Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #109026 in Books
• Published on: 1998-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 692 pages

From the Author
"Stolen Valor" reviewed in The Weekly Standard
"Hard-nosed, provocative, and courageous, 'Stolen Valor' masterfully and on occasion gleefully debunks some of the popular canards and much of the anecdotal record about Vietnam veterans...For me, a reporter who is also a Vietnam veteran, 'Stolen Valor' goes on the shelf somewhere near Neil Sheehan's 'A Bright Shining Lie,' David Halberstam's 'The Best and the Brightest,' and a few other books whose lasting value is that they make more comprehensible some of the epic complexities of Vietnam, which was the central cultural event of my generation." -- Joe Sharkey, in The Weekly Standard, Sept. 7, 1998

Customer Reviews

Solidly debunks many Vietnam War myths and misconceptions.
Remarkable in-depth research presented quite well. No one likes war and this is especially true for the Vietnam War. A line was drawn and a stand taken that communism would not move south from North Vietnam into the Republic of Vietnam and likely on into Laos, Cambodia and Thailand. A noble cause and at the time, certainly the right thing to do. The national leadership failed to develop a winning strategy and failed even worse in communicating with the American people. This happened at a time when our liberal education philosophy encouraged challenging authority and exploded on college campuses when draft deferment ended for college students in December 1997. Thus the expanding antiwar movement was growing rapidly just before the battles of TET of 1968. Although the enemy suffered truly huge losses during TET, the media played to the antiwar movement and terribly distorted the facts. Westmoreland exacerbated the situation by a gross political error requesting more troops to finish off the Viet Cong. The media interrupted this as we were losing.

Burkett took on a volunteer job to raise funds for a Texas Vietnam Veterans Memorial. He kept running into terribly negative views of Vietnam veterans as generally unworthy of a memorial. Like, "Why would you want to honor a bunch of losers, bums and social degenerates?" Using the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Burkett started requesting the official military record of accused criminals who claimed their Vietnam War experiences "made them do it." He has exposed hundreds of phonies, liars and wannabes. He found that if the veteran claimed a lot of decorations for bravery in combat, was in an elite unit such as the SEALS or Special Forces and performed "secret" missions, he quite likely was a phony. Burkett proved that the six "stars" of Dan Rather's CBS "The Wall Within" were phonies with totally untrue or grossly exaggerated, distorted stories. He specifically debunks over 30 books, movies, TV programs and major news stories.

The authors make a strong case that Agent Orange exposure in Vietnam has not led to disease and death. Twenty years of studies at a cost of more that $400 million came up empty. The most compelling evidence is the study of 1,174 of the 1,206 Air Force pilots and crewmen who served as the Ranch Hands. As an initiation rite, each new squadron member DRANK a cup of Agent Orange. The old Ranch Hands drank along with them, keeping track of total intake. Some drank as much as a gallon. When their low flying aircraft took hits, some crew members became drenched in Agent Orange. They had from 10 to 150 times the dioxin exposure of the average American. After fifteen years and four examinations, the health of the Ranch Hands is generally the same as the control group except they have slightly more deaths and diabetes attributed to alcohol abuse--not Agent Orange.

Over 250 pages of the book is devoted to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder--PTSD. Strong evidence is presented that there is pervasive fraud in claims for PTSD. VA bureaucrats have gained enormous increase in staff and budget for PTSD. Entrepreneurs and hustlers have made big bucks coaching and "educating" veterans how to "recognize" (or create) PTSD symptoms. Unfortunately Burkett's brush may be too broad here. The reader might come away thinking there is no legitimate PTSD. Amongst all those conveniently labeled PTSD, there are a few genuine cases of emotionally disabled veterans who can not function normally because of their war experiences. These should not de disparaged and lumped with the phonies. They deserve care and concern.

A great book. Easily a Five Star rating!

Americans: I Heartedly Endorse and Recommend This Book!
I served two full infantry tours in Vietnam as a Rifle Company Commander, Battalion staff officer and MACV advisor. I am proud of the American -- and Vietnamese -- soldiers who served with me, both under my command and otherwise. From my experience, I fully concur with everything Jug Burkett has included in his book about the valor and honor of the American fighting man in Vietnam, and about the intentional actions of those from the antiwar left to undermine that honor in the eyes of both the veteran and the American people. The leftists have succeeded to a certain degree, in that many view the Vietnam vet as a cruel, racist, pot-headed malcontent. That image is absurdly wrong, as Burkett amply illustrates.

If Americans really want to know how most infantrymen -- and other military personnel -- performed in Vietnam and adjusted to life after their tour(s) there, I strongly recommend two books: Jug's "Stolen Valor," and my book, "Platoon: Bravo Company." I sincerely hope that these two books will be the opening salvo in the counterattack to change the image of the Vietnam veteran to the more truthful vision of valiant fighter and honorable American. You owe it to those who actually fought the war to get it right, for a change!

Read it, swallow hard, and take a deep breath
Truth is a rare commodity in America these days. But here is a large dose from investigative authors Burkett and Whitley. As usual, this truth will go down hard for many individuals who prefer the convenience of self-deception. As a Vietnam Veteran, I recommend this book to all other vets. They need to brace themselves though. I found the book very depressing, because it confirms things I have been thinking and saying for years. It's the ugly side of what I refer to as the war after the war. Many vets will be angered by this book. Anyone who is on disability because of PTSD will feel threatened. Anyone who was convinced that Agent Orange ruined their life will be shocked by what this book has to say. Anyone who has grossly exaggerated their war experience will fear that people now have the means to pull their military records and check things out for themselves. Most journalists will have real mixed emotions. Through the Freedom of Information Act, Burkett pulled records on hundreds, perhaps thousands, of vets, when their public trumpeting seemed a bit far out...and the results are flat shocking. The phonies and liars are practically too numerous to count. Worse, they have been the showcase of the media, and continue to be. The people who really need to read this book are all the civilians who have sucked up the lies, and even contributed to the lies by being such a ready audience. But unlike A Bright Shinning Lie, this major piece of work will never be made into a TV mini-series. It would make every journalist in America look like a fool, and we can't have that. The bottom line in this book is known only to honorable vets. We look forward to a time when we can let people know we served in Vietnam and not fear the social silence (or worse) that still rewards us today. Metals and dusty old stories are really meaningless to most of us. What we hunger for is to be able to tell a friend or a business associate that we served in America's longest and most difficult war, and then receive in return a simple smile of respect. I'm slightly more hopeful now. A few young journalism students are probably reading Stolen Valor right now. So maybe, just maybe, it will only be another decade or so. Thank you Burkett and Whitley for a breath of fresh air. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Bill Hunt, Former US Army Advisor, IV Corp, MACV Teams 72 and 85, Sept 1971 through September 1972.