B.G. Burkett of Plano, Texas, is one of the country?s most successful investigators in hunting down military phonies. In one celebrated case, he exposed four men as frauds who appeared on CBS?s “60 Minutes” as Vietnam War combat veterans.
Why did you get into this work?
I volunteered my senior year in college to join the Army. I volunteered for Vietnam, served in the 199th Light Infantry, which lost 755 killed in action. I came to realize many of the public veterans that were leading veterans organizations and who were advising congressmen were complete frauds.
Why do people pretend to be war heroes?
From the dawn of time, warriors in a society have a special place. The vast majority of people who fake it do it out of low self-esteem. By being a warrior, you are not just brave and patriotic, but trustworthy and honest.
How many military frauds have you exposed?
Well into the hundreds.
How do you expose them?
A military record is available under the Freedom of Information Act. There are all kinds of military history centers, unit records. Once I know there is fraud, if there is a crime, I take it to the Justice Department. If it is merely fraud that enticed a community, I take it to the local press.
You wrote a much-praised book, “Stolen Valor,” on fake Vietnam War veterans. How about our current wars, Iraq and Afghanistan? Are there fakes here, too?
This is a social phenomenon that transcends generations. It occurs in every war that has been fought and every war that will be fought. A very large number is claiming Iraq and Afghanistan service, which is bogus.
