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Congressman John T. Salazar, Third District of Colorado

Stolen Valor Act of 2005

In July, Congressman Salazar introduced HR 3352 - the Stolen Valor Act of 2005. His bill aims to expand federal law enforcement's ability to prosecute individuals who claim to have received military medals they did not earn.

These imposters degrade the meaning of medals earned in service to our nation and sometimes use their "standing" as a medal recipient to commit further fraud and more dangerous crimes.

Congressman Salazar’s Stolen Valor bill already has bipartisan support. In the first week alone, more than 50 Members of Congress signed up to help defend the honor of our veterans. To see a current list of cosponsors of the Stolen Valor Act, click here. (PDF, download Adobe Acrobat Reader)

Veterans Organizations Endorse Stolen Valor Act!

A number of veterans organizations and newspapers from around the country have endorsed HR 3352. They include:

  • Colorado State Board of Veterans Affairs
  • Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation
  • Military Order of the Purple Heart
  • Vietnam Veterans of America
  • Congressional Hispanic Caucus
  • FBI Agents Association
  • The Pueblo Chieftain (CO)
  • Billings Gazette (MT)
  • Rock Hill Herald (SC)
  • Mississippi Sun Herald
  • Reading Eagle (PA)

Stolen Valor Act Arises Out of a Project Paper by Colorado State University-Pueblo Student.

When Pam Sterner of Pueblo, Colorado wrote a policy analysis last year for her political science class, she barely imagined that it would become the basis for a piece of federal legislation. Pam's hard work and in-depth analysis of the U.S. Code led to the drafting of the legislative language for HR 3352.

Read Pam Sterner's policy analysis here. (PDF, download Adobe Acrobat Reader)

For more information on the Stolen Valor Act and the Medal of Honor, please visit the Home of Heroes website.


Stolen Valor News Clips

House bill takes aim at 'stolen' acts of valor
Fake Purple Heart off 'Crashers' site
Fake Purple Hearts promotion nixed
Fake Purple Hearts Removed
Vets Blast 'Wedding Crashers' Web Site

House bill takes aim at 'stolen' acts of valor
CSU student's paper inspires legislation
Rocky Mountain News
July 21, 2005

A paper written by a student at Colorado State University at Pueblo has inspired federal legislation to tighten a loophole for people fraudulently wearing military awards.
U.S. Rep. John Salazar, D-Colo., this week introduced a bill - dubbed the Stolen Valor Act - that would make it a federal crime to falsely claim to be a recipient of the Medal of Honor and other top military awards.
The impetus for the bill came from a policy analysis paper that Pamla Sterner wrote for a political science class at CSU-Pueblo last fall.
"Pamla Sterner's work is what brought this issue to our attention," said Nayyera Haq, a spokeswoman for Salazar.
That's pretty heady stuff for a 38-year-old who describes herself as having once been a reluctant college student. In her 22-page paper, Sterner reported the number of fake Medal of Honor recipients outnumber the 120 living recipients of the nation's highest military honor.
"And it's not just old soldiers sitting around telling war stories," Sterner said. "Most of the people who commit this fraud will do other (criminal) things."
Sterner credits her husband, Doug, a Vietnam veteran, with raising her awareness of medal fraud.
Several years ago, Doug Sterner created www.homeofheroes.com,a Web site devoted to honoring the legitimate recipients of the Medal of Honor as well as the Distinguished Service Cross, the Navy Cross and the Air Force Cross.
The site - while not official - has become a frequently consulted database. Sterner said he fields about 10 inquiries a month that lead to someone being exposed as a phony.
Existing federal law prohibits people from fraudulently wearing, manufacturing or selling the medals.
But it doesn't stop them from identifying themselves as medal recipients, claiming it on their résumé or hanging fake medals on their walls, Pamla Sterner said.
Tom Cottone, a New Jersey-based FBI agent who specializes in prosecuting false medal cases, said he has helped prosecute about 100 Medal of Honor impostors since 1996.
Cottone caught one at his own church in April 2004 while attending a funeral for a Marine killed in Iraq.
He noticed a man dressed as a Marine Corps captain with several medals. Cottone became suspicious when the man failed to snap to attention when Taps was played. The man later confessed to never having served in the military and was prosecuted.
Cottone said he knows several authentic Medal of Honor winners. They are easy to tell apart from the impostors, he said.
"These are the most humble guys you will ever meet," he said of the real recipients. "These impostors are the opposite. They will talk to anyone who will listen."

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Fake Purple Heart off 'Crashers' site
Associated Press
Tuesday, July 26, 2005 Posted: 1228 GMT (2028 HKT)

