If you were 18..

[InPlay]

This is an incredibly interesting proposition. Let's say you were able to procure several military (or military-looking) uniforms. How long could a group of people be able to brazenly play a BP team game before a pit boss decides that "they're bleeding us dry" outweighs "I hate America and I ban military personnel from the casino"?

You are still wet behind the ears I still see.


May 11, 2007, 2:45 pm

Don’t Impersonate a Soldier or Sha Na Na This Weekend

Posted by Peter Lattman

We knew it was illegal to impersonate a police officer. But we didn’t know about these two interesting “impersonation” criminal statutes that came across our desk this week:

Did you know that it’s a federal crime to impersonate a decorated soldier?

Under the Stolen Valor Act (18 U.S.C. Section 704), signed into law by President Bush last December, “anyone who knowingly wears, manufactures, or sells any decoration or medal authorized by Congress for the U.S. armed forces, or any of the service medals or badges awarded to the members of such forces, or the ribbon, button, or rosette of any such badge, decoration or medal, or any colorable imitation thereof, except when authorized under regulations made pursuant to law, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.”

On April 30, the U.S. Attorney’s office in Manhattan arrested Lowell Craig McGuinn for wearing service medals and badges, including the silver cross, purple heart, and silver star, that he did not earn. He pleaded not guilty. Here’s the government’s complaint and the story from the Daily News. The News says that McGuinn is the first person in the nation to be prosecuted under the new law, which broadens the provisions of a federal law that only covered the Medal of Honor.

Did you know that in ten states it’s against the law to impersonate a music band?

New Jersey recently became the tenth state to pass a “Truth in Music” bill. Led by a lobbying effort from vintage singing groups like the Drifters and Sha Na Na, musicians have pushed for legislation making it illegal to use the name of a famous band unless it includes at least one original member or unless management holds a trademark.

Jon Bauman (pictured), the lead singer of the original Sha Na Na, told the L.A. Times: “For the people who made this music to be suffering this indignity at this point in their life when they should be recognized as pioneers is just heartbreaking.”

The statutes read roughly as follows: “It shall be unlawful for any person to advertise or conduct a live musical performance or production through the use of a false, deceptive or misleading affiliation, connection or association between a performing group and a recording group.” Impersonators are subject to stiff fines.

http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2007/05/11/dont-impersonate-a-soldier-or-sha-na-na-this-weekend/

 

[callipygian]

Under the Stolen Valor Act (18 U.S.C. Section 704), signed into law by President Bush last December, “anyone who knowingly wears, manufactures, or sells any decoration or medal authorized by Congress for the U.S. armed forces, or any of the service medals or badges awarded to the members of such forces, or the ribbon, button, or rosette of any such badge, decoration or medal, or any colorable imitation thereof, except when authorized under regulations made pursuant to law, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.”

Not uniforms.

 

[InPlay]

Not uniforms.

Maybe during the time of war they could find you as a terrorist ? Are from the Middle East ?

 

[EasyRhino]

Yeah, but a dress uniform is going to have some sort of badging on it, so you'd have to play in BDUs (or whatever they call them now). And hell, I've never seen a Marine locally in fatigues at a casino, so that may very well be against regs. I did see a whole mess in their dress uniforms, there was some sort of Marine prom going on.

 

[InPlay]

Not uniforms.

All soldiers wear some medals even right out of boot camp. If I remember the rifle badge. It shows what type of markmenship you did qualify at in boot camp.

 

[ihate17]

Dress, Class A and fatigues

All soldiers wear some medals even right out of boot camp. If I remember the rifle badge. It shows what type of markmenship you did qualify at in boot camp.

During my time in the military you would wear your actual medals on your dress uniform and the ribbons that represented those medals on your class
A uniform but in your work/fatigue uniform only certain badges were worn such as airborne, combat infantryman's badge, wings, and such. These are not badges that are necessarily valor badges and I do not think they are congressionally authorized badges but I am not sure just where the definition goes.
They are not considered valor badges such as the Medal of Honor, Silver and Bronze Stars, nor do they fit into the catagory of a Purple Heart. That said, most soldiers have not earned the above honors. The thing is the statement in the story does not make it really clear.

ihate17

 

[InPlay]

During my time in the military you would wear your actual medals on your dress uniform and the ribbons that represented those medals on your class
A uniform but in your work/fatigue uniform only certain badges were worn such as airborne, combat infantryman's badge, wings, and such. These are not badges that are necessarily valor badges and I do not think they are congressionally authorized badges but I am not sure just where the definition goes.
They are not considered valor badges such as the Medal of Honor, Silver and Bronze Stars, nor do they fit into the catagory of a Purple Heart. That said, most soldiers have not earned the above honors. The thing is the statement in the story does not make it really clear.

ihate17

To make it clear why don't you go out on a mission to a casino in a military uniform and if you get caught wearing it we can see what happens to you. That way you can give us a first hand field report from your cell !

 

[callipygian]

To make it clear why don't you go out on a mission to a casino in a military uniform and if you get caught wearing it we can see what happens to you. That way you can give us a first hand field report from your cell !

Or a first hand field report from some hot chick's bedroom.

 

[moo321]

Or a first hand field report from some hot chick's bedroom.

I bet you'd get a ton of girls if you were in uniform.

 

[InPlay]

I bet you'd get a ton of girls if you were in uniform.

Prison garb?

 

[InPlay]

Here is another one for you to get women when you are doing yard work.

 

[ihate17]

Old looking captain in the army

To make it clear why don't you go out on a mission to a casino in a military uniform and if you get caught wearing it we can see what happens to you. That way you can give us a first hand field report from your cell !

If I showed up in fatiques (vietnam era ones) the public would see the oldest captain ever and be wondering if Bush is pulling retreads out of senior centers and retirement homes as he spreads us thinner and thinner.

Here is the key day where you can get away from all of this, just do not wear especially a MOH or Purple Heart, Holloween!!
If some 375 pound woman can prance through Mirage in a tu-tu and that is not illegal, little if anything else should be illegal. Wear a uniform if you wish, make it believeable so they might not be sure if it is a costume or real but keep the important medals off. Actually, some of these medals are illegal to sell such as the Purple Heart but have been with no past prosecutions that I know of.

ihate17

 

[EasyRhino]

If I showed up in fatiques (vietnam era ones) the public would see

... crazy homeless guy act! Will gamble for food!

I think certain medals and insignia are more likely to set people off. Any of the major "valor" ones, bronze star and up. And for chrissake don't pretend to be a SEAL, it's a strangely common fraud. There's actually a site that exists solely to "out" fake SEALs.

Supply clerks don't seem to be as touchy.

 

[ihate17]

We used to out people who lied about being Special Forces years ago.

The crazed vet would work but probably not at my bet level. I think they would instantly peg me for an advantage player in wig and false beard trying to play the crazed vet betting black.

Could be fun though pulling a bike with attached worldly belongings into valet parking at Wynn while asking how to find the high roller room.

ihate17

 

[Johnny Fever]

Under the Stolen Valor Act (18 U.S.C. Section 704), signed into law by President Bush last December, “anyone who knowingly wears, manufactures, or sells any decoration or medal authorized by Congress for the U.S. armed forces, or any of the service medals or badges awarded to the members of such forces, or the ribbon, button, or rosette of any such badge, decoration or medal, or any colorable imitation thereof, except when authorized under regulations made pursuant to law, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.”

What about the uniform of another country? Like Australia? Mate? Just learn to say "G'day" ...