2012 at 8:27 pm
I have kitchen knives that are sharper than he is.
August 24th, 2012 at 8:27 pm
Scotty Hughes went to jail recently ? Damn, I didn’t know that. Someone needs to contact Scotty & let me know when this occurs. I would at least like to be present when they arrest me.
BTW dilly Dallas I live in the same state as Jonn Lilyea too. Yep . Just down the road in Spencer Va.. You really did hit the fucktard status now you old fool. dilly Dallas Wittgenfeld , The wanna be LRRP has went off the deep end.
With that being said.. ” Thank you & Welcome home RTO boy Dallas Wittgenfeld ” !
August 24th, 2012 at 8:31 pm
Watch the old business, GT. Some of us who are not card-carrying a-holes qualify.
August 24th, 2012 at 9:18 pm
You are a funny, funny guy, Jonn Lilyea.
August 24th, 2012 at 10:27 pm
@112.
With all due respect, EM, please clarify your statement.
I am curious as to your stance before I make a response.
I believe in your immaturity and ignorance you may have judged this the wrong way.
Standing By…..
August 24th, 2012 at 10:40 pm
I know why Witless is trying to stir up shit. He’s actually deeply depressed about his piss-poor performance in the Ballduster McSoulpatch Tournament, especially given his energetic efforts at boosting his douchebaggery ratings by repeatedly posting nonsensical bullshit.
Now he’s throwing a temper tantrum.
Get over it, Witless. You’re so lame that couldn’t hang with the likes of Sharkey and Dilberto and Gunny Mailman. We realize that it was a crushing blow for you, so we’ll be magnaminous and help you with some sympathy…you can find it in the dictionary between shit and syphilis.
August 24th, 2012 at 11:47 pm
Told you he should have won the BDMSPSVT.
August 25th, 2012 at 6:27 am
Marine_7002: I believe the preferred way to phrase that these days is “between manure and venereal disease”. Wouldn’t want to offend anybody through the use of plain but easily-understandable language. (smile)
August 25th, 2012 at 7:33 am
Soooo, Hey Lilyea..? When the West Virginia State Police call you on that phone number….. Who will they be discussing your charges with..? Your wife. Your boyfriend. Maybe give me the right number… You too Scotty, we will have a conference call. It is possible for me to serve you all the paperwork myself. Personally. That’s how I like it…
I told you all before…. You and this blog, Scotty’ blog, and the American Legion blog are on report at the highest level of the Veterans’ Administration in Florida. P.T.S.D. Clinical Chief M.D. knows me and you all by first name basis. It is their recommendation to procecute you all. They have the clinical proof of what you people have done for sport. Especially with so many witnesses.
Consider yourselves “ON NOTICE”
August 25th, 2012 at 7:58 am
Sheesh. There he goes off the deep end again . . . .
August 25th, 2012 at 8:04 am
Don’t worry, Dallas, the WV State Police already know about you, and they got a big laugh when I told them about your connection to Ray Hall, a local punchline. The Mineral County Sheriff knows about you, too.
August 25th, 2012 at 8:08 am
And I thought Judge Head in Lubbock was a bit off his nut. Witlessgelding beats him all hollow. What a ‘toon.
August 25th, 2012 at 8:10 am
I see he now wants to “serve” you personally, Jonn. Don’t forget to tell him you want fries and a shake with your burger . . . .
August 25th, 2012 at 8:25 am
Ex-PH2: pity that Judge Head wasn’t named Richard, isn’t it? (smile)
August 25th, 2012 at 8:27 am
“It is their recommendation to procecute you all.”
Not only are you delusional, but you can’t spell, either. Try using a dictionary once in a while, and find the word “sympathy” while you’re at it…I already told ya where it is. If you need more help with that, talk to Hondo, he’s already given you a couple of hints that are more PC-compatible. heh.
August 25th, 2012 at 9:07 am
Ok….! Thanks for the important recon intel. You know I am going right over there at the WV State Police, right..?
And you know I will go right over to the Mineral County Sheriffs’ Department too, right..? Have you got some names I can speak to also.? Save some time.
Whereas, if you are lying to me and further trying to embarass me about this harassment and dishonoring “band of bastards”. You will fry twice, legally.
August 25th, 2012 at 12:21 pm
Hey Dullass, aren’t you in FL? you should head on over to Tampa and meet up with Jonn so you can “serve” him personally. I don’t think he swings that way, though.
