Man who faked receiving Medal of Honor sentenced

[thedrifter]

Man who faked receiving Medal of Honor sentenced
By MARK MORRIS
> The Kansas City Star
>
> An Independence man who masqueraded as a Medal of Honor recipient, a Navy
> admiral and a National Security Agency official was sentenced Tuesday to
> eight months in federal prison.
>
> But first, Ralph Ervin Crowder got a close look at a genuine American
hero.
> While waiting to be sentenced, Crowder, 47, glanced sheepishly at retired
> Army Col. Roger Donlon, who sat in the front row of benches. Around his
> neck, Donlon wore the first Medal of Honor awarded to an American
serviceman
> during the Vietnam War.
>
> "I'd like to apologize to the colonel and to any veteran if I've offended
> them in any way," Crowder said.
>
> Make no mistake, Donlon was offended.
>
> "Ralph Ervin Crowder has committed a crime that dishonors all veterans of
> honorable service," Donlon said. "He has stolen the most sacred honor that
> can be bestowed upon a warrior, and for this action he deserves the most
> severe punishment."
>
> Donlon, of Leavenworth, testified at the request of federal prosecutors.
> Donlon received the Medal of Honor for leading the five-hour defense of an
> Army Special Forces camp and sustained wounds to his stomach, shoulder,
leg
> and face.
>
> Last year Crowder was charged with four felonies after federal
investigators
> learned that he had been photographed wearing the white summer uniform of
an
> admiral with a Medal of Honor pinned to his chest.
>
> Crowder, using the alias Roy A. Toups, also had told others that he once
> served as a Navy SEAL in Vietnam and was an employee of the National
> Security Agency.
>
> When FBI agents confronted Crowder about the uniform and medal, he
produced
> bogus paperwork that showed he was affiliated with the National Security
> Agency, an even more serious offense than falsely wearing a Medal of
Honor.
>
> Crowder later told FBI agents that he had bought the uniform and medal at
a
> surplus shop in Albuquerque, N.M.
>
> Last September he pleaded guilty to all four felonies.
>
> "Pretending you're an honorable person doesn't make it so," U.S. District
> Judge Gary Fenner said before sentencing Crowder. "You can only earn that
> recognition by your actions....You should be ashamed."
>
> Crowder adopted the alias after he violated his probation in a 1978
> bad-check conviction in Cole County, Mo. Moving to the Kansas City area in
> the mid-1980s, he married under his alias and began generating false
> identification documents to support the claim to his wife that he had
served
> in the Navy and did undercover work for the government.
>
> Crowder used the same cover story to become involved with two other women,
> eventually giving one of them the photo of him wearing the admiral's
> uniform. The woman took the picture to work, where a Navy veteran saw the
> photo. Noticing discrepancies in the placement of the medals, the veteran
> alerted the FBI.
>
> Donlon said protecting the Medal of Honor was a duty of each recipient.
>
> "Our lives are dedicated to upholding the dignity of this award for all
who
> have honorably served and continue to serve," Donlon said.


Sempers,

Roger

[Packo]

No death penalty in Missouri? Too bad.

Packo

[11BRAVO]

or more...

11bravo

[Drywall]

Even my piddly little 3 year stint looks good compared to this ass. Maybe they should just take him out to Ft. lost-in-the-woods and turn him over to the troops.

We have a vets supply store here and the guys from the honor guard can buy a set of their ribbons for their Honor Guard uniform. We are allowed to wear them on it. But I don't think they have the MOH ribbon for sale. I didn't think it was legal to sell that one anywhere, anytime?

[Boats]

Drywall,

I have to agree with you I don't think you can buy a MOH or at least the real thing. I've heard its a federal offense as this guy above just found out.

[reeb]

I know the state of Missouri (sp) is the "show me" state, but this person went way to far. 8 months in air conditioning, heat, cable tv, golf course, congital visits, WHEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This time for REAL.......ENOUGH..................