One thing you will never get away with as a Veteran is lying about your accomplishments while in service. That means lying about your rank, lying about your training, lying about what you did, and lying about your injuries. The moment someone challenges your claim you become suspect. Let them prove it, and your cred is shot to hell. Then this happened:
Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald apologized again Tuesday for falsely stating that he served in Special Forces, saying that he made the error when trying to make a connection with a homeless veteran.
"In an attempt to connect with that veteran to make him feel comfortable, I incorrectly stated that I too had been in Special Forces," he said at a press conference outside the Department of Veterans Affairs. "That was wrong and I have no excuse."
McDonald emphasized that he had never previously claimed to have served in Special Forces and that he is focused on addressing the concerns of veterans.
NBC News
Veterans Administration Secretary Bob McDonald did the right thing when he said to a homeless veteran that he had been with Special Forces. While he
trained with Special Forces, he was never assigned to a Special Forces unit. So why are so many Veterans like me are giving Bob a pass?
The answer is not a sound bite.
Context is everything in this case. McDonald, improbably, has been in Los Angeles very late at night riding around with the VA Homeless outreach crew. Even more improbably he has gotten out of the van away from the cameras and has talked one-on-one with homeless men and women. Then, he allowed CBS to film him.
Lots of well-meaning people try to talk with homeless individuals. Most fail. They talk at them, and not with them. The only way you can talk with homeless people is to gain their trust. That requires finding common ground. McDonald was trying to do that when trying to talk with the homeless guy - a former member of Special Forces. Well, Bob trained with Special Forces - close enough for common ground. He wasn't bragging, he wasn't using that claim to get something for himself.
Here is his statement to Veterans:
“While I was in Los Angeles engaging a homeless man to determine his Veteran status, I asked the man where he had served in the military.
He responded that he had served in Special Forces. In an attempt to connect with that Veteran to make him feel comfortable, I incorrectly stated that I, too, had been in Special Forces. That was wrong. I have no excuse.
I have great respect for those who have served our nation in Special Forces. They, and all Veterans, deserve a Department of Veterans Affairs that provides them the care and benefits they have earned.
We at VA are working to restore trust. Again, I apologize to those who may have been offended by my misstatement. We remain very focused on continuing our progress to better serve Veterans.”
McDonald's statement to Veterans, 2/24/2015
Bob McDonald, in case you forgot, is a mega-millionaire Republican party major donor from Ohio, former CEO of Proctor & Gamble - and one smart son-of-a-b*tch. He's making good on Gen. Shinseki's commitment to eliminate homelessness among Veterans.
BTW: Hardball just blew this whole story missing the WHY of what McDonald's claim.