I am sure he earned them. He was a lowly Captain when he served. How could he get them? I don’t like the guy but I hate how he was crucified for his military service........Now his antics after is a whole other story.
I only remember someone embellishing his credentials and lying about his service for political purposes when it suited him. I will always consider him a “Frank Burns” from MASH who in the show got a purple heart for a shell fragment in his eye which turned out to be an egg shell and not related to any combat action. Also, I think he was a Navy Lieutenant vice a Captain.