David Chris Gerlach – US Navy SEAL, Operation Desert Storm/Shield Veteran, Blog of Shame
1104/11/2019 by militaryphonies
BACKGROUND
David Chris Gerlach, who goes by the nickname “Frotz” comes to us from Green Bay, Wisconsin. Gerlach is 56 years old as of April 2019.
Gerlach has a patch on his vest that shows a Navy SEAL Trident, a depiction of OBL with the date 05/01/2011 and the text “WE GOT HIM! GERONIMO.” “Geronimo” is the code name used in the raid to kill Osama Bin Laden.
Some could debate whether the patch claims the owner was a Navy SEAL or it was just commemorating an event.
However, there is no doubt about the Trident and it’s display in the following photos…
And then, apparently his friends think that Frotz Gerlach was a Navy SEAL.
Then there is the matter of Gerlach claiming to be a veteran Operation Desert Shield/Storm. Also notice the claim of being a Torpedoman’s Mate First Class (E-6). That is the chevron in the middle with three gold stripes that designate a First Class Petty Officer.
Frotz Gerlach – Facebook
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ACTIONS CONDUCTED BY MILITARY PHONIES
It was determined that Frotz Gerlach’s real name is David Chris Gerlach.
We checked the BUD/S-SEAL Database and his name was not listed under “David” or “Frotz” Gerlach.
After contacting the UDT/SEAL archives, the Naval Special Warfare Center and checking the UDT/SEAL database we found that there is NO record of David Chris Gerlach ever completing BUD/S Training or being assigned to a SEAL Team.
David Gerlach’s military records were ordered through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.
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FOIA RESULTS – COMPLETE
NATIONAL PERSONNEL RECORDS CENTER (NPRC)
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE MANPOWER DATA CENTER – SCRA
US NAVY CRUISE BOOKS
Gerlach’s photo was located in the USS Canopus (AS-34) cruise book from 1985, further confirming his rate as an Torpedoman. Here he is shown as an E-3 in 1985.
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DISCUSSION and SUMMARY
SUMMARY SHEET
David Gerlach’s official military records show that he completed almost nine (9) years of active duty.
He was not listed as ever being a Navy SEAL. Nor was there any training listed to attempt to be a SEAL.
Nothing in Gerlach’s military records support a claim of him being a Navy SEAL.
OTHER CLAIMS
E-6 vs. E-5
Gerlach’s motorcycle vest claims he was a First Class Petty Officer (E-6) but his official military records show that he was a Second Class Petty Officer (E-5). Not a huge discrepancy but thought we would point it out all the same.
DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM
Gerlach was discharged from the US Navy on 16 Jan 1991 which is ONE day before the start of Desert Storm. He could not have participated.
There is also no record of his participation in Desert Shield. His records do not support such a claim.
STOLEN VALOR
If Frotz Gerlach leveraged any of these claims to obtain something of value he may be in violation of Stolen Valor at the federal level.
Also, Wisconsin passed its own version of a Stolen Valor Law so the Wisconsin state law may apply.
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PHOTOS
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SOCIAL MEDIA
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/frotzy
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What a total jerk and jackass pos-Flipping the bird-vest doo rag motorcycle young Hooters Girl Patches -Smokes – Also he was on a Submarine Tender -I was on the USS Holland AS-32 from April 1985-September 1987 we rarely went to sea and only to NYC ,Port Canaveral /Patrick AFB -I then went to USS Jesse L Brown FF -1089 lot of deployments Then NYC Naval Station volunteered for DS/DS on the USS Lasalle AGF 3 out of Bahrain-Great White Ghost of The Arabian Coast what a total fraud .
I seem to recall there was a stop-loss put into effect when Shield spun up. The only guys that were getting out were the guys who were getting kicked out, at least at my command, as far as I can recall.
He very well could have been an E6, got busted, reduced in rate and given 30/30 and a OTH.
Not defending him in any way, shape, or form, but that would reconcile his non-SEAL claims with the record. It’s not uncommon to claim one’s highest paygrade as opposed to the one on the DD214 … it’s apparently an ego thing.
Makes sense. No one is going to want to remember the dick stepping days. Of course, he’s also wearing the gold chevrons, which signify over 12 years of ‘good conduct’. Given this dick stepper only has a good conduct with ONE bronze star, me thinks he was a habitual trouble maker. Either way, he looks like an asshole.
Good point, I’d overlooked the gold chevrons. I never even came vaguely close to being eligible for them (I was a real shitbird, it’s a wonder my LPO didn’t arrange for me to have an accident) so I wasn’t familiar with the requirements.
What made me think this was maybe the case was a guy I ran into years later that claimed he was a CWO (3, I think) that retired as a senior chief (STS I think) because his retirement pay was higher as an E8. Seemed weird to me, but Navy pay process wasn’t meant to be understood by mere mortals 🙂
[…] folks at Military Phony sent us their case on David Chris Gerlach, who likes to go by the nickname ‘Frotz’ or […]
Desert Storm?? He was on a Sub Tender (USS Canopus) during that time. Did the Canopus deploy for the Storm?
Nope.
Here is the deployment history just prior to, during, and after Desert Shield/Storm:
25 Sep 89 – 14 Feb 90 DSRA Bethlehem Steel, Baltimore, Md
21 Feb 90 Return to Kings Bay, no refit data 90
11 Sep – 24 Sep 90 Visit St. Thomas, VI
15 Jul – 09 Aug 91 Visit to Bahamas, no refit data 91
05 Nov – 19 Nov 91 Visit St. Thomas, VI
18 May – 01 Jun 92 Visit Annapolis, support 9 SSBNs, 28 SSBN refits
09 Sep – 23 Sep 92 Visit St. Thomas, VI
15 Oct 92 – 23 Jan 93 Availability, Charleston
7 Oct 94 Decommissioned, Kings Bay
5 Jan 99 Transferred to Maritime Admin, in James River
http://usscanopus.org/PDF/CANOPUS%20History%20from%20NHC.pdf
Thanks for your work on this, Jim. Very nice breakdown.
Why is it all you have to do to be a Seal is shave your head, grow a long mustache, get a biker jacket and be a lying piece of shit. Seems too easy.
Another scum bucket and to top it off a rarely deployed tender sailor…guess you never know when they might need a torpedo fired on the pier! And a wanna be warrior to fire it!
These guys with Bikes bald Heads beards mustaches and vest and tats are just a bunch of frauds.
The whole Biker -Vest-Doorag and tats is getting pretty just as an old man hanging out with 18-23 year Hooters Girls.