Anti-war video bogus? (bumped)
posted at 8:44 am on May 22, 2006 by Allahpundit
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***Update: New post on Macbeth is here.***
I can’t get this to load, but I’m putting the link out there anyway because someone sent me a long message this morning questioning its veracity. Not just the claims that are made, either; I’m talking about mistakes in his uniform, etc.
I know we have readers who are in the military and I’d like some feedback. What do you guys think? I’ll forward the e-mail I received to Lt. Smash, Mudville Gazette, and BlackFive and see if I can get their opinions. Stay tuned.
Update: Suddenly the site is down. Hmmm.
Update: Good thing someone put it on YouTube, eh?
Update: Just received e-mails from Blackfive and Uncle Jimbo. B5: “The photo on the wall of this ‘ranger’ is completely laughable.” Uncle J: “The pic on his wall fronts him all the way out. Wrong t-shirt, wrong sleeve roll, wrong flash on beret.”
Uncle J is vlogging, by the way. Check out his latest at YouTube.
Update: Here’s Uncle Jimbo’s post at Blackfive. Hot Air’s own Bryan Preston is an Air Force vet and he thinks Macbeth is a faker, too. See his comment in this thread.
Here’s a story from Arizona State’s student newspaper dated April 12, 2004 in which MacBeth (his first name is spelled “Jesse” here, not “Jessie”) is described as an Army vet recently returned from Iraq. I still haven’t watched the video all the way through yet, but the person who e-mailed me this morning says the narrator describes Macbeth as having been in Iraq for 16 months. How, if he was already back in the U.S. thirteen months after the war began?
Update: Blackfive has a screencap and commentary. LGF is following it too. Readers are chiming in below.
Update: Greyhawk e-mails to say that MilBlogs is now covering the story. They’ve got a list of discrepancies in the uniform; go check it out. Meanwhile, a reader points me to this interview with Macbeth (from a socialist outfit, of course) and poses a few questions:
1. Macbeth says he was “picked” to go to Ranger school. Is this possible, or is Ranger school all-volunteer?
2. Macbeth claims to have received so many medals that he can’t remember them all, including “five or six … just for landing.” Is this possible?
3. He got stabbed “many times”?
Update: Jeff Goldstein is following it too.
Update: Greyhawk has his own post up now: “[T]he key point is that Ranger or not, MacBeth is a liar.”
Update: Lt. Smash minces no words: “JESSIE MACBETH is a fraud. An imposter. A poseur, and not even a very convincing one.”
Update: Go read the comments to Uncle Jimbo’s post.
Update: A thread’s been started at a Rangers bulletin board. Keep your eye on it.
UPDATE (Bryan): There’s also some doubt on this guy’s Ranger unit. He claims to have been in the 3rd Ranger Battalion in that interview with SocialistAlternative. Jason Whong doubts Macbeth managed to land himself in the right unit:
Now here’s the nugget - the 3rd Ranger battalion eventually became the 3d Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment - in 1986… but it doesn’t appear they went to Iraq at all. (I could be very wrong on this one - but everything I read about the unit talks about the invasion of Panama… nothing much about OIF. But I have not had the time to investigate this further.
There is a real 3rd Ranger Battalion extant. It’s a video game community playing America’s Army–the very well done Army recruiting game. This “3rd Ranger Battalion’s” site has some NSFW graphics, hence no link–Google it if you want to find it. Perhaps that was Mr. Macbeth’s real unit. I’m sure the game has an Iraq-related level or two, or at least a mod.
Update: Some Googling reveals that the 3rd Ranger Battalion has indeed been to Iraq. So they got that detail right, at least.
Misha weighs in and points to this follow-up post by Lt. Smash, who says it might be time to start checking out other members of Iraq Vets Against the War.
Update: After you read Smash’s post, read this one. Geez.
Update: MilBlogs is all over this. Just keep scrolling (upward) when you click that last link. Better yet, start with Greyhawk’s original post and scroll upward from there.
Update (Bryan): We hear from a current soldier who was in a unit that relieved the 3/75 Rgr BN in Iraq:
First, I commanded a rifle company in the 101st, one of the ones who relieved the 3/75 Rgr Bn at the dam in Hadithah. They do NOT spend 16 continuous months in theater. They were in Iraq for a three month stretch, then went back to Benning to re-fit and re-train, then back into theater for another four months.
