B.G. "Jug" Burkett receives the Army's Distinguished Civilian Service Award

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,104576,00.html
B.G. "Jug" Burkett received the Army's Distinguished Civilian Service Award
on Monday from former President George H.W. Bush at the Bush Library in
College Station.

Burkett started his own research to find out who fought in Vietnam and to
debunk some of the myths about Vietnam veterans. Through the work, he
exposed more than 1,200 people, including politicians and entertainers, who
lied about or exaggerated their claims of serving in the Vietnam War.

Not all his research has to do with exposing fake veterans. In a 1998 book,
"Stolen Valor: How the Vietnam Generation Was Robbed of Its Heroes and Its
History," Burkett and co-author Glenna Whitley challenged the belief that
young and poor minority draftees fought and died in higher numbers in
Vietnam. They found that 75 percent of those killed were volunteers, not
draftees.

"Pepperoni" wrote in message
news:bqiqcp$23dn88$1@ID-105689.news.uni-berlin.de...
> http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,104576,00.html
> Not all his research has to do with exposing fake veterans. In a 1998 book,
> "Stolen Valor: How the Vietnam Generation Was Robbed of Its Heroes and Its
> History," Burkett and co-author Glenna Whitley challenged the belief that
> young and poor minority draftees fought and died in higher numbers in
> Vietnam. They found that 75 percent of those killed were volunteers, not
> draftees.
>

I damn near through the book across the room by page 121. Never did
finish it, felt like he portrayed all Vets as liars and bullshit artists. He did more
to destroy the image of Vets than anyone else (MILO).

Engineer

"Engineer" wrote in message
news:bqjo2p$23i563$1@ID-169205.news.uni-berlin.de...
> "Pepperoni" wrote in message
> news:bqiqcp$23dn88$1@ID-105689.news.uni-berlin.de...
> > http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,104576,00.html
> > Not all his research has to do with exposing fake veterans. In a 1998
book,
> > "Stolen Valor: How the Vietnam Generation Was Robbed of Its Heroes and
Its
> > History," Burkett and co-author Glenna Whitley challenged the belief
that
> > young and poor minority draftees fought and died in higher numbers in
> > Vietnam. They found that 75 percent of those killed were volunteers, not
> > draftees.
> >
>
> I damn near through the book across the room by page 121. Never did
> finish it, felt like he portrayed all Vets as liars and bullshit artists.
He did more
> to destroy the image of Vets than anyone else (MILO).
>
> Engineer
>

Burketts claim that 75% of those killed were volunteers is misleading. There
were 2.6 million troops in Viet Nam during the war. Drafted accounted for
648,500. Of a total 58,152 killed, 17725 were draftees.
The math gives us 2.07% of volunteers were killed; 2.73% of draftees were
killed. As a group, no other group suffered more casualties than draftees.

Chas Hurst

"Engineer" wrote in message
news:bqjo2p$23i563$1@ID-169205.news.uni-berlin.de...
> "Pepperoni" wrote in message
> news:bqiqcp$23dn88$1@ID-105689.news.uni-berlin.de...
> > http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,104576,00.html
> > Not all his research has to do with exposing fake veterans. In a 1998
book,
> > "Stolen Valor: How the Vietnam Generation Was Robbed of Its Heroes and
Its
> > History," Burkett and co-author Glenna Whitley challenged the belief
that
> > young and poor minority draftees fought and died in higher numbers in
> > Vietnam. They found that 75 percent of those killed were volunteers, not
> > draftees.
> >
>
> I damn near through the book across the room by page 121. Never did
> finish it, felt like he portrayed all Vets as liars and bullshit artists.
He did more
> to destroy the image of Vets than anyone else (MILO).
>
> Engineer

You got him wrong, Engineer. His purpose was to expose the real bullshit
artists, and he did a pretty good job.

ted
>
>

"Chas Hurst" wrote in message
news:J_OdnYDbWPXs8VCi4p2dnA@comcast.com...
>
> "Engineer" wrote in message
> news:bqjo2p$23i563$1@ID-169205.news.uni-berlin.de...
> > "Pepperoni" wrote in message
> > news:bqiqcp$23dn88$1@ID-105689.news.uni-berlin.de...
> > > http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,104576,00.html
> > > Not all his research has to do with exposing fake veterans. In a 1998
> book,
> > > "Stolen Valor: How the Vietnam Generation Was Robbed of Its Heroes and
> Its
> > > History," Burkett and co-author Glenna Whitley challenged the belief
> that
> > > young and poor minority draftees fought and died in higher numbers in
> > > Vietnam. They found that 75 percent of those killed were volunteers,
not
> > > draftees.
> > >
> >
> > I damn near through the book across the room by page 121. Never did
> > finish it, felt like he portrayed all Vets as liars and bullshit
artists.
> He did more
> > to destroy the image of Vets than anyone else (MILO).
> >
> > Engineer
> >
>
> Burketts claim that 75% of those killed were volunteers is misleading.
There
> were 2.6 million troops in Viet Nam during the war. Drafted accounted for
> 648,500. Of a total 58,152 killed, 17725 were draftees.
> The math gives us 2.07% of volunteers were killed; 2.73% of draftees were
> killed. As a group, no other group suffered more casualties than draftees.
>
> Chas Hurst

