SCOTT GARRETT

U.S. Rep. Scott Garrett's (R-5th Dist.) office accidentally used a stock photo of a Soviet Union military veteran on Facebook while promoting what he's done for American veterans

(Express-Times File Photo)

Is it U.S. Rep. Scott Garrett (R-Moscow)?

A Facebook advertisement Garrett’s office ran late last month seemed innocent enough at first.

“LIKE my page to learn what I’m doing to support our veteran’s benefits,” read the single-sentence ad.

But while Garrett's Facebook page has more than 7,000 likes, two eagle-eyed Democratic veterans from Garrett's district who aren't fans of the congressman — Howard Whidden and Eugene Romanick — noticed something odd that made them wish for an "unlike" button.

Underneath the ad’s text was a photo of a medal-decked military uniform. But it was no American military uniform. And the medals were not American either, since they featured hammers and sickles and the letters “CCCP.”

Indeed, it appears that whoever put together the ad for Garrett (R-5th Dist.) — New Jersey’s most conservative congressman — used a stock image of a veteran of the Red Army.

Jeffrey Floyd, a Virginia-based military medal expert and dealer, confirmed the Soviet provenance of the decorations.

Garrett's Facebook ad, which ran in July, is shown in this screen shot obtained by The Auditor

“It's a Russian uniform. The medals are a mix of Russian and (post-USSR break up) Ukrainian awards,” Floyd said. “This man is a long-serving soldier who started off in the Red Army around the end of World War II. Most of what he wears recognizes long service and commemorates the Great Patriotic War (WWII), with little indicating any combat time in WWII.”

But there's no need for Garrett — a disciple of Ronald Reagan — to tear down this ad. It's already gone.

"We are sorry that our initial review of the material did not catch the use of this stock photo, and we sincerely apologize for any offense that may have occurred as a result of this ad," said Garrett spokeswoman Maggie Seidel. "The ad is no longer running and we are in contact with the outside vendor who produced it to ensure something like this never happens again. Congressman Garrett has the utmost respect for our veterans and was using Facebook to share the services that his office provides for veterans."

Whidden, a Marine Vietnam veteran who said he was a Republican until recently, said the mistake “really ticked me off.”

“What an insult to every single American. He couldn’t find one picture of a service person or even a veteran? He had to use a Russian communist? It blew my mind.”

Neither Whidden nor Romanick – a retired army lieutenant colonel – thought it was anything but a mistake. But they thought it was a bad mistake.

“I don’t say it was done on purpose. It would be foolish to be done on purpose But somebody is very, very unfamiliar with military uniforms and maybe just did a quick job,” Romanick said. “You look at people who are Cold War veterans, Korean War veterans and Vietnam veterans who fought against communism. And it’s kind of an insult.”

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