On Stolen Valor

A recent dustup in Arizona leads to a deeper discussion about the origins of freedom, and why protecting it affords greater honor than any misrepresented service record or decoration.

Stolen valor is a term either relating to the federal law (2013), or more commonly “applied to the phenomenon of people falsely claiming military awards or medals they did not earn, service they did not perform, Prison of War experiences that never happened, and other tales of military actions that exist only in their minds.”  This is typically done to boost one’s reputation, and it often veers into the public domain and implicates candidates running for office.

This author believes there is a distinct difference between standard embellishment found in officer or non-commissioned officer evaluations, or tall tales told at the bar, and outright deceit designed to mislead others.  I respect any service member, active, guard, reserve, retired, or former, regardless of how impressive (or unimpressive) that individual’s service record is, or whether he refueled trucks in the rear or jumped behind enemy lines from high altitude with a machete clenched between his teeth.

Recently, a candidate for the Arizona State House, Steve Slaton, has come under the microscope for potential stolen valor claims, including, but not limited to:

·      Claiming service in Vietnam, with a date of enlistment of June 29, 1973, and a report date for a year in Korea beginning in January 1974, when only advisors remained in Vietnam past his date of enlistment.

·      Claiming to have been awarded the Vietnam Service Medal, which was only awarded for service in Vietnam between July 1965 and March 1973, before the date of his enlistment.

·      Claiming to have been a Cobra attack helicopter pilot when his paperwork lists him as a helicopter repairman.  Additionally, only officers and warrant officers were flying helicopters by the time of the Vietnam War.

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In my political world, I have suggested Mr. Slaton owes it to the voters of his district, and veterans everywhere, to come forward and debunk these discrepancies (which is likely not possible), or otherwise step aside and let someone else have a crack at that seat.  You can read my post about that here, and you can dig into greater detail about the allegations and evidence against Slaton here. Retired Army Master Sergeant F. Jack Dona, a friend and trusted advisor, was months ahead of this now-flashy headline being flung about by the local news outlets, and probably national ones in the near future

But Seth, I thought this new journal of yours was about freedom and liberty in general, and not a political read like your other one!

Indeed it is.  My focus here has nothing to do with which party will control the majorities of Arizona’s legislative chambers, or what the impacts of the above allegation will be.  The intent of this brief piece is to drive home the point that our political system has become so toxic, so unmanageable, that is drives people to misrepresent their record of military service because being in power is so important, and in doing so, causes us to lose sight of what makes a candidate (or champion of freedom) truly impressive.

Free men have their identities grounded in the belief that they are made in the image of the Creator God and, because they are, have dignity.  Created beings cloaked in dignity must have inalienable rights, and our founders realized this and enshrined it in our founding documents.  That means identity in God is enough; no fabrications of military valor or accomplishment exceed the greatness of being free men who understand where their freedom comes from.

I have a particular zeal for the stolen valor issue because I am the son of a three-time Vietnam veteran, and the brother of an Iraq War attack helicopter pilot.  Slaton’s apparent lies hit both landmines for me.  My Dad never recovered in between the ears from his time spent as an infantry officer in Southeast Asia.  Gambling, alcohol, and other vices filled the adrenaline gap for the rest of his life, and many wounds were dished out to his kids.  While I may have unlearned the core impulses of the military industrial complex, and now view the Vietnam War (actually, a conflict, since wars are declared by Congress) as unjust and unnecessary, I still have the utmost respect for veterans of Vietnam (and Korea, Grenada, Desert Storm, Iraq, Bosnia, Afghanistan, and any other needless conflict) and the sacrifices they made to have their brothers’ backs for an atrocious and unwinnable decade, all so they could come home to a nation full of thankless radicals.

The wounds my father suffered, although not physical, are not something I appreciate being trivialized by someone looking to score cool points, when in fact his existing military service record as a helicopter repairman with overseas service in Korea is, in fact, honorable in and of itself without further embellishment or mistruths.  This apparent deceit, assuming it can’t be justified, raises the question of what such a candidate would do if presented with a hefty bribe by lobbyists, who this author knows for fact from firsthand knowledge practically control the Arizona legislature (hint: look for the legislators who sponsor 60 or more bills).

This is where Biblical wisdom comes to bear:

Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.  Luke 16:10 (New International Version)

Those who lie about easily disprovable military service records are not well-positioned to be honest and straightforward legislators who are able to resist bribes, threats, and other compromising predicaments that make their ultimate goals unobtainable.  I have survived a rather unserious challenge to my military credentials, which was easily dismissed through military service records, personal accounts, and photographic and administrative evidence. These claims by Slaton were quickly exposed and, in my estimation, will bring about the end of his political aspirations.

Possessing the proper vision for protecting freedom, which begins with understanding the very origins of freedom, is more than enough.  If it weren’t, all our founding fathers and framers would have had to possess the ranks of general officers decorated for valor against the British – and we know that wasn’t the case then, and it won’t be the case in the future.  Freedom works – sell that!

Veterans and guardians of freedom will never stand for stolen valor.