Stolen Valor laws in the states
Chip sends us a link to Maine’s proposed Stolen Valor Act that will make false claims of any military service that results in monetary gain greater than $10 or a false claim of service in a war or wearing/claiming verbally an award or decoration that the wearer didn’t earn a “Class E crime”.
A person is guilty of a false claim of military service status if, with the intent to solicit aid, sell or attempt to sell property or otherwise solicit an amount of more than $10, the person falsely claims to be a veteran or member of the Armed Forces of the United States or a state military force, falsely claims to have served in any war or conflict in which the United States was engaged or orally, in writing or by wearing a military decoration or rank, falsely claims to have been awarded the military decoration or rank.
Also we get a peek at the Arkansas stolen valor law as it is being written from Stu;
[I]t will cover wearing in person or in a photograph or social media posting, publicly displaying as their own, or claiming to have received
in an application for employment,
to obtain a benefit including a purchase discount,
to promote a business, charity or endeavor,
any uniformed services uniform to represent one’s self as a current for former service member, award or qualification not documented on a DD Form 214, or if received after the DD Form 214 was issued, on an original signed, numbered orders issued by the appropriated issuing authority identified thereon.
A violation of the Arkansas Law with be a Class A Misdemeanor and comes with a $1000 fine for the first incident that is doubled for subsequent violations.
Since the feds don’t think enforcement of their laws is sexy enough to pursue criminals, maybe the states can get the job done.
Category: Stolen Valor Act
I also just posted this to MCPO per his request about other states.
I did a few minutes of Google research for in a comment about this and also posted the following. It by no means is an extensive research on the subject and would please ask for any additional input.
” I know of this one, (according to what I could google) Maine, New Jersey and South Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania had one in the 2013-2014 session), it looks like the California house passed a Stolen Valor bill in 2013, Connecticut in 2014, a 2010 article said Nevada was working on it and , Connecticut; Illinois; Missouri;
California; and Kentucky already had laws on the books. (I know I’m repeating myself. )
http://www.disabilitylawclaims.com/blog/nevada-seeking-state-counterpart-of-stolen-valor-act.cfm
But will anyone enforce them?
How about restaurant owners? That’s a start.
The two most common things that happen in restaurants are asking for a veteran discount at the register and wearing military awards. I do not offer military discounts in my restaurants. If anyone does ask I guess that would be an attempt to attain one. Their bill would have to be over $100 to exceed $10. What instructions do I give an 18 year old running the register? If I happen to be in that particular restaurant there is no problem but I am no capable of being everywhere at once. What is the criteria for determining if they are displaying false awards? The obvious MOH and Silver Star are easily enough checked but they are the exception. POW claims can be checked easily enough. The vast majority of false claims I encounter are SNIPER, RECON, SEAL, and Special Forces idiots. The vast majority of them, probably 90% of them are wearing a vest full of patches, badges, pins, and have their Gold Wing decorated like some kind of war memorial. On what grounds do I file a complaint? “Officer, I think that person is full of shit”, doubt that is going far. I have had entire groups of easy rider threaten to burn down my buildings, kick my ass, kill me, and say disturbing things about my mother. I am just one of those people that really don’t give a shit about all that. My staff is used to seeing me confront these idiots I do it all the time. Every once in a great while after I pull one of their punk cards they track down my Facebook account and blow up my IM thingy. It’s so scary when they attack me like that. (Sarcasm, its just another free service I offer.) Help me build a viable directive to report these idiots to law enforcement that will work and I am all about it. I will share that plan with other owners. Expecting an 18 year old cashier to do it will not get the job done. Mr Bad Ass biker and his vest should have been delt… Read more »
Having a uniformed services identification card will identify a military retiree of a family member thereof. While I appreciate their service, if a veteran wants the same benefits as a retiree, they should have stuck it out for 20. Suggest anyone that asks for a military discount be asked to show their uniformed services ID card, that is what they do in Arkansas. If you don’t want to give ten percent, comp them on the non-alcoholic beverages. That should not hurt your cost of goods too badly. Its a small gesture but an appreciated one. Conversely, anyone asking for a military discount but not in possession of the ID card should be tossed into the dumpster.
If a military member is on leave with his whole family eating, I comp the entire table. Thats my privilege. I served 11 years, I dont have an ID, then again I never have asked for or accepted a discount because I was a veteran.
Active duty or retired military is an option. I can make that a policy. I agree with you about sticking it out. I choose not to. Never regretted the day I joined the Corps or the day I got out.
If it is the opinion of people on this site that I give a discount to active duty military and retired military, I will make that policy active today.
