--- title: "Nathan Phillips In 2018 Video Falsely Claims ‘I’m A Vietnam Vet’" description: "Many news organizations initially described Phillips as a Vietnam veteran, until they were forced to issue corrections. Well, they're going to need to issue a few more, since Phillips apparently slipped up in 2018 and claimed that he was \"a Vietnam vet\" and he was \"in theater\" during the war — which is categorically false." date: "2019-01-24" modified: "2019-01-24" authors: - name: "Paul Szoldra" job_title: "Editor" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/paul-szoldra/" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/military-life/nathan-phillips-vietnam/" categories: - "Around the World" - "History" - "News" - "Past Conflicts" - "United States" - "Vietnam War" tags: - "video" --- # Nathan Phillips In 2018 Video Falsely Claims ‘I’m A Vietnam Vet’ ![]() I was going to start this post off with a rundown of the different ways Nathan Phillips — the Native American activist involved in a scuffle between Catholic high school students in Washington, D.C. — has described his past service with the Marine Corps. I was going to bring up his troublesome claims of being a "[recon ranger]()" — which he was not. I was going to reflect on his [claim that]() he was a "Vietnam-times veteran" who came home and was "spit on" and "called a baby killer," despite his service record keeping him in the United States, and it being unclear where he was claiming to have come home *from.* The claims would have been questioned, but his overall story of being just a "Vietnam-times veteran" would have been outside the realm of stolen valor. But then, another video emerged. Many news organizations initially described Phillips as a Vietnam veteran, until they were [forced to issue corrections](). Well, they're going to need to issue a few more, since Phillips apparently slipped up in 2018 and claimed that he was "a Vietnam vet" and he was "in theater" during the war — which is categorically false. Here's the full quote, taken from a video of Phillips [posted to the]() Native Youth Alliance Facebook page (9:45 mark): "I'm a Vietnam vet, you know," Phillips said. "I served in the Marine Corps from '72 to '76. I got discharged May 5, 1976. I got honorable discharge and one of the boxes in there shows if you were peacetime or... what my box says that I was in theater. I don't talk much about my Vietnam times. I usually say 'I don't recollect. I don't recall,' you know, those years." In the same video, at around the 23:45 mark, he states, "I got a Section 8 home because I'm a veteran, wartime veteran like that. Honorable, in theater, so I have Section 8 home." Phillips did serve in the Marine Corps from May 20, 1972 until May 5, 1976, according to a Corps spokeswoman, but did not serve anywhere near Vietnam or any theater of war. He had zero deployments and his only award was a National Defense Service Medal. He briefly had the military occupational specialty of 0351 Anti-tank missile-man before being assigned as an 1161 refrigerator technician. He also was discharged as a private after four years of service. ### SEE ALSO: Megan Leavey Is A Good Iraq War Film. But Is It 'Stolen Valor'? ### WATCH: Why Do Some People Steal Valor? ## Author Paul Szoldra was the Editor in Chief of Task & Purpose from October 2018 until August 2022. Since joining T&P, he has led a talented team of writers, editors, and creators who produce military journalism reaching millions of readers each month. He also founded and edits [Duffel Blog](), a popular satirical newsletter for the military. Before becoming a journalist in 2013, he served as a Marine infantryman in Afghanistan, Korea, and other areas of the Pacific. His eyes still go up every time a helicopter from Camp Pendleton flies over his office in Southern California. ### Author social links [Twitter]() [LinkedIn]() [Facebook]() [Instagram]()