Walter mitty's

[Gil Boyd]

Roy,
It does open up a very interesting area of the human mind.
Why do so many do it, when not all circumstances are the same?

My simplistic view would be, having dealt with a large number of these individuals over the years, who were either wearing medals they have never been issued with officially, or having produced documentation alledging they have done this service or that course in the Military without any entitlement to do so, is to examine each individual case on its merits.

In ALL these cases they produced them knowing they were false, which completes the offence of deceit, and then use the respective item for "personal gain", which comes in many forms.
It is normally either to fraudulently deceive for monetary gain or to indulge in fantastic daydreams they have made up of personal triumphs in major Military battles over a time period that covers their lives and they can read about, to enhance their bearing in the community they serve.
So in short it is easy to fit Civilian or indeed Military Law around these people, so they can be dealt with fairly, but it is the civilian criminal law that delivers the best result and offers a meaningful deterrant to stop them doing it again......hopefully!

I am not a Psychologist, but those I have met who will talk about the subject, state most Walter Mitty's are intellectual individuals. I would however, disagree, as wide as the subject is, often the people that do this are ignorant to the Military community and how they serve, and in a large number have never served their country in any form, in any uniform.
They simply want to enhance their boring lives to impress or to deliver deceit in what ever form that may be.

[Roy W]

Gil, all agreed. There are some massively insecure people around, and unfortunately some seriously jealous ones too.

Narcissistic personalities is probably the more likely profile, rather than simply intellectual.

Roy

[Gil Boyd]

Roy,
Yes correct in that assumption too, and that just shows how wide the subject matter is.

With technology now so easily available at a key stroke, many "official" organisations lay down their information already for all of us to readily access. I know only to well from a Military Police and Civilian Police stand point, that the records they have access and pinpoints issued items direct from Regimental records today, so it is easy, even in the case of QSJM and the like to see who has been officially issued with them. As Peter states the more rare the item, the easier it is to search and find, whether its a medal or documentary bull **** produced!!

So then why do they do it, when they know results can be delivered to counter their claims in seconds?

Personal gain..............in many forms

[Roy W]

That's it then, I'm putting my VC back in the kitchen drawer this year!

[Gil Boyd]

Yes dealt with one of those too in the past. Wearing a Navy Officer's VC who had been dead for a large number of years.
Disgraceful and how ignorant to think noone would notice, which affirms what I said about they do not understand the Military way of life before they impart on the road to ruin!!

[fjruple]

We have the same types here in the States. They all have to be in the Seals, Rangers and Special Forces. I worked with some of these folks in the beginning of the last war in Iraq. They are some of most professional soldiers to work with. They take a very dim view of people faking service in their units. They seem to always pop up on Memorial and Veterans Days here in the States. Most are not squared away in their uniform, special training tabs or awards. A quick two minute conversation usually unmasked these fakers.

--fjruple
a simple soldier with 30 years of service

[Peter Laidler]

Then there's all those certificates that you can buy on Ebay. Then fill them in yourself. SAS, Catering Corps snipers et-al.......

[Gil Boyd]

Peter,
that made me smile Army Catering Corps Sniper. Yes I tried to keep it wider than medals in my resposes, becuase some of the best frauds are conducted with doctored certificates.
Those organisations such as Ebay and the like should be complicit in any prosecutions aimed at individuals, because they should realise they are lethal.
I am suprised that those Officers whose names appear at the base of many of these blank certificates on that site, don't take out a private prosecution for defamation of character