Stolen Valor

[PP1RT]

How can you even go about thanking someone for their service when they lie about the capacity in which they served? It almost removes all merit completely. I mean, I thank all men and women in uniform for their service, and then you see some POS like these people. I served a very long time ago, I don't remember all the details of the uniforms in each branch of the service. It sucks... makes me wonder how many POSs I thanked that never served.

Most every veteran i have met is fairly humble. The braggers are the ones i wonder about...

 

[Bart K]

It sounds like most of you on this thread are veterans. I am not, so from a civilian point of view, these guys are the lowest of the low. It should be a crime like impersonating a Police Officer is. Thank you all for your service! 65Road Racer, you mentioned possibly thanking someone for their service that did not deserve it. I say continue to thank military people for their service, and if some of them do not deserve it, that is on them, and not you or I.

 

[Brandy]

Guys, in this day and age, if a serviceperson is sporting more than 8-9 rows of ribbons and is still in his or her 20's you should be a little skeptical when that person is acting like Rambo and willing to tell all about every second of their adventures in combat. The very best response to an individual like that is to ask politely to see their CAC card. Any real serviceperson will happily allow you to see their military identification, whether active, Guard or retired. If they don't have one, or cite some BS grounds of why they cant show it to you then be suspicious. The few who may not want to show it to you, and have legitimate reasons for not doing so, will be special ops warriors who are still active. They need to stay anonymous.

Here's mine.

 

[ESOXER]

Gold Star family member here, I saw this today and it makes sick.

 

[69a100]

Any real serviceperson will happily allow you to see their military identification, whether active, Guard or retired. If they don't have one, or cite some BS grounds of why they cant show it to you then be suspicious. The few who may not want to show it to you, and have legitimate reasons for not doing so, will be special ops warriors who are still active. They need to stay anonymous.

Here's mine.

View attachment 549802

Totally agree here, mine's pink for another year then I can get a grey one.

 

[gkent]

Happened in Canada at a Remembrance Day ceremony. The guy was interviewed on TV etc. and then someone pointed out the discrepancies in his uniform, insignia, etc.. He was called out on it and confessed he'd never served a day !! He got plastered all over national television though. My guess is he probably needed to start a new life somewhere after that !!

 

[Brandy]

Here ya go.....
Here’s a quick break-down of the colors. There aren’t many!

White: Current service members

Blue: Retirees

Tan: Active Duty/Retiree’s Dependents

Red: National Guard/Reserves Dependents

Green: The old color for service members’ cards. If you see one of these, you may want to be a bit suspicious since people aren’t supposed to keep them when they get out. The only way it would be real and they’d still have it would be if it were a lost one that they found a long time later and just never turned in. I used to have one like this.

 

[Brandy]

Short story: lol....I was in line at the grocery checkout the other day when a middle aged woman standing beside me asked me if I was a soldier. I looked down at her and asked her why she wanted to know. She replied that I had a permanent scowl on my face. I said so what? She said real military people were invariably nice and smiled more, like that Navy Seal on Hawaii 5-0. I'm not kidding, she really said it. THEN I smiled and replied, uh...you do know that Hawaii 5-0 is a TV show and the man your referring to is an actor, playing a part? NOT a Navy seal? Right? She raised her eyebrows and said Really!? Huh, I thought he was a real military guy. So..why do you have a scowl on your face? I looked her in the eyes and said it's because I have to field these kinds of questions everywhere I go, from people who should mind their own business. She was unhappy after that......

 

[BDF6]

John Kerry.
http://www.militarycorruption.com/kerry4.htm

Edited to add: THANK YOU ALL REAL MILITARY PERSONEL FOR YOUR SACRIFICE AND SERVICE!

 

[snakeyes]

Another interesting subject on this topic:
More DATA to follow:
View attachment 549794

this M Fer looks like we would call a metal detector

 

[snakeyes]

And as of 15 December 2017 and perhaps MY "All Time Favorite";

Bo Berghdahl

View attachment 549797

this one is a

 

[dart4forte]

Is one of those medals "Batman"???
View attachment 549801

\
Air Assault Badge. Have to qualify by attending Air Assault School. PX Hero

 

[oldbee]

Short story: lol....I was in line at the grocery checkout the other day when a middle aged woman standing beside me asked me if I was a soldier. I looked down at her and asked her why she wanted to know. She replied that I had a permanent scowl on my face. I said so what? She said real military people were invariably nice and smiled more, like that Navy Seal on Hawaii 5-0. I'm not kidding, she really said it. THEN I smiled and replied, uh...you do know that Hawaii 5-0 is a TV show and the man your referring to is an actor, playing a part? NOT a Navy seal? Right? She raised her eyebrows and said Really!? Huh, I thought he was a real military guy. So..why do you have a scowl on your face? I looked her in the eyes and said it's because I have to field these kinds of questions everywhere I go, from people who should mind their own business. She was unhappy after that......

