Beware of Frauds Wearing Military Medals
By: David Kucic, First Sergeant, USA (Ret)
Hawaii Home Buying and Selling Team
The Army Times recently published a story about SGT Richard McClanahan. This guy (he doesn't deserve to be called a Soldier) wore a "Chest full of lies" as he tricked people into believing he was an actual war hero. It disgusts me when I read about trash like him.
And there are many more like him. Look to your left and right at that person that says they are a war hero. Are they really? Did they earn the awards that they proudly display on their chest?
"The FBI receives an average of 15 tips a week that alert them of phonies" says the report in the Army Times.
There was also a report where they found a 76 year old man guilty of posing as an Army Major General.
If you know anyone that you doubt whether or not they really are authorized to wear the medals, you should contact either the FBI. You can also log on to http://www.homeofheroes.com/ to check the validity of the medals. Doug Sterner maintains this website of heroes that have earned the nations highest awards for valor: the Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross and Silver Star.
To date, there have been 3,651 American Service Members killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom. They will never have a chance to wear the medals that they earned.
There have been 414 American Service Members killed in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan who will also never have a chance to wear their medals.
The 26,953 "Wounded in Action" Service Members from Operation Iraqi Freedom and the 1,428 "Wounded in Action" Service Members from Operation Enduring Freedom may actually have a chance to display the awards on their chest. However, many of them are missing arms, legs, eyesight and hearing.
Please report these frauds if you know any of them. God Bless our Troops.
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