Posers beware

[Jim]

One man's database helps uncover cases of falsified valor

By Christian Davenport
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, May 10, 2010

It certainly looked real. It had the right font, right seal. It was even signed by the secretary of the Navy.

But Doug Sterner, self-appointed guardian of the nation's military decorations, immediately suspected that there was something fishy about the Marine's citation for the Navy Cross, one of the military's most prestigious awards.

First of all, it said that the president "takes pride" in presenting the prize. "Pride," Sterner knew, is typically used only when the recipient is dead. This Marine was very much alive, which meant the citation should have said the president "takes pleasure." Then Sterner noticed that the citation was supposedly signed in 1968 by Navy Secretary Paul H. Nitze. But Nitze was secretary only until 1967.

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[Oto-Man]

Interesting info on the bottom of pg 1 of the article.

"But now the law is being challenged in court by free speech advocates who say that lying about military valor might be shameful but should not be criminal. The First Amendment's guarantee of free speech means that if burning the flag is legal, then wearing unearned medals should be, too, critics say. The Constitution, they say, protects acts of personal reinvention, whether it's a politician rewriting his past, a guy trying to pick up a woman in a bar or someone donning a fake medal.

The fact is that people lie about things all the time," said Jonathan Libby, a California public defender whose client is challenging the law. "They lie about their age, their sexual orientation, their marital status. On dating sites, they lie about their physical appearance. What would prevent Congress from outlawing any of that?"


Um lets see...lie about age to buy cigs or alcohol--outlawed
sexual orientation--dont ask dont tell--not quite a lie, but witholding of the truth--outlawed
marital status--try that one on your 1040--outlawed
dating sites--it should be illegal to have some sasquach claim to be petite.

[GoldCoast]

Lying about being fat or gay is not the same thing as stealing another man's accomplishments for your personal gain. It's even called the 'Stolen Valor Act'.

[eaglefla]

Any real Rangers out there wiling to help flush out a very pathetic poser whom is wreaking havoc with some other vets through various scemes and scams. This s**tbag is doing more than trying to garner attention. He is literally causing misery for another group of good vets because of his poor character and devious behavior. He goes around this aforementioned vet community telling war stories about being tabbed which don't even pass the smell test to to we "legs" (AIr Assault 101MP though) having to put up with the douchebag.

I'm pretty much conceding he was stationed at Ft Stewart, most likely as a cook-not as in Food Service Specialist, Ranger. The consensus is he picked up this delusion simply serving chow to real Rangers and learned the basics of the regiment's structure, etc. He can recite rote statistics but his demeanor changes when pressed about specifics having to do with deployments or specific training. I can't get his SS number and/or Ranger "class info" at this time. With a name and age can anyone help us flush this scum out on a PM. Please pm me with reply.