I’m retired and if asked will say so, but I don’t ask for a discount anywhere. Personally I think it’s a nice gesture and I appreciate the places that do it, but I don’t avoid places just because they don’t do it.
It is not about food costs or profit lines with me. It is about thinking you are entitled to special treatment because you volunteered to join the military. Something about that has never sat right with me. Requesting special favors is diametrically opposed to making a selfless sacrifice. Accepting one negates the other.
My wife gets on my case sometimes about not asking for vet discounts.
I don’t feel comfortable asking for freebies. The job I have now is a direct result of my service and I’m doing pretty good. There’s my “payback”. Don’t really need the discount the way others might. I do sincerely appreciate the fact that places want to express their thanks for what we’ve done, but it’s not a “right” that I’m entitled to.
Frankly, Dave, I’ve never asked for any kind of discount unless it relates to cat food or printer ink cartridges.
And anyway, if it’s someone who is a vet, he should have a valid VA ID card.
Ex-PH2 – not all rets are going to have ID cards from the VA or anywhere else govt related. If you don’t retire or have a service connected disability chances are you don’t have anything to show for your service except a DD214. Remind me to tell you someday how I completed a total of 24 plus years of honorable time and didn’t retire or get VA bennies.
Should be vets not rets, although I was once married to a wretch….
Hi nbcguy54
I worked for NBC for over 40 years, only knew 1 ret. vet. Surprised I never met U.
Wrong NBC.
No, being retired military does NOT mean one has a VA ID card. Some/many of us never register with the VA or receive any medical treatment from the VA for a variety of reasons.
We do, however, have retired military ID cards. Not saying it never happens, but there are probably very few retirees without retired military ID. We need it for a variety of things, like getting paid!
$10 minimum in Maine? That will at least cut down on the line at Golden Corral on Veterans’ Day…
California has an SV bill enacted.
I believe there were recent news articles to the effect Virginia and New Jersey are also working on it or may have already passed that legislation. I sent that on to MCPO, also.
If anyone has access to a model Stolen Valor law, could we get a link to it, please? If there is none, yet, could we get busy and make one?
It would be terrific if some/many/each of us would submit a Stolen Valor bill to our state legislatures for consideration.
Hey guys, why reinvent the wheel in each state. An associate here in Arkansas who views this blog and is a fantastic researcher, said Missouri has the best Stolen Valor Law. I sent Jonn my thoughts and asked for your input. The reason I opted for a Class A Misdemeanor is most county prosecutors don’t have the fortitude to prosecute Stolen Valor as a felony. Any fines levied will be fenced for Arkansas Veterans Cemeteries. We already have sponsors lined up but I want to get it right and ensure everything these jerks do is covered. Please e-mail your thoughts to me at votestu@yahoo.com so they can be incorporated.
Oh, what is that you say? Sorry, for the benefit of Marines, fortitude = balls :>))
Thanx wuddent sur what dat ment. If i opt fur a class with Miss Demeanor, what is it about?
Don’t get me started on Marines, I had the privilege of serving a tour as an AF EM at Camp Smith with them. When I became a club manager and had Marine families as customers I really got tired of hearing the wives complaining about their sex lives. Seems they found having two road guards and someone to count cadence in the bedroom with them during sex was distracting. Go figure.
Damit, now I know why I have performance issues. I need a few volunteers….
Let me pop a blue pill or two about 30 minutes prior and you can count cadence. I can probably find two road guards to bring along.
I e-mailed my state Rep and state Senator and asked them to initiate a SV bill modeled after Missouri’s.
OC
OC, depending on your state, you may want to be a tad more proactive and get your Veterans Coalition involved if you have one. I’ve found unless you are well connected politically, it helps to hand them a draft document for the legislative writers to work off of. Also, we should all network to ensure all bases are covered.
Yep. Best way is to hand them a hard copy of a proposed piece of legislation.
And that is exactly why we need a model bill. The guts of it can be modified to be state specific.
Any word on Oregon stolen valor laws. Hey Birdbath, fuck you.
I read an article on Drudge about a girl from Alabama who thought she was dead for 3 years. Turns out, it is a recognized disorder that has a name and everything… Cotard’s syndrome; AKA Walking Corpse Syndrome. The girl actually believed she was dead, just as Bernath believes he is a CPO.
I think we should create a Wikipedia page.
Bernath’s Syndrome; AKA Walking Fake CPO Syndrome.
Soooo… I take it you won’t be exchanging Christmas Cards with him this year…
Do you need counseling for the hurt you feel ???
Trust your feelings Luke !!!
The force is strong with this one…