Next, I also completed Ranger School(class 4-96) and you don’t get “picked” to do it. You must volunteer and then pass through a screening process(usually a pre-Ranger course of some kind - almost every division has such a course). After that, you go through the course and can wear the tab.
If you are part of the 75th Rgr Rgt, you are almost always promoted to E5 once you complete Ranger School, which he has not been.
The uniform discrepancies have been well documented: beret folded left(we fold them right), wrong flash for the 75th, sleeves folded wrong(inside showing - that’s the Marines), wrong color t-shirt(although I guess it could have just been the lighting), etc.
As a current soldier, I can state unequivocally this guy is an absolute fraud. The Geneva Convention was SO strictly enforced we felt it hampered us at times. IVAW should at least research this garbage before coming out with it.
No one’s made the connection yet, so I will: Jessie or Jesse MacBeth or Macbeth is doing exactly what John Kerry did during Vietnam. He is smearing the troops currently in action against the enemy as war criminals. As I predicted would happen, more than two years ago.
Update: The same officer who sent that last message sends an update:
Another note - I just showed this to two SF NCOs who work in the next room. The flash he is wearing, according to them, is a 1st SF Group flash. Additionally, he appears to have an SF combat patch on the sleeve of the BDU top he is wearing at home(you can see it as he picks up his child).
Update: In “honor” of Jesse Macbeth, Greyhawk has decided to start collecting all the urban legends about Iraq at MilBlogs. He’s hit the ground running.
Update: McQ at QandO demonstrates what Macbeth’s beret flash should look like.
Update (Bryan): It turns out MacBeth has a profile on Military.com. Three things worth knowing about Military.com. 1) It’s not officially connected with the DoD; 2) you don’t have to be current or prior military to join; and 3) there are no safeguards ensuring that what a soldier, sailor, airman or Marine claims as his awards and citations are true. Just to test that out I set up a profile and played around with the badges section. It let me claim to be a Master Veterinarian, a Command Pilot Astronaut and a Master Space Controller and posted them all on my profile. I am none of those things, and Military.com has no way of knowing if I am. It doesn’t cross reference anything I input with my DD-214, an official doc that summarizes my military career. Naturally, I turned those badges back off in my profile.
We have screen caps coming of MacBeth’s profile. He claims three basic combat jumps, presumably into Iraq though he does claim to have been in Afghanistan too, he claims a couple of awards for marksmanship and combat, and he posts a Ranger tab and a Special Forces tab. He also claims a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. He has no friends among the patrons of Military.com, which I found completely unsurprising. He claims as his “interests,” “killing haajis,” yet also boasts of his membership in IVAW. How does the one square with the other?
Allah’s formating the screen caps and will post them here shortly.
Update: Here are the screencaps; click for larger images. His “friends” sidebar is, alas, barren.
Here are Military.com’s ribbon pages for reference. According to Macbeth’s profile, he has a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, an Army Good Conduct Medal, a National Defense Service Medal, an Army Service Ribbon, and an Overseas Service Ribbon.
Update: Blather Review e-mailed to call my attention to his update here, but I think his point about Macbeth’s jacket is even better.
Update: It seems pretty well established at this point that Macbeth wasn’t a Ranger. The next question is, was he in the Army in any capacity? Detailed Recruiter has his doubts.
Update: MilBlogs has flood-the-zone coverage of this story. Click and scroll for hours. The latest development: according to John of Argghhh, Macbeth has removed the awards from his Military.com profile.
Update: Bryan took a screencap of Macbeth’s new Military.com profile, sans decorations. Click to enlarge.
Update: The Macbeth interview has been removed from YouTube … but it’s back up at the original site.
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HA! The site is down now! Busted?
What a bunch of losers.
bamapachyderm on May 22, 2006 at 9:13 AM
Didn’t take long for them to pull the plug. I hope someone can redirect us to the video.
stevevader on May 22, 2006 at 9:15 AM
I just saw the screen cap/video frame/whatever you call it that was there, and the guy had on a white crewneck t-shirt with the BDU shirt. Definitely not allowed.
bamapachyderm on May 22, 2006 at 9:23 AM
White undershirts were allowed in the USMC many years ago.
