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So I saw my first military poser today at Wal-Mart of all places. Had Army ACUs, popped collar, what looked like a white turtleneck and Doc Marten's boots, patrol cap on indoors, no name tapes anywhere, Marine Corps Globe-and-Anchor on his pc, no unit patches and an American flag patch with no stars. I asked him what unit he was in, he responded with being an E-7 petty officer in the Navy.
Annnnnd, go...
Annnnnd, go...
Posted in these groups: 
Stolen Valor
Stolen Valor
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 1607
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I have observed three types. People who buy stuff at the Army/Navy store with real patches, but have no idea how to wear it properly, mostly for some kind of camo-punk-rebel look. People who put on their own patches to make some kind of costume/statement. People attempting to mislead others into thinking they are military/veteran. I ignore the first type. For the second and third type I make a point to observe them with a critical eye until they get nervous in drawing the wrong kind of attention.
I've never met a poser trying to make people think they are military/veteran when they are not. I think that if/when we do it is appropriate to question their disrespect for the military like others have posted. It may seem trivial to some, but with the minimal understanding of the military by the average citizen we don't need idiots running around making our military/country look foolish in this manner.
Every instance I've seen of posers as recorded across the internet are male. A number of derogatory words come to mind for these types of 'men'.
I've never met a poser trying to make people think they are military/veteran when they are not. I think that if/when we do it is appropriate to question their disrespect for the military like others have posted. It may seem trivial to some, but with the minimal understanding of the military by the average citizen we don't need idiots running around making our military/country look foolish in this manner.
Every instance I've seen of posers as recorded across the internet are male. A number of derogatory words come to mind for these types of 'men'.
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I have been Disabled Veteran for 13 yrs. all of my medals are somewhere packed in a box with my other things don't need any more reminders of shit and definitely wouldn't put them on for sympathy vote. If I ever see something like this or some dickhead burning a flag I will go to prison for the rest of my life.
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I run into posers pretty regular. The first thing I always ask is their MOS. Usually followed by where they did Basic, AIT, where they where stationed. Usually I'm looking to see if we may have chewed some of the same dirt. The posers are usually uncovered pretty quickly. If they be Vets, we usually get into some good ol' boy conversation. There is something servicemen have in common that civilians will never understand. Most of our conversations are about the good times more so than the bad.
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SN Shawn Wilson
always i had an girlfriend, i dated in late 1995 up to early 1997, she joined the Navy, because her father, And myself served in the Navy, her family knew me since i was a snot & runny nosed kid, her mother was one of my mothers best friends. after her 1st two years she was home on leave me had a met up, she told how hard the work was, she replied you never talked about hard thing could get, i told her nobody wants to talk about the bad time, only fun,goofy, good times you had.
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Yes in a bar near Offut AFB in the late 80's, Guy claimed to be a Nam vet and was a Marine sniper flying in F-4 fighters. We helped him run up a $140 bar tab and left him their arguing with the bar tender.
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PO3 David Smith
Marine sniper in F-4's? The F-4's I saw weren't that picky about what they tore up. We could hear them light the afterburners as they took off from Danang, what a racket.
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PO1 Dennis Herdina
My comment here is a bit lengthy I did work in Military Personnel in the AF for a short period before joining the Navy. There was at least one individual I recall who was an E2 and had a CAR and some Vietnam service ribbons and had only been in the AF 6 months or so. Turns out after I checked his records the guy was legit in wearing the decs and I verified it all the way to AF MPC in Randolph. Turns out the guy was a former USA infantryman who had multiple tours in VN and gotten out of military for 4 or 5 years and had just reenlisted and due to regs had come back in as an E2 airman. He did get a promotion later in the normal process. But this guy was E2 prior service with 4 years service as Army Infantry. So be careful about who you question as stolen valor ......there maybe more than you suspect to the story.
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Yes a few here but they get questioned real fast and the disappear almost as fast. I do wear a woodland field jacket most of the time because it is warm and tough but I am a Navy vet and when asked about the jacket and service I tell them the truth. I do need to add an American Legion pin to it just to confuse the public.
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SPC Jeffery Foley
i wear my maroon bret to to ft snelling ,when i go to a vets buiral there as a show of repect to them but the rest of my stuff dont fit any more lol
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I have a relative who was in Army Basic Training EXACTLY 7 days. Not sure why he was discharged other than it was medical. Now in my honest opinion, especially my opinion as a veteran, this relative never served. Fast forward approximately 20 years later, this same relative wanted his name put on a Veteran's Memorial in the town he currently lives in and was willing to go to court to fight the VFW and Legionnaires about it.
As some of the folks have posted here, there are posers and there are POSERS. Most of them aren't worth my time to deal with. This relative was. We come from a family with a lot of men who served in EVERY branch of the service and who also served as police officers and firemen. That is the kind of shit I won't abide.
As some of the folks have posted here, there are posers and there are POSERS. Most of them aren't worth my time to deal with. This relative was. We come from a family with a lot of men who served in EVERY branch of the service and who also served as police officers and firemen. That is the kind of shit I won't abide.
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I think you will always find people who want to be part of something once it becomes in fashion once again. Right now the military is experiencing appreciation at levels not seen for some time. Ask a Viet Nam vet about that! The scenario has switched to where people who do not serve are looked at differently than when a person served and was looked on as we now look on those who haven't.
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PO3 David Smith
When I returned home from Vietnam in '70, the country was tearing itself up with demonstrations and riots. Wearing a uniform made us a target of the idiots and even out of uniform we looked out of place. The abuses we endured then continue to this day in some cases. After I returned I folded up the uniforms and tried to forget the experiences. (Seabees, Northern "I" Corps 68-70) Now I can wear a ball cap stating my veteran status and feel safe and very proud to be a part of a band of brothers that fought without the support of the country and came home to abuse and ridicule.
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I don't know about you guys i was proud to wear the uniform and for thoes that never been in the armed forces, never had a Drill Sgt in there face, never had the hardship of being deployed in combat, never had a comrade die in front of them need to get a life and stop pretending, it's a HONER AND A PREVLEDGE to have protected my country, so yes this pisses me off to have prentenders out there that lie about it, they need to get a real life
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