Did America’s Got Talent Contestant Timothy Poe Lie About His Combat Injuries?

“America’s Got Talent” contestant Timothy Poe won over the judges and audience with a performance of the Garth Brooks’ song “If Tomorrow Never Comes,” and a story about injuries he sustained in the line of duty – but was the 35-year-old aspiring singer being honest?

“I had volunteered for a team to go out and clear buildings and help out with the wounded,” Timothy, who has a speech impediment, said on Monday’s “AGT.” “There was a guy who [came] up with a rocket-propelled grenade. I saw it coming down, and by the time I turned and went to jump on top of my guys, I yelled ‘grenade’ and the blast had hit me.”
But now, a spokesman for the Minnesota National Guard is saying otherwise.

“His military records indicate that he served with the Minnesota National Guard in Kosovo from Oct. 10, 2007 until July 15, 2008, and was deployed to Afghanistan from July 28, 2009 to Aug. 30, 2009,” said Lt. Col. Kevin Olson, Spokesman for the Minnesota National Guard in a statement to Access Hollywood.

“Sgt. Poe’s official military records do not indicate that he was injured by a grenade in combat while serving in Afghanistan in 2009, as he reports,” the statement continued. “The Minnesota National Guard can also confirm that he was not awarded the Purple Heart Medal for wounds sustained in combat.”

A rep for NBC had no comment when contacted by Access.

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