Bodacious2182 on May 22, 2006 at 9:27 AM
Bodacious — He claims to be a Ranger, not a Marine. Don’t know if it’s different in the Army, but there you go.
Allahpundit on May 22, 2006 at 9:29 AM
I just saw the video’s on YouTube. Let me state that in the first part his is only wearing a BDU top and what appears to be jeans while he is picking up a newborn. The narrator states that he was ultimately discharged. So in essance he is just wearing his BDU top. It doesn’t state why he was discharged. He could have let his time run out, it could be medical, etc. The narrator should have stated that. It would have given a basis to the story
Now all that aside, I think that the video’s are crap. I would think that being an ex-ranger he would have understood and lived by their code. IMHO i think that if he was an actual ranger, he is acting as a disgrunteled employee and wanting to get his 15 minutes of fame. Shame on him and shame on the group that did the video.
br8veheart on May 22, 2006 at 9:32 AM
Br8veheart - I just watched it too, and you’re right. He’s at home, so the uniform isn’t an issue. But he’s still full of crap (”disgruntled,” as you said). I can’t believe this guy was a Ranger at all.
bamapachyderm on May 22, 2006 at 9:40 AM
To be clear, the e-mail I got raised questions about the uniform he was wearing in one of the photos they showed, not the uniform he was lounging around the house in.
Allahpundit on May 22, 2006 at 9:42 AM
Thanks Allah (taking my foot out of my mouth). I obviously didn’t pay attention where I should have.
br8veheart on May 22, 2006 at 9:45 AM
It appears that in the picture of him in uniform (17seconds) into the first video, that the flash on his tan beret (correct for the rangers) is of the 1st SFGA.
1st SFGA
Ft Lewis, WA
1st Bn.
Torii Station,
Okinawa, Japan
Operational Area:
East Asia-Pacific
br8veheart on May 22, 2006 at 9:55 AM
His uniform is bogus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Army roll their sleeves so that the inside is not showing. Their sleeves are all camoflauge. Marines roll their sleeves so that the outside is showing!!! This video is fake. His beret is going to the wrong side. The insignia is fake. Look at the guys face. Notice the subtle smirk? He is obviouly lying. The vidoe was done by veterans against the war yeah right they could not even fake a decent picture.
Theworldisnotenough on May 22, 2006 at 9:59 AM
Opps… Marines roll their sleeves so that the inside is showing. The Army is the opposite. Note to self *proofread posts*
Theworldisnotenough on May 22, 2006 at 10:01 AM
It’s soooo bogus, an obvious fake. In the 3rd video he claims to have killed a woman who was holding her one-year old baby, (he said, they raided a house, and didn’t know “anybody was in there” and then they saw her) and she pleaded with him for her and her son’s life, but he said, “he had to kill them” and he still feels “bad about it”.
Anybody who believes this “Jessie Macbeth” (”Corporal”, wife named “Lynn”) is an idiot.
If it was true, he would have been charged with war crimes, and in fact, would be charged with war crimes TODAY.
The tape states he was “wounded” and discharged…
This tape is a total fabrication, a fake, and whoever he really is, he has moved up to the top of the most unpatriotic people in America.
By impersonating a soldier (a ranger) and fabricating stories about murdering women and children at point blank range, there has to be laws against this.
Maybe a lawyer knows what laws he’s violated??
I didn’t see the 2nd video, saw all of the 1st, and some of the 3rd - was hard to watch, it’s a total of about 20 minutes of ranting against President Bush. Who he refers to as an “Asshole” several times.
And he says, most to the soldiers don’t want to be there. It’s the classic liberal anti-war, anti-military rant.
I hope a real ranger runs into him somewhere and smooths him out.
Richard Davis on May 22, 2006 at 10:04 AM
Just comparing the photo on the wall with him as he appears in the video I noticed something. In the video he’s wearing a white t-shirt and needs a shave, but other than that he looks exactly like he does in the photo. It looks like they took a photo of him in a BDU with a black t-shirt and a beret for the wall, then filmed him in the same BDU and a white t-shirt for the film. Due to the need for a shave in the video I’d say they waited a day or two between photo and video, but I don’t see anything that makes me think they were taken farther apart than that.
high_desert_wanderer on May 22, 2006 at 10:20 AM
Don’t know if you’d like to update the post at all Allahpundit, but I’ve found a little more on this I think….
