Fox News ran a story on Oct. 8 about a decorated Vietnam War Navy SEAL and glass artist who created an enormous presidential glass seal he hoped to give to President Trump. On Thursday, 11 days later, the network retracted the story after being told the Trump supporter never served in the SEALs or in Vietnam, much less earned commendations for his service.

In the segment, John Garafalo said he served in the Vietnam War with the U.S. Navy SEAL team. Fox News reported that he also received two Purple Hearts and about two dozen other medals for his service.

The man’s claimed record turned out to be a fabrication. It was first discovered by former Navy SEALs. Both these SEALs and family members of Garofalo contacted Fox News about the story, according to the Navy Times.

Don Shipley, a retired SEAL, told the Navy Times that he contacted Fox on Oct. 9, the day after the story ran.

But the story was still on the news outlet’s Facebook page on Oct. 19. By then it had amassed 1.5 million views.

Fox published a correction on Thursday.

“All of Garofalo’s claims turned out to be untrue,” Fox’s correction stated. “The fact is that he did not serve in Vietnam. He was never a U.S. Navy SEAL. Even though he showed us medals, Garofalo was not awarded two Purple Hearts or any of the other nearly two dozen commendations he claimed to have received, except for the National Defense Service Medal.”

A Fox spokesperson told the Navy Times it would run an on-air correction on Sunday.

“Fox News not withdrawing that story has drove me nutty,” Don Shipley, a retired SEAL who tracks down and exposes bogus military service claims and was the first to obtain official records disputing Garofalo’s story, told the Navy Times.

In the retracted segment, Fox News reporter Bryan Llenas repeatedly praised Garofalo for his service.

“Garofalo is used to working under pressure,” Llenas said. “The Vietnam War veteran served seven years as a member of the nation’s first Navy SEAL team. He was awarded 22 commendations, including two Purple Hearts.”

“You are a hero,” Llenas told him.

“God bless John Garofalo,” another anchor said. “We certainly hope maybe the president is listening.”

Shipley said he reached out to Llenas via Facebook, telling him that Garofalo was not a Vietnam War veteran.

“You can turn this story around,” he told Llenas, according to the Navy Times.

In its correction, Fox News said that, “Over the last two weeks, we’ve worked with Garofalo’s family and the National Personnel Records Center to get to the bottom of a military past that Garofalo had claimed to be covert.”

Garofalo served in the Navy from Sept. 6, 1963, to Sept. 6, 1967, according to military records obtained by the Navy Times. He told the newspaper he’s been lying about being a Vietnam veteran and a Navy SEAL for years.

“It got bigger and bigger,” Garofalo told the newspaper in a telephone interview. “What I did I‘m ashamed of, and I didn’t mean to cause so much disgrace to the SEALs.”

He's a fake and a disgrace.

Good for Fox news to make the correction.

Everything on MSCNN is made up bullshit.

Hdhjv Wrote:
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> Good for Fox news to make the correction.
>
> Everything on MSCNN is made up bullshit.


 
Attachments:

Hdhjv Wrote:
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> Good for Fox news to make the correction.
>
> Everything on MSCNN is made up bullshit.

1. they were called out on it by a guy that hunts 'stolen valor' scumbags - they didnt correct it themselves.

2. They kept the story up for 10 days on facebook

3. Retired SEAL begged them to take it down “Fox News not withdrawing that story has drove me nutty,” Don Shipley, a retired SEAL who tracks down and exposes bogus military service claims and was the first to obtain official records disputing Garofalo’s story, told the Navy Times.

4. Trump unusually silent on an exposed Fake News story by a major network

Any man who lies about his service record needs to be called out.

Has FOX fired the reporters responsible for selling this utterly fake story by a scumbag stealing valor? The other networks did. What gives?

In order to not hear fake news, lies and literally made up bullshit on MSCNN you need to mute it or not watch at all. It's amazing there are so many stupid people that believe it and think it's for real.

Despicable. Horrendous.

Richard Blumenthal Wrote:
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> Any man who lies about his service record needs to
> be called out.

I tried to join the Marines.

Hillarity Clintoon Wrote:
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> Richard Blumenthal Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Any man who lies about his service record needs
> to
> > be called out.
>
> I tried to join the Marines.


Good for you
Most people here are to chicken shit to serve

Goat Boy. Wrote:
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> He's a fake and a disgrace.


He was an angry white guy making the right talking points, who cares if he was fake? This the era of Trump baby, jump on board for some #maga!

deranged trump supporter Wrote:
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> Goat Boy. Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > He's a fake and a disgrace.
>
>
> who cares if he was fake?


Fox News did. They retracted the story.

I wonder if you cared when this piece of shit below lied about service....

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/18/nyregion/18blumenthal.html?pagewanted=all

is there a picture of this seal? Also, didn't he give one to another president already? Is it now in some presidential library?

Did Trump admonish FOX as FAKE or VERY FAKE news yet?



didnt think so. Maybe Kelly can give the the scoop on the made-up story about Rep. Wilson from FL so FOX can spread that one.