Unfortunately, with the advent of social media, more people use numerous subterfuges to look better before the public eye. The whole purpose is to portray a better life.
Some people resort to filters, posing to expensive cars they don’t own, and adding titles and expertise they don’t possess. Summarizing, they show a fantasy life they’d like to have.
One of these false resorts is the use of military uniforms and medals. This sort of misrepresentation has been happening for a long time, even before the Internet.
The problem was so serious that created the need for a law. Congress approved the “Stolen valor act of 2005” (which was revised in 2013)
The Act was first introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on July 19, 2005, by Representative John Salazar, a Democrat from Colorado, as H.R. 3352. It was introduced in the Senate by Senator Kent Conrad, a Democrat from North Dakota, on November 10, 2005, as S. 1998. The Senate version was passed unanimously on September 7, 2006. The House passed the Senate version, S. 1998, on December 6, 2006.
The purpose of the Act was to strengthen the provisions of federal law (18 U.S.C. § 704) by broadening its scope and strengthening penalties. Specific new provisions in the Act included:
- granting more authority to federal law enforcement officers;
- broadening the law to cover false claims whereas previously an overt act had to be committed;
- covering the mailing and shipping of medals; and
- protecting the reputation and meaning of military heroism medals.
The Act made it illegal for unauthorized persons to wear, buy, sell, barter, trade, or manufacture “any decoration or medal authorized by Congress for the armed forces of the United States, or any of the service medals or badges awarded to the members of such forces.” In the 18 months after the act was enacted, the Chicago Tribune estimated there were twenty prosecutions. The number increased as awareness of the law spread.
The Act was passed to address the issue of persons claiming to have been awarded military awards to which they were not entitled and exploiting their deception for personal gain. For example, as of June 2, 2006, there were only 120 living Medal of Honor recipients, but there were far more known imposters.
There were also large numbers of people fraudulently claiming to be Navy SEALS and Army Special Forces, among others.
The Stolen Valor Act of 2013 amends the federal criminal code to rewrite provisions relating to fraudulent claims about military service to subject to a fine, imprisonment for not more than one year, or both for an individual who, with intent to obtain money, property, or other tangible benefits, fraudulently holds himself or herself out to be a recipient of:
- Medal of Honor
- Distinguished Service Cross
- Navy Cross
- Air Force Cross
- Silver Star
- Bronze Star
- Purple Heart
- Combat Action Ribbon
- Combat Infantryman’s Badge
- Combat Action Badge
- Combat Medical Badge
- Combat Action Medal
- Or any replacement or duplicate medal for such medal as authorized by law
The use of service military uniforms by civilians is obviously a form of deception and has to be denounced.
However, the use of certain “gala military-style uniforms” (not directly related to any active armed forces) has their use permitted by civilians in the case of orders of merit and chivalry. Below are some examples:
Kentucky Colonel is the highest title of honor bestowed by the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and is the best-known of a number of honorary colonelcies conferred by United States governors. A Kentucky Colonel Commission (the certificate) is awarded in the name of the Commonwealth by the Governor of Kentucky to individuals with “Honorable” titular style recognition preceding the names of civilians aged 18 or over, for noteworthy accomplishments, contributions to civil society, remarkable deeds, or outstanding service to the community, state, or a nation. The Governor bestows the honorable title with a colonelcy commission, by issuance of letters patent.
An order of chivalry, order of knighthood, chivalric order, or equestrian order is an order of knights, typically founded during or inspired by the original Catholic military orders of the Crusades (c. 1099–1291) and paired with medieval concepts of ideals of chivalry.
These orders would often retain the notion of being a confraternity, society, or other association of members, but some of them were ultimately purely honorific and consisted of a medal decoration. In fact, these decorations themselves often came to be known informally as orders. These institutions in turn gave rise to the modern-day orders of merit of sovereign states.
Due to the military origins of knighthood, a military-style gala uniform is traditionally worn by civilians.
Some organizations claim to be chivalric orders but are actually private membership organizations that have not been created by a state or a reigning monarch. The answer to the question of whether an order is legitimate or not varies from nation to nation, François Velde wrote “an order of knighthood is legitimate if it is defined as legal, recognized and acknowledged as such by a sovereign authority.”
Learn more here: Legitimacy and Orders of Knighthood and “FONS HONORUM” – Legally bestowing Titles & Honors and Misunderstandings about the legal bestowal of honors (“Fons Honorum”)
Learn more here The Royal House of Ghassan and its continuous official recognition and Royal House of Ghassan is officially received by Lebanese President in private audience and Royal Family officially received by Albanian president
recognize the Royal House of Ghassan and the Equestrian Order of Michael Archangel in 2017
Learn more here The Royal House of Ghassan and The Equestrian Order of Michael Archangel and The Royal House of Ghassan is officially recognized by the Lebanese Government
From a legal standpoint, a company (or any organization) can legally determine the use of any uniform or medal they deem fit, obviously not plagiarizing other existent uniforms and decorations, especially the ones used by active military forces.
THE ROYAL HERALD 