Maybe on Monday I’ll make some calls to the VA down there and tell them about how a whacky old vet named Dullass that says he has a case of PTSD has been making threats to people on this site. Yes, I think a will. A little bit of time on lockdown at the local VA’s Behavioral Health ward doing the Thorazine shuffle might work wonders for you.
August 25th, 2012 at 12:27 pm
Hondo, I swear, every time I think you are just Mr. Sobersides, you pull a joke on me that knocks me over laughing.
All I can say, with all the crap going on in the world, is
THANK YOU FOR THAT ONE!!!!!
And warn me next time, OK?
August 25th, 2012 at 12:27 pm
Actually, that is exactly what I am going to do. And I’m going to take screenshots of every post where you’ve threatened anyone or said you know where they live, will visit, etc and make up a nice file to send to the VA down there after I call to report my concern for all these people after hearing about your psychiatric issues.
August 25th, 2012 at 12:31 pm
Dallas, you incredible drunken dingbat, here are a few rules to remember:
1 – Never try to convince people that you’re clever, because you’re not.
2 – Never do the dead give-away that you’re a cloth-headed ‘toon by admitting undue familiarity with a clinical psych.
3 – Never type when you’re drunk.
August 25th, 2012 at 12:39 pm
Glad you got a chuckle out of that, Ex-PH2. Was it the “service” one-liner or the one concerning the “proper name”?
August 25th, 2012 at 12:45 pm
Oh, and since I know you’re reading this site, Wittgenfeld – here’s a reminder. I’m pretty sure you’ve forgotten it, but because of some royally out-of-line comments you made roughly six weeks ago, Jonn put comments from you on his “to be moderated” list. That means they get reviewed before they get posted – if they’re allowed to be posted at all.
http://thisainthell.us/blog/?p=29627#comment-643151
Jonn’s out of pocket much of this weekend. TAH is his site and he’s the one who put you on moderation, so it’s his call as to which of your comments – if any – ever show up. So you’ll just have to wait until he gets a chance to look at the drivel you’ve got queued up awaiting moderator approval to see which of them – if any – Jonn decides to let appear here at TAH.
And, to reiterate: if you have documentation that proves anything written about you at this site is incorrect, send a copy. If it’s legit and checks out, I’ll correct anything I’ve written – and I’m sure Jonn will do the same.
August 25th, 2012 at 12:53 pm
It was both, Hondo.
August 25th, 2012 at 12:54 pm
Hey Green Thumb. Were you speaking to me in comment 114?
August 25th, 2012 at 1:13 pm
Ex-PH2: glad to be of service. (smile)
August 25th, 2012 at 1:23 pm
Spew alert here:
I should add that my sister’s long-since ex-husband’s name was Richard Handler.
August 25th, 2012 at 1:33 pm
http://www.af.mil/information/bios/bio.asp?bioID=5751
Reputedly he did NOT allow people to use the short form of his first name.
August 25th, 2012 at 1:45 pm
Sheesh. There he goes off the deep end again . . . .
Sadly for him, there’s no water in the pool. Yet he keeps coming back for more.
August 25th, 2012 at 2:05 pm
slides E-P the *spew bucket*….Lets don’t trash Jonn’s joint up too much while he’s gone. He does get just a little pissy about us leaving empty beer cans, cigarette butts, peanut shells on the floors and ashtrays overflowing….
August 25th, 2012 at 2:53 pm
Dallas Wittgenfeld is a lying sack of shit who can’t even read the law right. I’ll have more on his idiotic reading of the law (which you no doubt realize he is wrong on) sometime this week. For any that are worried about this moron suing you, don’t worry. a) he has no cause of action in a civil case (he cites to criminal law) and b) the police and local district attorney’s wouldn’t prosecute something like this because they know it doesn’t meet legal requirements.
Why haven’t you been threatening me Dallas? Is it because you know that I know what the law is? Have you looked into how expensive it would be for you to file a baseless civil complaint? Looked into what it costs to serve process on a claim without legal merit?
Sure me first Dallas, go ahead, I am looking forward to it.
August 25th, 2012 at 2:56 pm
I should also note what someone else noted a while ago, the only one keeping the Wittgenfeld story alive is Wittgenfeld, which the court would look at for a “harassment” claim. Every time these threads die out, he shows up to stoke the fire again. If he had a legal leg to stand on (he never did) he would have cut the leg out by his constant harassment of this blog, our friends, our families, our associates, our employers etc.
August 25th, 2012 at 3:33 pm
Is it fair to say that he is the poster child for the ‘crazed vet’ demographic?
August 25th, 2012 at 3:41 pm
I will say his PTSD diagnosis seems certainly legit to me. But he clearly doesn’t have any understanding of the difference between civil and criminal law.
