In January, an eleven judge panel of the ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a veteran's conviction for wearing a Purple Heart medal he did not earn. The veteran in question is Elven Joe Swisher, who was convicted in 2007 for violating the Stolen Valor Act, which made it illegal to lie about military service.The Supreme Court overturned the act in 2012 on the grounds that it violated free-speech protections, but the new version, signed into law by Pres. Obama in 2013, does make it a crime to lie about military service for financial gain.

Swisher had been approached by David Roland Hickson, who attempted to hire him to kill the judge presiding over Hickson's tax-evasion case. Hickson claimed that Swisher bragged about killing many men as a Marine during the Korean War, so I guess that qualified him as an ideal hitman. Needless to say, Hickson was put on trial again for conspiring to kill a federal judge. While on the witness stand, Swisher appeared wearing his Purple Heart, but it turns out Swisher joined the Marine Corps a year after the Korean War ended, and was honorably discharged in 1957. He was never wounded in combat and never earned any awards.

Elven Joe Swisher

All of this leads me to the bigger question: why steal valor in the first place? The more obvious reasons are money and attention. Swisher satisfied both desires, but I imagine he regrets the consequences (and legal fees). As far as money goes, he originally lied about receiving his medal when filing a disability claim for post-traumatic stress disorder, so he could still be charged with fraud, if he hasn't been already. As far as attention goes, he must have thought appearing to be a war hero would make him a more credible witness. Veterans tend to get a lot of respect for putting their lives on the line, the kind of respect some people are apparently desperate for. So, rather than do something to earn respect and admiration, they choose to play pretend, and end up cheapening awards like the Purple Heart or Medal of Honor. They reduce the medals to props or participation trophies.

Veterans are frequently honored at sporting events

My advice to these pretenders? If you really want to support the troops and show solidarity with them, find a veterans charity, help make life better for those who came home with physical and psychological wounds. If you just want to play dress-up, save it for Halloween.