When "Stolen Valor" Goes Wrong: 75 Year Old Marine Accused Of Being Fake Veteran...

[dwhitehorne]

So they based their complaint off of a wrinkled cover and a EGA on the dress blues buckle? The buckle changed even when I was in from plain to the EGA for everyone and that was 20 years ago. I have no idea what the standard is now. Talk about open mouth and insert foot. AND that officer needs to get on a PT program before he tried calling anyone else out for uniform deficiencies. David

[mike240]

True, but a "peace officer" should know quite a bit about discretion. Old timer in dress blues participating in a memorial event aren't like the guy running for election claiming to have won a MoH. It's one of those "you better be damn sure before you say anything" situations.

The entire premise of "stolen valor" concerns are presumably out of respect for veterans, what these two tards did was the exact opposite. Their actions were pretty high up on the "disrespectful" list.

True. And it is not the cops place to get involved in it while on duty anyways.

[chuckman]

I understand the desire to 'out' a fake and all, but one needs to exercise discretion.

I saw this very thing a few years back where I work....someone claimed to have been in SF in VN, people were quick to claim BS, he brought in indisputable proof. Once you are labelled with the Scarlet Letter it's hard as hell to undo all of that.

[TAZ]

What was that about a certain road being paved with good intentions??? This is what happens when stupid people are allowed discretion. They generally **** it up.

I haven't kept up with the stolen valor laws, but I seem to recall the SCOTUS ruling that wearing uniforms and medals and what nots were free speech, so unless a guy is claiming benefits as in medical, financial or using his faked service for financial gain, like getting elected he wasn't breaking any laws. Maybe instead of running is fat pie hole the cop should have used the time to run his fat ass around a corner. Society would have been better off. As for the other dipshit; maybe he needs to remember that uniforms change over time. Id like to see him in a remedial class on historic military uniforms from then Revolution to current.

Even one of the guys who championed the stolen valor concept is on the record as wanting to be certain before making accusations. You know like that whole concept of better to have 10 criminals go free than 1 innocent man in jail thing.

[sevenhelmet]

The soldier and cop were idiots, I agree, but I'm not sure what the Stolen Valor Act has to do with any of it. This easily could have happened without it. At least the gentleman in question wasn't prosecuted.

[TAZ]

The soldier and cop were idiots, I agree, but I'm not sure what the Stolen Valor Act has to do with any of it. This easily could have happened without it. At least the gentleman in question wasn't prosecuted.

Stolen Valor act had nothing to do with it, which is exactly the reason the idiot cop should have moved on and raided another donut shop. Even if the guy was a fake, he wasn't doing anything illegal AFAIK. Not cool, deuchebagery yes, but that isn't illegal yet.

[Digital_Damage]

The incompetence of local LEO's seems to be on the rise, I'm a firm believer it is time to institute federal requirements before hiring...

[wildcard600]

Clowns going over the top like this looking for "stolen valor" to "expose" are worse attention whores than the douchebags pretending to be prior service for attention.

both groups need a few teeth knocked out.

[SteyrAUG]

The soldier and cop were idiots, I agree, but I'm not sure what the Stolen Valor Act has to do with any of it. This easily could have happened without it. At least the gentleman in question wasn't prosecuted.

In this case "Stolen Valor" is a concept, not really the specific act.

[T2C]

An apology to the Marine is in order.