How do you deal with someone trying to call you "Stolen Valor"?

Get a Veteran lic plate. Or just ask when they were in uniform, what units they served with and who the CO was. Or simply ignore them.

I would tell them to go fuck themselves and walk away. If they persist them I am not responsible for anything that happens after that. IJS (Thankfully my state has the Veterans I'd on the license

I would probably avoid spaces like that, I'm sure the concept is well intentioned but it would bring attention I don't want to deal with for the most part.

As for how to deal with it, maintain a calm and respectful demeanor. If the situation becomes threatening fall back, make sure you and loved ones are safe, and document as necessary. It's not worth aggravating yourself over the way I see it.

I don't like stolen valor, but I'm not going to waste my time trying to convince people. I know what I did, and the people that matter know what I did. If some Vet or overzealous supporter is going nuts over a misunderstanding they probably need some help and that's not your problem.

It’s simple. How do you handle if someone calls you a name? If it’s true, you react. If it’s not, you walk away.

I am 63 years old. I wear a baseball cap that says Iraq Combat Vet. I’ve had some folks think I’m stealing valor for wearing it because they think I’m too old to have gone to Iraq. Politely, I tell them I was deployed at the age of 50. If they don’t believe that, I quietly pull out my DD214 and Retirement ID and explain it to them. So far, all but one apologized for their claim.

I was called out for stolen Valor twice. First time while I was confronted by my squadron executive officer, when he thought I was "too young to be a Vietnam veteran and in the same breath for wearing the PUC (Presidential Unit Citation). A quick review of my awards and decorations record set him on his sorrowful way of just being a failed SAC missile weenie. Second time was by a one enlistment NAVY vet for having a Vietnam War veteran decal on my car. I politely told him I earned the right by my service in Southeast Asia. People are on the lookout for Stolen Valor usually in all the wrong people. Stolen Valor monies will go overboard on awards and decorations. They think nothing of wearing forty silver stars, five to six Air Force Cross/NAVY Crosses/ARMY Distinguish Service Crosses. And then add on the highest-ranking enlisted stripes they can buy at their local Army-Navy surplus store.

Ask them where their Veteran proof is and what makes them so smart that they KNOW you are not a Veteran? More than 80% of what I did is not in my records. I worked exclusively for an Admiral. He swore that nobody would ever know what I did. I also agreed not to accept any medals for my actions other than the three normally shown with Vietnam Veterans. When I left his domain I had to sign a 50 year non-disclosure agreement before I left his command. I have I.D. cards from Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, U. S. Navy, Together We Served, the Veterans Administration, etc. If that isn't good enough, tell them to go to hell.

Actually it seems to me very few people actually care if anybody served. I occasionally get a "thank you" from somebody who happens to see my retired ID card, but it isn't more than once or twice a year. If somebody challenges you and you want to feed their problem, show them whatever military ID you have, CAC, traditional ID, VA Card. If they aren't happy with that, screw 'em. You don't need their BS in your life.

I'm sure there's a more polite way to do it, but here's a story for you. I'm a civilian again now, and when I travel I typically carry an older ACU backpack one of my old recruiters gave me. It was free, it's still in pretty good shape, and most importantly, it fits just fine in the overhead compartment on an airplane. Instead of my name and such on the front pocket Velcro, I put various different country's military rank patches the same equivalent as my own. It's a hobby of mine, so I collect them and like to show them off as they normally create positive responses and dialogue. One time a couple years ago though, some numb-nuts in the airport tried to call me out as "stolen valor". I laughed at him and asked him why he thought that and asked who he was to make such a stupid (and obviously uneducated) accusation. He looked at me bewildered, like he couldn't believe I was challenging HIS credibility. Realistically I don't even think he was a Vet because he thought some of the foreign ranks were unit patches. Anyway, I guess my answer would be to tell them to go piss up a rope. As long as you do the right thing, you're good to go. I've never had time for "spotlight rangers" anyway, whether that person is a real Service Member or Joe Citizen.

The couple times it happened to me, I simply said "Silly Wabbit" ala Mel Blanc style and walked away. Think I was wearing a Seabee ball cap. Plenty of internal brain freeze going on to not be followed. BTW, no REMF recruit wannabe is worth pulling wallets or phones out. It's their headcase, not yours.