Unlike Adm Borda I'm not seeing where Hizzoner was claiming awards he didn't earn. The mayor was a 20 year man. His service records show two tours in Vietnam with the second tour working with the actual Special Forces and the Vietnamese who gave him one of their green berets.
It appears the Green Beret claims began when he was working as a lifeguard, as someone above mentioned about probably trying to impress the chicks. My guess is by the time the politicians became interested in him the lie was too well known for him to back down. He had to know it would eventually catch up with him.
Remember the Star Trek movie "Wrath of Khan" when another Vulcan is shocked that Spock seemed to lie. Spock's defense was "I exaggerated". Seems to me that applies here.
He's in the wrong, if you think I argue differently you misunderstand me. But unlike the usual fake who never legitimately wore a uniform, if his record is as good as the story indicates then I'm not prepared to reach for the tar and feathers.
He claims he was a Green Beret. He wasn't. The story does not mention how his Bronze stars were earned, but tying them to his Green Beret service makes it sound like they were associated with combat. More than likely they were not given his record of where he served and what he did. Boorda wore a combat distinguishing device "V" on a medal. He never claimed anything.
It appears the Green Beret claims began when he was working as a lifeguard, as someone above mentioned about probably trying to impress the chicks. My guess is by the time the politicians became interested in him the lie was too well known for him to back down. He had to know it would eventually catch up with him.
You can rationalize it anyway you want with psycho-babble. Who knows why people falsify their resumes.
He's in the wrong, if you think I argue differently you misunderstand me. But unlike the usual fake who never legitimately wore a uniform, if his record is as good as the story indicates then I'm not prepared to reach for the tar and feathers.
I don't view this in shades of black and white. Levy knowingly lied about his service and perpetuated a fraud to burnish his resume to gain political office.
Stolen Valor How the Vietnam Generation Was Robbed of Its Heroes and Its History