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Title Foreign Correspondent: USA
Published Australia : ABC, 2010
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Description 1 online resource (streaming video file) (27 min. 35 sec.) ; 166456157 bytes
Summary They've fooled their families and friends, duped hard-bitten veteran soldiers and somehow managed to grow and prosper under the radar of America's sophisticated military machine. They are the legion of liars and cheats who have fabricated service in the frontlines of war - particularly Iraq and Afghanistan. It's a despicable phenomenon called Stolen Valour. It's boomed since 9/11 and it's infuriating those who really have put their lives on the line and appalling those who've lost loved ones in battle.Among the 1.9 million who've fought in America's War on Terror, he was one of finest.Rick Duncan had survived three tours of Iraq, dodged bullets and survived an exploding mine that flipped his armoured vehicle and killed four of his buddies. Captain Duncan had collected shrapnel he proudly declared to be 'internal body bling' and garnered some of the highest military medals possible. Back in the U.S the hero became an activist for the veterans' cause and as a decorated serviceman he was sought after, even starring in campaign ads endorsing an Air Force veteran turned would-be congressman.His was a rollicking, triumphant story of sacrifice, dedication and heroism. And it was a lie. Rick Duncan was a complete fraud. And he's not alone. Far from it."I get overwhelmed with the amount of phonies, the verifications. It's overwhelming." - Don Shipley fraud hunter and former Navy SealForeign Correspondent first met Rick Duncan on assignment covering the 2008 Presidential campaign. He was passionate about the plight of veterans, had assembled an outfit of other vets to lobby for improvements from Congressional hopefuls and he enthusiastically told hair-raising stories about his time in the battle field. His supporters and colleagues in the Colorado Veterans Alliance nodded along with his compelling rhetoric for a better deal. Some others though began to doubt his stories."He would say little things that just didn't add up, but we dismissed it as his (war-time) traumatic brain injury. (But) We started to check out his story and in the process of about six hours we figured out he was a complete fraud." - Dan Warvi, Colorado VeteranForeign Correspondent's Mark Corcoran has returned from the United States with an explosive investigation of the boom in imposters. It reaches from the quietest, unsuspecting corners of America all the way to the highest corridors of power. Very senior and powerful political figures have been caught red-handed fudging even fabricating war service.Corcoran rides with outraged former servicemen who've taken it upon themselves to expose the pretenders and shame the scammers."This isn't a f****n' computer game - this is for real!" - Don Shipley fraud hunter and former Navy Seal
Notes Closed captioning in English
Event Broadcast 2010-09-21 at 20:00:00
Notes Classification: NC
Subject Fraud.
Politicians -- Corrupt practices.
September 11 Terrorist Attacks (2001)
Veterans -- Family relationships.
Veterans -- Services for.
United States.
Form Streaming video
Author Blumenthal, Richard, contributor
Corcoran, Mark, host
Hine, Richard, contributor
Salazar, John, contributor
Shipley, Diane, contributor
Shipley, Don, contributor
Sterner, Doug, contributor
Warvi, Dan, contributor