U.S.: Anti-war advocate faked record
by The Associated Press on May. 19, 2007, under Local, Nation/WorldA man who tried to position himself as a leader of the anti-war movement by claiming to have participated in war crimes while serving in Iraq faces federal charges of falsifying his military record.
Jesse Adam Macbeth, 23, formerly of Phoenix, garnered much attention on blogs and in the alternative media after he began claiming in 2005 to have been awarded a Purple Heart for his service, which he said included slaughtering innocent people in a Fallujah mosque.
His account was contradicted by his true discharge form, which showed he was kicked out of the Army after six weeks at Fort Benning, Ga., in 2003 because of his “entry-level performance and conduct.”
A complaint unsealed Friday in U.S. District Court in Seattle charged Macbeth with one count of using or possessing a forged or altered military discharge certificate and one count of making false statements in seeking benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
