PHOENIX—Of all the schemes and scams that U.S. Air Force veteran Bob Dalpe is aware of, stolen valor stands out as one of the most reprehensible.
Stolen valor is defined as when a person falsely claims to have served in the military, pretends to have made sacrifices in combat, or even wears a fake uniform adorned with counterfeit medals.
Dalpe said some veterans also misrepresent their rank and service to obtain additional benefits and recognition.
“It’s very frustrating to deal with them because you know their integrity is in question,” he said. “It hurts everybody around you. It devalues their service.”
Dalpe and other veterans attended a news conference in Phoenix recently for the official unveiling of a bill that would penalize anyone found guilty of stolen valor in Arizona.
The bill applies to anyone who uses stolen valor to gain benefits intended for veterans, falsifies related documents, or falsely claims to be a veteran when running for office or in business transactions.
“It embodies the values that we hold dear as veterans,” Blackman, a Republican, said during the news conference. “We need to send a strong message to people that want to steal our valor.”
Stolen valor is not a new phenomenon, but its effects run deep, and it diminishes the value of military service, he said.
“We’ve had a number of stolen valor cases in this state that caused Arizona upwards to $40 million. ... through veterans benefits, contracts, job placement, and so on,” Blackman said.
“This is a push to hold those people accountable. If they have to go to jail because of it, they will go to jail.”
Stolen valor is “essentially a lie,” according to the Armed Forces Benefit Association.
Although it is not illegal to make up things to impress friends at a party, the association has stated that “stolen valor is more complicated than that, which is why it is considered a crime.”
Military impersonation is a similar offense, committed willfully and wrongfully, with or without the intent to defraud, the organization states on its website.
Several states already have laws that penalize stolen valor.
It includes anyone who pretends to be a veteran, whether through verbal statements or written claims, as well as those who wear military decorations to deceive others.
The legislation seeks to increase the maximum penalty for stolen valor from one year to three years in prison, aligning it with the penalty for impersonating a public official.
This report will identify any financial or government benefits received as a result of the falsification of military decorations or medals.
It will also provide recommendations on how to prevent stolen valor in the future.
“The recognition and honors our veterans have earned are hallowed and, unfortunately, there have been too many instances of stolen valor resulting in stolen government benefits,” Van Duyne said in a statement.
“The government must ensure all taxpayer money allocated to our veterans is going to those veterans who have earned it.
Stricter Penalties
The proposed Arizona legislation, known as HB2030, establishes strict measures to deter the impersonation of veterans and combat fraudulent activities, as outlined in the law.This legislation targets anyone who falsely claims military service or awards to obtain employment, government contracts, or veteran benefits.
It also addresses individuals who use a false veteran status to gain votes, campaign contributions, or political advantages, as well as those who falsify or alter military documents, combat-related badges, or awards.
Penalties for these offenses can range from a Class 4 felony to a Class 2 felony, particularly in cases involving high-value benefits. Furthermore, the bill mandates the removal of any public officials convicted under this law.
Blackman said it is classified as a Class 3 felony if the violation involved a benefit valued between $5,000 and $10,000, and as a Class 2 felony if the benefit was at least $50,000.
“This legislation sends a clear message that Arizona will not tolerate stolen valor in any form,” Blackman said in a statement.
“By holding individuals accountable for misrepresenting their military status for personal, political, or financial gain, we uphold the integrity of our veterans’ contributions and the trust of our citizens.”
The federal Stolen Valor Act of 2005 made it a misdemeanor to falsely claim that one has received any military medal or honor.
However, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the law unconstitutional, as it infringed upon the First Amendment right to free speech.
In response, the amended law of 2013 addressed this issue by clarifying that fraudulent claims of military service made to obtain benefits, political office, or material gain do not fall under constitutional protection.
Blackman said the Arizona bill builds upon the 2013 legislation by addressing gaps in federal law and enhancing protections at the state level.
“You can walk around with everything you have on,” Blackman said. “That’s a First Amendment right. I want to make that clear. We are not violating someone’s First Amendment rights.”
He said the bill also leverages Arizona’s authority under the 10th Amendment to target fraudulent activities that affect state programs, elections, and institutions.
A Reflection of Character
Mike Simon, a U.S. Marine veteran from Illinois, said he believes that stolen valor demeans veterans and reflects poorly on those who falsify their military service.“I think it’s an embarrassment to veterans all over the country and all over the state of Arizona,” Simon, who attended the Jan. 15 conference, told The Epoch Times.
“I think it’s sad that you have to embellish your record of service in order to gain some type of [advantage].”
Dalpe, a military and veterans advocate from Massachusetts, stated that there are two primary reasons that people commit acts of stolen valor: a desire for money and a desire for attention.
“A lot of it is mostly attention,” Dalpe said. “They get free food. They get free drinks. You do it enough times; the story gets believed. It’s propaganda.
“Some get exposed and don’t have to pay any penalty for it. It has happened many times since the second Gulf War.”
Dalpe said he thinks that “a lot of folks” in Arizona are guilty of stolen valor.
“We’ve had politicians who used the American Legion or the VFW or Disabled American Veterans to help them get elected—both parties.”
Given the ubiquity of social media, Dalpe said, it is easy for a person to make bogus claims of military service that spread widely.
“It takes away from what we did,” he said. “They’re giving themselves valor. It’s a selfish thing. It’s attention—me, me, me.”
U.S. Air Force veteran Denzel Smalls from New York City, who served during Operation Enduring Freedom, said stolen valor seems to happen more often among civilians who falsify military documents.
“Falsifying records is a crime in any type of capacity,” Smalls told The Epoch Times.
“The extent you would have to go through to change your records and say you were an officer or have a Purple Heart is a lot to go through.”
With stolen valor, he said: “You’re essentially stealing. You’re stealing at a very high level.”
Dan West, adjutant general of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Kansas City, Missouri, said he believes that it is often the “little things” that reveal whether someone is lying about their military service.
“I’ve encountered individuals who claimed they served in the Marines,“ West said. “When I asked them about their specific unit, they often mistakenly said they were with the ‘101st Airborne Division of the United States Army.’”
Some individuals who falsely portray themselves as combat veterans may attempt to obtain benefits or infiltrate veterans’ organizations by wearing military uniforms, often adorned with medals displayed improperly—either backward or in the wrong locations.
West said that his first experience with stolen valor occurred in 2004 when a woman in a blue Army uniform and wearing a Purple Heart claimed that she had just returned from a tour in Iraq.
“She told a very convincing story,” West told The Epoch Times. “It turned out she had never even graduated from boot camp.
“Once we discovered the truth, we expelled her.
“The issue with stolen valor is that when someone joins a veterans’ service organization, they’re with people who can tell when someone is being dishonest.
“It’s usually the small details that lead to their exposure.”
Currently, there are more than 957,000 members spread across approximately 5,700 Veterans of Foreign Wars posts worldwide. West said that each month he receives at least two complaints regarding stolen valor.
West said he cannot fully comprehend the psychological motives that drive someone to fake military service, but he has one hypothesis.
“There’s an old saying: ‘Every man thinks less of himself for not having been a soldier.’ They may feel [inferior] because of it,” he said.
“I can’t really pinpoint the reasons, but I do know that when someone starts doing it for financial gain, they have crossed a line.”
