Since today is Armed Forces Day I thought I would address a subject that concerns the United States military. When I was a child I enjoyed going to the closet where my father stored his mementos from his time in the Army Air Corp. He served in the South Pacific during World War II. I was always fascinated by the ribbons, patches, badges and other items in the small collection of treasures that he had deemed important enough to keep.
When I became a teenager, I recall a time when it was fashionable for male teens to wear military jackets with patches and medals. Like most boys, I followed the herd and got my dad to let me wear one of his old Army jackets. I don”t think I put much on it in the way of pins and patches, but I did add a few pieces of flair. I know that some kids went all out and tried to find every type of military medal they could find to decorate their coat with.
Today, if wearing military jackets adorned with military medals became popular, some youngsters would wind up being arrested. Five years ago the Stolen Valor Act of 2005 was passed by Congress. Before the 2005 act was made law it was only a crime to wear the Congressional Medal of Honor without authorization. The new law made the “unauthorized wear, manufacture, sale or claim (either written or oral) of any military decorations and medals” a federal misdemeanor offense. This crime can be punished with up to a year in prison and a fine.
When I was young I enjoyed looking at and holding the military memorabilia of my dad because it connected me with my dad and something he lived through. When I was a teenager, I did it because everyone else was doing it. We definitely were not trying to pass ourselves off as military heroes; it was just a phase we went through.
There are people, though, who, for whatever reason, totally avoid the steps of enlistment into the military, the months or years of training and the lethal dangers of combat, yet still portray themselves as war heroes, wearing many service decorations, up to and including the Medal of Honor. As of shortly after the Stolen Valor Act of 2005 was passed, there were 120 living Medal of Honor recipients. There were more than 120 documented Medal of Honor frauds at the time.
The federal courts have been dealing with shots taken at the Stolen Valor Act of 2005, based upon free speech concerns. I don”t know what the outcome will be, but here is how I look at the situation. I believe that it should definitely be illegal for someone to fraudulently pose as a military hero. There is a precedence for this that goes all the way back to General George Washington. He personally created America”s first military decoration, the Purple Heart, for those wounded in battle. Washington said, “Should any who are not entitled to these honors have the insolence to assume the badges of them who are, they shall be severely punished.”
On the other hand, I think it would be a shame for anyone who might wear a ribbon or medal received by their father, as a way to honor their father, to be arrested and punished. To me it depends on the intent. If a person is wearing a military decoration to honor someone ? not a crime. If someone wears military medals to defraud others ? definitely a crime.
Gary Dickson is the editor and publisher of the Record-Bee. Call him at 263-5636, ext. 24. E-mail him at gdickson@record-bee.com.