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=20060521&articleId=2482
First off this is a site that features Alex Jones (famed 9/11 conspiracy theorist) and every other nut and conspiracy theory you can imagine. I’m sure you’re familiar.
Anyway, this article on Jessie is about the video and ends with:
And here’s a bit of PepperSpray’s description of themselves:
Play around that web site for a bit… wow.
Anyway, I think that brings us a little closer to the source…
RightWinged on May 22, 2006 at 10:32 AM
The video says he was wounded, and ultimately discharged.
clyde on May 22, 2006 at 10:32 AM
A “Jessie McBeth” doesn’t show up in the DOD databases.
Two James McBeth’s show up one being an E-4 and one an E-7. This kid looks a little young to be an E-7 but could pass for E-4.
One John McBeth and one Johnny McBeth bot E-4’s show up as well, though DOD public records tend to not designate units or any special training.
Much like the story of the guy in Jordan claiming he was a Marine who performed war crimes, that was picked up by most of the MSM a few years back, this appears to be a fraud.
thegreatsatan on May 22, 2006 at 10:42 AM
tgs — His name is Macbeth, with an “a”. Also, his first name might be Jesse, not Jessie. Worth checking both.
Allahpundit on May 22, 2006 at 10:46 AM
Well I tried the other spelling of the last name “MacBeth” and got a hit:
http://unitpages.military.com/community/MemberProfile/Member_Profile.jsp?member_id=6574275
I’m not sure if you’re not a member if you can read that. Here is what his profile says:
Service: Army
Status: Veteran/Prior Service
Rank: E-4
Bio:
member of the 3rd 75th rangers did two tours in iraq and now a single father now part of I.V.A.W
Interests:
killing haajis
Conflicts & Operations:
War on Terrorism
Invasion of Afghanistan
Iraq War
I’d like outside confirmation that he was part of 3rd 75th. Though I served in the Navy and Marine Corps, I do have a few friends in the Green Machine. I’ll have to see if they can put in an inquiry into this guys legitimacy. For the most part its very easy to debunk the fake specops guys as the communities tend to police themselves.
thegreatsatan on May 22, 2006 at 10:49 AM
It’s definitely bogus, based on the sleeve roll. I was in the AF but spent most of my time around Army, Marines and Navy. Marines roll up their BDU sleeves so that the inside shows. Army and AF roll up their sleeves in an accordion-like way so that the inside doesn’t show. This Jessie Macbeth character claims to have been an Army Ranger, but he has his sleeves rolled up closer to the way they do it in the Marine Corps. It actually doesn’t even look right for the Marines to me–they tend to roll it up tighter and smaller than he has in that photo.
So what we have is a seditious video made for enemy propaganda purposes.
Bryan on May 22, 2006 at 10:52 AM
If this wasn’t in a time of war I’d say this guy was funny. But at this time it’s dangerous. The thing is if your going to fake something get your details right.
jbrookins on May 22, 2006 at 10:54 AM
General observations:
1. This guy has a serious axe to grind.
2. The interview is obviously scripted.
3. Says he will fight for country, but not for President or Government… huh? that makes no sense.
4. Military picture style appears relatively genuine, but could be easily faked. See notes on uniform.
Uniform observations:
1. Uniform pieces in picture and worn can be easily purchased at any military surplus store.
2. Can’t see shoulder patches clearly to determine if genuine to an Army Ranger.
3. Blouse sleeves rolled up in Marine style. Army folds sleaves up in a much different manner.
4. T-shirt in picture is very dark. Maybe a bad color representation on the video, but Army T-shirts are generally a lighter shade of brown. This T-shirt looks black to me, and I think only Air Force wear black T’s under their cammo uniforms.
5. Berrett in picture is poorly folded. Unless he just got a new berrett, no self-respecting Ranger would wear a berrett that way. (Hard to describe this in a short sentence.)
6. Berret patch does not appear to have a unit crest, which it should.
Other notes on Uniform:
1. The blouse in the picture looks identical to the worn out blouse he is wearing during the interview. Even to the roll up on the sleeves.
