I’m always amazed when I hear about people who make up elaborate stories regarding their past. I mean, it’s hard enough keeping actual reality straight.
Today, the L.A. Times has a piece on a guy who has been charged with falsely claiming to have a Medal of Honor. According to the L.A. Times, Xavier Alvarez, a local water district official nicknamed “Rambo” by his colleagues (why a water board needs a Rambo is apparently an entirely different issue), told the following stories:
- He was a 25-year veteran of the Marine Corps;
- He rescued the U.S. ambassador during the siege of the embassy in Tehran (and that during that rescue he was shot twice, but still managed to hang from the helicopter on his way out and take the American flag off of the embassy as he left);
- He was married to a Mexican starlet (but couldn’t be seen with her because of photographers);
- He played ice hockey for the Detroit Red Wings (but only at a minor league level); and
- He was a police officer for a local city (only to be dismissed for using excessive force).
My favorite part of the story, he was tripped up by a female former Marine. Alvarez started spewing his made-up military past and the woman started asking him questions. Although initially impressed, the woman became suspicious and called the FBI. Alvarez initially told the FBI everything he told her was a lie because she was annoying him and he wanted to “hold her off.” Ok, except for the FBI found a tape of himself telling the lie about being a Marine and getting a Medal of Honor on tape in July.
Was his name John Ballentine?
Los Angeles needs a Rambo representing the water boards so we can get all the water we need. We could fly him in, have him negotiate with the other reps, emerge glorious, and reap the benefits of the water.