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WASHINGTON (AP) -- Following complaints from a congressman, the producers of "Wedding Crashers" removed from the movie's Web site Monday a printable Purple Heart medal advertised as a gimmick to pick up women and get free drinks.
The Purple Heart is among the most venerated medals in the U.S. military. It is awarded to those wounded in battle.
The movie's characters, played by Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn, use the medals to pick up women. Advocates for a bill introduced by Rep. John Salazar of Colorado say it's no joke; impostors use fake medals or fraudulent stories of having been awarded medals to get ahead in business.
"We understand the sensitivity regarding the medals and did not intend to make light of their significance in any way," New Line Cinema spokesman Richard Socarides said Monday.
It is a crime to wear, manufacture, buy, sell or trade a Medal of Honor, the nation's highest decoration for valor. Salazar's Stolen Valor Act, introduced Friday, would expand the law to include more medals and would allow prosecution of anybody who falsely claimed to have earned a military medal or a Purple Heart.
His office had drawn attention to the Web site of the nation's second most-popular movie this week. On Monday, Salazar claimed victory.
"If any movie-goers take the advice of the 'Wedding Crashers' and try to use fake Purple Hearts to get girls, they may wind up picking up an FBI agent instead," Salazar warned in a statement. "I am pleased that New Line Cinema has agreed to take down offensive parts of the Web site. Our veterans and FBI agents are working hard to make sure that we honor our true heroes. No one should undermine their efforts."
The movie's Web site included a "Crasher Kit" with instructions on how to win attention at a wedding.
"Print your own Purple Heart," it invited. "To get one of these babies, some dudes have to prove their physical, mental and spiritual strength with great feats of bravery on the battlefield. All you need to do is press the button below."
Socarides said it would be removed by the end of the business day. "This is a comedy, and it's intended to be funny," he said. "It's really not intended to offend anyone."
Advocates for Salazar's bill praised the producers for altering the Web site. In a way, some said, the flap over the movie has helped by bringing attention to a cause they have been working on for years.
"With Hollywood you have to give them a little bit of license," said B.G. Burkett, an author of the book "Stolen Valor: How the Vietnam Generation Was Robbed of Its Heroes and Its History," about fake Vietnam vets. "I'm hopeful Congressman Salazar's bill is going to go through, and it will put a clamp on the people who are doing this."

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Fake Purple Hearts promotion nixed
By Tara Copp, Scripps Howard News Service
July 26, 2005

WASHINGTON - Under attack from real war heroes and a Colorado congressman, New Line Cinema said Monday that it will remove a Web promotion for the movie Wedding Crashers that lets fans print out fake Purple Hearts.
"We are going to remove the Purple Heart references from the Wedding Crashers Web site," New Line Cinema spokesman Richard Socarides said. "We understand the sensitivities regarding the medals, and we did not intend to make light of their significance."
On the site, New Line offered movie fans a chance to don a fake Purple Heart. In the movie, actors Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson use the medals to win over bridesmaids.
"Carrying a Purple Heart in your jacket guarantees you attention, admiration and plenty of free booze," the promotion site read. "To get one of these babies, some dudes have to prove their physical, mental and spiritual strength with great feats of bravery on the battlefield. All you need to do is press the button below."
Rep. John Salazar, D-Colo., targeted the movie when he introduced "Stolen Valor Act" legislation last week.
At present, it's a misdemeanor to falsely wear a Medal of Honor, but there are no similar protections for Distinguished Service medals, Silver or Bronze stars, or the Purple Heart, or for falsely listing any of them as earned honors on a resume. Salazar's bill seeks to change that.
On Monday, Salazar said he welcomed New Line's reversal.
"If any moviegoers take the advice of the Wedding Crashers and try to use fake Purple Hearts to get girls, they may wind up picking up an FBI agent instead," Salazar said.
Socarides said, "The movie is a comedy. Most people are finding it really funny. It was not intended to offend anybody in any way.
"So to the extent on the Web that we can remedy this, that's what we're gonna do."

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Fake Purple Hearts Removed
Associated Press
July 26, 2005

The producers of "Wedding Crashers" have yanked from the movie's Web site a printable Purple Heart advertised as a gimmick to pick up women and get free drinks.
The move came after complaints from Colorado Congressman John Salazar.
The movie characters -- played by Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn -- use the medals to pick up women. But advocates for a bill introduced by Salazar say it's no joke because impostors also use the fake medals or fraudulent stories of medals to get ahead in business.
Wearing, manufacturing, buying, selling or trading a Medal of Honor is a crime. Salazar's Stolen Valor Act would expand the law to include more medals and would allow prosecution of anyone who falsely claims to have earned a military medal or a Purple Heart.

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Vets Blast 'Wedding Crashers' Web Site
Associated Press
Monday, July 25, 2005

DENVER — Some military veterans and law enforcement officials are angry about a Web site promoting Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn's comedy "Wedding Crashers."
To win the affections of attractive bridesmaids in the movie, two fun-loving partiers pretend to be Purple Heart recipients.
New Line Cinema's movie Web site includes a fake, paper Purple Heart to cut out, with the spoof: "Carrying a Purple Heart in your jacket guarantees you attention, admiration and plenty of free booze."
"I challenge the producer of that movie to go to Walter Reed Hospital and walk through the ward and see if he still wants to print out a fake Purple Heart," said Thomas Cottone, Jr., a special agent with the FBI who enforces a federal law that prohibits wearing, manufacturing, buying, selling or trading a Medal of Honor.
"Talk to some of these people who don't have legs anymore and see how funny they think that movie is."
New Line Cinema, which produced the movie, did not return a phone message.
A bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives Friday would expand federal law to allow prosecution of anyone who falsely claims to have earned a military medal or a Purple Heart.
"Here's an example of Hollywood imitating life. Hopefully it brings to the American conscience that this is what is happening," said Doug Sterner, a Vietnam veteran who runs a Web site dedicated to Medal of Honor recipients.

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