2. If this where an official picture he would probably not be allowed to wear an old worn uniform.
3. Would probably not be allowed to have the sleeves rolled up in an official army picture. Especially if they where rolled up like the Marines do it.
Lawrence on May 22, 2006 at 10:58 AM
He was in the Army, that can be easily established, whether he was a Ranger or served in Iraq is yet undetermined.
thegreatsatan on May 22, 2006 at 11:01 AM
One last Uniform note:
The name tags over the pockets in the picture are not clear enough for me to read to see if they are correct. And no clear view is given of name tags on the uniform worn in interview.
This is important because the name tag is one of the harder things to fake on these uniforms.
Lawrence on May 22, 2006 at 11:04 AM
And to clarify one last point.
I mention the uniform in the picture is identical to the one in the interview. These uniforms fade over time and the picture uniform appears to show the exact same wear and fading as the one he wears in the interview. An official army photo would want one to wear a newer uniform, not a work out uniform.
Lawrence on May 22, 2006 at 11:09 AM
Staff Sgt. Ryan A. Recker of the Ranger Training Detachment at the 75th Ranger Regimental headquarters at Fort Benning, Ga., models the new Ranger Tan Beret.
http://www.dcmilitary.com/army/pentagram/6_12/national_news/5859-1.html
Flash over left eye, not the right one as the picture in the clip.
sugiero on May 22, 2006 at 11:18 AM
I just watched him on one of the clips on Tube, and he is wearing E-2 rank on his collar. Now, tell me how a ranger with 16 months in iraq can only be a private E-2????
gary on May 22, 2006 at 11:21 AM
The more I search, the more Sheehan this becomes:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/comment/reply/10339
Look at the “guest speakers”
thegreatsatan on May 22, 2006 at 11:26 AM
The name tag says ‘Macbeth’. The vid also shows the shirt with a Ranger unit patch on the left sleeve and a SF patch on the right. Thanks to my HD monitor.
Also, the beret is worn incorrectly in the picture. The flash is to be worn over the left eye.
Rick P on May 22, 2006 at 11:27 AM
Those are corporal stripes.
Rick P on May 22, 2006 at 11:29 AM
Click on 4th paragraph “Youtube” and see this guy. Someone needs to go arrest this impersonator.
gary on May 22, 2006 at 11:29 AM
A real Ranger:
http://diodon349.com/Vets_stuff/Vet_images/in_memoriam.jpg
Rick P on May 22, 2006 at 11:29 AM
Great link Rick P.
It seems quite obvious they tried to imitate a picture just like Tillmans, a true patriot. The macbeth forgery is a bad one with a bad uniform, bad beret, bad US flag in background, etc.
Digital Imaging/ Photography is my business and they did a very bad job of setting this up. If this is a scam, he needs to go down.
shooter on May 22, 2006 at 12:07 PM
Anyone have a picture of Micah Wright for comparison?
see-dubya on May 22, 2006 at 12:17 PM
As a retired Ranger myself I have to say this guy probably doesn’t even know where the Rangers train.
Uniform WRONG.
Basic body carriage WRONG
Just generally WRONG no matter how you slice it.
Rowane on May 22, 2006 at 12:35 PM
“Picked” off the streets to go to Ranger school? Doesn’t happen. If the Army does it like the AF, you’re already in basic when going to specialized training for elite duty afterward becomes an option. You volunteer for that duty just like you volunteered for the military to begin with. And then you have to undergo rigorous fitness training and eval before you even qualify for that specialty. Many wash out, the more elite the unit the higher the washout rate.
This guy is a third-rate fraud. Trotting him out as a “Ranger” shows just how little he and his allies know about the real military.
Bryan on May 22, 2006 at 12:40 PM
I’ve watched the first two videos. One thng I noticed is that he never once mentions that it is your duty in the military to refuse to follow illegal orders. Everyone in the military knows this. I find it very hard to believe that our soldiers would be told by their officers to ignore the Geneva Conventions and murder innocent people - and no one refuses to follow what would clearly be illegal orders. I would think that to a man they would refuse to follow such orders and the officers would be brought up on charges.
