Unfortunately, the records request took somewhat longer then I had anticipated, but as my source told me... it was worth the wait.
I have a 12 page extract from David Hedrick's Marine Corps personnel file.
Much has been said of the allegations by Hedrick that his record is classified.
It isn't.
Hedrick enlisted out of Tampa on October 7, 1997 for a 4 year enlistment and was discharged on April 4, 2001.
He earned a good conduct medal, a Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, a certificate of appreciation and an Expert Rifle Badge.
Hedrick was an 0311, Rifleman. He served in that capacity for 2 years and 11 months.
His records make no mention of any schooling or MOS of 0317 (Sniper) or 0321,(Reconnaissance Man). Hedrick was in Okinawa from June 3, 1999, to January 12, 2000.
He "participated in Urban Warrior Advanced Warfighting Experiment" in San Francisco with a "Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force" for 2 weeks in March of 99.
That is the totality of the entries on the NAVMC Form 118/Combat History-Expeditions-Award Record (1070)
This is a solid, if unspectacular, record. There is no explanation for the early discharge (Some 6 months).
It is a record of service to this country to be proud of. But it is not the record Hedrick has mentioned... and it's certainly not the record his supporters frequently cited.
For example:
J Says:No. It only gets worse. Much worse.
June 24, 2010 at 3:18 pmThis time you have been caught miss-stating the facts Lew. There is only one place with Marine pictures of Hedrick on the web. This video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BA0HrviTNBo&feature=fvw
Granted, you can’t see him well in the picture on the rope, but you can in many of the others. You took that reference from this video while clearly misleading everyone. Are you being completely forthright Lew?
Also, I found quite a bit about Hedrick’s “questionable military history” today after talking to a Marine who served with him in the same unit.When Hedrick is asked what he did in the Marines, he always says the same thing.
“I was a grunt in a HELO unit”
Hedrick was in fact a grunt in a HELO unit, albeit an extremely modest grunt.
Hedrick was also a Combat Water Safety Swimmer. This is the highest swim rating in the USMC with less that 1% making the cut. I found out you have to be a WSQ (permanent qualification) just to try out. In Hedrick’s class, of the approximately 100 or less WSQ’s on Pendleton, about 50 tried out and only 12 got into the class. Of that 12, only 5 graduated. Hedrick was among them.
I didn’t know that, did you?
Hedrick maintained a 1st class PFT throughout his time in the Corps, (Physical Fitness Test) the highest rating.
I didn’t know that, did you?
Hedrick was an expert rifleman, again the highest rating. As the best shot in his platoon, Hedrick was selected for and graduated from Designated Marksman training, which is a type of sniper school.
I didn’t know that, did you?
Hedrick was selected for and competed in Super Squad. This is a huge honor and is essentially the Marine Corps version of the Army’s Ranger challenge.
I didn’t know that, did you?
After serving overseas where he was part of a live mission (more about that later) he turned to the U.S. and joined Recon. This is Marine Corps Special Forces.
I didn’t know that, did you?
The fact is, how could a braggart who is “claiming to have done something that he did not do” for political gain, achieve all of this and most of his closest volunteers don’t even know about it? That doesn’t make sense at all does it Lew?
As for Hedrick’s involvement in a mission overseas, I am collecting information to corroborate the story I was just told by a Marine that was there with him. So far, it is nearly bullet proof. You might want to get an apology ready for this one.
Take a close look at the video above. Rumor has it that the island in the background of the picture where Hedrick is clearly shown on the deck of the USS Belleau Wood (The only LH3 in the Pacific at the time), is a little hotspot in Indonesia called East Timor. Hmmmmm, Hedrick as an 0311 (infantry), on the USS Belleau Wood, in late 1999, with an Island in the background that looks an awful lot like East Timor, where the 31st MEU, of which Hedrick was a part at the time, was conducting a live humanitarian operation as part of INTERFET, where according to Bill Clinton there were NO combat troops. Not a single one, I tell you. Clinton said the Navy was there to “feed the distressed people of East Timor”. For those who are wondering, 0311’s don’t show up to make you breakfast.
Of course, one must ask the question, what ship delivered the first round of support to East Timor where militias from the Muslim, Communist, West of the island were murdering and terrorizing the locals who had the audacity to demand independence, democratic representation and freedom?