August 25th, 2012 at 4:15 pm
How’s he going to tell the difference between criminal and civil when he normally can’t tell the difference between Jonn & TSO? He even confused TSO with The Sniper in one of his little collage thingies
August 25th, 2012 at 5:09 pm
Well, for what it’s worth, he has spurred my endeavor to return verbal abuse without the use of profanity or other, more infantile means.
In re: D. Wittlessgelt, well, I went boor hunting and got one without firing a shot.
August 25th, 2012 at 5:58 pm
TSO: perhaps NPD is more accurate.
On another note: are you going to post today’s tourney poll?
August 25th, 2012 at 6:17 pm
@133.
I believe clarification with respect to your response to my comment is appropriate considering I, much like youself, cannot stand this clown.
August 25th, 2012 at 7:02 pm
@128 – JP, actually, if you do a print preview, you’ll see that you can do a hard copy printout, which is 49 pages in this case, or if possible a print-to-file document, instead of a screen capture.
August 25th, 2012 at 8:36 pm
@146. You called him an old turd. My comment–meant to be humorous–was to take exception to your use of the adjective “old.” Thus, just because someone is old (as am I) does not make him a card-carrying a-hole, such as the target of your comment. I hope that clears up the matter. Now, it’s your turn, if you please. You wrote to me, “I believe in your immaturity and ignorance you may have judged this the wrong way.” Are you standing by that or should I chalk it up to the occasional inane comments all of us sometimes make?
August 25th, 2012 at 8:45 pm
Here you go dip shit Dallas. If your going to report me to the WVSP. I’ll supply you with the contact info. If fact if you want to serve me directly & personally . I’m only an hour away from the airport in Charleston WV & will gladly meet you there moron.Let me know when your gonna be flying in. Sorry you can’t parachute in as the Rednecks in this area have been known to take aim at shit birds like you.Now you’ve made the threat & I’ve supplied you with the info to follow through . Put up or shut up RTO boy..Consider yourself ON NOTICE !!
http://www.statepolice.wv.gov/contactus/Pages/default.aspx
August 25th, 2012 at 9:03 pm
@148.
Thank you for your response.
He is a turd. I will stand/step aside with respect to my comment.
However, sometimes a low profile is not a bad thing.
Common Sense.
August 25th, 2012 at 9:14 pm
@145, holy shit Hondo, I forgot. I was so busy at work it never even occured to me.
I will post it first thing tomorrow, my promise.
August 25th, 2012 at 9:20 pm
@150. Fair enough. I forgot the issue already.
August 25th, 2012 at 11:24 pm
I’d love for him to try to get me fired. Not only would it not be the first time some psycho dipshit has tried it, but then it would more than likely give me cause for legal action against him.
Gotta love how that works.
September 24th, 2012 at 11:39 pm
Hondo my emil addy is fred.campell@us.army.mil
September 25th, 2012 at 8:40 am
Fred: missed your comment above yesterday. Will send you e-mail this AM.
November 4th, 2012 at 8:57 pm
BANG…! CaBoom….! The PoWnetwork got a broadside from old LRP 41…… bye bye pictures and all the bullshit you idiots posted on a real deal vet (me) … dumbasses… I am figuring out how to bounce your asses alittle bit too.. and which one of you hidden named punks are Joe Oliver …? He is going for a ride with me next… “THE LRRP COMETH”
You punks should be apologizing to me for all the lies you have endured me with.. Stick MY CIB and 11B-2P orders up your ass…? How’s that feel weenies… I was more combat decorated as a Private First Calss than you pathetic lifers… eat my shit….
November 4th, 2012 at 9:49 pm
#156- English translation, please.
November 4th, 2012 at 10:45 pm
WTF are you talking about Wittgenfeld ? You actually think that your the reason that the wall of shame was closed? Your such an idiot. Strange that my BoS is still up on your lying ass huh. And how many times do I need to tell your stupid brainless ass. You was never a LRRP and you don’t have an 11B MOS in your FOIA or your dd-214 .Now go back to eating your soft cereal dickless wonder boy.The RTO boy is still crying that he got busted for his embellishments. Your such a pathetic loser.
November 5th, 2012 at 2:15 am
Dallas eat a dick your 8 months in country is a little shy of my time in country. Just because you can fabricate falsified orders doesn’t mean shit to me. You are still a dried up crusty old bastard who lives on a pack of lies. Hell I know a lot of soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen who have a lot more trigger time than your fake ass ever dreamed up. Oh wait we don’t count we were fighting in cities, deserts and mountains.
