Posted on Jul 13, 2015
Do you think being able to purchase medals online increases the likelihood of Stolen Valor?
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Well! Now if a person wants to imitate being in the Military, they can, and unless they use it to get monetary gain, it's not illegal.
Nearly every single award that American soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines fight, bleed and sometimes die to receive can be bought by everyone else on the Internet — even from the same company that makes them for the U.S. military.
With the lone exception of the Congressional Medal of Honor, it’s all perfectly legal.
It’s even legal to wear them now, unless the person is using his fraudulent medals to gain something of value.
Yet to many, it is a deadly serious matter.
George Washington’s general order of Aug. 7, 1782, established the first American military awards. Ever since, U.S. service members, veterans and many civilians have reviled those who wear them fraudulently and sadly expected it to happen.
“Should any who are not entitled to these honors have the insolence to assume the badges of them they shall be severely punished,” Washington said in the order to his troops.
The job of punishing those who fraudulently wear military awards became much more complicated when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Stolen Valor Act of 2005, citing free-speech concerns.
Under the 2005 act, it was illegal to wear an unearned medal of valor at all.
Bronze Star -- $22.00 Northwest Territorial Mint. It provides about 40 % of the U.S. military's medals, according to Ross Hansen, Mint Master (director of the mint). https://store.nwtmint.com/Military_Awards/ The hierarchy of U.S. Army awards for valor in combat is as follows: 1. Medal of Honor 2. Distinguished Service Cross 3. Silver Star 4. Bronze Star with "V" device
http://jacksonville.com/military/2015-07-11/story/no-need-steal-medals-military-valor-you-can-buy-them
Nearly every single award that American soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines fight, bleed and sometimes die to receive can be bought by everyone else on the Internet — even from the same company that makes them for the U.S. military.
With the lone exception of the Congressional Medal of Honor, it’s all perfectly legal.
It’s even legal to wear them now, unless the person is using his fraudulent medals to gain something of value.
Yet to many, it is a deadly serious matter.
George Washington’s general order of Aug. 7, 1782, established the first American military awards. Ever since, U.S. service members, veterans and many civilians have reviled those who wear them fraudulently and sadly expected it to happen.
“Should any who are not entitled to these honors have the insolence to assume the badges of them they shall be severely punished,” Washington said in the order to his troops.
The job of punishing those who fraudulently wear military awards became much more complicated when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Stolen Valor Act of 2005, citing free-speech concerns.
Under the 2005 act, it was illegal to wear an unearned medal of valor at all.
Bronze Star -- $22.00 Northwest Territorial Mint. It provides about 40 % of the U.S. military's medals, according to Ross Hansen, Mint Master (director of the mint). https://store.nwtmint.com/Military_Awards/ The hierarchy of U.S. Army awards for valor in combat is as follows: 1. Medal of Honor 2. Distinguished Service Cross 3. Silver Star 4. Bronze Star with "V" device
http://jacksonville.com/military/2015-07-11/story/no-need-steal-medals-military-valor-you-can-buy-them
Posted in these groups: 
Medals
Stolen Valor
Medals Stolen Valor
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 11
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Hey! It's free enterprise. What can you do? You can still approach someone wearing medals and ask questions. One dead giveaway is most of these medal mongers have them in the wrong place on their fake uniform. Some even have medals on from several branches of the military. Remember, don't touch, just harass.
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Well I hope the Congressional Medal of Honor can not be bought without orders SGT (Join to see). Same for the Distinguished Service Cross.
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SGT (Join to see)
The article mentioned that the CMH isn't one of the medals copied. It didn't mention anything about the DSC., but let's hope it's not one to be copied like the CMH.
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SGT Jerrold Pesz
At least one site selling medals online (Medals of America) does not list the MOA or the DSC.
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SGT (Join to see)
Right. That's the medal company I was referring to. When you order replacement medals with an SF-180, MOA is where they come from.
