Black Friday News 2014: Pennsylvania Man Confronted for Falsely Dressing as Army Veteran
A man walking around in military uniform in a Pennsylvania shopping mall on Black Friday was busted for being a "fake" soldier when a real Afghanistan veteran confronted him.
The veteran noticed his suspicious decorations as awards that he couldn't possibly have received.
A Purple Heart recipient, Ryan Berk, spotted the man dressed in camouflage fatigues at the Oxford Valley Mall on the shopping holiday and immediately was taken aback by his mismatched uniform. The individual, who identified himself as Sean Yetman, had his American flag patch in the wrong spot and more obviously had three Combat Infantryman Badges on his shoulder. These CIBs are an extremely rare honor.
Berk approached Yetman and began to quiz him on his experiences as a soldier, all the while recording their conversation on his cell phone. The man introduced himself as Sean and wore a name ribbon identifying his last name as Yetman.
When Berk asked about how he had received his CIBs, Yetman answered that he got all three while in Afghanistan -- an impossibility considering Yetman's age and the fact that only one of the badges is awarded per military campaign.
The conversation grew heated as Berk accused the man of being a phony and impersonating a soldier. Yetman defended himself, saying he had "literally just got home from Fort Lewis" and was shopping in the mall with his Sergeant Major. He even offered to introduce Berk to his commanding officer.
Berk began getting angry when Yetman denied lying about his military service.
"Here it is, stolen valor at its finest," Berk yelled as Yetman turned to walk away. "Why don't you just admit you're a phony?"
"I noticed his combat infantryman's badge, he had two stars above it, which would indicate that he served in three different wars which is almost physically impossible for his age," Berk said.
There are no U.S. Army Rangers with three CIBs named Yetman listed on any official record.
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