Kevin R on May 22, 2006 at 12:49 PM
Hmmm. You know, I think I may have seen another version of this video back in December.
see-dubya on May 22, 2006 at 1:06 PM
As a former Ranger, this is a fake from the start. The photo on the wall is such a joke, it is hard to tell where to start. And as was posted above, you are not “picked off the street” for Rangers…you have to work very, very hard to have that honor. I cannot believe anyone would pick this pouge and try and pass him off as any kind of soldier, much less a Ranger.
jcon96 on May 22, 2006 at 1:16 PM
You all are missing it, the entire matter of him being “real” or “authentic” isn’t important. This may be fake, but is accurate of how all service members feel!! Surely, MacBeth is simply ahead of the news cycle and will be justified when others come out to frog march the President.
Or maybe he was listening to a few too many witches over a pot of socialist stew.
Wineaholic on May 22, 2006 at 1:18 PM
He has the CIB with a star, and the CCB with a star. Oh, and an SF tab and Ranger tab, but no airborne.
Seriously, couldn’t someone over at IVAW do enough research to make this guy semi-believable?
E5infantry on May 22, 2006 at 1:54 PM
If the producers of the segment wanted to establish that this “ranger” was genuine they could have displayed his Department of Defense discharge form (DD214). This unclassified document is issued to all service members upon discharge. It is analogous to a resume. It lists training received, decorations, rank at discharge, type of discharge (honorable, etc.), military occupation specialty, and final duty station. The form can be registered with the county prothonotary and is used to secure veterans benefits. Production of a counterfeit DD214 is a federal felony, a violation of 18 USC 498.
MarcH on May 22, 2006 at 1:55 PM
Interestingly, there is a Jesse MacBeth, Iraq war veteran, who has been protesting his treatment at a coffee shop in Phoenix. According to an article in ASU Web Devil (registration required)
“Coffee debacle stunts progress for homeless
by Lucia Bill & Brian Clapp
The State Press
published on Monday, April 19, 2004
“Civil rights are being violated, innocent people are being jailed, the seriously ill are being denied appropriate respect and even the military is under suspicion. It may sound like a B-movie plot, or something straight out of Guantanamo Bay. But we’re talking about the Coffee Plantation on Mill Avenue.
“At least that’s the story you get when you talk to Jesse MacBeth, a young Iraq war veteran. If in the past week you read about the Free to Camp protest against the ‘establishment,’ or have seen the FTC’s recent flier campaign, you probably know that that the evil corporate coffee empire is out to get you.
Though customers may be “quietly sipping their coffee,” as MacBeth puts it, if you don’t fit the mold of their preferred customer, you may be removed from the premises, or possibly the whole of Mill Avenue, under threat of lock and key.”
Later in the article, it turns out, “MacBeth may have been sipping his coffee peacefully when he was asked to leave … but no one ever mentioned that he told the management to “f— off ” and that it is his “right as an American” to not be asked to leave”
Seems like a real war hero, huh?
kmcguire on May 22, 2006 at 2:03 PM
This url lists a Jesse Macbeth, former Special Forces, as a speaker at an anti-war rally in Washington state. The date is given as Jan 31, as a protest against the State of the Union address. I assume this is 2006.
http://worldcantwait.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=578&Itemid=208
Apparently, this guy has been running on the anti-war circuit for some time.
tommy1 on May 22, 2006 at 2:45 PM
Is this the same Jesse MacBeth?
TalkSmack on May 22, 2006 at 2:50 PM
My, my, my..All those awards and schools and the best young Jesse could pull is corporal? The folks putting this farce together certainly do not give those of us in the know much credit, do they? That so little research and such sloppy preperation would be put out for public comsumption has me wondering , why bother? After all, someone in that group must have realized that any vet could pull this mess apart in a hot second.
jcon96 on May 22, 2006 at 3:18 PM
A follow up….more medals than he can remember? Including some for landing? (What, a plane?) and has been stabbed many times? And anyone who has been through the meatgrinder that is Ranger school, how long did it take and how much work did it take to just get in the RIP course? Well, more worthless fodder for the moonbats..
jcon96 on May 22, 2006 at 3:27 PM
TalkSmack,
Yes, it’s that same shirt again. And notice the date on the article: Monday, April 12th, 2004. How on earth did he spend 16 months in Iraq when he was stinking a coffee in Phoenix joint 12 months after the war started? BWAHAHAHAHA!!!!
