The FBI agent trying to stem an invasion of fake war heroes
By Francis Harris in Newark
An army of fake war heroes has invaded America since the September 11 attacks, as the national love affair with the military has been exploited for love, money and the respect that comes from a chestful of medal ribbons.
Thousands of pretend heroes are now at large nationwide, donning uniforms and pinning on medals viewed by the public as glittering symbols of America's tumultuous recent global conflicts. Now the FBI is taking action.
Sitting high in the agency's Newark headquarters, special agent Thomas Cottone, who co-ordinates efforts against the fraudsters, explained the public rage at the fakers: "We've lost over 1,500 US soldiers killed in Iraq. Even those who fortunately come back, many only get a little ribbon. So you'd just better not be doing this stuff."
There are no precise estimates of how many Americans are falsifying or manufacturing accounts of their military service, but the number of websites tracking down the fraudsters has proliferated in recent years.
On one, the PoW Network, thousands of names have been added, often by people who add details of the deceivers and their real life histories.
Chuck Schantag, 58, a former Marine who runs the site, says the number of phonies has reached "epidemic" proportions.
The 1,000-plus fakes claiming to have been be prisoners of war in Vietnam is now greater than the 661 actually released by North Vietnam in 1973.
The potted histories on the site often contain extraordinary claims by very ordinary men.
One described himself as a highly decorated special forces NCO, but in fact served as a company clerk and lab technician. A supposed Phantom pilot shot down in Vietnam was actually a metalworker in Ohio.
The motives of the fakers vary, but many are either Walter Mitty fantasists seeking to impress others or conmen hoping to solicit cash and favours. A good number were in the military, but were not awarded the medals they wear. Among those caught have been serving officers.
Mr Cottone, 55, deals with the most serious cases, where fake veterans have broken federal law by wearing uniforms or medals. After 10 years tracking down such men, he can almost smell a fraudster.
He recently attended the funeral of a Marine killed in Iraqi and became suspicious of a white-haired figure resplendent in Marine attire and many, many medals.
When the uniformed man failed to snap to attention during the Marine Corps hymn. Mr Cottone spoke to the man, who "talked too freely of his supposed service in Vietnam".
"These imposters will talk your ear off. It's like offering heroin to a junkie, they can't say no. Real war heroes don't say much," he said.
It transpired that he was a bus driver with no military record.
ŠTelegraph Group Limited 2005