Brian Dennehy earned recognition for his standout roles in films like First Blood (1982), F/X (1986), and Romeo + Juliet (1996). In addition to his acting career, he served in the US Marine Corps from 1958 to 1963. However, he faced major backlash for falsely claiming to have served in the Vietnam War. His repeated lies were especially painful to those who had truly experienced the hardships and sacrifices of that conflict.
Stolen valor
Incidents of individuals exaggerating or falsely claiming military service—known as stolen valor—are unfortunately all too common. People fabricate these stories for a variety of reasons, including seeking financial benefits, public sympathy, or hoping to share in the admiration reserved for genuine war heroes.
The rise of online platforms has made it easier to access military medals and uniforms, while social media enables individuals to shape any identity they choose. Even before the internet, impersonating military service was relatively simple due to the challenges in verifying such claims. After all, who would suspect someone of posing as a war veteran?
While it may seem unlikely for a celebrity to engage in such deception, history shows that it can—and does—happen.
Beginning of Brian Dennehy’s career
Brian Dennehy got his start in Hollywood in 1977, featuring in two films and three television series. His breakthrough came with the inaugural Rambo film, First Blood, where he played Sheriff Will Teasle. This role marked one of his most memorable performances, leading to numerous opportunities in the following decades.
Dennehy earned the admiration of audiences worldwide, with his military service further enhancing his esteemed reputation.
Service in the US Marine Corps
Here’s what we know about Brian Dennehy’s time in the US Marine Corps. He enlisted on September 15, 1959, and spent some time stationed in Okinawa, where he played football. Dennehy left the military on June 4, 1963, just shy of four years later, before the Vietnam War had escalated.
Throughout his career, Dennehy claimed to have served in Vietnam. In an interview with Playboy, he spoke of a five-year tour during the war, describing minor injuries he said he sustained in combat. He provided additional details to The New York Times, explaining that his injuries were caused by shrapnel and included a concussion.
Dennehy also shared insights into the mindset of those who faced the realities of killing while serving, telling Playboy, “As for killing someone, anyone in combat would agree that it’s pretty much accidental. It’s not what you’re thinking about. You spend a considerable amount of time just trying not to be in a combat situation. You’re trying to avoid coming face-to-face with anything. So when something bad happens, it’s usually accidental.”
He went on to add, “But the implication in war movies is that war has this rational beginning, middle and end. And of course none of it does. It’s absolutely f*****g chaos. Apocalypse Now is the movie. Even more interesting is that it was made so soon after the war was over. It was and is the most sophisticated overview of the experience.”
Brian Dennehy was called out in 1998
The truth is, Brian Dennehy never served in Vietnam. In 1998, he issued a public apology after being called out by B.G. “Jug” Burkett, a real veteran dedicated to exposing cases of stolen valor. Dennehy told The Globe:
“I lied about serving in Vietnam and I’m sorry. I did not mean to take away from the actions and the sacrifices of the ones who did really serve there…I did steal valor. That was very wrong of me. There is no real excuse for that. I was a peace-time Marine, and I got out in 1963 without ever serving in Vietnam… I started the story that I had been in ‘Nam, and I got stuck with it. Then I didn’t know how to set the record straight.”
As CBS News notes, the closest the actor ever got to “action” during the war was portraying Marine Sgt. Ned T. “Frozen Chosen” Coleman in the made-for-TV movie, A Rumor of War (1980).
Brian Dennehy lied… Again
Despite his admission, Brian Dennehy began repeating the same falsehoods less than 10 years later. In 2007, he told a journalist at The Wall Street Journal that he’d served in Vietnam. As The Denver Post reports, it was more than clear he didn’t feel that bad about stretching the truth of his service and wasn’t truly sorry.
Apart from facing backlash from veterans and the families of servicemen who saw combat, Dennehy’s professional career saw little impact following his confession of stolen valor. This could be attributed to a lack of complete understanding among the wider population on the gravity of his lies or to the common leniency towards such behavior in the entertainment industry.
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Each case of stolen valor deserves equal scrutiny, no matter the status of the person involved. Such claims diminish the true bravery of veterans who courageously served and sacrificed for our freedoms, and deserve recognition and thanks, regardless of their deployment in Vietnam, Korea, Iraq, or any other conflict.