I read recently of Democratic Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal -- a candidate for a U.S. Senate seat -- admitting he had misled voters about his military service in the Vietnam War. He served during the war, but not in Vietnam, as he stated on several occasions.

At first, I viewed it as just another example of how politicians distort the truth to serve their selfish interests.

I had a similar reaction when it came out that another Senatorial candidate, Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), lied about a medal he received from the Navy. According to The Washington Post and other outlets, Kirk initially claimed to be the recipient of the Intelligence Officer of the Year award, when in fact, his unit as a whole had received a different honor, the Vice Admiral Rufus L. Taylor Award.

Blumenthal acknowledged he "misspoke" about his service, but I think Kirk was less candid in his reaction, saying it shows "one should speak with precision and stand on the documented military record."

If you say so.

The two cases remind me of others who have exaggerated or flat-out lied about military service. I guess it has to do with the way we Americans revere -- and rightfully so -- the men and women who guard our freedoms.

According to a 2006 article in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, the FBI investigated more than 100 cases of false military claims during that past decade.

It used to be that falsely claiming to be in the military or earning a medal was a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine and/or being placed on probation.

That changed in 2006 with the enactment of the Stolen Valor Act. The law made the crime a felony, imposed stiffer penalties and gave prosecutors more tools for indicting and prosecuting those low-life impostors.

The lie of falsifying military service is a big one and comes with its own high price.

Namely, living with yourself.

In working on this column, I had a flashback to the sad story of former Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jeremy Michael Boorda, who took his own life in 1996.

Boorda devoted most of his time on this earth to the Navy he loved and had the distinction of being the only Navy man to go from the very bottom to the very top, from seaman recruit in 1956 to CNO in 1994.

Published reports said that right up until his death, he appeared stable and upbeat and seemed to display none of the symptoms that indicate a person is depressed or contemplating suicide.

His military service was extensive and true, but his suicide coincided with news that Newsweek magazine was reporting allegations he had worn two small brass "V" for valor pins atop rectangular ribbons on his uniform -- the pins signify that a sailor was involved in combat operations.

In news coverage following his death, fellow officers insisted that Boorda was certainly entitled to the "V" pins and that no one would have questioned his right to wear them.

But for a true military hero, perhaps just the suggestion of impropriety was too much. The Washington Post reported that in his suicide note, Boorda indicated, "he was afraid some would never believe he had made an honest mistake by wearing those 'V' pins on those medals."

Quote of the week: "We must accept public scrutiny of our mistakes, and if you fall into the trap of not looking into your problems, of feeling sorry for yourself because your problems become known, you don't get better."

-- Adm. Jeremy Michael Boorda

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