Arecent video appears to show a Marine veteran confronting a convenience store clerk in Fresno, California, after the clerk claimed he was a Marine. According to KMPH News, which reported the encounter on Oct. 26, Dave Kind, a Marine veteran, began quizzing a Circle K store clerk after overhearing the man talk about his military service.
Kind quickly identified inconsistencies in the clerk’s story and filmed their conversation. Commonly referred to as a stolen valor video, the clip was originally uploaded to Kind’s Facebook page and viewed more than 335,000 times, reports The Blaze.
After being asked when he deployed, the clerk starts talking about where he went to boot camp — which isn’t really an answer to that question — and says that he’s “no Hollywood Marine,” because he went to boot camp in San Diego, California.
The clerk adamantly claims that “Hollywood Marines” are from Parris Island, South Carolina. They’re not. Hollywood Marines, like this author, went to boot camp at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, California.
When asked what unit he was with, the man says he served with 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines. Kind, who says he served with 5th Marine Regiment, then asks the clerk a loaded question:
“You were with 3/5? What was their motto? Isn’t 3/5 the ‘Magnificent Bastards,’ isn’t that what they call their battalion?”
The clerk answers yes. Which is wrong. One of the unit’s nicknames is “Dark Horse,” the other is “Consummate Professionals,” and its motto is “Get some.” After muddling through a few more questions — like the name of the village he was in while deployed, which the man says he can’t remember — Kind confronts him and accuses the clerk of lying about his military service.
The clerk responds by hunching forward a little and chuckling. When asked the military occupational specialty code for a Marine rifleman — 0311— the clerk mocks his accuser.
“What’s the MOS number for infantry?” the clerk parrots back. “You’re trying to battle me. You’re trying reverse psychology, man.”
The video ends with Kind telling other customers that the man is lying about his military service. In the video, Kind also claims his girlfriend knows the clerk’s brother, who confirmed the clerk never served in the Marines.
According to KMPH News, the store manager said the employee no longer works there, but added that the clerk was just joking around.
Watch the video below.