C’mon be nice to us old folks!! Semper Fi.:

 

[oldbee]

Guys, in this day and age, if a serviceperson is sporting more than 8-9 rows of ribbons and is still in his or her 20's you should be a little skeptical when that person is acting like Rambo and willing to tell all about every second of their adventures in combat. The very best response to an individual like that is to ask politely to see their CAC card. Any real serviceperson will happily allow you to see their military identification, whether active, Guard or retired. If they don't have one, or cite some BS grounds of why they cant show it to you then be suspicious. The few who may not want to show it to you, and have legitimate reasons for not doing so, will be special ops warriors who are still active. They need to stay anonymous.

Here's mine.

View attachment 549802

8-9 rows? You better be on the high side of 40 at least! Or, a general officer , those guys get that stuff handed out like candy.

 

[65RoadRacer]

Being a veteran, I'll say this - and it's *my* opinion so that's all that matters. Nobody has to agree or argue, it's not going to change my mind. If you're offended, don't get your panties in a bunch, just understand that it's my own personal feelings - that's my disclaimer.

I enlisted right out of high school. My desire was to serve my country, and I gave it enough thought that I planned to do a full 20 years and retire. Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way, but I still served my country proudly. I love my country and support my military.

That said, it bugs the living **** out of me when some young punk with all his limbs and a nice pair of sneakers expects to get a discount at any establishment simply because he's a veteran or active duty. Key word: expects

Do I feel that our veterans (not me, but real veterans) deserve something? hell yeah, because I am proud of them. But I didn't do any combat tours, and remained stateside, so I don't look for discounts or free stuff. I didn't enlist so that some place like Home Depot or Burger King can give me a "military discount". When people trash a business online because they didn't give a discount to a veteran, to me they're like the stolen valor people above. Again, that's my opinion, you don't have to agree.

We fight for the freedom of the store owners of this country to have the right to choose who and when they give a discount, and when some young punk thinks he's the Green Beret GI Joe and earned a mandatory discount it bothers the crap out of me. I'm fully able-bodied, and I have a career, so I'll pay what every other proud American pays, and I'll also park in the same spots as they do.

If a store has a "Veterans parking only" spot, I won't take it - ever. It belongs to a real veteran who fought in a war and is possibly disabled. But if a young punk in a lifted truck parks in that spot and hops out on his own two feet and feels entitled, I get pissed. We have lots of veterans and lots of active duty, and I respect them all, but I also feel they need to respect those before them, and if they don't really need that parking spot, or that discount, I rather they just go about their business and not act like anyone owes them anything.

The irony: I respect the hell out of those who fought in wars, did multiple tours, and if you ask me if they deserve a discount, I'll say yes. Just don't demand it or expect it - let it be a gift, not mandatory.
/soap box rant

 

[steve from staten island]

I did 6 months active duty and 5 1/2 years in NYSANG. It was something but i never considered myself a veteran and never will. l Id never take a free meal as i dont feel i earned that right. That privilege should be reserved for those who are combat vets and those who served most of there lives. As far as special parking spots. I know a few purple heart recipients as well as as relative who was injured and a POW, some have lingering health issues as a result but I'm sure they would agree special parking spots belong to the handicapped.

 

[HALIFAXHOPS]

Hey I paid my dues 8.5 in the USN then went air guard SPECOPS, no not a snake eater a avionics guy for rescue h-60/c-130, paid my dues every freaking conflict since 87. Talk about time away in the rescue stuff, sandbox 8 times, all over the world with it. Best was backup rescue for the space shuttle launches, did those a lot. Month shy of 25 years, had to leave for medical reasons or I would still be in. I hate those freaking loosesrs that fabricate up a career, send them my way. Yes I have a pink ID now also, expiration date: indefinite!!!!! There is a law on the books now about it. Send them posers to a military prison!

View attachment 549937 View attachment 549938

 

[HALIFAXHOPS]

Oh yeah bet thos ******** have a challenge coin on them at all times also!
Man that spun me up!

 

[Skytrooper]

While it bugs me that there are people like this out there garnering unwarranted attention to themselves, basically for attention or recognition. I dont lose any sleep about it. The pretenders stand out like a sore thumb. They have a tendancy to overdo the look. They wear the uniform incorrectly, wear too many ribbons and devices, and intermix branch insignia. It is not that you cannot mix them ( being in both the Army &Navy, I have a slight mix too).
They are just screaming for attention, but they can go on about it. The one thing they do not possess is a DD214. That my friends is the real ticket. They can go on pretending, but they aint got diddly.

 

[Brandy]

C’mon be nice to us old folks!! Semper Fi.:

She was a 100% liberal no hair color Birkenstock wearing , patchouli smelling , Obama lover.