Stolen Valor, too many get by with it.

[Redbone]

DOD will unveil website to combat Stolen Valor this week - Stripes - Independent U.S. military news from Iraq, Afghanistan and bases worldwide

DOD will unveil website to combat Stolen Valor this week
By Leo Shane III and Chris Carroll
Stars and Stripes

Published: July 23, 2012

The Medal of Honor.
OSCAR SOSA
WASHINGTON — The Defense Department will unveil a stolen valor website Wednesday designed to help citizens see if someone is lying about military medals.

President Barack Obama announced the new site as part of his speech before the Veterans of Foreign Wars national convention in Reno. Nev., on Monday. Pentagon officials would not release additional details.

An administration official said that record keepers from each military branch have been compiling awards records since the Supreme Court last month struck down the federal Stolen Valor Act, arguing that the punishments for those lying about military medals infringed on free speech.

The website will be hosted at valor.defense.gov and will initially list only the recipients of the military’s highest awards for valor — the Medal of Honor and service crosses — that were awarded after Sept. 11, 2001.

According to the Home of Heroes web site, a private military medals database, only 79 such medals have been awarded for actions since 2001.

The Defense Department is also trying to compile information on Silver Star recipients, but no timetable has been given on when that might be....

 

[SFC Ollie]

If I remember correctly there are only four living wearers of the MOH.

 

[ArmyCowboy]

If I remember correctly there are only four living wearers of the MOH.

There are about 80 of them, actually.

 

[rightwinger]

Nothing irritates me more than scum that lie to try to steal that which so many military have sacrificed to defend. Those that tell lies about having served or having accomplished heroic deeds while serving are out there and on the internet. They for their own twisted sick, ego driven insanity dishonor our military and all the decent people that they deceive.

There are clues that point such people out. One primary clue is they always find excuses as to why they can not give evidence to back up their false claims. They become evasive when questioned and plead memory loss or change the story to try to cover for their mistakes.

We have such people often on the internet . There they dishonor our military heroes with their lies. We as decent people should always seek to expose such vile deceit. We should at least attempt to protect our military as they have sacrificed so much to protect us.

If you know anybody doing this wicked and vile crap speak up about it, question their story. Do not be an ally or pretend it does not matter. It matters, just as those that honorably served and sacrificed mattered to all of us that they protected. We owe those men and women at least that respect. We owe them more than we can ever truly pay but by defending their honor we can do our part , small as it may be.

Is it honorable to just ignore such lying scum? Pretend it matters not?

Stolen Valor

It takes the heart of a Warrior to find deception and take it down

It starts off simple enough. A casual mention of military service. And, oh by the way, a Purple Heart and a few other honors earned. How can you not trust a man who served his country so gallantly?
From there, confidence builds, one story weaves into even more glorious tales until, at some point, the fabrication is woven so tightly you begin to suspect...
How can one person achieve so much in such a short time? It's almost too good to be true.

Men have lied about their military service ever since there was a military

Why is it now a crime?

 

[ArmyCowboy]

Nothing irritates me more than scum that lie to try to steal that which so many military have sacrificed to defend. Those that tell lies about having served or having accomplished heroic deeds while serving are out there and on the internet. They for their own twisted sick, ego driven insanity dishonor our military and all the decent people that they deceive.

There are clues that point such people out. One primary clue is they always find excuses as to why they can not give evidence to back up their false claims. They become evasive when questioned and plead memory loss or change the story to try to cover for their mistakes.

We have such people often on the internet . There they dishonor our military heroes with their lies. We as decent people should always seek to expose such vile deceit. We should at least attempt to protect our military as they have sacrificed so much to protect us.

If you know anybody doing this wicked and vile crap speak up about it, question their story. Do not be an ally or pretend it does not matter. It matters, just as those that honorably served and sacrificed mattered to all of us that they protected. We owe those men and women at least that respect. We owe them more than we can ever truly pay but by defending their honor we can do our part , small as it may be.

Is it honorable to just ignore such lying scum? Pretend it matters not?