November 5th, 2012 at 6:17 am
Mr. Blue: Sadly, that’s about the best Wittgenfeld appears capable of regarding intelligible prose. You’re not going to get anything better than that from him.
Just Plain Jason: the orders and CIB appear legit – though the CIB appears due to a Vietnam-era USAR-V exception to DA policy vice normal regulatory qualification. And Wittgenfeld does appear to have spent 11 months in-country in Vietnam vice 8.
Of course, that doesn’t address his repeated false claims of BSM w/V (multiple published accounts in multiple different 1970s newspapers cite him as having one), of being Special Forces, of lying his way into the SFA (and getting thrown out), being a racist, acting like an utter jackass, and being a misogynist. I’m guessing he’s just naturally a lying, hateful, ignorant jackass.
The individual served honorably in a demanding assignment. But the individual personally IMO has no honor, and by his conduct has proven himself deserving of contempt.
November 5th, 2012 at 7:41 am
@ All you non-jumping, non-CIB, non-gook killers … I have changed my blog name to reflect what I am all about.
No more LoNg RaNgE PaTrOL 41.
I am now ShoRt PeNiS PaTrOL 13.
November 16th, 2012 at 1:33 pm
Soooo when are you punks going to get some buddy to sign one of those PoWnetwork Report Affidavits… verifying all your lies. Nobbody has ever sited ME for a bronze star or special forces “s” qualified.
Nobody I know has ever heard me say what all you say I said. Now what are you going to do. 40 year old unsigned news paper clips are not evidence for a god damn thing and you all know that. Find a witness or shut the fuck up dip shits.
In my very popular shows that the news-stories were written about.? Thunder Chicken never mentions his military service at all. NOT part of a professional skydiving clown show… There you are.. with nothing.
November 16th, 2012 at 1:45 pm
“Find a witness or shut the fuck up dip shits.”
That sounded like an ultimatum. Do as you say….or what?
November 16th, 2012 at 5:16 pm
LoNg RaNgE PaTrOL 41 Says: “and which one of you hidden named punks are Joe Oliver” …
Are you cyber stalking me?
You be looking for me? Please share with the folks why? I don ‘t need to know as I don’t often acknowledge the brain dead… as they only offer brain farts.
Maybe you can answer this while your farting from the upper lips:, “Did your mother have any kids that lived?”
.
.
November 16th, 2012 at 5:25 pm
While I am at it, seeing you were trained in the bush, do tell me who the SF named Ponz is who earned a green beret, also known as Captain P. and trained LRP/LRRP in the field about the time you claim you were field trained? What was their authorized strength? What was the average strength?
It was training where knowledge was gained from lessons learned in the field, either hey this works — try it again or oh crap, not good, try it another way.
Unlike Rangers of other eras in the 20th Century who trained in the United States or in friendly nations overseas, LRP and Rangers in Vietnam were activated, trained and fought in the same geographical areas in Vietnam.
No bullshit LRP41 — just answers.
.
.
.
Joe Oliver
No Speil Chiker, No Grammatics (Got Gram A Tic Colla) Not a People Pleaser, NOT Politically Correct.
November 16th, 2012 at 5:38 pm
LoNg RaNgE PaTrOL 41:: also name of the GB Officer who trained you.
Mr. Jonn Lilyea will tell you – I take no sides.. only seek the truth. Too many paid a dear price to earn the rights to claim SF. If you only want to spit BS go back to your blog and whine to yourself — or post “Look at me I’m a tough guy” comments till all yawn and fall asleep..
I had no contact with you prior to this, be assured I am the mother folker your mama warned you about in the legal arena, so keep spewing my name with expletive deleteives, and trying to ”
hunt me down” for what ever sicko reason you chose to, and, the rest of these folks can go back to the pool while we dance.
November 16th, 2012 at 7:48 pm
John, you are correct. Ranger Training began in September 1950 at Fort Benning Georgia. The Ranger Training Brigade administrates Ranger School. Successful completion of the 61 day course is required to become Ranger qualified and to wear the Ranger Tab.
“Ranger School has existed in one form or another since 1950, and Wittgenfeld served from 1968-1972 – but I appear to be in the minority on this issue and could well be wrong.”
… but there were exceptions as posted above. If you send me a private I will put you =IN=TOUCH= with Captain P. and SF Officer who earned a GB and trained volunteers (he..mainly volunteers from 25thID (Tropic Lightning))
as I noted above, in the field .. that included “activation” in the field.
