Posted on Mar 22, 2015
Stolen Valor among homeless vets - Choosing NOT to ask questions.
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Wondering if others are like me and have occasionally chosen NOT to ask additional questions to a homeless vet. The story:
I tend to pick up homeless people out begging on the freeways and take them to lunch. Just about every one of them claims to be a veteran. I picked up a guy today and his first words about military service were that he "was a ranger and 250 went in and 45 came out". Now, he was too young for Vietnam, and too old for OIF/OEF, (plus he admitted that he left service as a corporal and that's hard to believe with Ranger school) and I'm sure no casualties like this happened during desert storm. But he also mentioned that he wished he had his DD214 and told me about his SERE training, so I know he's a vet. I chose not to ask any more questions. I know he was lying, but I also know that he was prior service and so I bought him a few cheeseburgers and fries and drove on.
I tend to pick up homeless people out begging on the freeways and take them to lunch. Just about every one of them claims to be a veteran. I picked up a guy today and his first words about military service were that he "was a ranger and 250 went in and 45 came out". Now, he was too young for Vietnam, and too old for OIF/OEF, (plus he admitted that he left service as a corporal and that's hard to believe with Ranger school) and I'm sure no casualties like this happened during desert storm. But he also mentioned that he wished he had his DD214 and told me about his SERE training, so I know he's a vet. I chose not to ask any more questions. I know he was lying, but I also know that he was prior service and so I bought him a few cheeseburgers and fries and drove on.
Posted in these groups: 
Stolen Valor
Homeless
Stolen Valor Homeless
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 12
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Sir,
I do not judge the homeless for their military experience. I do not feel that stolen valor is the heart of their problems.
I do not condone stolen valor. I am however prone to looking the other way if that person is in dire need of assistance and rather then a person looking for 15% off at Macy's
I do not judge the homeless for their military experience. I do not feel that stolen valor is the heart of their problems.
I do not condone stolen valor. I am however prone to looking the other way if that person is in dire need of assistance and rather then a person looking for 15% off at Macy's
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Major, I believe you made the right call. There's a time and place for everything; that fella needed some chow.
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Situational ethics. Many of us are in a position to cast judgment on the "fallen". These are the stories that they have found will keep them alive or keep them fed as they move from one bad situation to another.
Basically, you can't expect a treasure like integrity from cheap people. Not that these people wouldn't work for a living if given a chance, but as long as that chance never comes, they do what works according to what life has taught them.
Basically, you can't expect a treasure like integrity from cheap people. Not that these people wouldn't work for a living if given a chance, but as long as that chance never comes, they do what works according to what life has taught them.
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