Stolen Valor or not? [View all]

[Stinky The Clown]

I served in the Navy during the Viet Nam War era. I was fortunate and never got called to go there. In the process of serving and then getting separated and, ultimately, discharged after serving in the Navy Reserve, I got this for my time and service.



The National Defense Ribbon. Not only did I get one. So did every other person who served. Once out of boot camp, they gave you the medal. No heroics involved.

So anyway, apart from the satisfaction of having served, this is a medal pretty much no one gives a shit about.

In my state, you can get vanity plates with anything on them. You can get plates with the Bronze Star and Purple Heart on them. BUT . . . . . you gotta prove you DESERVE to display those plates.

With all of that as background, here's the stolen valor question. A friend of mine, the wife of my very close friend who died about 5 years ago, has a new boyfriend. While we moved away a few years back, we still stay in touch and see each other frequently. She warned us this new boyfriend would be a Trump voter (she is a Democrat and voted for Hillary). After the election I flew my American flag upside down. I *always* fly the flag. Some time later, when they came over, the flag was flying upside down. The next day she called me. Seems the boyfriend has her convinced he was in Viet Nam. Now he tells her that he helped rescue some buddies who used the upside down flag for its intended purpose as a distress signal. Seeing my flag gave him flashbacks. She said.

Would I please take the flag down to protect the new boyfriend's well being.

But you see, here's the thing (the fundamental, pathetic, transparent bullshittiness of the buddy rescue story notwithstanding), on his car he has a vanity plate. This one:



It defies logic that a Viet Nam vet - one who claims to be an actual COMBAT vet - would opt for that plate instead of the one with the Vietnam Service Medal on it. That one actually means something and, I am sure is displayed proudly by those authorized to display it.

But no. "Audie Murphy" has the bullshit medal on his plate.

So wuddaya think? Combat vet or BULLSHITTER?

In my view, there are few forms of moral bankruptcy that exceed stolen valor.