A Marine sergeant was recently sentenced to 18 months confinement and fined $25,000 for pretending to be an injured war hero to get free seats at rock concerts and professional sporting events.br /Sgt. David Budwah also will be busted to private and dishonorably discharged. Budwah pleaded guilty to seven counts including making false statements, malingering, misconduct and unlawful appropriation. He acknowledged that he was never deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, as he had claimed. He said he lied about having helped with the 2004 tsunami relief effort and didn’t earn eight medals and ribbons he wore on his uniform.br /He admitted to bluffing his way into 13 events last year including banquets; Counting Crows, Boston and Collective Soul concerts; a Washington Redskins football game; and a Washington Nationals baseball game. He also lied to obtain a laptop computer and personal digital assistant from Soldiers’ Angels, an organization that helps wounded service members.br /This guy’s conduct is totally unacceptable. He deserves his jail time and dishonorable discharge. The many civilians who do the same thing are equally despicable. I’m glad that Congress passed the Stolen Valor Act a couple of years ago to make such acts federal offenses.
