John Garofalo admitted Thursday to lying about being a SEAL and a Vietnam vet in a Fox News segment earlier this month.
72-year-old John Garofalo is a veteran of the U.S. Navy. He is also a proud Trump supporter, who appeared on Fox News to show off the 150-pound glass and bronze presidential seal he hand-carved as a gift for Trump. “He hopes the president will accept it.”
“Navy veteran John Garofalo appeared on a Fox News segment this month, showing off a massive presidential seal he carved for President Trump while receiving praise for his service in Vietnam as a SEAL. ... ‘The Vietnam War veteran served seven years as a member of the nation’s first Navy SEAL team,’ Fox News reporter Bryan Llenas said. ‘He was awarded 22 commendations, including two Purple Hearts.’ ... ‘He was listed twice during his service in Vietnam as missing in action,’ Llenas noted at the segment’s close. ‘God bless John Garofalo,’ an anchor said. ‘We certainly hope maybe the president is listening.’”
Fox broadcast the segment nationally, and also posted it to its official Facebook page, where it racked up 1.5 million views.
Just one or two teensy little problems:
Garafalo did not serve for seven years as a Navy SEAL. He never served as a SEAL at all.
Garafalo did not serve for seven years in the military, period. He served four years, 1963-1967, mostly in Virginia, during which he was “an aviation boatswain’s mate ― aircraft handling, or ABH, a job that involves overseeing various ground-based functions involving aircraft.”
Garafalo was never MIA in Vietnam. He never deployed to Vietnam at all. The closest he ever got to Vietnam was a tour in Rota, Spain.
Garafalo never received a Purple Heart, let alone two. He was not awarded 22 commendations. The medals that Fox News proudly displayed were not his. Military personnel records list Garofalo as authorized only for a National Defense Service Medal, which is awarded to everyone who serves on honorable active duty anywhere in the United States Armed Forces during a time of war or conflict--including those who, like Garafalo, never served in a war zone.
Garofalo lied about all of it. (Much like his role model, Donald Trump.)
Fox has now taken down its Facebook post.