“Unlike Rangers of other eras in the 20th Century who trained in the United States or in friendly nations overseas, LRP and Rangers in Vietnam were activated, trained and fought in the same geographical areas in Vietnam.”
The info on this comes from the horses mouth. (g)
Also if something is “This claim is arguably true”… then UNLIKE the VARO’s, “The benefit of the doubt” should apply.
As nothing untrue can be adjudicated as true, and vice versa
The normal criteria: Combat service with a Ranger unit or graduation from the U.S. Army Ranger School. A Ranger unit is defined as those Army units recognized in Ranger lineage or history. The US Army Ranger Association could answer most of the questions I saw posed re: Rangers.
Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) and Long Range Patrol companies (also known as Lurps) were formed in the mid-1960s as a “reactive necessity to the US Army’s lack of units capable of reconnaissance behind enemy lines”.
On 1 January 1969, under the new U.S. Army Combat Arms Regimental System (CARS), these units were “redesignated as Rangers” in South Vietnam within the 75th Infantry Regiment (Ranger).
Fifteen companies of Rangers were raised from “Lurp” units. The genealogy of this new Regiment was linked to Merrill’s Marauders.
November 16th, 2012 at 8:45 pm
National Archives and Records Administration
ARC Identifier 2569498 / Local Identifier 111-TV-228
Big Picture: Ranger Ready
http://archive.org/details/gov.archives.arc.2569498
DVD copied by Ann Galloway. Department of Defense. Department of the Army. Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations. U.S. Army Audiovisual Center. (ca. 1974 – 05/15/1984). For this issue of THE BIG PICTURE our camera crews have journeyed into the mountains of North Georgia and the swamps of Florida in order to bring the story of the U.S. Army Rangers to the television screens of America. The Rangers are a proud corps of elite combat-ready troops who undergo the most rugged training in the Army. The first Ranger unit dates back almost 200 years ago when the original thirteen colonies were under British rule. They served with General Washington’s Colonial troops and they were active in Europe and the Pacific during World War II. When the Communist aggressors struck in Korea, the call for the Rangers sounded again. This BIG PICTURE episode concentrates on their training as it is practiced today.
http://archive.org/details/gov.archives.arc.2569498
November 16th, 2012 at 8:49 pm
Yes! THE BIG PICTURE! I used to watch that on Saturday mornings on the neighbor’s TV! Oh, the memories!
November 16th, 2012 at 8:54 pm
Joe Oliver: a minor point, but Jonn Lilyea didn’t write the above article – I did. I get the complaints/corrections about this one, not him. And I’ve conceded the point that Wittgenfeld, though a jerk, has the right to call himself an “Airborne Ranger” due to his service with D/75th Inf in Vietnam.
He’s also IMO an asshole, a misogynist, a jackass, a racist, and a liar – as well as a legend in his own seriously deficient mind. He just doesn’t make a nuisance of himself by claiming those titles publicly every chance he gets.
He just proves them through his words and actions.
November 16th, 2012 at 9:40 pm
ShortDickDullass, you’ve proven yourself to be a chickenshit liar. I’ve challenged you more times than I can remember and you have yet to respond directly. Tell me when and where. Mr. Lilyea has my contact info with my authorization to give it to you. You’ve proven you’re a coward, live with it. All the regulars here have seen my challenges and have seen your nonresponse, also known as cowardice. Live with that.
November 16th, 2012 at 9:40 pm
Hondo… your a hoot… impressive rendition of personal opinion. (LMAO) You have a right to that. I also will agree with the majority as well as your rendition of his personality as I do not know the man, probably never would have.. till the limp dick called me out. I received an email and a link here that said a possible wannabe was calling me out. So I thought I would present him with the opportunity he sought. While here, I read the recap and replied accordingly. Unless witlessfield has something else he’d like to say to me.. too many tree’s not enough forest.. we be gone. Happy Hunting to you and the good folks who give up their time and dime here to preserve Valor & Honor.
If witlessfield doesn’t understand why you do what you do.. thats his problem. He should be thanking you for helping to keep the record straight.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSYjCrVGYZ8
Stolen Valor *Official Video* Presented by Soldier Hard, Redcon-1 Music Group & Boone Cutler
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=–s1FqX3wFg
November 16th, 2012 at 9:57 pm
Joe, he just keeps coming in here because no one is paying attention to him.
Note the time lapse between today’s little poke and the previous little poke.
November 23rd, 2012 at 1:22 pm
Hell Yah, Joe Oliver…. I miss-took you, man. Sorry.
