Remember this guy? Michael Hamilton, Poser released
June 18th, 2012 Posted in Military
Local veterans outraged over phony colonel’s early release
You guys remember this turd right? Well, he’s on his way back to the outside world and Vets are upset. I am just happy that he spent time behind bars. Unfortunately this highlights a BIG problem we are having over at the VA right now. We are wasting BILLIONS with a Capital “B” on false claims. They rarely are exposed and the VA is so overwhelmed with applications they can’t sort the good from the bad. Thousands of Vietnam era Vets (lets make this any war since Korea Vet to present) are going to the VA claiming PTSD for all the horrible things they experienced in Vietnam only to discover they 98% of them never stepped foot into combat or even in country.
Why are they suddenly coming out of the woodwork after 45 plus years? Poor planning on their part for retirement I hate to say. They are all in their 60’s and 70’s, maybe lost their shorts in the crash of the markets over the years and see this as easy money. Hell, $40,000 tax free isn’t bad…if you deserve it.
Once again, I’m pissed because how do you look at someone who truly deserves this and not wonder if they are only claiming PTSD for the tax free cash? How can you tell? The VA is swamped and not doing their job researching their claims (understaffed) and the Veterans groups out there are covering for some miscreants that are part of their group who fall into the “I was in the service duringVietnam but never stepped foot in country” and don’t want anyone’s claim of PTSD looked into. I’m picking onVietnam right now because of this cat Hamilton highlighted today but I am not blind to the fact that it’s going on right now with Vets of the War on Terror after ten years in the Middle East. It’s sick and out of control and taking resources from those how truly need the assistance and help.
We as a group of professional military service members must weed out and identify those who ruin it for the others who truly suffer. If you know of someone who is abusing the system, I urge you to contact the I.G.’s department within the VA and report them. Send it to me if you have to. I don’t care if this is your favorite Uncle…if they are making claims, falsely collecting money from the VA…turn them in.
Semper Fi, Taco
June 17, 2012 8:59 AM
Veterans from the Military Order of the Purple Heart, the organization that helped put a local man in prison for falsely claiming to have been a highly decorated military veteran, expressed their discontent recently after hearing the fake colonel was being released early.
Michael Delos Hamilton, 69, was sentenced in September to 16 months in federal prison after being convicted the previous April of wearing the medals and uniform of a highly decorated Marine colonel without authorization, making false statements to federal authorities and embezzling fraudulent disability payments totaling more than $37,000 from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
He is being released today from the Federal Correctional Complex in Butner after having served only eight months of his 16-month sentence. At the time of his sentence, he had already served 141 days in jail, which added an additional four and a half months to his time served. In addition, he has currently earned 54 days of good conduct and as long as he maintains his good standing, he will have earned 62 days total of good conduct time, all of which was taken into consideration when his release date was calculated, according to Chris Burke, a spokesman from the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
“This is ridiculous,” said retired Sgt. Maj. Grant Beck, president of the MOPH Beirut Chapter. “Not only did he steal the honor of legitimate heroes, but then he defrauded the government of $30,000 that could have certainly been used for veterans who honestly need that help … and now (the help) is not available because of people like him.”
Hamilton began receiving disability payments in 2009 for post-traumatic stress disorder allegedly triggered by his combat experiences in the Marine Corps. During Hamilton’s trial, his sister testified that he had served in the Marines for less than a year before being medically discharged. She added that Hamilton never deployed and military officials confirmed there was no record of Hamilton having participated in secret operations as he had claimed.
“I am not pleased to hear that he’s getting out early,” said retired Master Sgt. John Cooney, adjutant for the MOPH Beirut Chapter who testified against Hamilton in his September trial. “I don’t know that he has learned his lesson and I don’t even know if he would have learned his lesson if he’d stayed in there the whole (16 months).”
Hamilton was exposed as a phony in spring 2010 when he appeared at a Vietnam Veterans memorial service in Jacksonville wearing a colonel’s dress regalia and multiple combat decorations to include two Navy Crosses, four Silver Stars and eight Purple Hearts pinned to his chest.
“The man is sick,” Cooney said. “There are so many phonies running around here and him being released isn’t doing anybody any justice.”
Beck and Cooney said they believe Hamilton’s early release may have something to do with his health, since he appeared especially frail at his September trial after having spent in four months in jail.
Contact Daily News Military Reporter Amanda Wilcox at 910-219-8453 or awilcox@freedomenc.com.
Tags: Fake Marine Officer, Fraudulent disability payments, how do I report someone scamming the VA, Michael Delos Hamilton, Poser Marine, VA
