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C. Douglas Sterner

Restoring Valor: One Couple?s Mission to Expose Fraudulent War Heroes and Protect America?s Military Awards System Paperback – October 13, 2015

by Doug Sterner (Author), Pam Sterner (Author), Michael Mink

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“Terrific read. Stories of stolen valor you won’t believe, and those who hunt them down and participated in writing legislation to restore dignity to all those who have truly served in combat.” —Peter C. Lemon, recipient, Congressional Medal of Honor

Stolen valor occurs when a person lies about receiving military decorations that he or she has in fact never earned. It has become a major societal problem that has been discussed numerous times in the news; according to the New York Times, the Department of Veterans Affairs paid disability benefits to more than six hundred people falsely claiming to have been POWs in the Vietnam and Persian Gulf wars. The number of stolen valor cases reported to the FBI has tripled in the last decade. In fact, more imposters lie about earning high military declarations for battlefield bravery than the actual number of real-life hero recipients. These imposters trade on tales and the trappings of military valor to secure privileges such as career advancements and even unearned veterans’ benefits.

In Restoring Valor, Doug Sterner provides riveting case studies of the stolen valor imposters he’s investigated and exposed and the serious crimes—including murder—they’ve committed. He chronicles the evolution of stolen valor from the inception of the republic to today. Sterner shows why the federal law he and his wife, Pam, helped to enact—the Stolen Valor Act—is necessary.

Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Print length

288 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Skyhorse
Publication date

October 13, 2015
Dimensions

6 x 1 x 9 inches
ISBN-10

1634502795
ISBN-13

978-1634502795
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B. G. Burkett
267
Hardcover
133 offers from $2.71
Henry Mark Holzer
25
Paperback
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Restoring Valor, offers a compelling and thorough account of this phenomenon known as ‘stolen valor.’” —Senator Bob Dole

“[Doug Sterner] is a decorated Vietnam veteran who has made it his work in recent years to ensure that service members get the recognition they deserve and expose those who falsely claim acts of heroism under fire. Rather than wait for the government to act, Doug Sterner has.” —CBS News

“An eye-opening must-read for every veteran.”—Mark L. Donald, NavyCross recipient, former board member for the Legion of Valor, and department commander for the Military Order of Purple Heart

“All of America needs to read this important information and learn from it.”
—Sergeant First Class Sammy L. Davis, US Army (Ret.), Medal of Honor, Vietnam

About the Author

Doug Sterner is a Vietnam veteran and two-time Bronze Star recipient. He has been a frequent guest on news shows such as Anderson Cooper and is the media’s “go-to” person for the Stolen Valor Act. He is the founder of the Hall of Heroes website and curator of the Hall of Valor data base on Militarytimes.com. Pam Sterner is a graduate of Colorado State University, where, as a student in 2004, she authored the study that became the framework for the Stolen Valor Act. They live in Pueblo, Colorado.

Michael Mink is a free-lance writer who has written more than five-hundred nationally published articles and has co-authored two previous books.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Skyhorse; Reprint edition (October 13, 2015)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1634502795
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1634502795
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,549,123 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #411 in Military Law (Books)
- #1,257 in Hoaxes & Deceptions
- #1,521 in United States Military Veterans History

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C. Douglas Sterner

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Doug Sterner is a decorated former Army Combat Engineer who served two tours of duty in Vietnam. He is a Life Member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and in 2012 was enrolled as an Honorary Life Member of the Legion of Valor. In 1998 and again in 2002 he was appointed by Colorado Governor Bill Owens to terms on the Colorado State Board of Veterans Affairs, and was subsequently elected to that Board as its Chairman.

In 1998 Doug launched a website at HomeOfHeroes.com to document the citations and biographies of our Nation’s Medal of Honor recipients. His website today receives more than 10 million hits each month. In 2001 he expanded his work to create a comprehensive database of military award recipients, and partnered with Military Times where he continues his work as Curator of the “Hall of Valor”, the the largest and most complete unoffical database of U.S. Military award recipients in the world.

Doug’s wife Pam, while a student at CSU-Pueblo, authored “The Stolen Valor Act” which she and Doug shepherded through Congress, as well as hearing before the U.S. Supreme Court in what became a landmark 2012 First Amendment decision. Their efforts are detailed in their 2014 book: Restoring Valor – One Couple’s Mission to Expose Fraudulent War Heroes and Protect America’s Military Awards System.

Doug has been a frequent guest on all major News Networks, and in May 2011 was named CNN’s most intriguing person in the news. He has been featured in two half-hour documentaries, and done two guest appearances for Lou Diamond Phillips’ History Channel program “An Officer and a Movie.” He and Pam were featured in a 2011 in AARP Magazine, the largest circulation magazine in the world, and he was again featured the following year (January 2012) in “Penthouse” for his work.

