In all walks of life there are folks who portray themselves as something they are not for personal gain. We see it on the political front all the time. Politicians, within all political parties, that take a connection to something military and attempt to “spin it” with a political paintbrush that makes it appear that they were at the tip of the spear or carried the sweat of battle only to dig a little deeper and find out that they were not all that they elude to be. However, these gentlemen shown in the video are definite criminals in my book. The last one in the video, the 23 year old, who never even completed boot camp and attempted to parlay his extremely limited experience in camouflage into an elaborate tale of the negatives of war in order to feed his “anti-war” sentiment is definitely the worst. The saddest part of it is that the fact he participated in boot camp, despite his feeble inability to complete, shows that he probably isn’t even passionate about his “so called” anti-war message and is merely looking for fame on the back of the others who served. Truly sad. Here is a pretty good ripping of the last guy’s credentials from HotAir.com. I like how it plays out in the end. A little disclaimer is in order: I never take anything that anyone posts as complete 100% fact. I am sure that HotAir.com has other topics and such that do not align with my beliefs. That being said, this individual video is a noteworthy discussion of the guy in the first video from ABC.
When I was a substance abused counselor for the Navy, I saw guys spin all kinds of yarns in order to acquire services that they thought they wouldn’t have otherwise received. Truly sad. And, frankly some had perpetuated the tales for so long that it appeared “clinically” that they began to believe their own stories. Of course, we fished and got the facts as part of the process, but I did see this more than once. It just showed me the real sadness of it. Hustlers or scammers are in every corner of our world and there is no difference here. Whether it is an attempt to justify a political stance, undeserved financial gain, or just unwarranted status in the world, the insecurities and negative drive of these people brings out the worst.
Now, you can’t think about these acts without looking closer to home and possible things that go on around us. Without going off the deep end and commencing a surveillance mission regarding the service credentials of everyone we interact with, why not start out with the behavior. The ironic question is… do we float around folks who tout ribbons, medals, and campaigns that they haven’t earned or took part in? Probably. Is it any different? We may know these people and consider them “good people” based on all their other traits and probably find their rants harmless. However, it is really not any different. The difference is in how we handle it. Should we call them on it? Yes. But, there is a kind way to do it. Remember, the point is to stop the behavior or action and not to use their mistakes as a personal tool to place ourselves above them. That just makes us look bad for attacking them when there might be a piece of information that we have missed. Give them a chance to prove it. If they can’t prove it and persist, then, of course, subtle peer pressure might be the key. Nowadays, thanks to the “information superhighway” or shall we say the “galactic information spaceway” you can get military records, listing of awards and medals, and many other bits of information online. On the personal front, I have met several guys like this in my life and what I tend to do is simply be aware. The truth usually unravels itself in conversations with those who have earned the merits, given of themselves, and have been there.
You know I would be remiss if I didn’t mention an incident I was part of where I saw how these things can play out in these casual discussions. I was once (sort of) on the other side. I was approached by a person who attempted to “put me in check”, so to speak, only to find out in further discussion that the dispute was easily cleared up and got totally blown out of proportion. We were both in the military and he “outranked” me and it really appeared that his approach was more of a front to make himself look better than it was to clear up an error. I call those moments “insecurity alerts” when I see folks take advantage of things in an obvious attempt to catapult themselves to a higher position because they do not appear comfortable with their own self. Oh well…The guy had a need and he thought he found it by interjecting in my conversation and trying to put pressure on me for something that he wasn’t really on top of himself. In the end, the guy took the worst end of it, because he came at me with such forceful and offensive behavior instead of striking up a conversation with a simple, “Hey, bud! Did I hear you right?” and seeking out the facts which could have cleared it up before he embarrassed himself. Unfortunately, the guy was so embarrassed by the incident that he quit coming to the establishment that we had seen each other at for years until I saw him at the base and asked him to stop back by. I could have really overacted over the incident and took offense and all that stuff, but in the end, it just wasn’t that important to lash back. I think he probably conducts himself quite different in those situations now. I remember the situation because it was a growth experience and others associated with me at that time spoke of it as well.
Although, these “closer to home” examples are similar situations, the people depicted in the video at the beginning of the article are on the gross end of the scale and really need to be put in check. In my opinion, they need to be handled in a manner that bruises their pocketbook or shames them into never doing it again and becoming an example for others. The guys portrayed on the video really take things to a whole new level. I am sure that their charisma and rapport with those around them presented them in a fashion where they could probably have pulled off any identity fraud that they chose. The “anti-war” guy was really disheartening and I am sure that he will live to regret his “performance” for years to come.
So, what is the moral? What’s the point? What can we do?
- Be aware. Hustlers and scammers exist, they will use whatever they can to achieve their goals and get what they want, even if it takes posing at phony war vets.
- Discuss service credentials openly. If someone mentions something that doesn’t seem right, ask them about it.
- Pass the word! If they persist to misrepresent themselves, let others know.
- Question credentials! If a person uses service credentials for financial contributions or support beyond good deeds, to name a few, you have the right to verify those credentials and should do so.
- Report them! If they are grossly fraudulent and are committing a criminal act of fraud, then turn them in for the criminal act.
- Don’t let the actions of others deter you from acts in “Service Above Self”!
Further readings about “Stolen Valor” can be found at the following sites that I found interesting:
- Stolen Valor - How the Vietnam Generation Was Robbed of its Heroes and History (Quick Guide to Obtaining Military Records)
- Stolen Valor Act or 2005 - Excellent site with lots of info! See the proposed Congressional Bill and who supports it!
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