No, he’s an example of fancy dress.
In a nice silver lining to that phenomenon, at least one person responsible for that meme seems to have genuinely learned an important lesson in irony.
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I know exactly what the term means. It’s a ridiculous term. Almost an oxymoron.
Why on earth would you want to wear your uniform to a wedding? It’s not a ‘guess your career’ day.
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If he was at a costume party or doing it for fun, you would be right. But him and others like him aren’t doing it for fun. He is being deceitful and posing as something he isn’t in order to gain attention or free stuff.
I get it. You don’t like the military. But it’s considered proper etiquette to wear your uniform for formal events if you desire to. My brother wore his Navy blues at mine and looked sharp.
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In that case that makes him a moron. But people are deceitful and attention-craving all the time in all walks of life. That doesn’t make them ‘Stealers of Valor’ in my book. Not even close.
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On Memorial Day in Harrisburg PA, an army soldier spotted 75-year-old
Robert Ford wearing a Marine uniform as he walked down the street.
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Umm… that has no context for me.
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The First Navy Seal’ Was Honored at the USS Hornet Museum. There Was Just One Problem…
Stealing Valor is not against the law. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that lies people tell about their service record is protected under the First Amendment, which is why websites like StolenValor.com and others keep track of the frauds themselves.
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Not at all. A good military is a necessary part of governance. What I don’t like is the use of the military for political will.
I also don’t like the term ‘Stolen Valor’.
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I can’t seem to click on that first link. I’ve noticed this once or twice before. Could you check the editing of it for me please?
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Valor, prestige, accomplishment - what ever word fits perfectly in your world.
If you wear ribbons/medals for any of these that are awarded FOR VALOR, that you didn’t earn, then yes, that is a perfect term:
Medal of Honor
Distinguished Service Cross
Silver Star
Bronze Star with “V” Device
Navy Cross
Air Force Cross
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They’re not all medals of valor though. A lot of these people are using badges other than valor awards. Seal Team badges etc.
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Thanks for the re-link. Clearly this man is a conman. History has plenty of examples of high-shenanigans. The military however, wants to claim its own unique version is very different and is somehow linked to stolen valor, or at least they wanted to give us that impression by calling it that.
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It’s not the U.S. Military, but former and current service members who do the work. The name is taken from a book.
Fair enough. I was wrong on the source of the term and the policing of it.
But it’s still a very silly term.
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I agree, but it’s taken on a life of it’s own.
The sad part about some of these incidents is that sometimes the imposters clearly have mental problems or disabilities.
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