Fake military guys & the Stolen Valor Act of 2005

'War Stories' Have Some Facing Prison
August 18, 2008
The Oklahoman

John Smith said he was a Navy SEAL who was imprisoned in Vietnam after
his helicopter was shot down.

Troy Brodrick spoke in schools about his 30-year military career in
which he earned three Purple Hearts and flew President Eisenhower as an
Air Force One pilot.

William Whitely, a former University of Oklahoma professor, told stories
of his career as a Navy SEAL while he served as a mentor to Naval ROTC
students who wanted to follow in his footsteps.

Trouble is, they were lying.

Smith, Brodrick and Whitely are among a growing nest of military
imposters, people who make up military careers or exaggerate their service.

Such lies might seem harmless, especially when legitimate veterans have
been known to tell aggrandized tales to make their service seem a bit
more exciting. But it's a source of frustration for those who truly
earned such accolades, and in many cases it's a violation of federal law.

Steve Robinson is the real deal. He was with SEAL Team One for most of
the 1970s. He's written a book about unmasking SEAL imposters and has
worked with several Web sites that verify public claims of military heroism.

The most common false claims are prisoner of war status and special
forces service, Robinson said. "Last year, 188 men graduated from SEAL
training, of 35,000 who joined the Navy," he said.

He said for every man on the front lines, there were several supporting
them in jobs like clerk, cook and truck driver.

"I have only met a couple of cooks and truck drivers from the Vietnam
War. Most were hunting Vietcong snipers in the elephant grass," he said,
referring to stories people tell.

Lies can be criminal

The Stolen Valor Act of 2005 makes it a federal crime to wear military
decorations and medals that weren't earned. Unauthorized manufacturing
or selling of such awards is also forbidden. Both can be punished by
prison time and fines, officials said.

Impersonating an officer and falsely claiming veteran status are also
crimes.

Mary Schantag is a researcher for the POW Network, a Web site that keeps
a database of known military imposters in an effort to discourage them
from spreading their false claims.

Schantag, whose husband is a disabled Marine veteran, said it's
difficult for the FBI and courts to track down and punish every offender.

"Claiming medals that haven't been earned is a crime, but these guys
know they can get away with it," Schantag said. "There isn't enough room
in the justice system."

Schantag said the veterans who volunteer their time to unmask military
pretenders don't go to federal authorities unless the case is serious.

"We don't turn in the guy down the street who is wearing the Purple
Heart at the parade," Schantag said. "But if he has a Medal of Honor
hanging on his wall, and he's leading the parade and talking at the
local school, we might go to the FBI."

'A wake of victims'

Robinson and Schantag agree the problem has gotten worse since Desert
Storm in the early 1990s, with another spike since 9/11.

In January 2002, Robinson said, he was asked to check on more than 1,100
claims made by men who claimed to be SEALs. Three were legitimate.

Robinson said the most common offenders are veterans who embellish their
service.

Schantag said that it's a shame those who tell such lies can't take
pride in what they truly accomplished.

"They really want to be the hero elite, and they forget that it takes
every member of the military to make a mission successful," Schantag
said. "It doesn't matter whether they are the clerk typing in orders or
the cook making meals or the guy on the front lines."

The ramifications of such exaggerations can go well beyond possible
criminal prosecution.

Schantag said she's seen marriages broken up, children who lost faith in
a parent and longtime friendships between veterans lost forever.

"What they are doing is devastating," Schantag said. "They think it's a
victimless crime, and it's not. They leave a wake of victims."

Robinson said that even if the lies do not reach the threshold of being
a crime, that they are always demeaning to those who truly sacrificed
for their country.

"It's a huge travesty for the real men who earned it," Robinson said.
"It's horribly frustrating."

© Copyright 2008 The Oklahoman. All rights reserved. This material may
not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.