:facepalm
Richard Strandlof said he survived the 9/11 attacks on the Pentagon. He said he survived again when a roadside bomb went off in Iraq killing four fellow Marines. He’d point to his head and tell people he had a metal plate, collateral damage from the explosion.
Richard Strandlof says he didn’t mean to cause harm when he lied about being a military veteran.
Crowds ate up his story. He canvassed Colorado appearing at the sides of politicians. Inspiring and seemingly authentic, he spoke on behalf of veterans at the state Capitol.
It turns out the whole thing was a lie. He wasn’t at the Pentagon. He was never a Marine. He never served his country. He never graduated from the Naval Academy. He claimed his name was Rick Duncan.