IS VFW POST 2035 COMMANDER LUCIO STEALING VALOR?

By Juan Montoya

A group of dissatisfied combat veterans have confirmed that several national organization has been contacted to determine whether Luis Lucio, the commander of the Veterans of Foreign Ward Post 2035, has been wearing medals he may not have earned.

The case – like many across the country – may be one of so-called Stolen Valor.

Additionally, they say that many veterans of foreign wars have left the local VFW post because of the number of veterans who do not qualify for membership but have been recruited by Lucio to have a voting majority to keep him in his position.

"I left the post and I told Louie why," said one. "He goes around wearing a Purple Heart ribbon and a Vietnam Combat Action Ribbon that he didn't earn. And he has recruited a lot of people to join the post who never saw combat and don't qualify to be memebers."
The national bylaws of the VFW state that membership is open to: ""Those serving honorably in the U.S. Armed Forces in a foreign war or overseas operation recognized by a campaign medal, in Korea after June 30, 1949, and recipients of hostile-fire or imminent danger pay. Veterans of World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, Lebanon, Persian Gulf and Iraq, Kosovo, Afghanistan and other smaller expeditionary campaigns, as well as occupation duty, qualify."

A photo on the Wall of Honor at the post has a photo of Lucio (see graphic) with service ribbons on his chest. The group say that they have a copy of the citations he is authorized to wear in a copy of his DD214 (discharge papers) that show he was not awarded the ribbons.
"If it's not on your DD214, you aren't supposed to be wearing them," said one. "Louie's DD214 doesn't have that."
Many of the disaffected vets say that at one time or another Lucio has told them that he was  United States Marine Corps drill instructor and that he was in the infantry.
Lucio served four years in the Marine Corp.
However, the DD214 clearly states that his MOS (Military Occupational Specialty as "3371, Cook.""Unless he got burned with a stove, you really can't see where he would be awarded a Purple Heart," scoffed one. " A copy of the decorations and medals section in Lucio's DD214 shows that he is only authorized to wear a National Defense Medal (1st Awd); Vietnam Service Medal (2*); Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal (w/device) .

Lucio has often been seen (as the photo at the post also shows), a number of medals not authorized there. The veterans say that they have studied the decorations he wears and say that there are at least four decorations that are not valid.

Taking the nine from the top to bottom with the top three being 1, 2, and 3, the middle 4,5,6, and the bottom 7,8, and 9, they say they have found that:

1. Purple Heart, Not Awarded

 

2. USMC Good Conduct Medal, Not Awarded (Note: DD214 reflects a new starting period for qualifying service for the Good Conduct Medal. This period was restarted some 17 months into the enlistment period and would be indicative of a violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice or some similar event. Inasmuch as the award was never given, it would appear the remainder of the enlistment period was of insufficient character or duration to qualify for this award.)

 

3. National Defense Service Medal, Valid.

 

4. Vietnam Service Medal, Valid with two campaign stars (Note: Individual is wearing 4 campaign stars, which is two more that he is entitled according to the DD214

 

5. USMC Presidential Unit Citation, Not noted on DD214 (Note: Inverted, being worn upside down)

 

6. Combat Action Ribbon, Not Awarded 

 

7. Vietnam Campaign Medal, Valid

 

8. Vietnam Cross of Gallantry Unit Citation, Valid

 

9. Vietnam Civil Actions Unit Citation, Insufficient evidence on DD214

 

The veterans group say that they have contacted the organization like the Guardians of Valor (http://guardianofvalor.com/) and got this response June 19:

"We have received your email, and will respond as fast as possible! Due  to a large number of inquiries and comments it may take us a bit, but  we will respond. We can pull records and see what they reflect."

They say they have also contacted www.fakewarriors.org and www.trektothetroops.com
The slogan for the Fake Warriors group is "The remedy for speech that is false is speech that is true." George Orwell’s novel Nineteen Eighty-Four.
The veterans pursuing this investigation say their actions are not meant to impeach Lucio personally, but to restore the honor due to the real veterans who saw action and may have been really wounded or disabled defending this country.
"We want people in our community to honor our combat vets," said one. "When some veterans wear fake ribbons and citations, they perform a great disservice  to the ones who really earned them. Right now some people in town know that their actions are not being respected when some people claim an honor that is not due to them."
They say that their complaints to the VFW District headquarters have gotten them no results. If need be, they say, they will take their evidence and their complaints to the national VFW.
"He is the cousin of Texas Sen. Eddie Lucio and that may have played a part in the district sweeping this under the rug," said another. "But this has to stop sometime. Honoring real combat veterans' service is a serious matter."