What is your source for those figures?

This leads us into a witches' nest of statistics which in the end proves
very little--unless it is that throughout the entire course of the war, more
drafted infantrymen were killed than any other class of combatant.

Barely.

This is slightly underwhelming.

ted
>
>

"Ted Gittinger" wrote in message
news:ZAezb.76119$do1.24097@twister.austin.rr.com.. .
>
> "Chas Hurst" wrote in message
> news:J_OdnYDbWPXs8VCi4p2dnA@comcast.com...
> >
> > "Engineer" wrote in message
> > news:bqjo2p$23i563$1@ID-169205.news.uni-berlin.de...
> > > "Pepperoni" wrote in message
> > > news:bqiqcp$23dn88$1@ID-105689.news.uni-berlin.de...
> > > > http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,104576,00.html
> > > > Not all his research has to do with exposing fake veterans. In a
1998
> > book,
> > > > "Stolen Valor: How the Vietnam Generation Was Robbed of Its Heroes
and
> > Its
> > > > History," Burkett and co-author Glenna Whitley challenged the belief
> > that
> > > > young and poor minority draftees fought and died in higher numbers
in
> > > > Vietnam. They found that 75 percent of those killed were volunteers,
> not
> > > > draftees.
> > > >
> > >
> > > I damn near through the book across the room by page 121. Never did
> > > finish it, felt like he portrayed all Vets as liars and bullshit
> artists.
> > He did more
> > > to destroy the image of Vets than anyone else (MILO).
> > >
> > > Engineer
> > >
> >
> > Burketts claim that 75% of those killed were volunteers is misleading.
> There
> > were 2.6 million troops in Viet Nam during the war. Drafted accounted
for
> > 648,500. Of a total 58,152 killed, 17725 were draftees.
> > The math gives us 2.07% of volunteers were killed; 2.73% of draftees
were
> > killed. As a group, no other group suffered more casualties than
draftees.
> >
> > Chas Hurst
>
> What is your source for those figures?
>
> This leads us into a witches' nest of statistics which in the end proves
> very little--unless it is that throughout the entire course of the war,
more
> drafted infantrymen were killed than any other class of combatant.
>
> Barely.
>
> This is slightly underwhelming.
>
> ted

Any source will do ted. If you dispute my figures post up your own.
I get a bit pissed off when statistics or intelligence is misused. And
Burkett did. Burkett also claimed 8 million served in Viet Nam. That figure
is wrong also.
As to what this all prove? I didn't make the original claim, so that
question should be directed to whom ever did.

Chas

For once, I agree with Ted. I read every single page in the book and
I never got that impression. Not that I didn't have a few problems
with some of the material - I did. And I wrote him a letter about
those things. He responded with a phone call to my office and we
spoke for nearly 20 minutes. Nice guy and I think he did real Vietnam
vets a favor by writing the book.
Regards,

On Tue, 2 Dec 2003 2306 -0500, "Engineer"
wrote:

>"Pepperoni" wrote in message
>news:bqiqcp$23dn88$1@ID-105689.news.uni-berlin.de...
>> http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,104576,00.html
>> Not all his research has to do with exposing fake veterans. In a 1998 book,
>> "Stolen Valor: How the Vietnam Generation Was Robbed of Its Heroes and Its
>> History," Burkett and co-author Glenna Whitley challenged the belief that
>> young and poor minority draftees fought and died in higher numbers in
>> Vietnam. They found that 75 percent of those killed were volunteers, not
>> draftees.
>>
>
>I damn near through the book across the room by page 121. Never did
>finish it, felt like he portrayed all Vets as liars and bullshit artists. He did more
>to destroy the image of Vets than anyone else (MILO).
>
>Engineer
>