Stolen Valor

It takes the heart of a Warrior to find deception and take it down

It starts off simple enough. A casual mention of military service. And, oh by the way, a Purple Heart and a few other honors earned. How can you not trust a man who served his country so gallantly?
From there, confidence builds, one story weaves into even more glorious tales until, at some point, the fabrication is woven so tightly you begin to suspect...
How can one person achieve so much in such a short time? It's almost too good to be true.

Men have lied about their military service ever since there was a military

Why is it now a crime?

Kneejerk reaction to the "support the troops" hoopla following the invasion of Iraq.

 

[pinqy]

Men have lied about their military service ever since there was a military

Why is it now a crime?

Well, it's always been a crime for a member of the military to falsely claim awards. The Stolen Valor Act made it illegal for civilians as well, though the Supreme Court struck it down. The Kennedy, Roberts, Ginsberg and Sotomayor argued that false statements, without demonstrable harm, are still protected by the 1st Ammendment and that counter speech...people exposing liars as liars...was sufficient to protect the interests of the government.

Breyer and Kagan concurred, though their argument was that the law was out of proportion to the harm and there were lesser restrictive means of taking care of the problem than jail time.

 

[rightwinger]

Men have lied about their military service ever since there was a military

Why is it now a crime?

Well, it's always been a crime for a member of the military to falsely claim awards. The Stolen Valor Act made it illegal for civilians as well, though the Supreme Court struck it down. The Kennedy, Roberts, Ginsberg and Sotomayor argued that false statements, without demonstrable harm, are still protected by the 1st Ammendment and that counter speech...people exposing liars as liars...was sufficient to protect the interests of the government.

Breyer and Kagan concurred, though their argument was that the law was out of proportion to the harm and there were lesser restrictive means of taking care of the problem than jail time.

Where do we draw the line?

Does embellishing your combat experience count?

 

[SFC Ollie]

Men have lied about their military service ever since there was a military

Why is it now a crime?

Well, it's always been a crime for a member of the military to falsely claim awards. The Stolen Valor Act made it illegal for civilians as well, though the Supreme Court struck it down. The Kennedy, Roberts, Ginsberg and Sotomayor argued that false statements, without demonstrable harm, are still protected by the 1st Ammendment and that counter speech...people exposing liars as liars...was sufficient to protect the interests of the government.

Breyer and Kagan concurred, though their argument was that the law was out of proportion to the harm and there were lesser restrictive means of taking care of the problem than jail time.

Where do we draw the line?

Does embellishing your combat experience count?

It would if you gain from it, such as the State of Ohio recently awarded monetary funds to veterans of a certain time period, and those in the war theater collected more per month than those who were not.

 

[ArmyCowboy]

Well, it's always been a crime for a member of the military to falsely claim awards. The Stolen Valor Act made it illegal for civilians as well, though the Supreme Court struck it down. The Kennedy, Roberts, Ginsberg and Sotomayor argued that false statements, without demonstrable harm, are still protected by the 1st Ammendment and that counter speech...people exposing liars as liars...was sufficient to protect the interests of the government.

Breyer and Kagan concurred, though their argument was that the law was out of proportion to the harm and there were lesser restrictive means of taking care of the problem than jail time.

Where do we draw the line?

Does embellishing your combat experience count?

It would if you gain from it, such as the State of Ohio recently awarded monetary funds to veterans of a certain time period, and those in the war theater collected more per month than those who were not.

Agreed.

I would also say that if you lied about your military service to attain employment you should be prosecuted.

However, if you're a bar trying to pick up a woman...not so much.

 

[SFC Ollie]

If you have to lie about your service to get a woman, you need more help than a lie........

 

[pinqy]

Where do we draw the line?

Does embellishing your combat experience count?

It would if you gain from it, such as the State of Ohio recently awarded monetary funds to veterans of a certain time period, and those in the war theater collected more per month than those who were not.

Agreed.

I would also say that if you lied about your military service to attain employment you should be prosecuted.

However, if you're a bar trying to pick up a woman...not so much.

