Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill & Stolen Valor: by Rev. Dr. William Devlin; US Navy veteran & Purple Heart recipient word count 610

All of us combat decorated veterans of foreign wars take stolen valor very seriously. To verify our warzone combat involvement, we must provide written, verified and documented documentation to anyone who asks which is a document entitled the DD-214. The DD (Department of Defense) 214 is issued to all military service member’s retirement, separation or discharge from active duty. On this form, everything about your history in the US military is officially verified and documented during your time in the military, your character service, honorable or dishonorable discharge, as well as the servicemembers awards and medals.

As a combat decorated Vietnam veteran, my Purple Heart designation, my Combat Action Award designation, and my Meritorious Unit Commendation during the Vietnam war, after I shed blood for our country, are all reflected in my DD 214. Anyone’s copy of DD 214 can be made available and maintained by the Office of the Military Personnel files (and in the National Archives in DC) located in St. Louis.

Because of multiple violations both scandalous and misleading, regarding military service, the New Jersey legislature passed and implemented a law specifically addressing stolen valor known as “The New Jersey Special or Stolen victims act, NJSA 38 a: 14–5.”  And in that New Jersey statute, there is a phrase “intent to deceive“ which covers and describes “the deliberate act of misrepresenting oneself.“ Stolen valor is a dishonorable distributable phenomenon, including US Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, who described himself as having served overseas during the Vietnam war era. Blumenthal never served in Vietnam nor overseas during the Vietnam era

Cases of stolen valor over the last 10 years are legion including Tim Kennedy, Shannon Cavanaugh, Richard Blumenthal and Robert McDonald, Captain US Army, former head of the VA who lied about serving in the Army Rangers during 2014-2017 and who was Obama‘s Secretary of Veterans Affairs who, after his retirement in 2017 from the VA, went out to be the CEO of Procter & Gamble.

As well, because of the preponderance of people or lying or misleading about their time in military service, a federal law was passed that amends Title 18 to the US Code Section 704 and was an acted on June 3, 2013. The vote was 390-3 in the US House and the US Senate passed it by unanimous consent and it was signed in the law by then President Barack Obama on June 3, 2013.

Thus, we come to the contested issue of Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill‘s time at the US Naval Academy.  As a US Navy veteran, I urge and could we all urge Congressperson Sherrill to “just come clean“ as to the level of her involvement in the US Naval Academy massive cheating scandal of 1994 involving over 130 midshipmen both male and female. It’s not stolen valor; but if I may generously say, “What is this elected official trying to hide? Why were you barred from walking at your 1994 US Naval Academy graduation? You have continuously declined to release your full disciplinary records publicly. As a fellow US Navy veteran, so there is no doubt, please release your record.”  A phrase inscribed above the chapel doors of the US Naval Academy is “Non sibi sed patriae” – Latin for “Not self, but country.”   Educate the people of New Jersey what is true about your military record. All of it. As a public official who speaks of transparency, naval leadership and congressional leadership demands your honesty and forthrightness.

 Respectfully submitted

Reverend Dr. William T Devlin RN BSN MA DMin. (earned)