"Chas Hurst" wrote in message
news:J_OdnYDbWPXs8VCi4p2dnA@comcast.com...
>
> "Engineer" wrote in message
> news:bqjo2p$23i563$1@ID-169205.news.uni-berlin.de...
> > "Pepperoni" wrote in message
> > news:bqiqcp$23dn88$1@ID-105689.news.uni-berlin.de...
> > > http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,104576,00.html
> > > Not all his research has to do with exposing fake veterans. In a 1998
> book,
> > > "Stolen Valor: How the Vietnam Generation Was Robbed of Its Heroes and
> Its
> > > History," Burkett and co-author Glenna Whitley challenged the belief
> that
> > > young and poor minority draftees fought and died in higher numbers in
> > > Vietnam. They found that 75 percent of those killed were volunteers,
not
> > > draftees.
> > >
> >
> > I damn near through the book across the room by page 121. Never did
> > finish it, felt like he portrayed all Vets as liars and bullshit
artists.
> He did more
> > to destroy the image of Vets than anyone else (MILO).
> >
> > Engineer
> >
>
> Burketts claim that 75% of those killed were volunteers is misleading.
There
> were 2.6 million troops in Viet Nam during the war. Drafted accounted for
> 648,500. Of a total 58,152 killed, 17725 were draftees.
> The math gives us 2.07% of volunteers were killed; 2.73% of draftees were
> killed. As a group, no other group suffered more casualties than draftees.
>
> Chas Hurst
>

If one were to do the math of "% of those killed being volunteers" he
would divide 17725 by 58152 then multiply the result by 100 to get
percentage *of those killed*. - 30.48% - then he would subtract 30.48% from
100% giving - 69.52% *of those killed NOT being draftees - So. 69.52% *of
those killed* were NOT drafted. So he was off by 5 1/2% using the numbers
you supplied. Eh?

--


Don Thompson

Ex ROMAD

On Wed, 3 Dec 2003 00:52:51 -0500, "Chas Hurst"
wrote:


>Burkett did. Burkett also claimed 8 million served in Viet Nam. That figure
>is wrong also.

Re-check what he wrote. 8 million did serve DURING Vietnam, worldwide,
according to other articles I've read.

Remember Noel in the addy

"Don Thompson" wrote in message
news:7Bmzb.26644$n56.26576@newsread1.news.pas.eart hlink.net...
> "Chas Hurst" wrote in message
> news:J_OdnYDbWPXs8VCi4p2dnA@comcast.com...
> >
> > "Engineer" wrote in message
> > news:bqjo2p$23i563$1@ID-169205.news.uni-berlin.de...
> > > "Pepperoni" wrote in message
> > > news:bqiqcp$23dn88$1@ID-105689.news.uni-berlin.de...
> > > > http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,104576,00.html
> > > > Not all his research has to do with exposing fake veterans. In a
1998
> > book,
> > > > "Stolen Valor: How the Vietnam Generation Was Robbed of Its Heroes
and
> > Its
> > > > History," Burkett and co-author Glenna Whitley challenged the belief
> > that
> > > > young and poor minority draftees fought and died in higher numbers
in
> > > > Vietnam. They found that 75 percent of those killed were volunteers,
> not
> > > > draftees.
> > > >
> > >
> > > I damn near through the book across the room by page 121. Never did
> > > finish it, felt like he portrayed all Vets as liars and bullshit
> artists.
> > He did more
> > > to destroy the image of Vets than anyone else (MILO).
> > >
> > > Engineer
> > >
> >
> > Burketts claim that 75% of those killed were volunteers is misleading.
> There
> > were 2.6 million troops in Viet Nam during the war. Drafted accounted
for
> > 648,500. Of a total 58,152 killed, 17725 were draftees.
> > The math gives us 2.07% of volunteers were killed; 2.73% of draftees
were
> > killed. As a group, no other group suffered more casualties than
draftees.
> >
> > Chas Hurst
> >
>
> If one were to do the math of "% of those killed being volunteers" he
> would divide 17725 by 58152 then multiply the result by 100 to get
> percentage *of those killed*. - 30.48% - then he would subtract 30.48%
from
> 100% giving - 69.52% *of those killed NOT being draftees - So. 69.52% *of
> those killed* were NOT drafted. So he was off by 5 1/2% using the numbers
> you supplied. Eh?
>
> --
>
>
> Don Thompson
>
> Ex ROMAD
>
Actually, I think the 75 % figure quoted in the original post was a typo.
All figures I have seen list the percent of volunteers killed as 70 %. My
figures, by the way, are from the VVA website. They also turn up at various
other sites. Just who originally developed the statistics I don't know. Do
you have significantly different figures?
The fact remains that a greater percentage of draftees died than volunteers.

Chas Hurst