Army says papers to upgrade Vietnam veteran's medal were forged

[thedrifter]

Army says papers to upgrade Vietnam veteran's medal were forged
By Elizabeth Zuckerman
ASSOCIATED PRESS
2:11 p.m., May 30, 2003

PROVIDENCE, R.I. ? Bruce Cotta is known as Rhode Island's most decorated Vietnam veteran, but the military is wondering if he has one medal too many.

The Army determined that a letter saying Cotta was eligible to upgrade his Bronze Star to the Distinguished Service Cross ? the military's second-highest honor ? was faked.

Cotta was a sergeant in 1968 when he snatched a grenade that landed among his troops and threw it out of harm's reach, then tended to wounded comrades despite his own injuries. The heroism earned Cotta a Bronze Star, to which he later added other honors including a Silver Star.

The folks back home in Middletown were so impressed with his bravery that they named the post office after him.

In 2000, Cotta sought to upgrade the Bronze Star to the Distinguished Service Cross, but the Army said no.

Soon afterward, however, Rep. Patrick Kennedy's office received a letter that appeared to be from the Army stating Cotta was indeed eligible for the upgrade. A certificate and a medal were also included in the package.

Kennedy presented Cotta with the honor in a ceremony that August.

The Army began investigating the case after questions from a reseacher earlier this year, and now says that letter and certificate were forgeries.

The certificate bore the wrong signatures for a Distinguished Service Cross, but were consistent with those which would appear on a Bronze Star certificate, said Tesia Williams, a spokeswoman for Army Personnel Command in Arlington, Va. Also, no one recognized the signature on the letter to Kennedy.

"It looks like the top of (the letter) is cut and pasted," she said.

The medals themselves are easy to purchase at flea markets or on the Internet, officials said.

Williams said the Army is continuing to investigate and has also referred the case to the FBI.

Cotta, a 56-year-old property manager, is withholding comment until the investigation is resolved, his wife, Janet Bolender, told The Associated Press.

He has previously denied any knowledge that the award was not legitimate.





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Sempers,

Roger