Tuning Spork on May 22, 2006 at 3:36 PM
Why is it all of these wannabees have to use Fallujah as a backdrop for all of their accusations? The terrorists got a real butt whupping there. The leftie anti war crowd sure seems to want to show some sort of empathy for their defeated brethren I guess. This is the same place they used to put forth the phony argument of WP (White Phophorus)being a chemical weapon and the also the location cited for other stories of innocent civillians being shot by members of Sheehan groupies.
Ever notice that all of these stories are always put out by people against the war? It is amazing that they find a backbone after leaving the service but while serving and supposedly witnessing these things first hand just don’t have that much civic pride to raise the matter.
This guy is a fake and if he would agree to sit down with this 20+ year retired Infantryman and swap war stories I would be glad to meet him, maybe over coffee.
LakeRuins on May 22, 2006 at 3:43 PM
high_desert_wanderer on May 22, 2006 at 3:46 PM
And apparently I can’t type today. Sorry for the garbled html.
high_desert_wanderer on May 22, 2006 at 3:47 PM
I’ve already noted that our pal MacBeth is a Wendy’s employee in the Seattle-Washington area over at protein wisdom.
However, LGF states there is an individual named Terry Portinga listed as the owner of the peacefilms website. I found the following:
Interestingly, there is a Terry Portinga listed here:
http://www.fvtv.org/schedules/032705.htm
He apparently produces a lot of programs for Public TV in Washington State.
Awww…he even posts his phone number [deleted]. How sweet of him.
Somebody want to give him a call and ask him what happened with his site?
tommy1 on May 22, 2006 at 5:18 PM
I just sent an e-mail to the P.O.W. Network letting them know of the situation with this poser. The network investigates fraud POW and Seal/Ranger/SF claims and tries to get them prosecuted. I hope they will be able to find out something and go from there.
br8veheart on May 22, 2006 at 5:31 PM
Another site that mentions Terry Portinga as a producer of activist videos:
http://peppersprayproductions.org/TheLeader.htm
tommy1 on May 22, 2006 at 5:33 PM
tommy1 — I deleted the phone number in your comment. If you can find an e-mail address for Portinga, you can post that, but I’d rather stay away from phone calls.
Allahpundit on May 22, 2006 at 5:59 PM
That is cool, Allah. I understand. I haven’t found an email for Portinga (yet). However, I did find a post by a “Terry Portinga” on a website where he mentions “peacefilms.”
http://www.robertgreenwald.org/2005/02/name_for_new_company.php
tommy1 on May 22, 2006 at 6:19 PM
And one more, mentioning Peacefilms and Washington state. I think we can be sure that this is the correct individual:
http://lists.indymedia.org/pipermail/imc-satellite/2005-August/0806-0d.html
tommy1 on May 22, 2006 at 6:22 PM
Peacefilms is back up. Read the comments section for the first thing that Portinga says. He states that if MacBeth changes his story, but still tells him that war crimes occurred, he will be back with a second video. LMAO!
Look at all the moonbats who still believe this guy is credible.
This is obscene. Seriously, I haven’t seen the entire video, it was too incredibly boring and obviously phony, but to the extent that he displays any medals in these videos he could prosecuted. Frankly, I hope he is.
tommy1 on May 22, 2006 at 6:55 PM
I’m having a hard time accepting that we would have put such a scrawny, little guy (with a stutter) into combat, let alone make him a Ranger. Am I wrong here or does it seem more likely that he was probably armed with a wrench and an oil can?
bambam on May 22, 2006 at 7:17 PM
Has anyone called the … Army?
RepJ on May 22, 2006 at 8:32 PM
I agree with Lt Smash - ITS TIME TO START CHECKING OUT OTHER MEMBERS OF THE IRAQ VETS AGAINST THE WAR.
How many more are bogus? This would indeed be a noble project..
Richard Davis on May 22, 2006 at 8:36 PM
Most of these guys won’t ever produce a DD214. And even with this assclown he spells his name 2 different ways depending on his mood, so the whole process is difficult. It’s generally pretty easy to spot them, but even when you do, it doesn’t seem to do much good. The problem beyond that is illustrated by one moonbat poster at that site stated:
Lisa B
From:
Website:
E-mail: I believe him. I have seen to many pictures not to believe him. The people who call him a fake are the real fake ones. For him proving anything to you why in the hell should he have to prove anything to you? Your not God, but God will punish you for your followings.
