Jonathan Cullifer Scout/Sniper,Recon Marine POSER Blog of Shame

militaryphonies

13 years ago

This “veteran” has been posing as the recipient of two Purple Hearts, Bronze Star and a veteran of Iraq, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Somalia etc. So far this scum bag has not claimed to have raised the flag at Mount Suribachi but that is about all he has not claimed. He has bilked scores of veteran service organizations out of thousands of dollars with his lies about being destitute while working for the Department of Veterans Affairs the whole time, whom I am told recently fired him from his position with VA at McClellan, CA.

He managed to convince the leader of local (Sacramento) Marine Corps League Detachment that he was a hero and is now moving into a leadership position. I am told the League is investigating him further.

What follows is a research piece forwarded by a member of the Marine Corps League leadership, who wishes to remain anonymous. Drumming him out of the League is insufficient. He needs to be publicly disgraced and held accountable for his “theft” of hard-earned funds from the League, VFW and the American Legion. The Legion, without investigating Mr. Cullifer and relying only on his word, published a nationwide article about him in their magazine.

Notes on Jonathan Cullifer
The first item discovered in the search was a video posting from the American Legion’s website, titled “Returning the favor.”
In which Mr. Cullifer, states as a Marine he deployed for Desert Storm in 1991. Link:

http://www.legion.org/youth/198861/returning-favor

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The page you requested does not exist. For your convenience, a search was performed using the query youth 198861 returning favor.

In the above interview it’s stated: “The 38-year-old Army and Marine veteran returned to Sacramento in 2008 after he was badly injured in Iraq in a vehicle detonation. Eventually earning a full-disability rating, his injuries – both physical and psychological – left him unable to work.”
According to records from the U.S. Army provided by the National Personnel Records and confirmed by Master Sgt Vanessa Hayes, the Records Custodian of the California National Guard HQ’s, that there is no record of any Purple Hearts or Bronze Stars awarded to the subject.
In the above article it is also stated that he has received monetary gain through numerous donations by Veteran organizations and other private sources.
Below is a copy of an email from the Director of the Presidential Service Association who has made considerable notes. This email includes a copy of the interview with News 10 from Sacramento where Mr. Cullifer states, “My hands are registered in 48 states..” that’s not possible. He also states that he served in Bosnia, Kosovo and Somalia, again, impossible. He entered the Marine Corps on August 17, 1992, those events listed above and the events occurred on:
Somalia-12/9/1992, 2/9 landed in Mogadishu, at this time, Mr. Cullifer was at Camp Pendleton going through 0341 Mortarman’s course at the School of Infantry.
Kosovo- 6/1999, 26^th MEU, at this time, according to His NAVMC form Chronological Record, it shows he was at Quantico as a 5711 NBC Marine.
Bosnia-6/2/1995, Marines from the 26^th MEU rescue AF pilot Scott O’Grady, and Marine Air assets assist in air operations over Bosnia. At this time, Mr. Cullifer was at MCB 29 Palms, CA with the 7^th Marine Regiment.
So, according to his official Marine Corps record there is no evidence of his participating in ANY of the above mentioned operations. His Combat History-Expeditions and Awards page, is blank in the Combat History and Expeditions.

In the following article mentioned below, Mr. Cullifer stated he had 2 Purple Hearts and 2 Bronze

Rancho Cordova Article ;http://www.cityofranchocordova.org/index.aspx?recordid=1146&page=19

In this interview, Mr. Cullifer claims to be a Recon Marine:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Al58eMYdvXE

This video is unavailable.

Again, there is no record of proof showing either being assigned to a Reconnaissance unit, or having been sent to the Amphibious Reconnaissance Course on either the East or West Coast.
At the 2013 Spring Conference held in Sacramento, CA, he stated to one member of the MCL that he was with 1^st Force Recon from 1994 to 1997, The same time period he was assigned to Marine Barracks, Washington D.C. (2/25/94) and to the 7^th Marine Regiment at MCB 29 Palms (3/28/95 to 05/01/95 as and Admin Clerk)

In this interview: http://www.dailyrepublic.com/news/vacaville/vacaville-gathers-to-honor-war-dead/

Mr. Cullifer is a Marine Staff Sergeant, who, according to this interview was in the Marines in 03 at the Battle of Fallujah! According to past interviews, he joined the Army (never mentioned that it was the National Guard) in 2003 and according to his Army records, did not deploy to Iraq (his ONLY combat deployment, no record of Afghanistan anywhere), until January 2005. He was discharged from the Marine Corps as a Sgt (E5) on July 1, 2000. In 2003, he was a civilian, he enlisted in the CANG on 11/24/2004, separated on 12/27/2006 as a Sgt (E5).

