Capitol Hill Blue Forums Military & Security Military & Veteran's Issues Stolen valor

It's a valid example. On the opposite end of the spectrum, even though I went to the USNA for five months before resigning with an honorable discharge, I have never considered, nor represented myself to be a veteran.

Sounds like my experience rushing a fraternity in my first year of college. The free beer and porn smokers were fun (at 16) but there was zero mentorship, no brotherhood that I observed, no help with studying (other than cheating with their collection of old tests), etc. So when they offered me full membership, I said "No thanks." and embarked on my unimpaired college journey.

I have to say I think this “Stolen Valor” bill is all smoke, no fire. As long as the lie is told for personal, non-monetary gain (fraud,) I can only think that the person who takes this to court is probably a# big a flaming a-hole as the person making the claim. Much easier to expose/humiliate liar.

I’ll have have to see what (state) Sen Hansen is facing in terms of re-election. In addition to this bill and his school curriculum suppression bill he’s also sponsoring a bill to keep electronics (phones) out of the classroom.

What an ass.

I’ve been following this thread. Just hadn’t responded to anything said. Being retired army, I never worried or even thought about others who claim to have severed but didn’t. Although elected officials or candidates for office should know better. They’re bound to be found out. I never knew this was a problem and even had a name for it.

There are experiences we military type exaggerate and others we never talk about. Depends on the person. I never looked on this as a big deal. I don’t care if someone says they were in the military and weren’t or not. I don’t understand why someone would say they were something they never were. I’d never say I was a policeman or fireman when I never was or an astronaut who landed on the moon and never did. To me, this is no big deal. No law needed. If someone wants to lie, let them, they’ll be caught sooner or later.

---Sorry, I hate it.
It's a lie used to gain advantage or to garner loyalty, or worse, to bamboozle others into thinking there's shared sacrifice.
You're taking credit for something you didn't do.
Everyone should care about an ethical breach like this.

Perhaps the question is, does it bother you so much we need a law against lying about serving in the military? Throughout my long life, when something was to be gained by having served in the military, a free Georgia Drivers license, health benefits, 10% discounts at Lowes and Home Depot, credit when applying for a job, etc. one had to always present either a military ID or a DD-214.

As for trying to impress a girl or a voter, no ID required, no proof needed. But these things have a habit of coming out. There have been times when serving in the military was looked down on, derided and times when it was looked on as having performed a great service. I don’t think we need a law about lying about having served.

As for politicians and candidates, again, there have been times when if one said they served it was an advantage to them and other times a hinderance. Depends on when and where. Now I always expect politicians to lie, perhaps that is the difference between us.

Jeffery, I care about it in that I have less respect for the person who tells the lie. This one is kind of like the number of inches lie - told to make the teller seem bigger, too often and easily proven as dishonesty.

There’s another side I’ve missed, perhaps. When I was a child, young men often word their watches with the face to the inside of the wrist. I’m told it was a fashion, started in imitation of Viet vets, who wore their watches that way to avoid reflections. That could be just another story, or it could be a silent tribute/admiration.

I'm pretty sure we were doing this before the Vietnam conflict. If we were doing it to emulate soldiers was it stolen valor?

I was denied any chance of "serving" for any reason, during times of war or peace. I hadda get a regular job and fend for myself without nursing off the government teat.

So I don't have any special respect or admiration for those who were allowed into that club.

The United States of America already has the largest prison population in the world. Imagine if we made all these frivolous complaints into laws that carried fines and sentences. Only a few of you who are the most deserving would be allowed to walk free. And only for a little while before someone's feelings were hurt by your actions. Then you too would join the guilty hordes.

I was drafted in 1966, then went on to make the military a double career. 21 years active, another 26 working for the army as a department of the army civilian. If I wasn’t drafted, I’d probably still be working on the farm during the day and in an old pig iron foundry at night. Not going more than 50 miles or so from home. Probably being drafted was the best thing that ever happened to me. I certainly wasn't going to volunteer.

The wristwatch thing, I never heard of that. Then again, I never wore one. I don’t think we need another law. Liars are usually found out sooner or later.

Sheesh Pero the closest I ever got to military service was being in ROTC in high school. I think I might’ve mentioned that before on this board. I had my own M-1 rifle stored the locker in the high school that I had to clean, breakdown, then reassemble…then present the Sergeant for inspection. And we would shoot .22 rifles on the campus firing range for marksmanship scores.

If you wanted to shoot the M1 we could go out to Bellows Field which I did once or twice because I sort of liked to shoot firearms. Hey I was a kid…. And enjoyed loud popping noises.

I was eligible for the draft in the first year of the lottery and I managed through some sort of luck to garner a high number so it was not drafted, so I got out of service in Vietnam. There was either a god or simple numbers involved in that thing. I think it was simply numbers…as you are well aware.