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SGT (Join to see) Most of us that have earned the medals have put them in a shadow box on the wall or they are buried in a desk along with other "love me” paraphernalia or they’re on my uniforms that are hanging in the closet that I will never wear again (or) maybe I'll pull it out for a military ball someday (if I get invited), and they will be handed down to my daughters when I'm cremated & my ashes are laid to rest in a National Cemetery. They are in my official records jacket that I took home with me when I retired and their listed on my last Biographical Profile when I was a Colonel, other than that I will never wear them on anything else that you aren't allowed to wear them on (no where) from my standpoint. Those are the military veterans or individuals that will never steal medals of military valor - because they are humble and they don't have to show off what they’ve earned. That's how I will know the difference and unfortunately there is nothing we can do based on law to stop those who will continue to do it. Again, just my humble opinion!
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SGT (Join to see)
COL Mikel J. Burroughs, I totally understand and agree with that. Mine are in a shadow box on a shelf that nobody ever looks at. BTW, my wife had the put in a shadow box. Before she did that, they were in a box in my sock drawer. Nobody ever looked at them in there either. Lol
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MSG (Join to see)
mine are on my dress blues and in a desk drawer cant afford shadow box, last time i checked about 300 bucks just for basics, at this point dont really know who is stealing from who, but those that want it will do it legit or not, now we have people questioning smg plumley, we have people questioning chris kyle whos next chestie puller
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Just go to Gun Show...medals and ribbons galore!!! Really sad to see and realize that those specific items were once presented to members of our military forces.
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SGT (Join to see)
Another company called Medals Of America sell on line to anyone. But, here's the kicker. They also furnish the medals you will receive if you send in an SF-180 form requesting your medals be replaced. Ain't it just grand???
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SGT Jerrold Pesz
SGT (Join to see) - They do not list the MOA or the DSC on either their websit or in their catalog.
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Lots of folks talking about some kind of ban on selling medals... I'm glad they are available, since my ex-wife lost my wrench-wings and I needed to order a new medal to wear on class-a's for an ROTC dance at college after I was ETS'd.
As Americans, we don't limit Free Enterprise. Period. But also as Americans and proud veterans, we BLISTER with embarrassment any jackass who crosses that line. Count on that!
As Americans, we don't limit Free Enterprise. Period. But also as Americans and proud veterans, we BLISTER with embarrassment any jackass who crosses that line. Count on that!
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Yet it is the award certificate on the wall that tells the story. No chance of forging that. Furthermore, several of my medals have my name engraved on the reverse side, for example my Defense Superior Service medal.
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SGT (Join to see)
Award certificates are forged all the time. It's easy to do with today's technology. All of my medals have my name on the back, for example, my Bronze Star with a "V" device.
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CAPT Charles Weishar
Believe you are right on the forging of certificates. However there is real ink used in signatures on mine, but then people don't go around testing inks.
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Preventing the sale of military medals and other insignia in order to prevent stolen valor is akin to destroying the interstate highway system to prevent folks from driving north in the southbound lane.
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SGT (Join to see)
I do think it adds to Stolen Valor, but, selling the medals and pins, can't be stopped. If those jerks want to spend all their money on fake uniforms,medals, and pins, nothing can be done about it. It's free enterprise. Here are two places where you can buy medals you want, including the Navy Trident. This website will build you a rack of ribbons.
https://www.usamilitarymedals.com/pages/ezrackbuilder?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=medals
http://www.medalsofamerica.com/SubCategory--Navy-Medals-and-Ribbons--m-595
https://www.usamilitarymedals.com/pages/ezrackbuilder?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=medals
http://www.medalsofamerica.com/SubCategory--Navy-Medals-and-Ribbons--m-595
With EZ Rack Builder, you can build your ribbon and medal racks in just a few easy steps. Build your military rack today!
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SGT (Join to see)
I feel the same way, PVT James Strait. But, nothing can be done about it. I was really surprised to see that the Trident is sold to the public.
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As these places sell to Veterans so they can make shadow boxes etc. you will get those that use them for Stolen Valor, but the funny thing most of them don't know how to present them on a uniform and the real stupid ones buy from different branches because the ribbon is pretty.
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SGT (Join to see)
They buy stupid pretty ribbons because they are stupid. All of them screw up somewhere down the line and get caught.
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