Also at the Spring conference he told a member of the MCL that he was a Scout/Sniper, again, no record proving this.
Now, to his army claims:
He’s claimed that he’s served in Afghanistan and Iraq, according to the NPR information sent and the confirmation from CANG, Mr. Cullifer has only deployed to Iraq with C/184, CANG in Auburn, CA and has received no other awards that other members of the unit were awarded, no purple hearts, no bronze stars.
If any of his stories are true, he needs to be providing some kind of official documentation. If he was awarded these awards from the Army, there would be archived copies of official orders not only in subjects record books, but also it would be at NPR. Admin errors can happen, but for 2 awards of 2 high awards (Bronze Stars are Division level awards, need approval by the Division Commander), not having been entered? Highly unlikely.

Information has come out that he told the Commandant of the Sacramento Detachment 023 that the Marines ordered him to pierce his ears while he was in Iraq because he was working ‘under cover’. This came about when confronted as to why he had ‘gauges’ (large rings in the ear lobes) in his ears while representing the Marine Corps and the Marine Corps League.
1-He was with C/184, California National Guard in Iraq, NOT the Marine Corps.
2-As an infantryman, with NG, he wouldn’t be doing ‘under cover’ work. Only certain members of high level Counter-Intelligence or Counter Terrorism teams go that deep. He has no record to back his claim.
3- Iraqi males don’t pierce their ears, so how would that help him in ‘under cover’.
4-Even if he was ordered to pierce his ears, once done with mission, they would no longer be allowed.
”

Auburn suicide-prevention program helping soldiers cope, heal; http://www.news10.net/news/local/article/203875/2/Suicide-prevention-program-helping-soldiers-cope-heal

AUBURN, CA – While the nation struggles to reverse the growing trend of soldiers committing suicide, a Natomas veteran is crediting a local prevention program with saving his life.

Everyday in America, one active duty soldier commits suicide. And every 80 minutes, one veteran takes his or her own life, according to the U.S. Department of Defense and the Centers for Disease Control. There has been an 18-percent increase in suicides among U.S. active duty troops in 2012, compared with 2011. The army reports there’s no way to accurately gauge how well their suicide prevention programs are working, but it contends the rate would be four times as high today without intervention.

Natomas resident Jonathan Cullifer, a 17-year combat veteran who fought in Iraq, Somalia, Afghanistan, Bosnia among other countries, could have been one of those statistics.

Cullifer proudly served his country, living out a childhood dream to be a Marine. “I instilled a sense of honor, integrity, courage and pride you can’t imagine unless you’ve done it,” he said. “I had always wanted to be a marine, since I was five.”

In combat, Cullifer witnessed the deaths of many of his fellow marines, including the death of his best friend who was shot while standing beside him. Cullifer avoided the bullet, but the event took him down a path of depression so severe, he contemplated killing himself.

Cullifer suffered injuries of his own that ended his active service in the military. He took a bullet to the knee and shrapnel to the head. He was sent home, home where he says the real war began.

“I was trained to be a marine. I wasn’t trained to be a civilian,” he said. “The military lost my paperwork four times. Money wasn’t coming in. I couldn’t get a job. I had to move my family a half dozen times. In the military I was trained not to leave anyone behind. But when I came home, it was like being kicked to the curb. Lost. Forgotten.”

Cullifer began having flashbacks and nightmares. Doctors prescribed medication but nothing was working to relieve his pain. He saw no option other than suicide.

“I had the date on the calendar. I had the method. I had the means,” he said.

But two days before he would have ended his life, Cullifer found The Forgotten Soldier Program founded by Donna Arz of Auburn. And within minutes of beginning the program, Cullifer knew he had found the hope and healing he needed. The program provided camaraderie, counseling, advice and coping skills to help him lead a civilian life. It offered resources that helped him settle issues with military paperwork and compensation.

By the end of the first day, Cullifer abandoned his suicide plans.

That was nine months ago, and today, Cullifer is a swim coach for a Rio Linda youth team. He spends time with his children, his wife and service dog. And he himself has become an integral part of The Forgotten Soldier Program as a guest speaker.

“I would bend over backwards and expend every ounce of energy I have to explain this program. This program is a lifesaver. It should be in every state. It should be in every place there are troops because it saves lives.”

For more information on The Forgotten Soldier Program call 530-889-2300 or email the program at info@Forgottensoldier.com. To become involved or donate time or money, visit Indiegogo.com and look for “Military Suicide: Are we losing the battle?“

News10/KXTV