Two Middle Georgia men accused of lying about their military service

Two Middle Georgia men have been accused of embellishing their military service, including claims of having served in Vietnam.

Two "stolen valor" websites posted the results of investigations of the two men that concluded that public claims they made about their service are false.

Steve Valcke, of Hawkinsville, falsely claimed to have been a prisoner of war in Vietnam, according to the website, thisainthell.us. Another stolen valor website, militaryphony.com, on Sunday posted its conclusions from an investigation into claims made by Les Black, of Dublin.

Black, who works at the Carl Vinson VA Medical Center, was featured in a profile in the hospital's magazine last year. In that article, he made claims that were false, said Dave Hardin, a researcher for Military Phony.

The VA's story on Black said he did two tours in Vietnam starting in 1968 and that he served as a Green Beret. But his military record from the National Archives shows that he served in the Army from 1971 to 1978, and it gives no indication that he was ever in Vietnam. Most of his time was spent in the Netherlands as an artillery assembler, the record shows.

Hardin, who served in the Marines, said that had Black been sent to Vietnam even for a week, it would be listed on his service record. That record also would indicate if he had been a Green Beret, and it does not, Hardin said.

The service records for both Black and Valcke are included with the findings on the two websites.

Black was quoted in a story The Telegraph published last year about a hospital program in which veterans who die there are removed in a ceremonial escort. Black, who was training hospital staff and volunteers to perform during the ceremonies, identified himself to The Telegraph as a Vietnam veteran, but he made no additional claims about his service.

A person who served in the military during Vietnam but never went to the combat area would typically call themselves a Vietnam-era veteran.

When asked about the allegations Monday night by The Telegraph, which sent a reporter to Black's home for a comment, Black said, "That's a family thing that family members created."

He then shut the door and offered no explanation of what he meant.

A pickup parked in his driveway Monday evening had a "Vietnam veteran" sticker in the rear window.

Frank Jordan Jr., spokesman for the Carl Vinson VA Medical Center, said he was contacted by Military Phony about a month ago about the claims Black made in the VA magazine "The Vinson Voice." The story also was picked up by a local community magazine.

"I explained to them that the VA is not making any claims about this guy's service," Jordan said. "The veteran is making the claims, so if they had any issues they could address it with him."

Jordan said there will be no action taken against Black by the VA as a result of the group's claims.

"It's not a VA issue," he said. "It's a private matter between the veteran and whoever is curious."

Jordan said he passed the group's concerns along to Black but did not discuss with him whether the allegations are true.

The VA story reprinted with the posting on the group's website lists Jordan as the author, but Jordan said that was a mistake. He said it was written by a chaplain at the hospital and that Jordan simply forwarded it to the magazine.

HAWKINSVILLE MAN DENIES MAKING CLAIMS

Last fall, during the week of Veterans Day, Nov. 11, schools throughout Houston County held ceremonies honoring veterans.

Valcke showed up at one of the ceremonies at David Perdue Elementary School wearing a T-shirt and hat that had the words "Vietnam veteran" on them.

After the ceremony, Valcke spoke with school board members Fred Wilson and Dave Crockett, then the three posed for a photo.

The school system submitted the photo to The Telegraph with a caption that identified Valcke as a Vietnam veteran and prisoner of war. The photo was published along with a story about the week of ceremonies, but Valcke was not interviewed by The Telegraph or mentioned in the story.

His service record indicates he was in the Air Force for just four weeks in 1974 and was never in Vietnam.

Valcke confirmed his service record when contacted by phone Monday. He said he hurt his foot in basic training and was discharged.

Valcke said he does not recall ever telling anyone he was a POW or a Vietnam veteran. However, when it was pointed out that his clothing in the photo identified him as a Vietnam veteran, he said "I might have been wearing a Vietnam-era T-shirt."

Wilson and Crockett both said they recall speaking to Valcke after the ceremony and that he told them he was a POW in Vietnam. They said he did not speak during the ceremony.

Crockett said he remembers Valcke giving a detailed account, including that he had toe nails pulled out by his captors and that he was rescued by Delta Force.

Crockett said he had no reason to doubt Valcke's story and he felt honored to have met him.

"I was very disappointed when I found it wasn't true," he said. "We were shocked."

FALSE MILITARY CLAIMS ARE COMMON

False claims of military service are "an epidemic" throughout the nation, Hardin said.

He and other veterans volunteer their time to investigate claims, he said, to protect those who have served honorably.

"If anyone can claim the honor of military service," he said, "then there is no honor in military service."

Some go to great lengths to perpetuate the deception, including forging documents, he said. People have claimed high military honors and spoken at public events, told detailed stories, then later turned out to be frauds.

The Stolen Valor Act of 2005 made it a federal misdemeanor to falsely claim military service, but that was struck down by the courts on the grounds that it was free speech.

However, the Stolen Valor Act of 2013 made it a crime to profit from false claims of military decorations or medals.

Hardin said most investigations handled by the website, including the investigation into Black's claims, are initiated by tips left on the website. What people don't realize, he said, is that the website regularly confirms veterans claims. Those are not published on the website, but the people who raised the question are informed that the veteran is telling the truth.

But when Military Phony does call out a veteran for false claims, he said, it isn't done lightly. A thorough investigation is done, and multiple investigators examine the findings to make sure nothing is missed.

"We don't take any joy in this," he said.

He said the group currently has about 1,000 cases pending.

To contact writer Wayne Crenshaw, call 256-9725.

This story was originally published January 26, 2016 at 8:00 PM with the headline "Two Middle Georgia men accused of lying about their military service ."