That’s right,… It was the USS Belleau Wood.
What was the mission of the 31st MEU in Indonesia? Supporting INTERFET troops with supplies and logistics delivered primarily be helicopter because of the lack of fixed wing landing positions on the East side of the beautiful island of Timor.
What does Hedrick tell everyone he did in the Marines again?
“I was a grunt in a HELO unit”
Don’t worry; I will have much more after I check on a few things and it only gets better from here.
There is nothing in the record to substantiate much of any of this beyond basic infantry training and a brief deployment in Okinawa. No mention of swimming of any kind. No mention of his PFT score. He never attended "Designated Marksman" training, which likely doesn't exist, and certainly not as any kind of "sniper school."
There is no mention of any "Super Squad." Ranger Challenge is an ROTC competition, not to be confused with the "Best Ranger" competition, where 2 man teams, from Army-wide entries, are tested under extreme conditions. "Squads" do not Rangers make.
Hedrick shows as serving as a "recon Marine" for just under 5 months, but neither qualified for the MOS nor did he attend the Recon school (As a graduate of the Army Recon School at Ft. Know, with the MOS (it was 11D back in 72; it's 19D now, as I understand it.) to prove it, I'm sensitive to that kind of thing.
To confuse such an assignment with a non-existent thing called "Marine Corps Special Forces" is, well, just something of a joke.
Calling the deployment story "nearly bullet proof" when there is essentially nothing to back it up is an example of the very thing "J" denies:
The fact is, how could a braggart who is “claiming to have done something that he did not do” for political gain, achieve all of this and most of his closest volunteers don’t even know about it? That doesn’t make sense at all does it Lew?
You're right. It doesn't. So the quiz question is this: why did he appear to do it?
This is an entry put up by somebody named Britany Welles, who apparently lives in Camas.
This kind of thing is pathetic on so many levels.A US Marine needs our help.
- Posted by Welles on April 9, 2010 at 3:36am in General, Uncategorized Town Hall
- View Discussions
At an August town hall, a Marine named David Hedrick stood for our freedom. You will recognize him from this youtube video that was played all over the world, including Fox News, Limbaugh, Hannity and the rest.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rRE5UK6NQU
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We all know Hedrick is a Tea Party Patriot, but there is much about him that you may not know. Years ago, Marine Cpl David W. Hedrick, found himself serving on foreign shores. As a special forces sniper, with his spotter injured and unable to take the field, Hedrick could have stayed in the rear, but he refused. Instead, he ventured into enemy territory alone, and took up an over-watch position to protect a platoon of Marines on patrol.
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Soon, an enemy sniper and his twenty some comrades bearing AK47s appeared within spiting distance of Hedrick's location. The enemy took up positions to ambush the approaching squad of Marines. No one in his right mind would have challenged that number of men alone. Most would have snuck away or sat quietly, but not Hedrick.
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Instead he fired his weapon taking out the enemy sniper and his spotter. Then Hedrick turned his weapon on the remainder of the AK47 wielding terrorists firing into them until his weapon was empty. While reloading, Hedrick was hit by explosives causing the disability and scars he caries to this day. Despite being hit by shrapnel, bloody and outnumbered, Cpl Hedrick continued to fight until the squad he had saved reached his position.
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How do I know this story? My husband is one of the Marines Hedrick saved that day and my little girls have since been born as a testament to his courage.
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David Hedrick is a real American Hero and he needs our help. He is now running for U.S. Congress. While he has more conservative grass roots volunteers than everyone else in the race, he will not be purchased by special interests and has refused their money. To remain competitive, Hedrick must raise $100,000 by May 1st from people like us. If he does not reach this goal, he can not afford to compete. We must not let this happen to someone who has given so much for our country. Please, even if you have never donated before, donate something and spread this to everyone you know.
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After what David gave for us, can you do nothing? Please help this Marine, and thank him for what he did for every one of us. This is the kind of man we need in the U.S. Congress.
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-Britany Welles
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There is absolutely NOTHING to suggest that ANY of this kind of babble is true.
So, the cat is now out of the bag.
Time to come clean, David. This kind of Stolen Valor crap is sickening. And when you sold out your supporters by going to work for Herrera several months ago, imagine how much more effective this information would have been if I had figured out how to get it all back then.
Cross posted at Jaime Herrera Watch.
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