You’d think after all the humiliation the perpetrators inevitably must endure, cases like these would dry up:
Steven Douglas Burton, 39, is set to appear before a magistrate in U.S. District Court in Riverside and answer to a misdemeanor charge of unauthorized wearing of military medals or decorations, as first reported at mydesert.com…
Earlier this year, Burton drew suspicion from a Colorado man who tracks medal recipients and a classmate who said she saw Burton wearing medals at a high school reunion.
Army veteran Doug Sterner of Pueblo, Colo., said he saw a photo of Burton in August posted to a Web site with a note from a person who identified himself as Master Gunnery Sgt. Burton. The person who posted the note mentioned serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“I knew immediately that it was phony because he was wearing the Navy Cross, and I have the names and the citations of virtually every Navy Cross recipient in history,” he said.
The Navy Cross? Yeah, we’re not giving those away.
Dummy.
Yeah but…it was pretty on his jacket.
Wanker.
“The two most common elements in the universe are hydrogen and stupidity”…
–Harlan Ellison, I believe.
Harlan Ellison it is, and spot on. Dufus…
…A couple of other stories are saying that the ‘former classmate’ is a active duty USN 05…gotta love it.
Mike
Jeremiah Workman explains what it’s like to wear the Navy Cross in “Shadow of the Sword” . The book describes the price he and his family continue to pay for his sacrifice):
Anyone that steals honor reserved for heroic warfighters deserves the misdemeanor charges.
No, not misdemeanor charges. Getting hit a lot with a baseball bat yes. Butt stroked with a rifle, yes. Spit on, yes. I could see charging such losers with a misdemeanor but only after I’d run over them with a car, backed up and run them over again. Your mileage may vary.
I’d say you need anger management classes, but I pretty much agree with you.
Perhaps one of the positive outcomes of these examples is that the related press might have some small impact on otherwise well-intentioned but ignorant celebrities, musicians, youngsters, etc. who think it’s cool to wear uniforms as costumes or statements of their artistic expression. Won’t mean a thing to those who despise the military.
Earn it to wear it. Paid for in blood.
This is one offense that should be elevated from misdemeanor to felony.
Pity, though, that the penalty can’t be as Curtis suggests…
bc,
There’s wriggle room. There always is. Actors who portray warriors, they can wear the uniform and all the doodads. They’re, hopefully, representing folks like Patton or Hal Moore and I’d give ‘em a pass.
Me and my little brother, when I was five and growing up in Fort Sill, we wore very small Army uniforms for Halloween. Youngsters can get away with wearing our uniform for such occasions since what they really want at that time is to be army men. Pass youngster.
Also cute girls wearing a military tunic they bought at a thrift ship. Pass friend.
Stolen Valor equals earned shame. How ironic.
It may be a misdemeanor, but a lifetime of infamy in exchange for a brief season of empty glory is a burden these perps will have to endure.
The misdemeanor pegs the guy for life. Like a sex offender, he is permanently tagged as a fake. I hope he can someday do something that he can be proud of and take no credit for it. Do good and seek no glory.
Dang it, he wants it, let him go earn it. Send his butt to Afghan NOW, and tell the rest of the Marines “this guy is a hero in waiting so give him every opportunity to earn what he has been wearing”. The good thing is the $__t stains in his trou will hardly be noticeable over there.
I’m getting the strongest impression that he’s not eligible for service with the Marines:
Thats just icing on the cake. On top of being a war “hero”, he’s also tackling the DADT policy along with a chairforce retired poofter. Give him another medal.
A bit over the top in being cute Claudio. If the facts are as appears, Burton would not be eligible for serving in any branch of the military. Just my opinion as a former USAF’er.
I would be happy to see Burton end up in Federal Prison, as I am sure that his soon-to-be very close friends will be.
Course, not that Burton or his partner would be anything less than honest.