FBI make the First Stolen Valor Arrest.

[yank44]

Undertsand I und willigt Sir ein. Bitte schie?en Sie mich nicht.

Edited June 4, 2007 by yank44

[Ed_Haynes]

Hallo Ed

I understand your reasons with regards this, because you have been the most active in informing the medal community what crass nonsense the so called "Stolen Valour Act" was in the first place, however i do think we have to stick to the no politics guide-lines as set down by the GMIC Chairman.

Kevin in Deva

Makes sense Kevin, but determining what is and is not "politics" is not a task I'd wish on anyone. Why is a respectful posting of casualty notices on only one side of a controversial ongoing conflict not a blatant political statement?

[yank44]

Makes sense Kevin, but determining what is and is not "politics" is not a task I'd wish on anyone. Why is a respectful posting of casualty notices on only one side of a controversial ongoing conflict not a blatant political statement?

It is human nature to only support the side you agree with. Left, right, middle, whatever. There is inherant bias in all humanity. To deny it is inhuman.

[Kev in Deva]

Gemtlemen

with all due respect you are both missing my point, the following:

If we are going to start sending people to jail for, what is essentially lying, I want to see all of our politicians in jail. They lie to our faces on a daily basis and call it spin. Spin is a euphemism for lying, so, send them all, I say! As an American, I had to bear watching a President get convicted of perjury without consequence (other than humiliation). If I was convicted of perjury, I would have been sent to jail. We all know who I am talking about.

AND:

If so, this is another example of law overlap and politicians patting themselves on the back...it's the same thing as creating new gun laws when the laws already on the books could be enforced enough to combat what the new laws are trying to do.

I really think most legislation today is an excuse for politicians to slap on some pork at the last minute. Most of this pork would never get passed on its own, hence ties to important legislation. Just my two cents.

has no connection to somebody wearing medals illegaly or pretending to be a soldier or other ex-military vet. This is an opinion about politicians.

And as I stated there is a strict "No Politics" rule, that I presume includes comments about Polticians in general??

And, I dont get where the following comes into this thread with regards the Stolen Valour Act

"Why is a respectful posting of casualty notices on only one side of a controversial ongoing conflict not a blatant political statement?"

Now it is not my intention to upset anybody here, I am not an American so the comment with regards

"It is human nature to only support the side you agree with. Left, right, middle, whatever. There is inherant bias in all humanity. To deny it is inhuman.

goes right over my head, I was only pointing out that there were post that were straying off course towards a potential (anti) political rant.

Kevin in Deva.

[Andwwils]

The first person mentioned on this thread, the man posing as a retired special-forces officer, was actually a Vietnam veteran and depending on what he *actually did* as an in-country E-1, he might be a hero in his own right. I' d like to give him a break so-to-speak.

Plenty of legitimate veterans violate the Stolen Valor Act...someone who missed the cut-off time for the National Defense Service Medal by a few days or weeks and wears one with their other decorations anyways (if they have any) and someone who poses as a CMOH recipient are two different things in my book.

[Kev in Deva]

The first person mentioned on this thread, the man posing as a retired special-forces officer, was actually a Vietnam veteran and depending on what he *actually did* as an in-country E-1, he might be a hero in his own right. I' d like to give him a break so-to-speak.

Plenty of legitimate veterans violate the Stolen Valor Act...someone who missed the cut-off time for the National Defense Service Medal by a few days or weeks and wears one with their other decorations anyways (if they have any) and someone who poses as a CMOH recipient are two different things in my book.

Point 1: Louis Lowell McGuinn, who posed as an elite member of the Army Special Forces, could face a year in prison as the first person prosecuted under the Act.

Point 2: Lewis Lowell McGuinn, a Vietnam vet, represented himself as ex-Special Forces and recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross. He faces a year in jail for his lie.

Point 3: McGuinn was a regular at military galas, posing with a gleaming chest full of medals that symbolized a life of valor.

