Documenting and debunking fake stories of military service has become easier as more of our lives have moved online. Revisit rachmonroe's reporting, from 2020, on military imposters and the people who track them down.
At the time, wearing an unearned military medal was against the law, but there was no particular consideration given to lies about military service; the same chapter of the federal statute also made it illegal to proffer a fake police badge, pretend to be a member of 4-H, or misuse the likeness of Smokey Bear. That began to change in 2004, after an Arizona man was featured in a local newspaper as a highly decorated veteran who had, among other improbable exploits, assisted in the capture of.
The Sterners’ timing was fortuitous. In the period after 9/11, ninety-one per cent of Americans were proud of U.S. troops, according to a Pew survey, and the military was the most trusted institution in the nation. Accompanying that trust was mounting anxiety that it could be abused.
Researching potential phonies was once a lonely enterprise; now there are a dozen Web sites, message boards, and Facebook groups that provide instruction and crowdsource the work. The activity has become a type of bonding exercise for former service members; some even seem to be reliving their war experience when hunting down phonies.
The lies that people tell shift with the appetites of the era. Veterans of the Second World War placed themselves at the sites of iconic battles, even when they were stationed far away. People falsely claiming to have served in Vietnam often used the war to explain some failure or trauma in their personal lives—their homelessness or their struggles with addiction.
Deutschland Neuesten Nachrichten, Deutschland Schlagzeilen
Similar News:Sie können auch ähnliche Nachrichten wie diese lesen, die wir aus anderen Nachrichtenquellen gesammelt haben.
Journals adopt AI to spot duplicated images in manuscriptsA few publishers are using automated software to spot duplicated images in manuscripts
Weiterlesen »
Here’s the best spot on Earth to see polar bears in the wildPolar bear populations are dwindling. But on Alaska’s north coast, visitors can still spot these magnificent predators away from crowds.
Weiterlesen »
Iron-Flow Batteries Could Knock Lithium-Ion Off of Its Number-One SpotA solar farm in Spain has commissioned a series of iron-flow batteries to store excess energy. This could be the beginning of the end for lithium-ion.
Weiterlesen »
Browsing summer holidays? These hotels in Sicily will hit the spotFrom verdant resorts in the countryside to storied palazzos in Palermo
Weiterlesen »
China and Russia Military Cooperation Raises Prospect of New Challenge to American PowerJoint military exercises, coordinated weapons development and technology sharing are seen as tools in a campaign to limit U.S. might abroad, military analysts and U.S. officials say.
Weiterlesen »
People Are Sharing Some Of The Most Cringe-Worthy Reasons Their Co-Workers Got Fired, And I'm Shaking My Head'Her boss immediately dismissed everyone else from the call and fired her on the spot.'
Weiterlesen »