Vietnam Vet's Claim Of 9 Purple Hearts Launches Yearlong Investigation Into His Military Record

During TET of 1968 I knew of some folks that ran to the corpsman for every scratch or scrape in the hopes of getting a Purple Heart, I knew of others who did not go unless they had to be carried there on a stretcher. My highest award was a Combat Action Ribbon (Navy) and I was always thankful that I did not get wounded earning that.

So I'll throw this out there as I ran into it with a neighbor and it's a good example of an honorable old vet confused in his old age about his ribbons and what the devices stood for. He had a Bronze Star with V and a Purple Heart, several ARCOMs and the usual Vietnam service ribbons. I knew from discussions with other old vets that served with him that he was hell on wheels as a Soldier and wasn't prone to fibbing. Over coffee he commented on a photo of my wife and I and was reading off my ribbon rack, and comparing it to his, that he had four bronze stars and three Purple Hearts. I knew what he had on his DD214 as I had put his uniform together for him so he could wear it at an event.
Over the years he had comingled his campaign stars on his Vietnam service ribbon with his actual Bronze Star for a total of 4, and his having been hit three times when he was wounded into each bullet strike being a purple heart. Dude wasn't lying he did have four bronze stars just not the "Bronze Stars" and he was hit three times but in the same incident only counting for the (1) Purple Heart.
So fake valor ; or a touch of dementia? Roger... dementia.

I'll wait for the dust to settle on this. See what shows up from the dust cloud.