Free Republic

BOSTON (WWLP) – 22News was there Monday when Governor Charlie Baker signed a bill authorizing the toughest “Stolen Valor” law in the nation. Massachusetts is cracking down on people who falsely claim military status for financial gain. Governor Charlie Baker signed “Stolen Valor” legislation into law Monday, making it a crime to impersonate a service member or veteran for money or military benefits. The bill was filed by Westfield Democrat John Velis who served in Afghanistan with the U.S. Army Reserves. He told 22News some people have been caught wearing a fake military uniform or medals for financial gain from...

John Kerry's brother has responded to charges of anti-Semitism against the U.S. Secretary of State by some conservative Israelis — including a prominent minister — by writing publicly about the family’s Jewish roots. Cameron Kerry wrote a column in Israel's largest circulation daily newspaper, Yediot, saying the accusations “would be ridiculous if they were not so vile.” The move illustrates how seriously the State Department wants to rebut the charge of anti-Semitism by some conservative Israeli critics of the Secretary of State’s peace negotiations. Earlier this month, members of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet accused Kerry of endorsing "anti-Semitic"...

When the economy slowed down and construction jobs started drying up, Warren K. Parker had an idea for getting more business. Pretend to be a wounded war hero, create a company called Silver Star Construction and bid on jobs reserved for companies owned by true service-disabled veterans, narrowing his pool of competing bidders. For a while, the plan worked, nabbing Parker multiple million-dollar construction contracts — including three at Fort Leavenworth. That’s how U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom described Parker’s scheme on Thursday, when he announced that Parker and three others had been indicted on charges of defrauding a federal program...

I have an co-worker who is older, and completely full of crap. His birthday is May 02, 1937, making him 14-17 at the time of the Korean War.He has told stories that are unbelievable to clients who, if they find out, could hurt our business. My boss approached me since I am military and asked me to find out how I can get documentation that we can print up in the coffee room to "out him" as a "stolen valor" type of guy. The latest news is that he won the Navy Cross in 1952 (when he was 15-16) when...

When Genarlow Wilson arrived as the guest of honor for a local NAACP fundraiser, hundreds rose to their feet and gave him a standing ovation before honoring him with an award. For three years, the West Metro NAACP chapter led the fight to free the 20-year-old after he was sentenced to 10 years in prison on felony charges for having sex with an underaged girl at a New Year's Eve party, an incident that was videotaped.

My fellow FREEPers, I know it's been a while. Well i forgot to duck. By the time most of you see this I will be on my way to Germany for treatment. The war for me is done. My men continue to do the job. This last rash of bombings and attacks are being under reported and I don't know why. Al Queada is getting desparate. I don't know when I'm will RTS. But I do imagine that it will be soon. God I love wireless. LOL! Please keep praying for us. Socomofficer

<p>I forgot to duck. By the time most of us read this I will be on my way to Germany for treatment. The doctors have decided that I'm too severely injured to continue my job. I don't know when I be back stateside but I will let you know.</p>

On the last day the public could comment on the Nantucket Sound wind farm project, the tally of responses yesterday was 3,500 and counting. But one voice remained silent: U.S. Sen. John Kerry's position is still unclear.In the years since the Cape Wind Associates proposal was first floated, U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy has stated clearly his opposition. Gov. Mitt Romney and U.S. Rep. William Delahunt, the Cape's congressman, have too. But Kerry - Nantucket homeowner and the ranking Democrat on the Senate Subcommittee on Oceans, Fisheries, and Coast Guard - still has not taken a position about putting the nation's...

For a guy who started his presidential campaign focused on his military service, John Kerry sure doesn't mind leaving that service record shrouded in mystery. There is controversy about every single aspect of Kerry's service – from the time he signed up for duty, to his brief command of a Navy swiftboat in Vietnam, to his commendations, to his medical records, to his departure from Vietnam and, now, even the question of whether he was honorably discharged. With the presidential election only 11 days away, there is only one way we'll get answers to the many questions surrounding Kerry's service...

Man staged break-in to look like hero to wife A man who tried to impress his wife by setting up a break-in at their home in Oklahoma, has been arrested. It's reported that the man - a school teacher - recruited two students to break into the house in Edmond. Kfor TV says the man may have staged the break-in to make himself look like a hero and salvage his marriage. It's reported he'd planned to return from a late-night walk, confront the two intruders and beat them off. But it backfired when one of the students told his parents...

TOM HARKIN, FAKE WAR HERO: In an update to an earlier post, I noted some comments by Donald Sensing about Sen. Tom Harkin, most recently seen attacking the patriotism of Dick Cheney. Sensing observed: "Harkin himself claimed to have battled Mig fighters over North Vietnam while a Navy pilot. He was a pilot, but never went to Vietnam." A reader emailed to say that he didn't think Sensing's sourcing was good enough for a charge of that magnitude. It seemed to me that I remembered some Harkin truth-stretching from back then, and I trust Sensing, but in keeping with Walter...