Milan man charged with impersonating Purple Heart veteran

November 3, 2016

TRENTON, Tenn. — Just more than a week from Veterans Day, a Milan man finds himself in trouble with the law. Officers say he posed as a wounded veteran and even changed his military rank for free perks that ultimately cost taxpayers.

Matthew Green

“It’s offensive that someone does this,” Gibson County Sheriff Paul Thomas said. “There’s thousands and thousands of men and women have earned all those ribbons that he had displayed.”

Matthew Green, 42, was arrested Wednesday by the Gibson County sheriff after admitting he’s been posing as a decorated Marine Corps veteran, according to the sheriff’s office.

Green spent the night in jail on charges including criminal impersonation, forgery and improper display of military decorations.

“Finally admitted that the document was a forgery,” Thomas said. “He has not received a Purple Heart in the Marine Corps and wasn’t a retired gunnery sergeant in the Marine Corps either.”

Green is accused of giving the county clerk a forged DD 214, an official veterans document, to get free Purple Heart license plates for his car. The sheriff also confiscated decorated uniforms from Green’s home.

“Unfortunately, people doing this is fairly common,” Thomas said.

The sheriff was able to verify with the Marines that Green did serve but never earned those high honors he claims.

“His rank at the time of discharge is an E-7 Gunnery Sergeant, and they were actually able to tell me he’s actually just an E-1 Private,” Thomas said.

Green’s arrest Wednesday isn’t first time he’s been caught for criminal impersonation. In 2014, he was arrested for posing as a Milan police officer. As a Marine vet, Sheriff Thomas says Green’s impersonation is disrespectful.

“They obviously paid a dear price to earn that right to have that license plate displayed on there,” Thomas said. “They were combat wounded somewhere, and I can only imagine how they feel.”