Oh for goodness sakes. The man wore a uniform and tricked it out with medals. What is the problem. Lots of people wear reenactor clothing with medals.
I am a Christian and I see some pretty horrific people wearing a cross, but I dont hyperventilate.
Cause you just don’t do it. Medals are reserved for those that earned them, not those that get off on the glory, or those that lie about their service for fame or money. I know a couple guys who never served who like to speak in quasi military jargon on occasion. I never served either and sometimes remind them that they have not earned the right to talk the talk cause they didn’t walk the walk.
Wearing a cross is not illegal. Impersonating an officer and wearing medals under false pretenses are both illegal. Morally wrong as well. This is not a case of a John Lennon wearing a field jacket with sergeant’s stripes on the Dick Cavett show. This jerk was pretending to be a US Navy Captain. He should have got hard time.
First, the medals are EARNED. Many of the men who earn them do so with their dying acts. For someone who has NOT earned the right to wear a medal to do so is a slap in the face to everyone in uniform. It is also, finally, ILLEGAL. So is wearing a uniform to pass yourself off as a serviceman or woman, when you are not and never have been. Presenting yourself as a Navy Captain, say, when you were an Air Force E-1, is likewise illegal AND morally wrong (in all these cases). We who served, especially in Vietnam, were defamed and mocked when we got home. Now, for some reason it’s considered a GOOD thing to have been a Vietnam veteran in some circles, so many folks who were ANTI-WAR at the time are lying to folks about their “service” (the lack of it). These despicable scumsuckers are once again defaming and mocking the REAL veterans.
It’s not the same as someone wearing a Cross who’s not a Christian, as God knows the heart. There has been some serious damage done by those posing as veterans. In my (never to be humble) opinion, these posers should be cleansed thoroughly in a vat of boiling oil, the universal specific, or given the option to spend a week in the embrace of the Iron Maiden.
As you may have noted, some of us do get passionate on this topic, as it is OUR honor being stolen, more often than not by former war PROTESTERS, the hippie scumbags who treated us like dogcrap when we got home.
And reenactors do not try to pass themselves off as what they are NOT.
Salvation is given not earned.
Military honors are earned not given.
Pretty damn simple.
And those that have earned something do not like anybody pretending to deserve what they’ve earned.
Wearing the uniform and decorations for a re-enactor event, for a commemoration, or as an actor is a bit different than fraudulently wearing the uniform and decorations to claim unearned honors, unserved service time or to gain benefits normally due only to servicemen.