Ken Stringer: Vance’s accusation of stolen valor dishonors himself and all veterans

J.D. Vance has just insulted every veteran who earned and wears an award for valor on their uniform. In saying Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is guilty of “stolen valor” in representing his military career, Vance displays his ignorance of what the term means, and he misappropriates it for personal and political purposes.

I’m a combat veteran of the Vietnam War. I respect Vance for his service as a U.S. Marine. But I take strong offense at his misuse of the term “stolen valor,” demeaning it and trivializing it. I think Vance should be ashamed for stooping to such a level. The flagrant disrespect he has shown — even if through ignorance — to those who have received such awards and, by extension, to all his fellow veterans is unworthy of him and of anyone aspiring to national leadership.

“Stolen valor” refers to the act of fraudulently claiming to have received a valor award (such as a Purple Heart, a Silver Star, a Combat Infantryman’s Badge) with the intention of obtaining money, property or other tangible benefit by convincing another that he or she received the award. The Stolen Valor Act of 2013 imposes civil and criminal penalties for such actions and lists a dozen valor awards for which such individuals engaging in such actions can be prosecuted and punished.

Vance, the Republican nominee for vice president, should not casually accuse his Democratic counterpart to score political points. Walz has never claimed he earned a valor award, let alone sought to capitalize on, or benefit from, such an assertion.

Friends of mine who did earn such awards died or were grievously wounded. Others have borne lifelong emotional scars and profound guilt because what they did to receive their awards was not enough to save those they fought next to on the battlefield. A valor award says you put your life on the line, you put yourself at grave risk, to protect your fellow soldiers, to accomplish a mission, to serve a higher cause.

A valor award is not something to be disrespected in any way. Every veteran rightly bristles at the specter of someone showing off such a medal or ribbon when they did not earn it — even if they aren’t doing so with the intent to defraud. We all take this kind of thing personally.

Likewise, a charge of “stolen valor” is one that every veteran takes seriously. And for precisely that reason, it is one that should not, under any circumstances, be leveled cavalierly, disgracefully or (in this case), wrongly. We should all take this personally.

We should all let J.D. Vance and others who would try to use such a matter as political fodder know that we won’t tolerate that from anyone, especially from another veteran.

In making such a charge and trying to capitalize on it for his personal and political gain, Vance has dishonored himself and shown disrespect to all veterans.