It is one thing to tell everyone that you’re some awesome Green Beret with 11 Purple Hearts and 3 Medal of Honors.
I would consider that free speech.
But It is a completely different animal to dress up in uniform with your fake medals and parade around as if you served. That should be punishable.
“But It is a completely different animal to dress up in uniform with your fake medals and parade around as if you served. That should be punishable.”
I agree completely, and it serves these phony vets just right when one of them gets called out and/or beaten up by a real vet.
Unfortunately in the current political culture, veterans are perceived as de facto conservatives by the very nature of their patriotic service & sacrifices, and it is the liberals who are throwing the “Free speech! Free speech!” argument at them.
Hmmm... who would want to pose as a phony liberal (unless he was trying to seduce some liberal chick)?
Anyway, it IS possible to prosecute a phony vet if he makes a false official statement about his bogus past and especially if he applies for veterans’ benefits for which he is absolutely ineligible. They nailed Al Capone for tax evasion, not for murder & racketeering. If money changes hands under false premises, then you’ve got ‘em with the goods.
IMO it should also be punishable if someone falsely claims on any legal document or application that they served in uniform.