Some friends of mine picked up women in a bar by claiming to be Army SEALS. In that case, the young ladies should be prosecuted for being stupid.

 

[ArmyCowboy]

It would if you gain from it, such as the State of Ohio recently awarded monetary funds to veterans of a certain time period, and those in the war theater collected more per month than those who were not.

Agreed.

I would also say that if you lied about your military service to attain employment you should be prosecuted.

However, if you're a bar trying to pick up a woman...not so much.

Some friends of mine picked up women in a bar by claiming to be Army SEALS. In that case, the young ladies should be prosecuted for being stupid.

I'm picturing a seal (the animal) in ACUs right now.

 

[rightwinger]

If you have to lie about your service to get a woman, you need more help than a lie........

It has worked for thousands of years

 

[pinqy]

Agreed.

I would also say that if you lied about your military service to attain employment you should be prosecuted.

However, if you're a bar trying to pick up a woman...not so much.

Some friends of mine picked up women in a bar by claiming to be Army SEALS. In that case, the young ladies should be prosecuted for being stupid.

I'm picturing a seal (the animal) in ACUs right now.

This was BDUs days.

 

[SFC Ollie]

If I remember correctly there are only four living wearers of the MOH.

There are about 80 of them, actually.

I wonder where I heard 4? Anyway, I saw a funny looking license plate last summer traveling east on US rt 224 about 3 miles from the PA border. The car had to stop for the guy in front of him who was making a left turn, same place i was turning, and I got a chance to read the tags. Pennsylvania tags With a star in the center and MEDAL OF HONOR across the bottom.

I couldn't tell who was in the car but I saluted as it drove away.

 

[ArmyCowboy]

If I remember correctly there are only four living wearers of the MOH.

There are about 80 of them, actually.

I wonder where I heard 4? Anyway, I saw a funny looking license plate last summer traveling east on US rt 224 about 3 miles from the PA border. The car had to stop for the guy in front of him who was making a left turn, same place i was turning, and I got a chance to read the tags. Pennsylvania tags With a star in the center and MEDAL OF HONOR across the bottom.

I couldn't tell who was in the car but I saluted as it drove away.

They've gone way over board here in Tx, issuing liscence plates for BSM and LOM awardees. Enough is enough. MOH or SSM I can see, not the rest though.

 

[rightwinger]

There are about 80 of them, actually.

I wonder where I heard 4? Anyway, I saw a funny looking license plate last summer traveling east on US rt 224 about 3 miles from the PA border. The car had to stop for the guy in front of him who was making a left turn, same place i was turning, and I got a chance to read the tags. Pennsylvania tags With a star in the center and MEDAL OF HONOR across the bottom.

I couldn't tell who was in the car but I saluted as it drove away.

They've gone way over board here in Tx, issuing liscence plates for BSM and LOM awardees. Enough is enough. MOH or SSM I can see, not the rest though.

I've also seen plates for Purple Hearts

 

[ArmyCowboy]

I wonder where I heard 4? Anyway, I saw a funny looking license plate last summer traveling east on US rt 224 about 3 miles from the PA border. The car had to stop for the guy in front of him who was making a left turn, same place i was turning, and I got a chance to read the tags. Pennsylvania tags With a star in the center and MEDAL OF HONOR across the bottom.

I couldn't tell who was in the car but I saluted as it drove away.

They've gone way over board here in Tx, issuing liscence plates for BSM and LOM awardees. Enough is enough. MOH or SSM I can see, not the rest though.

I've also seen plates for Purple Hearts

Yeah, I've seen those too.

One of the two military medals I've never wanted to earn. The other is the POW medal.

 

[SFC Ollie]

Ohio offers MOH license free for life. They also have a Purple heart tag and one that says Veteran with the Branch insignia. Mine reads US Armed Forces Retired.

 

[Mr. President]

I've lied about my service to get a woman. Told her I wasn't in the military. She was one of those hippy types but without the no showering deal. Far too cute to pass up so we drank talked bad about the government, made sweet love and I got up at 0400 to go to the field. heh heh heh