When stolen valor shaming goes horribly wrong. Your Thoughts?

SPC George Rudenko Like I said in another thread like this one: I'd rather let 10 fake fuckers have their un-earned valor (because they'll know forever they didn't earn it and it will burn, deep inside), than to take it from ONE SINGLE vet who DID earn it.

I opened a discussion on this same incident. Needless to Say I am Pissed at how those Marines Acted .They have brought Shame to themselves and tarnished Our Beloved Corps. If it was up to me Brigg time while they await their Big Chicken Dinner! I am so mad I posted it on all the Marine Corps Pages I am a member of. If you aren't sure do not attack! Hell look at the Jacket he's holding, he wasn't trying to be in regs. On Veterans day there are my old Vets that put their stuff on their Blazers and Jackets. They are not being Disrespectful, they can't fit or no longer have their dress uniforms and just want to show their Pride in their Service. Everyone's on a F-ing Witch hunt these days.

This sort of ridiculous behavior is exactly why I think it's worthy of NJP to cause a scene confronting suspected Stolen Valor. More and more, we hear or read of stories like this, where some asshole young buck decides to assault an old veteran, citing discrepancies with their uniform as if uniform codes haven't changed in the last 40 years. Veterans need to be less insecure with themselves and learn to brush it off; if the guy isn't trying to profit from faking veteran status, it really and truly isn't a big deal. It's mostly mentally ill people seeking attention, the kind they believe they could have achieved if they'd been like their heroes, or old guys who served with honor and simply don't have their uniform together.

Unless someone is lying about their combat experiences to make money or steal from the VA, I really couldn't care less about Stolen Valor, and this is exactly why.

Hope those Active Marines feel like asshats and their commands address their behavior.

This past Veteran's Day, I was asked to attend an event at a small, local church with my wife's family. In attendance, was her grandfather, who fought at Iwo Jima, was wounded in action, and saved a fellow Marine's life. My father in law asked me to wear something that would indicate my service. Well...I'm still "young"; I've got friends still "out there", and the last thing I need...or want...is to bring discredit to them by doing something stupid. Not wanting to cut my hair or shave my beard...I polished my shoes, pressed by trousers, and placed the innocuous, miniature MSM lapel pin on my sport coat...in accordance with naval regulations.

When I arrived, there were a dozen or more guys...two from WWII (including my wife's grandfather), one from Korea, several from Vietnam and Desert Storm. The WWII guys wore everything from full medals to full size ribbons on their suit coats...the Vietnam guys had their patches and pins...two Desert Storm guys were in full uniforms that while clean and neat...wouldn't pass anyone's parade inspection.

These younger servicemen taking it upon themselves to defend "honor" might ought to stop and think a moment about the fact that for many vets, their time in service, and the accomplishments they earned, represent the finest, most cherished times in their lives. If a vet fought for their country nearly a half century ago, and has spent the time since paying bills, raising children, and trying to make good on the fact he or she came home alive...the LEAST they deserve is the benefit of the doubt.

Sadly, there are "fakes", and sometimes, it's hard to tell-I've seen a man wearing every ribbon and award one would expect of a twenty year period of service in the U.S. Army, on "Highland Dress" with British colonel's rank on the epaulettes..."fraud", someone who's achieved something more than I'm aware of in my limited knowledge, or a former officer skirting the boundaries of decorum? I say just shake his hand, greet him as "colonel", and let the fraud feel ashamed, the legitimate be honored, and the vet pushing the envelope think twice before assuming "no one here knows any better".

I agree. Whoever disrespected this veteran needs to be punished

Where has this gone wrong? We all have know or met posers. I just dismiss them and go on. When did it become fashionable to verbally attack others. I just don't get it.

Of course a story comes to mind. I did my 4 years in the Navy before attending college so I was older than most college students. I was in a fraternity. During rush week some of the guys were telling me about this SEAL that was rushing us. He was 22 years old. I had never met a 22 year old SEAL ever, but stranger things have happened. While I was in the PI I used to lift with some of the guys on Team 2 and had been out for drinks with them on several occasions. So I knew a little about the SEALs. I talked to this guy. He could not remeber his BUDs class number, he did not know what teams were on what coast, and he only did 4 years. All huge red flags. I knew he was a poser. I never said what I thought to him. When it came time to vote on him I told my frat brothers what I learned and we passed on him. That was it. There was no verbal accusations. It was nice and simple.

It's probably a good thing that Stolen Valor accusations weren't the rage after either of the World Wars. Returning veterans, statistically mostly citizen soldiers, weren't exactly reflections of the uniform regs at the time and certainly not of these times. Ribbons worn individually instead of on mounts, medals and ribbons mixed, ribbons upside down and out of order are common on the coming home pictures these veterans appear in. Photos of these same veterans later in life seldom show any "improvement" in the wear of those same awards. Sometimes time serves to fog the memories.

Want to see an et up uniform? Looka here -
This guy would be challenge bait in this day and age. He's wearing that neck ribbon improperly! Why are there more medals in the top row than in the bottom row? And where did he earn all that stuff? Where are the the campaign medals?
Call those Marines!

The sad part about this is that the police probably did not write up a report since it was classed as a "simple assault". Even if a report was done, I highly doubt if it got sent to the Camp Lejeune Provost Marshal's office like it should have been. Considering all of this type of activity going on, I wonder why the military does not bring back Courtesy Patrols at airports. It would definitely stop a lot of incidents at airports from occurring.

We should bring this man onto RallyPoint for a live chat session so we can all honor his service