JOE: none of these jackoffs even know me or ever met me. I have a hundred letters of recommondation for my veterans affairs programs and still participate in things that these “band of bastards” have laid down long ago.
“Think their is an EGO problem here”?.
For your information Joe..? I was trained in the “Killing Fields” by Special Forces and Ranger Hall of Famer William “Bill” Butler. His namesake is the Camp Butler Warrior Training Center of Ft. Benning and I have a “Ranger Brick” on the Ranger Walk of Fame also on Ft. Benning.
After serving in two LRRP/Ranger companies and being decorated for valor in combat, I was promoted and “SELECTED” by 46th Special Forces Commander Colonel Robert H. Bartelt (famed) for training the Thailand Counter-Insurgency Forces in the Royal Thailand Army Volunteer Forces (mecenaries funded by C.I.A.). I was his “Special Liaison Section N.C.O.” out in the jungles killing gooks.
An Infantryman with an airmedal & two purple hearts says alot about what was going on in my 20 year old world, then.
After returning to the CONUS I was selected for the 1st Army N.C.O. Drill Sergeant Academy graduating and training basic combat training for the all new Volunteer Army.
After the military I became a professional skydiver performing at airshows across America. Nowhere have I ever mentioned my military sevice in these programs. A few of the hundred newspaper accounts back then were inaccurate.
Remember this: RANGERS were the Special Forces before there was a green beret.
Nobody has ever heard me say I was a green beret.
Nobody has heard me say I had a bronze star and there are no such pictures.
Just for these assholes that think they are the “Uniform Police”. I have straightened out my uniform. 100% correct. No 82nd fortigere but still the infantry braid. Ranger Scrolls on both sleeves too. And I have my original “Black Ranger Beret” and my tan Ranger beret, too.
Oh Yah JOE: I forgot… these guys feel like I pissed in their Wheaties because I did NOT run away like all their other victims. I stay here in their ambush zone collecting intel for the “BIG ONE”.
JOE… there is a “whole slew” of valor vultures on here who are already in a big lawsuit for doing similar things to other people, too.
Consider yourself UP TO DATE…. I owe tou a beer.
January 2nd, 2013 at 4:29 pm
Sorry to Necro this thread, but this guy is crazier than a sackfull of assholes.
January 2nd, 2013 at 4:49 pm
Shit, now the zombie will likely be back . . . again.
January 2nd, 2013 at 5:13 pm
Sorry Hondo, I’ll go smoke myself now.
April 5th, 2013 at 4:49 pm
[...] Dallas Wittgenfeld Recap – This Ain’t Hell [...]
May 3rd, 2013 at 6:57 pm
Wow!
What a lot of venom! I knew Dallas in Vietnam in Dco 152 inf and in Dco 75th inf.
First, the Ranger designation changed over from LRRP in Nov 69, not Feb.
So we that were there before that date can wear either or both.
Secondly, there was a SF run in country Rcondo school. Not everyone got to go. Me included.
Third, The training the 151rst gave me at the rear base, was real, not theoretical and probably save my life.
Fourth, You were not accepted into a Ranger unit until you had at least 2 combat missions and were judged to be acceptable by your peers on that team.
Fifth, I respect all those who go through Ranger school, but that said the scroll in those days meant you were a combat Ranger and I’ve had plenty of Ranger school grads of different generations tell me that I’m the real deal because of it.
Sixth, I knew Dallas back then, and I didn’t exactly care for him then, and I can’t say I do now. He’s nuts. Was and is. He worked in the rear in radio in the com shack. He’s told me he was in the field before that. Maybe. I just don’t know. He always been super,over the top gung ho. Got me and another Ranger in a huge fight by continually standing up in the 199th inf EM club and shouting “legs suck” and “Airborne”! Don’t know were he went when the fight broke out outside the club after closing time.
The last time I saw him was some month’s after they shut down Dco in April, and he was talking about being an adviser to some Asian military group ( could have been the Thai’s, but it’ been over 40 years), and how he was wounded.
As for his record, if you’ve got the scroll from Vietnam, your a Ranger. PE
r
PERIOD! And, I’m not saying this in defense of Dallas, but all that happened didn’t make it into your Army record. I went to Sniper school in Jan 70. No record. I’m was supposed to be awarded an Air medal. Never happened. No record. Spent time with the brown water Navy. No record. When with the Navy,did one mission with a CIA guy. No record. So what?
7th, When I got to Vietnam, Dco wore maroon berets with the Sua Sponte flash on them. Unauthorized? Sure. But that’s what we did. Same for Fco 75th inf.
