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

This is a new one for me. It's never happened but if it did I'd just show my ID card (Retired) but then....I haven't seen a parking spot reserved for Veterans anywhere around....I'm sure there must be but I just haven't seen one. I would think anyone calling someone out without knowing better would be in need of some common sense....before they may find themselves in need of an Emergency Room.

Get a big window sticker. Veteran....That might help,.

In PA, you can get a license plate that identifies your veteran status and also get a veteran's designation on your Driver's License. I have never ever had a problem and have received respect several times when I have parked my truck and walked into a business.

I have parked in veterans only parking spot at local Homedepot several times recently and have had other veterans who were total strangers come up to me and start conversation about our service time together during Viet Nam war. Never have that been negative. I can mostly tell Nam vets by their age.

I would think that having a valid ID card would be sufficient. It would work for me (if I even tried to push such a matter).

It never happened to me. If it did one of us would be going out horizontal in a ambulance and the other would be going out in the back seat of a police car. I'm not sure which one i'd be but I'd give it my damndest. I'm a disgruntled Vietnam combat vet.

Personally, I am long past the point of caring what anyone else thinks. If you feel like you deserve to park there, why do you feel the need to justify yourself to some random stranger? I used my GI Bill for a psych degree, so my reaction would be to turn around and start drilling them about what they think gives them any right to question me because people tend to tend to imagine others doing things that they would do, or have done, themselves. Unless they are a cop with some valid reason for questioning you, you really don't owe anyone else an explanation. Your license plate should be enough. I certainly wouldn't show a stranger an ID card with any personally identifiable information or let them hold my phone to look at pictures. Thieves are very bold now.

It is rare, but it does happen. I usually say something like 'Have a nice day' and walk away. If they persist, after a few questions they seem satisfied and will go away. As an older soldier (I went in at 40) when I was in Uniform, people would look twice at the old specialist. On base and in my Class A uniform, my Antarctic Service Medal would raise a few eyebrows and more than once I had to stand before someone else's CO or CSM to explain that; yes, I did work in Antarctica, it is also a civilian medal and I am allowed to wear it.

Its very simple. I say FO.

I'm not familiar with that expression. I did have someone tell me I wasn't really military because I worked in an office. Since NO one in his family had served for decades, I just ignored him.