Living a Lie

Jeff "Rock" Harris built his fitness-coaching business using the prestige of having been a former member of the elite 75th Ranger Regiment, of having fought in at least three conflicts, earning the Distinguished Service Cross (second only to the medal of honor), as well as a bevy of other medals - more than 70 in all.

His heroism earned him the respect of the community of Kinston, N.C. And on Independence Day, it earned him and his story a full page spread in the Kinston Free Press.

Only one problem. None of it was earned. It was all a lie.

When the U.S. Army Ranger community heard about his claims, red lights started going off everywhere. In the interview with the Kinston Free Press, Harris claimed 316 confirmed kills as a sniper, something that would have landed him in the guiness book of world records.

Most egregiously, he laid claim to an event during the famous "Black Hawk Down" incident in Mogadishu that resulted in the death of an actual Ranger, Jaime Smith.

Harris claimed that he, not Smith, had taken a bullet that cut his femoral artery, then claimed that Smith's death was invented by Hollywood to "make the story better."

The story isn't over yet as there may be jail time in Harris' future, since falsifying military records is a felony. But so far, the "Rock" has found himself in a very hard place with his employers, his wife, and his community.

What is most sad is that Harris actually did serve in the military - as a member of the 18th Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg, N.C. Maybe not Distinguished Service Cross material but certainly nothing to be ashamed of.

And Harris is not alone. There is a long history of military impersonators. And an organization devoted to tracking them down receives more than 20 potential cases each week.

This story has led some to speculate on the motivation behind this phenomenon - the sheer lack of self-respect that could allow a person to claim honors for which he is not entitled. But as Jeff Harris is now discovering, most frauds are eventually found out.

Hopefully the "Rock" will soon be busting rocks in prison, and at least one newspaper reporter will never again accept a story at face value.