Technically, I was in 3 different Ranger Units. For the most part great guys. Did a job that others couldn’t or wouldn’t do. I’m proud to have had the honor of serving with the men I knew.
Both Dco by the way served under MACV. Fco under the 25th.
8th, as for Dallas, socially strange, PTSD can do that to people. Was he A half bubble off plumb back when? Sure! He was a Ranger.
Has he embellished? Not on most of it I think. Some? Maybe.
Vietnam was a different time and place. Most of what we did, we don’t talk about. What difference does it make? I’ve talked to my wife of 35 years about something where we both were at the same time, and we both remember it differently. Now, how does that happen? I remember it perfectly….maybe.
So for me, I leave the old vet’s alone. I listen to the stories and honor them the best I can. I don’t pick their stories apart. If I hear something that doesn’t line up, I know if they were really SF or not. I know the questions to determine if someone is real or not. But in the end, what’s it really matter? It will all come out in the end.
Peace my friends, we’ve fought long enough for it. Why not enjoy it?
Scott (Welgos) Johnston
May 3rd, 2013 at 7:00 pm
Leave it alone? You’re the one who picked up this dried out turd four months after it had hit the ground, bud.
And as for respect for the “old vets?” Yeah, as soon as he shows some respect for those “new vets.” Until then, him, dicks, fat bag, steam, some assembly required.
May 3rd, 2013 at 7:18 pm
Nah. I “picked it up” in 1970..but I’m not so angry anymore. You can be that way if you want, I can’t and don’t want to. And for the record, just because you insulted me by the way you disagreed with me, doesn’t make me think ill of you.
Like I said, I’m not so angry anymore. But you certainly can be if you like.
Like they say “It’s America. Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion”. I believe that. Fought for it. But a person shouldn’t be attacked just because he has a different opinion than someone else. Just my opinion of course.But please consider that I was there. And I was at least somewhat aquaited with Dallas.
Of course what people dislike about Dallas is his lack of honor for those who disagree with him.
Scott Johnston
Also, in my opening sentence I typoed 151 as 152. And Dallas wasn’t with me in Fco. My bad. My Apologies.
May 3rd, 2013 at 7:41 pm
Scott, being one of those old vets, I appreciate your insight. Just so you know, since you have probably not read everything written here – he got himself crosswise with pretty much everyone here with his general outrageous behavior and complete lack of respect for anyone who did not bow down to his awesomeness. Well, that and the personal threats to us and our friends.
He left nothing for anyone to respect. End of story.
May 3rd, 2013 at 7:51 pm
Mr. Johnson,
Thanks for your service. And it’s admirable that you feel obligated to stand up for a past comrade-in-arms.
I’m the one who authored the above article, so I’ll respond to a few of your points.
According to the 75th Ranger Regimental Association, you’re wrong above in your timeline of unit designations. The official changeover of D/151st Infantry from LRP to Ranger indeed occurred in Feb 1969 – not Nov. That Feb 1969 change officially redsignated the unit from D Company (Airborne), 151st Infantry (Long Range Patrol), 2nd Field Force to D Company (Airborne), 151st Infantry (Ranger), 2nd Field Force. The redesignation you’re speaking of above that occurred in Nov 1969 was the redesignation of D/151st Inf (Ranger) to D/75th Inf (Ranger).
That second redesignation occurred because D/151st was a National Guard unit and was demobilizing and a new unit was being stood up to take its place. The new unit inherited non-National Guard members of D/151st – like Wittgenfeld – who had been assigned well after D/151st Inf arrived in Vietnam and who would be remaining in-country when the demobilizing National Guard personnel departed for demobilization.
Wittgenfeld was not National Guard; he was Regular Army. He arrived in D/151st Inf in late Aug 1969 as an augmentee/replacement. My guess is that his assignment there was probably due to the pending deactivation of D/151st Inf and the known pending departure of many of the personnel assigned to that unit. He was not an original member that had deployed with the unit from Indiana, and thus never served in that unit while it was still D/151st Inf (LRP). Follow the link here (it’s also the 6th link in the article above) for verification of the above from the 75th RRA.
http://www.75thrra.com/history/d151_hx.html
Frankly, I don’t think the 75th RRA screwed up the history. They’re pretty good about getting the history of Ranger units correct.
Wittgenfeld’s personnel record extracts, obtained via the FOIA process and linked above, also verify he was never assigned to D/151st Inf while it was still designated “LRP”. He was assigned to D/151st Inf (Ranger) – not LRP.
