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Monday, December 15, 2008

When a veteran lies about their record, it hurts others

by
Chaplain Kathie
With so many real wounded veterans not able to get the benefits they need to have their wounds treated and have their lost incomes compensated for, this really goes much deeper than just one more story of a fake hero.

Brian Culp managed to collect a lot for his fake wounds including appointments with a psychologist because he was a good actor. Veterans veterans like my husband see their appointments cut back because there isn't enough hours or providers to take care of the older veterans with the new veterans coming into the system.

My husband never thought he deserved anything from the VA and never called himself a hero, even though he has a Bronze Star for Meritorious Service, he does not put himself into the class of those he thinks of as "real heroes" like some of his friends. He also didn't see the wound of PTSD as a wound equal to a physical one. Most of them are humble and appreciate the care they receive from the VA instead of acting as if they earned it, when clearly they did. It took us six years to clear up a paperwork error to have his claim approved and for others, even longer.


Yet Culp managed to pull it all off with computer skills and good acting. He also managed to validate the perception that there are fake claims flooding into the system. Over and over again, when claims are denied, people tend to regard those claims as fraudulent because they were turned down. After all, the VA has to be right and they would honor the claim if it had been a legitimate one, right? Wrong.

Until a claim is approved, it's non-service connected. This can happen with paperwork errors, lost files, inability to find someone they served with that can back up the claim and offer a letter of support, along with a long list of others problems including the shredding of claims at many VA processing centers. Culp just put the thought of false claims back into the minds of the American people.

While it's great this fraud was found out, there are some willing to look at the good he did while pretending to be a wounded hero. Did he help some? Sure. But the truth is, his actions may have harmed a lot more than he managed to help. What would it have cost him to just help the veterans he pretended to be and not pull off a crime like this? Imagine the good he could have done for others without doing this. With a talent good enough to sell himself as a hero, he could have used it to really help the real ones falling through the cracks instead of himself.

INVALID VALOR - VETERAN LIED ABOUT HIS SERVICE -- 12-15-2008 VA Watchdog
He admitted he had used his computer to create not only a fake ID card, but also an authentic-looking DD-214 larded with fictional honors and service.

By John MacCormack
Express-News



Boasting a military record that included two Purple Hearts, decorations for valor and combat service in Somalia with the Army Rangers, Brian Culp seemed the perfect war hero to be honored last year as grand marshal in LaVernia's patriotic parade.

“He was very deserving because of his military experience, battles and honors. And he had gotten hurt,” said Merrie Monaco, president of the Lions Club that sponsors the Bluebonnet Fest Parade.

“We actually made a quilt with his patches and medals, like a memory quilt, and we gave it to him,” she recalled.

A large and rugged outdoorsman, Culp, 38, also merited special recognition because of his nonprofit organization Veteran Adventures, that takes injured service members on hunting trips around South Texas.

But even as Culp was bathed in adulation as he rolled along Main Street at the head of the LaVernia parade, time was running out.

Smelling something fishy in his improbable war stories and claims to being a brother in arms, members of the small fraternity of Army Rangers already were comparing notes and digging into his military past.

Then on Aug. 23, 2007, Culp overplayed his hand when he tried to enter Lackland AFB using an ID card that identified him as a retired master sergeant.

The gate guard turned Culp away and confiscated the card, which investigators soon determined to be well-done forgery.

When Culp came in for questioning, Air Force detectives Stephen Vaughan and Sean Garrettson at first found denial and defiance. But eventually, they say, he admitted to even more elaborate fictions.

“This guy came in and thinks he's gonna run the interview,” recalled Vaughan, who had just returned from his second tour in Iraq.

“I was personally offended by his behavior. I found it reprehensible,” he said.

Culp first claimed he knew nothing about the fake ID card that bore his name and photo, but when the stakes were raised, he crumbled, Vaughan said.

“I said, ‘So check it out, Culp. What if I run a search warrant on your house right now? Do you want to bet there's something on your home computer to make this ID card?'” he recalled.

He said Culp eventually admitted he had used his computer to create not only the fake ID card, but also an authentic-looking military discharge paper called a DD-214 larded with fictional honors and service.

Culp admitted to using the fake documents to obtain benefits and services from on-base haircuts to Purple Heart license plates to disability payments from the Department of Veterans Affairs, Vaughan said.

“He said he lied to the VA counselor about having post-traumatic stress disorder from serving in Bosnia and witnessing mass graves there,” Vaughan said.

And while Culp had served honorably in both wars against Iraq, he never was wounded, never served in Somalia or Bosnia and never had been a Ranger, Vaughan said.

“All of us want to be John Wayne, but most of us outgrow it when we're 12,” he said.

Almost a year later, Culp was charged with four federal offenses related to making false claims to military honors and to using a fake ID card to try to enter Lackland.
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6 comments:

  1. Thank you for posting this article. The more the word goes out the more exposure this criminal receives. Hopefully, VA will continue to pursue this and charge him under the appropriate laws. Give my best to your husband.
    Roger Bales
    USA 1967-1989
    Viet Nam 1972-1973

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Roger,
    It really amazes me that the veterans I've met have to be convinced to seek help for PTSD, fight against going, then have to fight to get it, but this man was able to get it all with lying. That's the thing that bothers me the most. I was doing outreach work for years before I could get my own husband to go for help. He had to go to civilian's first, then a Veteran's Center before he would let me drive him to the VA. He was shaking all the way. Too many don't get the help they need but this man didn't need it, he just took it. I'm greatly saddened by all of this. I'm still getting emails from veterans I have to talk into going for help and this will hurt them even more. Did this man ever think of the veterans he was hurting?

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  3. Chaplin Kathie. It goes much deeper with Culp, I knew him. He used people to advance his own agenda. There are a number of websites now that have posted his story. Even more have responded to the San Antonio article with comments about his actions. I'm disgusted by what he did. I've had good friends who suffered for years before being able to obtain help. I guess I was one of the lucky ones. Having a Father who was a combat veteran from WWII in the Pacific who understood and who was there when I needed him helped tremedously. The things that happened, the things that were experienced, don't ever really go away, but they do get easier to live with if you have someone to talk with and who understands and can help put it all in perspective.
    I've emailed my Congressman, my State Senator and both Texas Senators about this "person" and I do use the term loosely. I can only hope he gets the full measure of punishment for his crimes.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Randy,
    Sorry I just notice I wrote "Roger" the last time.

    That must have been a big shock to you knowing him. I am very sorry. I am sad to think you know some of the veterans trying to get help while he got it all. There are so many across the country and it's heartbreaking.

    Bless your Dad for understanding what you were going thru. My husband's Dad, WWII vet with Purple Heart and Bronze Star, never did. He kept telling my husband to get over it. I don't think he ever really understood it. The other problem veterans face comes from other veterans when they come home without being wounded by PTSD. They figure if they could do it, so can everyone else. The thing I noticed about them is the more who complain about PTSD veterans, are also PTSD veterans unable to admit it.

    I hope your efforts and the spotlight on Culp prevent anyone else from taking advantage of others again.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Randy or Roger either way is fine. I answer to both. Randy is my middle name and known by my family. I hope you and your family have a safe, blessed and very Merry Christmas. You've got a great site here, I'll make sure and pass it along.

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  6. Thank you and a very blessed Christmas to you as well. I just did another post on someone trying to get away with claiming medals and PTSD. This kind of story just really breaks my heart because of so many out there needing help but can't get it.

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