Outing a Walt is always good fun.....done the right way and in the right company.....and while the Walt is banging on about his heroics to the un-knowing.
Once ran across such a guy...wearing US Army Aviator Wings and bragging about being a Vietnam War Huey Pilot.
Engaged him in conversation in front of his admiring circle of friends....lead him on to talk all about the Huey to include its wonderful but very troublesome turbine powered APU unit that was inside the tailbone.
When he ragged on about that for a bit.....I explained quite clearly why I did not believe a word he was saying.
Two quick questions about what Flight School Class and his unit assignment in Vietnam and even the witnesses to the conversation grasped there was a problem when I pointed out the inaccuracies.
As I removed the Silver pin on wings from his jacket....I told him he should not ever wear them in public again and damn sure not in front of me or he had better grind all the sharp edges smooth as it lessens the pain when I or some other real Vietnam War Combat Pilot shoved them up his hind end.
Yes....out the Walt...but do it the right way.
In the United States there is a "Stolen Valor" law that allows criminal sanctions for those who falsely claim some "real" benefit due to their false claims...such as Housing Loans, Disability payments, Tax Exemptions but not just for the mere false claim to having been a Combat Veteran.
The
Stolen Valor Act of 2013 was signed by President
Barack Obama on June 3, 2013. The Act makes it a federal crime to fraudulently claim to be a recipient of certain military decorations or medals in order to obtain money, property, or other tangible benefit.