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Former Marine Standing Guard At Elementary School Refuses To Address Service Record Lies

HUGHSON (CBS13) - Former U.S. Marine Craig Pusley made the news as he stood guard in uniform but unarmed outside Hughson Elementary School on Wednesday, and then again when it was discovered that he lied about his past.

CBS13 paid a visit to Pusley's Hughson home, but he didn't answer the door. Moments after CBS13's Andrea Menniti returned to her news van, a deputy approached because Pusley called law enforcement after we knocked on his door.

Pusley told CBS13 on Wednesday that he was in the service for nearly 10 years, was a sergeant in the Reserve and had served two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan.

However, he didn't serve overseas and was discharged after less than a year with the second-lowest ranking in the Marines, private first class (E-2).

While the former Marine refused to say why he lied about his service record, he did talk to Marine Corps Times.

He told the publication he's actually 25, not 28. When asked why he was wearing a sergeant uniform when he was only a basic Marine for nine months, Pusley told the reporter that "he didn't realize what was on the uniform and borrowed it from someone else. He added his old name tapes to the borrowed blouse." He also denied telling reporters he served overseas.

He made an apology, but it wasn't for lying about his rank, being injured in the line of duty or about being sent overseas.

He told the Marine Corps Times that he is "deeply sorry if standing in front of the school in uniform if it offended anyone."

Pusley posted on his Facebook page Thursday night discussing the controversy, writing "to all who want to believe the (expletive) online 'bout what a phony I am or a liar so be it."

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