Yes, we came down on Wittgenfeld pretty hard. If you’ll follow the first three links in the above article, you’ll see he first showed up here acting like a complete jackass. He’s also made claims that were demonstrably false – e.g. serving with SF, serving as a “Ranger/SF advisor to the Thais” (or a claim very similar, if that’s not his exact claim), and having a BSM w/V. (Wittgenfeld denies making the latter claim, but when several newspapers in the early 1970s all say he has one and he’s the only plausible source the reporter would have concerning his decorations, well . . . . ) He lied his way into the Special Forces Association (SFA), and later got booted from it when that fact came to their attention (that’s documented elsewhere on this site).
He’s also insulted pretty much everyone here – even folks who were initially his defenders. And he’s also made some very public racist and misogynistic statements.
I think I can safely say most people here share your opinion that the man is more than a brick or two shy of a full load. But that doesn’t excuse him acting like an arrogant jackass, insulting everybody here who won’t kiss his ass, and exaggerating otherwise highly honorable combat service by claiming stuff he never did.
That’s the real shame. The man served in a damned dangerous and demanding combat assignment (as a Ranger), was wounded 2x, has a decoration for valor (ARCOM w/V), has an Air Medal as well, and served as a drill sergeant – all in about 4 years time. And that’s apparently still not enough for him; he seems to want everyone to believe he’s the 2nd coming of Audie Murphy or John Wayne. So he feels he has to claim stuff he never did, and he gets angry when people don’t immediately buy unsupported, fantastic claims without proof. He also keeps coming back here periodically and making additional wild claims and insulting people.
That’s just sad. Damned sad.
And so is Wittgenfeld. He’s a truly sad and pathetic case.
May 3rd, 2013 at 7:58 pm
Thanks for the heads up. Like I said, he’s nuts. Sorry. I can’t excuse behavior like that, nor condone it. My apologies if misspoke.
Scott Johnston
May 3rd, 2013 at 8:04 pm
Mr. Johnson: no issue, if your last comment was intended for me. After dealing with Wittgenfeld, it’s a pleasure to deal with someone who’s reasonable and rational.
May 3rd, 2013 at 8:11 pm
You’re okay Johnson. I liked that read.
May 3rd, 2013 at 8:18 pm
MMMMM… I may have to reconsider my history. I was one of those regular Army guys assigned to the 151rst. I came a month after Dallas. I always thought I was entitled to the same linage as they were…LRRP and Ranger.
I Also thought I was a LRRP until my designation changed in Nov 69. I was vaguely aware that something changed for the 151rst earlier, but awareness has come in the last few years, as I was too busy with the war to care about that stuff back then, I just wore the patches they gave me.
That said, the 151rst still honors me as one of them… They even have a big picture of one of my teams hanging in one of their offices!
Great bunch those Indiana Rangers! They were the guys jumping in the John Wayne movie about the SF. It was filmed in Benning of course. Some of my fondest and funniest memories are when I served with them.
Again, thanks for filling me in.I agree. It’s just a shame and very,very sad.
May 3rd, 2013 at 8:23 pm
Reasonable and rational?
My wife will have a good laugh when (and if) she reads that!
Thanks for taking the time and grace to explain things. I did really come late to the party.
Scott Johnston
May 3rd, 2013 at 8:25 pm
Scott: what 2/17 Air Cav said. You’re A-OK, amigo.
May 3rd, 2013 at 8:31 pm
Thanks Hondo.
Same back at you.
Scott
May 3rd, 2013 at 9:03 pm
just because you insulted me by the way you disagreed with me
No, actually, disagreement is not the same as insulting someone. However, you’ll have to understand that anyone who comes here even mildly defending Dallas isn’t exactly going to be given great deal of latitude, so to speak.
The fact he’s threatened other veterans, insulted their service, some of whom have spent several more deployments and been awarded for their service to a much higher degree than even his–false–claims allow, and gone so far as to call employers of posters and contributors here in an effort to jeopardize their employment, well, you get the picture.
Crazy or not, his behavior is inexcusable, and the people who have come here to defend him previously are of character of roughly the same low state. Just FYI.
May 3rd, 2013 at 9:05 pm
Weiner in the bun….
Know what I mean?
Does he still use a reserve…or is he that “Hardcore?”
Clown.
May 3rd, 2013 at 9:26 pm
Sorry Sparky,
I just opened my mouth when I should have opened my ears.
Your right of course, that kind of behavior is inexcusable. It’s the kind of thing that gets some put in “special Places” because of their inability to play well with others. Didn’t mean to lecture.
I just noticed his name and it caught my attention and it seemed to me that everything was so mean spirited. Now I know why.
Scott Johnston