Customer reviews

5 star		62%
4 star		16%
3 star		7%
2 star		8%
1 star		6%

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Jan Girando

Real People Who Made a Difference

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 6, 2014

Verified Purchase

Doug and Pam Sterner are "regular folks". They are not rich or particularly politically connected. But there is nothing "regular" about their dedication to our American heroes. They are humble, amazingly loyal patriots. But they do more than talk the talk. They walk the walk.

A Bronze Star recipient for his service during the Vietnam war, Doug watched incredulously as fakes and phonies claimed military successes they never earned. It was too much. He decided to debunk these pretenders. Using public records, he began the enormous project of setting up a detailed database of those who had received our nation's highest awards for meritorious military service. His database verified the individuals name, branch of the service, rank, award received and listed the full description of the actions prompting that award. Gradually, he was able to contest those who dishonestly claimed to be heroes. Politicians, governmental officials, and private citizens began turning to him with questions -- and he was able to debunk or confirm that an individual was in fact a true hero or was, unfortunately, gaming the system for his own aggrandizement. Pam, a student during part of the time Doug was generating the database, began writing a paper on the topic of those who claimed awards they had never really earned. Her work was so significant that the paper became the starting point for what ultimately became the Stolen Valor Act.

Pam and Doug urged politicians and governmental officials to author and/or support the Act. They met with Congressional representatives and appeared before Congressional committees. They debunked case after case of fraudulent claims of heroism. Along the way, they helped countless private citizens learn more about their own relative's high awards and made it possible for those families to memorialize their loved ones (often many years after their death) and preserve their stories for the future.

Although there were setbacks along the way, this amazing couple (who never looked for recognition themselves, but stood in line with others to get into the Supreme Court to hear the case on the Act they initiated) was able to move the dial of history. A revealing book written by two who know this important subject like no one else.

9 people found this helpful

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Pvt. W. G. Kirby Amazon Customer

THE TRUE STORIES OF PEOPLE WHO " STEAL" FROM OUR HEROES EVERY DAY.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 24, 2014

Verified Purchase

These books tell the stories of people who pretend to be Vietnam War heroes but in reality never set foot outside the USA and in many cases were NEVER in the military. Low life liars seeking personal aggrandisement, notoriety, and in many cases reward, while true veterans are struggling to deal with PTSD, mistaken guilt, and physical and social grief. My complaint is neither book give enough actual information about more of these creeps. Paint heir names and deeds across the pages for all to learn about their dastardly behavior! The books are well done and important, but truly are depressing and saddening to read. Quality publishing efforts shine through . Amazon does a good job in delivery, as usual. Why not five stars? I keep one star to remind us of the ones we lost in Vietnam...physically and psychologically .

5 people found this helpful

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diawoods

Interesting topic that is not as well known as other topics on Vietnam.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 2, 2019

Verified Purchase

The authors did real research to come to their conclusions about real and wanna be Vietnam Vets. They worked hard to get legislation passed in Washington to protect soldiers who were honestly awarded medals. Well worth reading!

One person found this helpful

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PIKCAP

Both this excellent book Restoring Valor

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 25, 2018

Verified Purchase

Both this excellent book Restoring Valor, exposing these F'n phonies, wanna-bees and sick individuals, and the just as excellent Stolen Valor by B.G. Burkett and Glenna Whitley, should be required reading. I was in the Marine Corp, one of the smallest at 5'4", and dammed proud of my service in Vietnam. This book is a great read!

One person found this helpful

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Jim Furlong

Thanks to Pam and Doug for their dedication

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 9, 2014

Verified Purchase

I think the fraudulent "heroes" need to be exposed to the light of day. Thanks to the Sterners for doing so. These phonies trade on the true heroics and true heroes who risked their lives to make this Country free. The book helped me understand many of these people, though the motives for claiming false heroism vary from person to person. But one thing is clear, claiming to be a hero when one is not is an insult to those very brave Americans who actually did risk it all for their Country.

3 people found this helpful

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Ed Caffrey

However I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes story on Pam Sterner's work on the ...

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 14, 2014

Verified Purchase

I was already familiar with Doug's work as the nation's premier expert on both recognizing true heroes and exposing frauds. However I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes story on Pam Sterner's work on the Stolen Valor Act. It was a modern-day "Mr. Smith Goes To Washington" tale; or in this case Mr. & Mrs. A refreshing story that an average-Amercian couple can fight through the petty Beltway politics to fight for justice in our country.

One person found this helpful

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Zack

Eloquent, objective, and insightful

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 27, 2015

Verified Purchase

This is a must read for any prospective servicemembers, active duty, veterans, and those who support the troops. As a proud service member, I feel a deep sense of disrespect whenever somebody tries to impersonate something that countless people have earned and/or even died for.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 11, 2015

Verified Purchase

They have dedicated their life to this project. Good for them!

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Per Ardua

A most timely and well-written book. I can only ...

Reviewed in Australia 🇦🇺 on October 11, 2014

Verified Purchase

A most timely and well-written book. I can only commend the authors - it should be read by all who hold our nation's values in theri right perspective. Those who would cheapen them deserve all the punishment they receive.

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