William Colvard Lies About Combat Injuries, Receives Free Wedding – Guardian Of Valor

William Colvard Courtesy WFAA

DALLAS, TEXAS- We got several emails about William Colvard after he received a free wedding because he claimed he was a Wounded Warrior. It all started in in 2013, when he was honored as a Wounded Warrior in Frisco, Texas at a Rough Riders ball game. In the article, posted below, William claims;

William joined the Army as a military police officer in April 2007 and was deployed less than a month after graduating from the Military Police School in Fort Leonard Wood, MO. He was deployed to Camp Taji, Iraq, with the 36th ID Texas Army National Guard attached to 18th Airborne Division. While there, he ran convoy security and routine patrols between several camps. In March of 2008, his convoy was hit by a roadside bomb which caused the Humvee he was in to roll over. He suffered burns, a separated shoulder and hearing loss.

William spent a year and a half at San Antonio Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston going through physical therapy to recover. He has since made a full recovery and was able to finish the remaining three years in his military contract.

You can see the article snapshot here:

William continued to falsely claim he was injured by an IED blast, recently Tina Nealy, who owns Paradise Cove, a wedding venue on Lake Grapevine donated a wedding complete with all the trimmings.

“I feel violated. I feel completely violated,” said Tina Nealy. Even after Nealy’s facility was destroyed by floods, she pulled strings with her friends in the wedding trade to make sure the Colvards got a venue; food; a cake; flowers; and a photographer — all for free.

“Their time was donated thinking they were doing the right thing for a wounded warrior,” Nealy said. He was also telling the story of his convoy being bombed to those attending his wedding.

Colvard told people that his vehicle was hit by an IED, which caused the Vehicle to roll over and he suffered burns, a separated shoulder and hearing loss. But according to those he served with, he was never hit by an IED, they say he never even saw any combat at all, to include any mortars.  After he received the free wedding based on his lies, WFAA out of Dallas did a story on him and he admitted to his lies.

WFAA–

Last weekend, William Colvard’s wedding was news.

Today, it still is… but for a different reason.

It turns out he’s not the “wounded warrior” he’s been saying he was.

Colvard’s wedding was the subject of two television stories on Saturday, and Colvard and his bride celebrated the nuptials they never had five years ago when they were married. The reason, the story went: He had been injured in combat in Iraq, and they couldn’t afford a ceremony.

Now, Colvard says he was never injured in combat, and apologizes to a number of people he’s been lying to for the last several years.

Paradise Cove owner Tina Nealy arranged for William Colvard to have a wedding free of charge. (Photo: WFAA)

“I feel violated. I feel completely violated,” said Tina Nealy, who owns Paradise Cove, a wedding venue on Lake Grapevine.

She volunteered to throw a wedding with all the trimmings for the Colvards when she heard their story. Even after Nealy’s facility was destroyed by floods, she pulled strings with her friends in the wedding trade to make sure the Colvards got a venue; food; a cake; flowers; and a photographer — all for free.

“Their time was donated thinking they were doing the right thing for a wounded warrior,” Nealy said.

“I feel completely violated,” said Paradise Cove owner Tina Nealy. (Photo: WFAA)

Colvard was living on a legend that had begun at least two years ago, when he was honored in a “McAfee Military Moment” celebration at a Frisco Rough Riders game.

“In March of 2008, his convoy was hit by a roadside bomb which caused the Humvee he was in to roll over,” a news release said. “He [Colvard] suffered burns, a separated shoulder and hearing loss.”

The Rough Riders said the news release was based on an interview with Colvard, he approved it, and was there when it was read at the baseball game.

Colvard now concedes to News 8 that he was lying.

He was never injured in a bombed convoy, he said. He said he hurt his shoulder diving over a wall at Camp Taji, a large base in Iraq. Records show he was in the National Guard, and spent seven months on active duty in Iraq. He spent an additional 17 months in rehabilitation in San Antonio, he said.

He said he was a wounded warrior, and accepted gifts form a thankful community. But William Colvard has changed his story, as Byron Harris reports.

Records indicate he was honorably discharged five years ago.

It’s not clear if Colvard is a wounded warrior, even though he has a “Wounded Warrior” medallion on his pickup truck. Congress defines a wounded warrior as a combatant with a 30 percent disability. Colvard did not describe the permanence of his injury; he now describes himself as an “injured veteran.”

William Covard’s pickup truck bears a “Wounded Warrior Edition” emblem. (Photo: WFAA)

Colvard declined to be interviewed on camera. He apologized for lying about his record, but it appears that he continued to embellish his injuries as recently as last Sunday. He told professionals at his wedding that his Humvee was bombed in a convoy, when the road he was travelling on was not secured.

It was a “very extensive conversation,” Tina Nealy said.

She has donated two other weddings to wounded warriors, and says she will ask more questions the next time around.

“I will ask for documentation for sure,” Nealy said. “But I’ll still give. It’s not going to stop me from helping a wounded warrior — no way.”

Here is the video concerning the incident:

WFAA also noted that he has a Wounded Warrior emblem on his pick-up truck.

We reached out to the Army  to verify he wasn’t injured in combat, and as his fellow Soldiers told us, the injury he sustained was not combat related.

Below is the official response:

William Raymond Colvard served from April 2007 to April 2015.  Most of the time in service was with the Army National Guard of the State of Texas (April 2007-April 2013) and the last two years of service was in the Inactive Army Reserve, Individual Ready Reserve program.

He was discharged in April 2013 having completed his military service obligation.  His rank was Specialist and he was a Military Policeman. He Served with 949th Brigade Support
Battalion, 56th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 36th Infantry Division, Austin, Texas.

On 16 September 2008 he was mobilized in support of Iraqi Freedom not to exceed 383 days. There is reference to his being injured in Iraq (non-combat injury) and in April 2009 he was MEDEVAC from Landstuhl Regional Medical Center to Brooke Army Medical Center for further medical treatment.

We want to extend an apology to Mrs. Nealy for this mans unethical actions, and would be glad to extend our services to her should she need help verifying someones service in the future.