Stolen Valor Act (anti Wannabees)

[Berta]

From Colonel Dan Cedusky email:

WASHINGTON - A bill mandating tougher punishment for military imposters

gained final approval from the House on Wednesday, and will now go to the

president to be signed into law.

The legislation, dubbed the "stolen valor act," calls for up to six months

in prison for anyone who falsely claims to have earned a military honor, and

up to a year in prison for fraudulently wearing a Purple Heart, Silver Star

or other high military honor.

Both crimes would also be classified as felonies, which can carry additional

penalties such as limits on gun ownership and disqualification from certain

public offices, depending on the state.

Under current law, anyone caught wearing a military medal they did not earn

faces a misdemeanor charge and up to six months in prison, but law

enforcement can't do anything to someone simply displaying or claiming to

have earned the honor.

House officials on Wednesday said the change closes that critical loophole

and helps protect the integrity of the military awards.

"These frauds have diminished the honor of our military heroes," said Rep.

John Salazar, D-Colo., who introduced the original version of the measure.

"They use it to gain credibility for themselves, and often go on to commit

even worse crimes."

Along with cases of individuals using the fake medals to gain speaking

engagements and community leadership roles, Salazar referenced crimes

committed in 2004 by retired Marine Sgt. Gary Lakis, who claimed fake combat

experience and nonexistent Silver Stars in order to gain $66 million in

defense contracts to provide training to the service.

The military revoked those contracts once Lakis was found to be lying about

much of his military career, but he fled the country before FBI

investigators could arrest him and charge him with fraud.

Rep. John Kline, R-Minn., said awards such as the Purple Heart "hold a

deeper meaning and value for servicemen that far outweighs their monetary

worth," and called the bill a chance to honor the sacrifice of all troops by

preserving the military's legacy.

The tougher penalties are backed by a number of veterans groups, including

the Vietnam Veterans of America and the Military Order of the Purple Heart.

As of late last week, supporters thought the bill likely wouldn't pass this

session because of House Republican leadership's resistance to moving a

measure proposed by Salazar, a first-term Democrat.

The measure approved yesterday was a nearly identical bill sponsored by Sen.

Kent Conrad, D-N.D., which was approved by the full Senate in September.

The White House has not released any timetable for when the bill could be

signed into law.

C 2006 Stars and Stripes. All Rights Reserved.

Stolen Valor Act of 2005 (Engrossed as Agreed to or Passed

by Senate)

S 1998 ES

109th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 1998

[Guest fla_viking]

Test rat

Do you know research shows. If your parents dont have children. Chances are you wont have kids either.

Terry Higgins

[Berta]

Terry as always- you make profound comments-

We had a wannabee here- many years ago- someone checked him out-

his story -as to a very high military award he had received- was absolutely not true-

then he was incarcerated and the wife called me continually about it.She wanted me to somehow tell hadit the story because they needed a lot of money for legal fees--

But I did not post it here-

It was a VERY serious charge-

I believed the vet's story at first but someone tipped me off and I got the police report-he had admitted his guilt when they arrested him.

This vet knew me on line a long time and actually wanted to come up here so I could help with his claim.

Boy- am I glad he never did that.

I have met quite a few wannabees. They are actually very intersting.

One ran the VVA chapter near me- he got exposed-

another ran a big vet org -in Rochester I think- he was exposed too but he had done so much for disabled vets, in spite of being a certified bonafide wannabee- they voted him back into the vet org.

I just cannot understand why anyone would misrepresent their military background.Someone always finds out.

[Hoppy]

I have heard that Hemmingway made up some whoppers about being injured while fighting in a WW. The story goes that he could not get into a fighting unit because of some medical condition he had.

Edited December 10, 2006 by Hoppy

[LarryJ]

From the Website www.NobelPrize.org

Ernest Hemingway

The Nobel Prize in Literature 1954

Biography

Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961), born in Oak Park, Illinois, started his career as a writer in a newspaper office in Kansas City at the age of seventeen. After the United States entered the First World War, he joined a volunteer ambulance unit in the Italian army. Serving at the front, he was wounded, was decorated by the Italian Government, and spent considerable time in hospitals. After his return to the United States, he became a reporter for Canadian and American newspapers and was soon sent back to Europe to cover such events as the Greek Revolution.

During the twenties, Hemingway became a member of the group of expatriate Americans in Paris, which he described in his first important work, The Sun Also Rises (1926). Equally successful was A Farewell to Arms (1929), the study of an American ambulance officer's disillusionment in the war and his role as a deserter. Hemingway used his experiences as a reporter during the civil war in Spain as the background for his most ambitious novel, For Whom the Bell Tolls , etc.

just thought I'd help ya out there a little bit, Hoppy

[LarryJ]

From the Website www.NobelPrize.org

Ernest Hemingway

The Nobel Prize in Literature 1954

Biography

Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961), born in Oak Park, Illinois, started his career as a writer in a newspaper office in Kansas City at the age of seventeen. After the United States entered the First World War, he joined a volunteer ambulance unit in the Italian army. Serving at the front, he was wounded, was decorated by the Italian Government, and spent considerable time in hospitals. After his return to the United States, he became a reporter for Canadian and American newspapers and was soon sent back to Europe to cover such events as the Greek Revolution.

During the twenties, Hemingway became a member of the group of expatriate Americans in Paris, which he described in his first important work, The Sun Also Rises (1926). Equally successful was A Farewell to Arms (1929), the study of an American ambulance officer's disillusionment in the war and his role as a deserter. Hemingway used his experiences as a reporter during the civil war in Spain as the background for his most ambitious novel, For Whom the Bell Tolls , etc.

just thought I'd help ya out there a little bit, Hoppy

[Stretch]

I am currently getting my VN guys into the AO registry, because they have Diabetes type 2, sleep apnea, and one with 8 heart stints, and many other problems. One Plane Captain says that his Diabetes type 2 is probably hereditary. These guys went to the VA years ago and were being given the run-around. They guys just gave up on the system. I am going to have to drag them to the VA. Wonder why these patriots were stabbed in the back? They were all exposed to AO. Several have already died prior to 57 to 58 years old.

I read this and it really burned me up. My claims have been going for 30+ years with Nothing, because of my inability to be a researcher and mental illness from service. This guy walks into the VA and gets his claims approved.

Somehow I suspect that relatives, within the system, automatically grant some claims. It makes no since to me at all.

http://www.vawatchdog.org/nfDEC06/nf120906-2.htm