Mike Ritze; valor theft in OK legislature

| May 10, 2018

According to Tulsa World, Oklahoma Legislator Mike Ritze who represents Broken Arrow has been called out by two of his peers for wearing a Disabled American Veterans cap with a Purple Heart attached on the floor of the chamber;

Two of his House colleagues — Reps. Kevin McDugle, R-Broken Arrow, and Josh West, R- Grove — are accusing Ritze of embellishing his military record. They say he has been wearing on the House floor the DAV cover — or hat — with a Purple Heart insignia, implying that he was a member and had been awarded the medal.

He also claimed that DAV had given him a honorary membership in the organization. DAV denies that and they’ve asked him to stop using their name in his campaign material.

Ritze did serve in the Army’s Medical Corps and he was discharged as a Captain after eight years of service, according to his discharge certificate;

McDugle called Ritze’s situation a case of stolen valor — when someone wears something they didn’t earn. McDugle served eight years with the U.S. Marines, serving with an infantry unit, special forces unit and airborne forward observer unit, and was also a drill instructor.

“It is a big deal,” McDugle said. “It is an honor situation. The idea is: Why portray himself as something he is not? It calls into question everything else he does.”

West, who served nine years in the Army, was awarded a Purple Heart from a firefight in Iraq in 2003 where he was shot in both legs and the stomach and sustained a traumatic brain injury.

West said he respects all veterans, regardless of whether or not they served in combat.

“It is very personal when people embellish their service,” West said. “I take issue with it.”

Category: Phony soldiers, Valor Vultures

24 Comments
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AZtoVA

“… It calls into question everything else he does.”

Yes. Yes it does.

Mayhem

That is the worst 3rd grade “Picture Day” smile I have ever seen.

A Proud Infidel®™

He looks more like a meat gazer in a crowded locker room!

REM

Clown has to be a damnrat. 1. His Party affiliation is not mentioned by the press. 2. Only a damnrat would be so stupid.

James G

He’s a Republican

James G

Actually, forgot about these small potatoes, I’d like to know more about THIS guy:

https://heavy.com/news/2018/05/christopher-snyder/?b2np=d

Former EM1/SS

Several paragraphs into the story, they do give him his “(R)”. Whatever party, he’s still a low life, Joe Pesci looking, lying cocksucker

Ex-PH2

Joe Pesci could easily wipe the floor with Ritze.

Mick

Sadly, he’s a Republican.

https://www.okhouse.gov/Members/District.aspx?District=80

‘Representative Mike Ritze
District 80 – Republican’

And as a former Army officer, Ritze should know better than to try to pull this kind of shit.

Jeff LPH 3, 63-66

Thank God I removed that embroided Expert Infantry Badge which I did not earn from that brand spanking new NYARNGUS baseball cap which I mentioned on this site a few weeks ago.

Roh-Dog

I’ve had a ‘Porple Heart’ before, it was awfol.
Screw this guy, he should know better.

Mason

Why does he look so excited to be photographed? It’s like he’s never seen a camera before.

HMCS(FMF) ret

He got caught DORKING THE SQUEAKHOLE!

Atkron

Nice dye job, Doosh.

OWB

What an idiot. But he was medical, right? They are not known to possess the highest degree of military bearing. Still, no excuse.

Did he actually claim a PH or just wear the cap? An implication is not the same as an outright lie – it just isn’t. Of course he should have known better. Perhaps he didn’t, but he sure does now.

The claim to be an honorary member of the DAV? Felony stupid, that is. Here’s hoping it is actionable.

A Proud Infidel®™

STUPIDASSED flabby-faced meat-gazing toad fart of a pisspants Sparkle Pony, I hope you face the same wrath and embarrassment that Randy Voepel has so far out in California, maybe you two have already had a heavy date in the woods behind some highway rest area?

ChipNASA

Shitbag.

Mr. Pete

Yes. My exact thought.

HMC Ret

He needs to work on that smile. Looks like the Beaver from Leave It To Beaver. Showing my age.

Hack Stone

Leave The Beav alone. He gets enough shit handed to him by Eddie Haskel.

A Proud Infidel®™️

He looks more like the creepy type you’d expect to see hanging out at a highway rest area in a windowless van.

CCK

To be fair the local chapter gave him the hat I think. They also did grant him a life time Hobart membership. I just see this as eating our own. I mean how about just pull him aside and talk to him? He served 8 years in the Army and is a fellow vet so why feed into this non-sense.

OAE CPO USN Ret

Maybe he has Lyle Lookingbill (Okie that also lied about his service) as his campaign manager.

http://valorguardians.com/blog/?p=69261

Dale

He only went to 6 or 8 week-end drills. The other 7 years, etc.,he was inactive reserve. His disability was from lifting a patient at his clinic- not service related. Also, if you look at his salute; it is incorrect. A soldier’s fingertips should barely touch his eyebrow; not shade it. He never even did much in the State House; except to play “politician”.