'Go look at my Purple Heart!' Miami man who went on racist tirade posed as Navy SEAL

[douglas9]

During a racist tirade caught on video, Joseph Fucheck waved a pistol around while yelling at a Black homeowner in North Miami-Dade. “Damn right, I carry a gun because I’m a 35-year former Navy SEAL!” he yelled. “Go look at my Purple Heart!”

Detectives found that supposed Purple Heart when they raided Fucheck’s Miami apartment, along with Navy certificates, dress uniforms and even portrait photos of Fucheck decked out like an admiral in front of an American flag.

None of it was real.

Fucheck, 58, has been masquerading as a Navy SEAL for years, adding another twist in the strange story that made headlines across the country. The Navy SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce, which maintains paperwork for all SEALs since World War II, has no record of him. A real retired Navy SEAL, who tried confronting Fucheck a few years ago, called the man’s bogus dress uniform a “total and complete mess.”

Even Fucheck’s own daughter says he never served in the military. She said Fucheck adopted the persona nearly a decade ago, making a sort of shrine to himself and his phony military service in his home — complete with folded-up American flag. He also liked to get free drinks at restaurants while wearing his uniform.

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article244021122.html

[Eugene]

1. Other news reports also note that Fucheck is also a convicted felon.

In the video, he also claimed to be a former SWAT officer.

[North Shore Chicago]

2. A sad

little man.

[dawg day]

3. Also pretending to be 35

Really, these poor lost ones are so easily used by Trump.

[Mariana]

6. No, he's pretending he served for 35 years.

"I’m a 35-year former Navy SEAL!"

[dalton99a]

4. A lifelong con man, just like his idol

[Yeehah]

8. Bwaahahahaha! That looks phony as hell!!

Even without checking the ribbons, that looks phony as hell. But I guarantee the ribbons are all out of order. I'm an Army vet, but that looks like a generic commendation ribbon on top, with a bunch of other, higher-order fruit salad underneath it.

WHAT A JACKASS!

[dware]

9. Does this wannabe stolen valor POS even know what those ribbons represent?

NO, HE DOESN'T!!!!!!!!!!!

He probably thought they looked pretty on his fake uniform with no idea of what those ribbons represent.

If, as the article is saying, he got free drinks while wearing that uniform, then he's committed a federal crime and should be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

[2naSalit]

5. Yikes.

Glad that SEAL called him out. What a POS.

[Tanuki]

7. Stolen valor. My late father was a 20-year Army veteran who had a

40% service connected disability. He never, ever bragged about his service or used his veteran status as a cudgel or to score points. I am glad this shameless, cowardly vermin has been "outed" once and for all

[dware]

10. I'm a 35 year USMC veteran

and to look at me, you would never know that I spent a large portion of my life in the Marines.

I refuse to use my status as a Veteran for ANY monetary gain, it's a morals thing with me, I don't view myself as any better than anyone else and don't feel the need to broadcast the fact that I'm a retired Marine IRL.

Semper Fi.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

11. Here's another video of the incident.