Stolen Valor: The Military Perspective

What first caught my eye were the long line of hash marks down the forearm... Now, I could be wrong, as things might have changed since I was in, but each of those hash marks were for an enlistment period, right? Then, "Day-Yuum!" He should be tottering around in a dang walker! As to the ribbons, they are so miss-mashed up I wouldn't know where to start, but what truly fired me up was the fact that like most of the yahoos, he probably didn't serve a day in his life, and he's taking from those who did.
I mean, if you want to wear the uniform, see a recruiter, and don't strut around like an idiot wearing something you have no right to! Getting off my soapbox now, muttering to herself about idiots....

I have seen much worse...at least he kind of put it together right and he does have a good hair cut?

After reading all about this guy, I forwarded the "This Ain't Hell" article to a buddy of mine who is a Suffolk County cop. He said he will look into it.

Shave, fix your tie, wear the beret properly, cut your hair, etc, etc.

Do you even….fake to be Army bro?

Thanks for your diligence because that kind of thing angers me to no end.   I had a guy do something like that a McDonalds and the manager told me that she would throw him out the next time he came in.

SSG(P) Timme Jones, there's a special thread for all stolen valor posts on RallyPoint, started by SFC (P) Richard Gilley. Here's the link: https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/stolen-valor--5

For the record, I will never understand senior personnel (NCOs or officers) who do things like this. Why? This CSM was at the top of his rank structure. Why would he wear unauthorized badges or patches or awards? I just don't get it. And I don't think there's a good explanation for this bizarre behavior.

Velis, Stolen Valor bill gains national attention
April 3, 2015 |

WESTFIELD – In state Rep. John Velis’s first full-term at the post, he has drawn national attention with his proposed Stolen Valor bill, which would make misrepresentation of a serviceman or woman for financial gain a misdemeanor.

Velis, a captain of the U.S. Army Reserves and having served in Afghanistan, said that misrepresenting someone who has served the United States is something that cannot be tolerated in any capacity.

“There are just certain areas that are so sacred that you can’t allow people to distort them,” Velis said. “To try to misrepresent that you served in the armed services for financial gain is about as morally repugnant as you can get.”

The bill, proposed earlier this year, goes a step further than a similar bill passed by the federal government. President Barack Obama signed the federal Stolen Valor Act into law in 2013. The act makes it a federal crime for people to wrongly identify themselves as the recipient “of any of several specified military decorations or honors with the intent to obtain money, property or other tangible benefit,” according to the White House’s announcement of the signing.

Velis said that, though a strong start, this did not go far enough.

“My bill fills this void … it does not matter that you did not say you won a medal. If you misrepresent a service member, that is enough,” Velis said.

Velis appeared on the Fox News show “America’s News Headquarters” on March 28 to discuss his proposed bill and has seen support on both sides of the aisle in the Commonwealth.

“There are 54 cosponsors, both Republicans and Democrats in the House and Senate. I would consider that overwhelming support because there are so many bills out there. To get 54 [cosponsors] speaks volumes,” he said.

Velis said veterans from all over have been reaching out to thank him, giving examples of times that they encountered the kind of stolen valor that the bill addresses.

The bill is still being discussed in the Judiciary Committee, and if it is sent from committee, Velis hopes the Stolen Valor bill sees a vote within months, Velis said.

“It’s a slap in the face to service members and the family of service members … that’s why I felt there was a special need to fill that void in the federal law,” Velis said. “Massachusetts is without question, one of the most pro-veteran states in the nation, so who better than us to lead the pack on this?”

To read the full-text of the Stolen Valor bill, visit https://malegislature.gov/Bills/189/House/H1641.

There is a continuopus topic thread for it already. https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/stolen-valor--5

I tried to merge your there but have not been able to as of yet. SFC Mark Merino SSG Robert Burns can one of you guys make that happen?

Another from TAH

http://thisainthell.us/blog/?p=59032

His rack is a hoot and he has been upgraded from SEAL or WALRUS.

http://thisainthell.us/blog/?p=59015

Veteran confronts homeless poser
CavScoutCoastie sends us a link to the story of Garrett Goodwin, an Army veteran and activist who confronts a panhandler wearing an Army uniform in Tampa.
Then, said Goodwin, came the clincher.
He noticed the man had a Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps patch on his shoulder, something a high school student would wear.
That’s when he started to question his story, and on the video can be heard lighting into the man about the uniform and the patch.
The video shows Goodwin following the man, who appeared to comply with his demands by taking off the uniform top, which Goodwin demanded he throw in the garbage.
In my opinion, these hobos are the worst of pretenders. They give credence to the drug-addled, ne’er-do-well veteran stereotype, when that is hardly ever true. While I don’t encourage folks to confront these bums, it does make me feel good to see vets taking back our image from the Hollywood perceptions.