Point 4: McGuinn was caught by Mark Kimey, a veteran, when he recognized something wasn't right with McGuinn?s uniform at a military ball. He was wearing the Purple Heart, the Silver Star and the Distinguished Service Cross incorrectly. Kimey notified the Special Forces Headquarters and the 40-year lie started to unravel."

No excuse for this, he has been claiming to be something he never was, for years. he was wearing in public medals he was never awarded, and he could not even wear them in the correct sequence, so he is GUILTY! with NO EXCUSE.

While its normal for soldiers to tell tall-tales, amongst themselves this guy went way beyond the normal Bull S@*t run.

Kevin in Deva

[mott5ranch]

All of these guys are jerks . . . and liars . . . .no doubt about it.

However, I thought the law was about people who WORE and displayed the medals and awards as their own.... Saying one did something and wearing the awards as if they did are two different things...

If liars are arrested for their military service claims then a bunch of drunks at the VFW would be picked up every night.

I'm not saying vets lie.....but drunks often do, regardless if they are vets, cops, firemen, teachers, medal collectors, etc.

[Kev in Deva]

All of these guys are jerks . . . and liars . . . .no doubt about it.

However, I thought the law was about people who WORE and displayed the medals and awards as their own.... Saying one did something and wearing the awards as if they did are two different things...

If liars are arrested for their military service claims then a bunch of drunks at the VFW would be picked up every night.

I'm not saying vets lie.....but drunks often do, regardless if they are vets, cops, firemen, teachers, medal collectors, etc.

Hallo mott5ranch

Mr. Louis Lowell McGuinn is guilty of wearing and thereby displaying, a Distinguished Service Cross, A Silver Star, and a Purple Heart to which he had no entitlement, (as far as I am aware) he also represented himself as a member of the Army Special Forces, which he was not, McGuinn was a regular at military galas, thereby not commiting a one off offense but doing it on numerous occassions.

Its bad enough when a person who never served his country does this, but for a military veteran to do it compounds the crime, all of us military veterans, regardless of what army or period can be quilty of telling tall-tales, but, to blatently deck oneself out in medals and awards we never earned is not the norm.

I have never known policemen to claim any such nonsence probably as the awards to the police apart from service medals are rare, and its easier to check out their stories has there would e some type of newspaper coverage about the event.

Again I dont know of any teachers who lie about any awards they did or did not get, (seeing some of the material that passes through the school system they should be some bravery awards for them with what they have to put up with.)

With regards the reference to medal collectors are you saying they are quilty of saying they have items in their collections that they dont have?? a lot of collectors I know feely show off their collections.

I have know quite a few liars in my time and a lot of them were not drunk while doing it.

Kevin in Deva

Edited June 14, 2007 by Kev in Deva

[JimZ]

As long as people are arrested for POSESSING AND WEARING medals and using such medals to perpetrate a LIE and DECEIVE others as well as STEAL valour that has not been EARNED, then the Stolen Valour Act has done something good and is a positive and welcome act.

If on the other hand its just there as a KILLJOY for genuine collectors who in good faith want to OWN, RESEARCH, RESPECT and TREASURE orders decorations and medals, then its just an utter and total waste of American taxpayers' money and becomes in brief totally pointless.

We need to see which of the above this act will really serve... will it punish LIARS or COLLECTORS? .... I am sympathetic to US collectors, but more importantly, (and this concerns me) how will other countries will react or keep on reacting to cases of GENUINE STOLEN VALOUR as opposed to GENUINE PHALERISTICS.

I'd say so far so good...... no?

Jim

[Guest Rick Research]

Oh very definitely "no."

We have LIARS still grandly parading phony war records in our Senate and COLLECTORS going underground like criminals.

The world is upside down.

[JimZ]

Agreed Rick!

Yet Rome was not built in a day! And for believers in silver linings...... it does not help to hope!

Jim :cheers