E5infantry on May 22, 2006 at 8:44 PM
Thank God for Blogs. I’ll bet this forum has this guy signed, sealed, and delivered by day’s end. I’m former Army Infantry (enlisted) and Artillery (comissioned). My observation is that these poseurs simply cannot get it right. None of them has EVER been in the military so they just don’t get it. God is in the details. No Soldier would ever roll his sleeves like a Marine and visa-versa. They can’t get the medals right because they don’t understand valor and achievement. They can’t get the message right because they have never sacrificed anything for something bigger then themselves. Ranger? He’s Starbucks qualified and that’s about it.
Mojave Mark on May 22, 2006 at 8:53 PM
They put it on Youtube? lol Omg not bright are they? Pwned!
Brah on May 22, 2006 at 9:26 PM
I may not have served, but did have family who served in the military, and before I go on in my simpleton message I’d like to thank anyone and everyone here who served in the military for defending the United States. I can’t thank you guys enough.
With that said, with the evidence provided and chit chat going on here and there, I’m convinced the only ranger Macbeth could ever be is a Power Ranger (Yuck… Although my cousin Joey likes them.).
Cutty S. on May 22, 2006 at 10:45 PM
A small selection of moonbat ravings from http://www.peacefilms.org.
In reverse chronological order:
john.stroebel@gmail.com (John J. Stroebel)
“WOWSER!!! YOU folks are getting SWIFTBOATED!!!!!
THAT tells me that you are ON TO SOMETHING!!!
AND that you are a BIG THREAT TO THE POWERS THAT BE!!!!
KEEP WITH IT!!!!”
democracy_rising@hotmail.com (Vanna)
“Why do people attack someone who’s telling his own truth? Why do they presume he’s lying? Why do they hate him so?
This soldier isn’t a fake, his story is real and it’s horrible. What our government is doing in Iraq is wrong, it has always been a wrong plan based on lies and greed . . . There is no righteousness in murder, there is no godliness in hatred, there is no learning for people who refuse to see the truth.”
danbrown231@hotmail.com (dan brown)
“Well, for one, I believe his story 100%… Realistically speaking, I mean, that’s exactly the sort of thing you have to do to control a relatively large country with a huge population with only a few troops. If you’d look at what the Mongols did in Iraq…..The only difference is that the Mongols didn’t try to hide their atrocities.”
michelsfbrian@yahoo.com (Greenback)
“To all those who say this soldier is lying, why hasn’t he been arrested for spreading insidious lies about the Rumsfeild commanded army.”
maxxigarrett@comcast.net (Maxxi Garrett)
“This guy has balls of steel. You can always tell when someone is telling the Truth - and this man is pouring his heart out - I am greatful to him and others like him . . .The American people see themselves as the good guys , incapable of such atrocity. Just like the German people had to be shown the camps and the prisoners . . .HERE IS THE THING : There is a mid-term election this fall, so the ruling powers have to be somewhat careful to avoid a voter revolt against the ruling Republicans.
AFTER that election it’s “smash and grab” time.”
sandinick@bellsouth.net (Sandra Downs)
“If we don’t start a giant nationwide protest now, we are just as guilty as our government. . . .Pretty soon, the trained war personnel who have been taught to dehumanize people and see them as targets, will be brought back to our own soil and given a list by the President and his officials of who their enemy is. This time it won’t be Iraqis, but it will be us.”
tommy1 on May 22, 2006 at 11:10 PM
Sorry, this guy is a doofus.
As a Just Cause and a Desert Storm Infantry Vet, my stomach roils when I see stuff like this.
It almost makes me want to make copies of my DD214 and go to these rallies and ask “Where is YOURS?”
Mortis on May 23, 2006 at 2:33 AM
I don’t know where his DD214 is, but his criminal record is in Arizona:
http://www.sweetness-light.com/archive/james-macbeths-damned-spots-credit-card-fraud/
tommy1 on May 23, 2006 at 2:38 AM
Contrary to popular misconceptions this is not John Kerry pretending to be someone else despite awaking with his discharge in his hands.
elvis on May 23, 2006 at 6:34 AM
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