See the update at the end of page 2 with a national TV program identifying the raging Marine and confirming he's also featured in the school assembly video.
ORIGINAL POST, APRIL 4, 1:29 P.M.: San Diego television news stations say they know who an unhinged Marine shown in cell phone video from a Camp Pendleton road rage incident Monday afternoon is, but they are only identifying him as a Purple Heart recipient pending formal charges from military brass.
But that has not stopped others from providing a name and rank of the jarhead. What? No serial number?
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The Weekly has so far not confirmed the fellow in the video goes by that name. Adding to the confusion: there is no record the person with that name and rank received the Purple Heart. The unnamed person shooting the video probably has; she's been identified as a Marine confined to a wheelchair because of war injuries. The fellow calmly looking forward in the video as the Marine unleashes on him is said to be the camerawoman's brother and caretaker, a civilian.
Here's what Lt. Ryan Finnegan of Camp Pendleton Public Affairs told the Weekly this morning:
I can confirm that the incident in the video took place on Camp
Pendleton at around 2:00 p.m. on April 1st. The individual, an active
duty Marine, was detained by our Provost Marshal's Office and cited for
communicating a threat. He was released to a unit representative. Any
further legal proceedings regarding this incident would be at the
discretion of his unit. This individual's behavior does not meet the
standards that are expected of our Marines and it has received the
attention of senior base staff. We can't provide ID, to include rank or
unit, until the man in the video was officially charged with something.
The unit is still gathering information on the incident before starting
any potential administrative or judicial proceedings. I have no
information on when that may take place.
Anonymous netizens are not only supplying a name and rank of the fellow in the comments sections of television news websites carrying the road-rage video, they are identifying him as the out-of-his-head Marine in the comments sections of unrelated online videos on YouTube and elsewhere that identify one of the subjects as a Marine by that same name and rank.
The version of the road-rage video on YouTube includes comments like:
“What a total fuckwit! Is this how he got his 'Purple Heart' by chance, no wonder real soldiers get a bad rap when we have psycho cowards like this prick fronting real men! Do the armed forces a favour & stand down…oh & hand back the purple heart…because there's no way you earned it!”
“Everyone on alert US marines now targeting disabled women, next on list the elderly, then the dead. US marines are a bunch of weakass faggots, cannot even protect a woman let alone onather [sic] country, go North Korea. America sux.”
“I am a navy veteran and I can tell you most Marines are not like this. Most military members, Marines included, are the most laid back, selfless individuals you will ever see. This guy needs help. Unfortunately this is the stereotype that most civilians have of Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Airmen. News coverage like this doesn't help matters. It is frustrating to know that people will have such a mindset about the few who give up their freedom so the majority can enjoy it.”
There is also support for the rager:
“If he was wounded in action, then he definitely earned it.”
“Guy in car hit Marines car, then refused to wxchange [sic] insurance & blares music. Disrespectful to anyone nevermind this Marine has Purple Heart. They dont [sic] show what happened BEFORE on video. Can tell theyre [sic] liberal jerks.”
“Most of you fucks don't know shit the guy has a purple heart as has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The guy almost died for every single one of us. War does crazy shit. Yes he lost his cool but, truly that was not him it's his brain. Not his heart. Give him a break and save the 'pathetic excuse of a marine' horse shit.”
Interestingly, an unrelated video said to include the fellow, based on the description, shows Marines armed but out of uniform “protecting” a funeral in Rancho Cucamonga for a fallen hero against possible protesters ala obnoxious Westboro Baptist Church folk.
These fellows are approached by a San Bernardino County sheriff's sergeant instructing them the family does not want them to bring weapons into the church service–before parting with this “personal” comment: “Nice that you guys decided to make a statement at a Marine's funeral. Very classy.”
“I'm protecting a fallen brother shot less than a month ago in Afghanistan,” replies one of the volunteer guards to the back of the sheriff's sergeant's head.
“This is the guy from the road rage video,” someone posted in that video's comments yesterday.
Funnier comments, aping the dude who blew up in the road-rage video, are left in the comments to footage from a school assembly starring the Marine named by others as the road rager:
“GET OUT OF YOUR ASSEMBLY!”
“GET OUT OF THAT FUCKING SCHOOL! seriously though, your rage is a danger to those children.”
“THANK YOU FOR THE HONOUR OF BEING HERE YOU BITCH CUNT WHORE!”
On the next page, video of the road rage incident and the other videos . . .
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Road rage:
School assembly:
Unsolicited Marine funeral protection:
UPDATE, APRIL 4, 3:52 P.M.: The syndicated Inside Edition television program identifies the raging Camp Pendleton Marine as Sgt. Joshua Brightman. That is the same name and link commenters have been leaving on various online videos.
Inside Edition also confirms Brightman is the same Marine sergeant shown in the video from a school assembly led by his mother, an educator.
Speaking of online comments, self-described “friends” of Sgt. Brightman are intimating he's not quite right in the head these days.
He apparently served in Afghanistan.
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OC Weekly Editor-in-Chief Matt Coker has been engaging, enraging and entertaining readers of newspapers, magazines and websites for decades. He spent the first 13 years of his career in journalism at daily newspapers before “graduating” to OC Weekly in 1995 as the alternative newsweekly’s first calendar editor.
I think it’s time to consider what would have happened to Mr. McCurdy-Quintana if he had stepped out of his vehicle. He would have ended up on the pavement, the recipient of a savage beating. Sgt. Brightman is a danger to society and needs help. Active service overseas in a “war zone” can wreak havoc on a soldier’s psyche; stress which may emerge later in episodes very much like this one. I think the best course of action is to order immediate counseling for this man in order to protect society, and at the same time laud him for his faithful and courageous service to our country.
I think it’s time to consider what would have happened to Mr. McCurdy-Quintana if he had stepped out of his vehicle. He would have ended up on the pavement, the recipient of a savage beating. Sgt. Brightman is a danger to society and needs help. Active service overseas in a “war zone” can wreak havoc on a soldier’s psyche; stress which may emerge later in episodes very much like this one. I think the best course of action is to order immediate counseling for this man in order to protect society, and at the same time laud him for his faithful and courageous service to our country.