Falsely accused on Veterans Day
We’ve heard about military impostors who don uniforms and medals they aren’t entitled to wear. They do this to score a free meal or, worse, to cash in on finance programs or the special recognition.
I hadn’t heard about incidents of the falsely accused until it happened to me.
On the day before Veterans Day, I wore my old uniform to take part in a memorial service. Later, at a different location, a stranger accused me of wearing uniform items he said I hadn’t earned. He doubted my answers to his questions.
In 1969, I volunteered and served three years in the Army. Almost 18 months of my service was overseas, on Okinawa, in a military intelligence detachment, with the 1st Special Forces Group. Only when I showed him my DD 214 form listing awards, places and dates of units served in, etc., did he end his hostile grilling.
Mistaken “stolen valor” accusations are common. Too often it’s by present-day veterans who don’t know military insignia and uniforms from earlier eras.
Leveling such accusations is a serious matter. Sadly, many carry it out as judge and jury without the knowledge to do so.
Jim Kurz
Lexington
This story was originally published November 17, 2017 at 7:20 PM with the headline "Falsely accused on Veterans Day."