# Man pretends to be a general



## FormerHorseGuard (13 Aug 2005)

SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) - William Lawson looked every bit the retired Marine general this summer as he stood before a crowd of 200 people, demanding that a cemetery properly dispose of the American flags placed at the graves of veterans.

He had on khakis, the Marines' summer service uniform, complete with a general's stars and row after row of medals, including the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Good Conduct Medal. He even wore an eyepatch.

It turns out, however, that Lawson wasn't a general at all - or even a World War II combat veteran. His 19 months in the Marines were all spent stateside - he ended boot camp after Iwo Jima - and he never rose above the rank of private first class.

Lawson, 78, admitted the charade after being confronted with his records in interviews with The Marine Corps Times and The (Shreveport, La.) Times. The media checks came about after Lawson appeared at the flag rally in late June.

"It's something that snowballed," he said in stories that appeared in both newspapers this week.

Lawson did not answer his home telephone Monday when called by The Associated Press.

The Marine Corps Times said Lawson could face federal charges for wearing unearned medals and false rank insignia, and the Marine Corps inspector general is investigating.

According to the published reports, Lawson said he lived in Florida most of his adult life after his discharge in August 1946 and that he worked in the insurance, plastics and manufacturing fields until he retired and moved to Louisiana in the 1990s to be closer to his wife's family.

He said he transferred his American Legion membership and somebody at the Shreveport post thought he was a retired general - he said he doesn't know why. He went along with it, eventually agreeing to make public appearances at various Shreveport-area veterans' events.

For Elmo Norton, a Marine Corps veteran of the Korean War and the new commander of the American Legion Post, the news was crushing.

"It just tears me up," Norton said. "It's heartbreaking."

Lawson had passed out coins - the kind of metal tokens generals and some senior enlisted give out in a long-followed military tradition. He even passed out coins at a recent post event to Marines from Bravo Company who just returned from a yearlong mobilization in Iraq.

"I'm shocked," said Shayne McGinty, a captain with Bravo Company. "It's not right, when there are Marines over there getting killed. It angers me and shocks me that he would do this." 
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2005/08/10/1166857-ap.html



this is a funny story  but one with serious issues raised, sorry  it happened, not sorry he got caught


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## squealiox (13 Aug 2005)

that's nothing. in canada, we've had a whole string of people pretending to be defence minister. ;D


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## Gill557 (14 Aug 2005)

squeeliox said:
			
		

> that's nothing. in canada, we've had a whole string of people pretending to be defence minister. ;D



How can you pretend to be something that doesn't really exist, or something people care nothing about?  ;D >


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## the 48th regulator (14 Aug 2005)

or something people care nothing about?  

WTF,

Are you sure about that g-man?  

Where the hell did that come from?  He duped people about being a General demanding that a cemetery properly dispose of the American flags placed at the graves of veterans.

You saying people don't care about that?

Please elaborate if I read you wrong.

dileas

tess


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## kincanucks (14 Aug 2005)

I believe he was referring to the defence minister post not the first one.


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## the 48th regulator (14 Aug 2005)

cheers,

thanks kincanucks, I feel like the fool now...

 (can I say that with my foot in mouth?)

sorry G-man!

dileas

tess


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## Gill557 (14 Aug 2005)

the 48th regulator said:
			
		

> cheers,
> 
> thanks kincanucks, I feel like the fool now...
> 
> ...



No prob.  I've stuck my foot in my mouth more times then i care to think about, so I don't hold any grudges.  ;D


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## the 48th regulator (14 Aug 2005)

cheers mate,

what the hell was I reading???

whew gotta lay off of the Castle lagers and army dot see aye!!

dileas

tess


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## FormerHorseGuard (15 Aug 2005)

after living in the USA and learning about the legion there and the many things they do  as a legion.  
they have put flags out on all graves that mark a vetran, or fallen soldier. 
older and and less then clean flags are burned and disposed of in a ritual once or twice a year.
some Americans are very flag crazy and I guess that  is good. my ex grandfather in law looked at the local grave yard in Iowa, he was the local undertaker, and something in the legion, but he would put up legion markers for the  fallen from the local legion, flags on all veteran graves. 
Old flags were burned once a year as needed. 

The local legion guys were all very good at taking care of things no need for a retired general to tell them how to do it, or some man to pretend to be a general. I think this is a case of simple misunderstanding that  got carried too far. I think the man should of known better then to dress as a general or let the mistake or misunderstanding get that far.

Now facing a courtmaritial or summary trial that is serious 
oh well makes for an interesting story


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## Slim (15 Aug 2005)

> I think this is a case of simple misunderstanding that  got carried too far.



Ya...The man broke the law and is now going to be punished for it. Try that up here in Canada and the same thing happens.

Pretending to be a member of the armed forces, or assuming a rank you were not awarded, is a criminally punishable offence. And so it should be.

Slim
STAFF


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## FormerHorseGuard (16 Aug 2005)

I guess I should of quoted this part for what  i was meaning by  s imple mis understanding that  went too far in just my  opinion
"*He said he transferred his American Legion membership and somebody at the Shreveport post thought he was a retired general â â€ he said he doesn't know why. He went along with it, eventually agreeing to make public appearances at various Shreveport-area veterans' events."*

i do agree this is very serious charge. just think both the legion persons having the belief ormis understanding this man was a General and the man living up the idea he was  General that  is just stupid on his part and a huge mistake by the local legion. I was going to join the Legion when i lived up north in the arctic and did not happen to bring a copy of my discharge papers with me to the Island I could not join. I think the Local Legion Branch in the States should ask to see some papers before they  allow people to join.

I am sorry  for my lack of being clear as to what I was calling a misunderstanding


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## redleafjumper (22 Aug 2005)

Actually something similar has already been done.  Back in 1906 a poser pretended to be a Prussian Captain, he dressed up in a uniform and ordered around a group of German soldiers to aid him in a crime.  The Hauptmann Von Kopenick or Captain of Kopenick is a legend and a popular story.  Sounds like this marine general poser got himself down a road from which he couldn't return even with better(?) intentions than the Captain of Kopenick.


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