It's the Law: Medal liars face new sanctions

Sacramento Bee ^ | 12/27/7 | Peter Hecht

[dljordan]

“I joined because I was patriotic, and because my father was in the Marines and served in Korea. I didn’t join “for college”, though I’ve now taken advantage of that and have gone to college for 30 years now :) (Thank you US Air Force!)”

A lot of people I went to High School with joined because their dads were in the military, as did I. Of course in 1968 you either enlisted, got drafted or went to college. It’s was kind of a tradition in the South to enlist and the recruitment rates there are still high. I appreciated the GI bill later on as we were to poor for college and I was too hot to enlist anyway.

[dljordan]

“I should give back my good conduct ribbon, I wasn’t that good.”

Hey, didn’t I meet you in the NAS Alameda brig one time? There was that big party at the EM’s club and then the Shore Patrol came and....

[Rick.Donaldson]

LOL

Yeah. (I think I got four of those, and some other shiny stuff :))

[Rick.Donaldson]

Hey! I was in Junior ROTC in HS. I ever got SPIT ON at a protest by some brilliant college kids cuz they didn’t know I was a high school kid. LOL

[OCCASparky]

Don't get me started. I never got to go to the one in Bremerton, but the Horse and Cow in SD (near now-defunct NTC) was the source of many a night of interesting entertainment.

Just think "Dance of the Flaming A***oles". You see me workin, dontcha?

[SmithL]

Chest Candy?

[Rick.Donaldson]

It’s legal for you to wear your uniform and medals, if you’re retired.

You are, after all “retired as “ some rank, right? You can even assume the “title of your rank”.

Folks around here call me a lot of names, but a few call me “Master Sergeant” sometimes :) even though I’m in civilian clothing. A lot of the military calls me that.

[Brucifer]

LOL!

[Brucifer]

“Every combat vet I’ve ever know..whether or not they’ve been highly decorated...is usually loathe to talk publicly about wartime experiences or medals..”

Who would believe it anyway? What could you tell them that they could relate to?

[ansel12]

“but the Horse and Cow in SD (near now-defunct NTC) was the source of many a night of interesting entertainment.”

---

I concur with that.

[Jack Black]

By the way I’m 50, and I ‘missed’ the Vietnam war... I went in the service in 1976. The last of the troops were pretty much out of there by ‘74 if I recall correctly. So, someone a year younger than myself couldn’t have been in Nam.

Fall of Saigon, April 30, 1975.

It was certainly all over after this.

[Jack Black]

My father (now deceased) used to wear my great-uncles WW1 service pin (a small pin the about the size of a rotary pin) in the lapel of his blazer on occassion. I always wondered if that was legal. Opinion?

[BIGLOOK]

Authorized medals are listed on your DD214. At SEPROS, ADMIN goes with the information they have at the time. Medals were sent to my home of record after separation but not listed on my DD214 so they're nice souvenirs but not to be worn unless I go through the bureaucratic paperwork to change the original DD214.

Don't sweat the small stuff.

[stylin19a]

doh !...of course you’re right.

I think “hate speech” as a crime stinks.
I can’t have it both ways.

[Publius6961]

But I don't think governments should be in the business of regulating offensive speech.

Even when that "offensive speech" constitutes perjury?

[timm22]

Even when that "offensive speech" constitutes perjury?

Sorry, I was responding to post #35 which specifically excluded swearing under oath, civil service applications, etc. I guess I should have stated my position more clearly.

I don't have a problem with prohibiting perjury. Similarly, I am okay with laws against falsely claiming military service to obtain benefits from the government, such as health care or employment preference.

What I am not comfortable with is trying to regulate some buffoon's lying boasts at the bar or a family reunion.

[stylin19a]

now...is it ok for the state of california to make such law ?

[Travis McGee]

If you’re gonna lie, lie big I guess was his motto.

[Rick.Donaldson]

I think the pins are legal to wear. I’m not honestly sure that there would ever be a question about a pin. I don’t wear any of my stuff, except one item when I’m in a suit. I wear a Presidential Service Badge pin. It’s a lapel pin. The PSB is pretty big, and goes on a dress uniform.

[ElectricStrawberry]

I see it as an unConstitutional law no matter where in the government the law is made...fed-state-local. Speech that doesn’t directly put other people in danger should never be illegal.

Some schmuck lying about his service doesn’t endager ANYone.