Fraud and the Congressional Medal of Honor

Paper Summary:

This paper explains the problem posed by counterfeit Congressional Medal of Honor winners is emotional because it is tremendously offensive to the families of soldiers who have risked their lives and lost them in the defense of the United States. The author points out that the problem of fraudulent or suspicious claims to the Congressional Medal of Honor is historically rooted in the methods by which individuals are awarded the designation. The paper relates that the number of individuals who currently claim to be Congressional Medal of Honor recipients is growing by leaps and bounds and will surely continue to worsen in the current American climate of patriotism and paranoia toward terrorist acts.

From the Paper:

"Many privileges accompany the Congressional Medal of Honor award. Individuals who receive the Medal of Honor are automatically promoted to the next grade, as long as they are not already at the top of the enlisted grades. Medal of Honor winners are also rewarded financially; they secure an additional $600 per month from the Department of Veterans Affairs in the form of a pension, and they can potentially gain a ten percent increase in retirement benefits if they stay in the service at least twenty years. Special travel cards are distributed to Congressional Medal of Honor recipients, allowing them to travel at no cost on military air transports, providing there is space for them to sit or stand. Visible symbols of the Medal of Honor are also apparent. Medal of Honor recipients are allowed to wear their special uniforms (different from non-Medal of Honor recipients) wherever and whenever they choose. The families of Medal of Honor recipients are rewarded, as well. The Medal of Honor winner and his or her dependents receive identification cards that allow them to use military recreation and shopping facilities without the payment of dues. Should the child of a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient wish to attend a military academy, the child will not have to contend with any university quotas. Medal of Honor winners are invited to attend Presidential inaugurations, and they may display special license plates denoting their hero status. Lastly, Medal of Honor winners receive engraved headstones from the Department of Veterans Affairs at the time of death."

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