Stolen Valor

 There is a great deal of histrionics about stolen valor, and I want to revisit it.

Some people need to belong to a larger organization that makes their lives important or relevant and provides a sense of belonging.  We have organizations like Daughters of the American Revolution or Starfleet International that help provide this.  While these can be harmless fun, pretending to have military service when you don't is a different level.

  Aug. 4, 2026, on Truth Social, which showed Trump in an AI-generated image of himself standing                                                 between Gen. George Patton and Gen. Douglas MacArthur. 

Maybe it is to cage a free meal, impress the girls, have children look up to you; I just don't know.  It's not anything new.  In "You're Stepping on My Cloak and Dagger," part of Rodger Hall's training for the OSS was to penetrate a defense plant.  He does so by claiming to be a discharged soldier, wounded in action.  Not quite stolen valor, but would he have thought of that path if it didn't exist?

After Vietnam, a letter was published in Playboy about stolen valor, suggesting that if you must, make yourself a clerk behind the lines.  You could do important things, have adventures, and nobody would care.  As I remember it, the writer wasn't angry, just disappointed in these people.

As civilians, we are exposed to military jargon such as MOS, POG, and  Blue Falcon from movies, television, and books.  It's easy to pepper your speech with jargon and fool most civilians and some former military.  The internet can flesh out your story with supporting facts.

The Stolen Valor Act of 2013 makes it a federal crime to falsely claim you received specific high-level military medals or combat badges for the purpose of gaining a tangible benefit, like money, jobs, or property.  But simply boasting or lying about military service without material reward is protected under the First Amendment.

I find all of this disturbing.  Where do I find solid ground to stand in this morass?  Does claiming to be wounded in action to get a round of drinks count as material gain?  Does finding a willing sexual partner by claiming military service and rank count?  Does claiming you would have been heroic in that circumstance mean anything? 

I don't know where President Trump's late-night cartoons of him in uniform fall on the scale of tangible benefit.  I suspect if he wasn't the president, most of us would think he's just some smuck trying to make his existence more meaningful.  The spotlight is a powerful narcotic for some people.

I never served, and the thought of claiming some connection to the military is outrageous to me.  This would be like claiming to be an Eagle Scout when you only made First Class.  It says only bad things about you.

Many organizations, NRA, VFW, American Legion, draw careful lines around this topic, not wanting to offend politicians or donors who have exaggerated facts about themselves.  This, in my opinion, is wrong.  These organizations need a strong statement about how inappropriate stolen valor is to set a standard.

I am coming to the point of view that these people are simply sad.  They are the same people who can't get over the 300 bowling game they had 15 years ago, or the scout from the majors who caught them on a bad night when they lost a cleat or had a toothache.  You'll find them at the bar, at shooting ranges, church picnics, and in political offices. 

Bruce Springsteen said it best:

"Well, they'll pass you by, glory days

In the wink of a young girl's eye, glory days

Glory days."

The Stoics tell us that true personal worth comes from the decency of your motivations and actions, independent of what others think.  Failing to do that also says a lot about you.