On 2008-08-22 07:14:06 -0700, "Vaughn Simon"
said:

In the age if the Internet it is very easy for one to make the claim, and
even easier for the world to discover that the claim is false.

Things are heading that way, yes, but it's still the case that truly
canonical registers are only available online for the very highest
military awards. The convenient analogy is with academic records,
which are so often faked as well. It might take a little legwork to
prove if someone really holds a Navy Cross or a PhD, but it's not that
hard. Trying to authenticate a Bronze Star or masters degree though,
you'll have to dig a bit, and a BA/BS or whatever one would call an
analogous military merit award...forget it.

(Perversely, the listing for my bachelors thesis can be found online
but my masters thesis is nowhere to be found.)

What advantage accrues to someone in the USA if they pretend to have had a
distinguished military career?

That really depends on one's individual situation, but usually there is very
little actual advantage connected to it. Perhaps you would be a big
man at your
local VFW club, but that doesn't put food on the table.

Actually, if you look at just the records of politicians who have
gotten nailed for fake medals or claiming advanced degrees they never
earned, it's pretty clear that they did benefit from the con.