Stolen Valor

[BigBG]

Hey guys,

So this seems to be a hot button topic all over the place. Has anyone discovered someone personally? What are your thoughts on calling them out in public? I'm curious to know what I'd do, but knowing me id confront the bastard and flip out. Watched too many friends lose limbs and die for some POG shit to claim the status that so many have sacrificed for...

Just wanted a discussion. Cheers!

Brian

 

[combatgoldfish]

I personally haven't seen anyone civilian wise who was a stolen valor type situation. However, I've met some prior veteran's try to come across as a grunt until I start asking some question then they admit they never went overseas or sat on the FOB the whole time.

A guy I severed with for many years was on facebook in dress blues with a Combat Infantry Badge on that he didn't earn.

I just don't understand it. You want it, earn it.

 

[Friday]

Hell... I hide my vet status from pretty much everyone except all y'all. I'd have to be in a helluva mood to call someone out. Not that I don't get in that mood, but I usually try not to be in public when my blood is up. I've gone off like a frog in a sock one too many times.

These days when my self control is jacked, I usually turn around and take my ass back to bed. Not that it isn't fun to play, but I don't have anything to help me come down off that high. Guaranteed tailspin or nosedive without it. And thats no fun at all. But I'm really over getting blitzed and picking someone up to get rid of all the jitters and aftershocks those kind of confrontations bring on. So if I can't be chill I usually flip off the world and stay inside.

 

[RTO]

I figure they have bigger problems than me and I feel pity.

 

[BigBG]

I've also noticed more vets tend to embellish their service as opposed to civilians pretending.

I'm not sure why people want to lie about their service but I guess it's to belong maybe? Or receive attention or sympathy? I dont know. And I don't want to call out certain MOS people because I'm sure people from all MOSs have been caught embellishing records...strange

 

[atilla]

I hope that I never run into someone doing this. Too many Brothers and Sisters died doing what we do. I really dont know how I would react. The possible reaction scares me a bit.

 

[Raven]

People embellish their stories. That's fairly normal. Back when I used to go out and someone started telling tall tales about his military service, I would just smirk, pretend to be a civ, and ask really dumb questions. I never got the impression that any of these people were faking military service in the first place, just grossly exaggerating or making up stories of derring-do. I don't think I've ever come across someone who was actively faking his veteran status--at least not that I knew of. Maybe I have but they just did their research or some shit, I don't know.

Not only do I tend to hide my veteran status but when I do speak to other vets (and they don't to obnoxiously peddle their possibly fabricated stories), I don't ask many questions and I tend to steer the topics away from anything military-related. If I wanted to sit around talking sharp all day, I'd have joined the American Legion or something.