Busting a case of stolen valor

Marine combat veteran Amy Forsythe joins The American Legion Tango Alpha Lima podcast this week to talk about her military experience, role in a stolen valor case and her new book.

Forsythe, an award-winning multimedia journalist, deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan as a U.S. Marine combat correspondent and now continues to serve as a public affairs officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve.

“Every day story-telling of our servicemembers is my passion. I look for opportunities to tell our military stories.”

Beyond her media work, Forsythe recently spotted and called out a case of stolen valor. She says that she noticed some posts on Instagram requesting donations for a young, female Marine who was battling cancer.

“I took a closer look at this person because I had never seen her before,” she explained. “The first thing I noticed was that she was wearing her earrings incorrectly. I began to look closer and saw that she was wearing a Bronze Star, claiming she was injured in combat. Then I noticed that she was wearing a Bronze Star with V for valor. And that really got my attention because those are not just given away. Those are a big deal.”

Check out the episode to learn what Forsythe did next, how the suspect scammed people and how the case turned out.

Forsythe has also recently released the book, “Heroes Live Here,” as a tribute to honor those Marines stationed at Camp Pendleton who served and sacrificed in wars since 9/11.

Co-hosts Jeff Daly and Ashley Gorbulja-Maldonado also discuss the importance of the pending PACT Act.

The critical legislation would provide better care for Global War on Terrorism servicemembers who have been exposed to toxic hazards during their service, from burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan to radiation exposures at Karshi-Khanabad in Uzbekistan. You can help encourage Congress to pass this legislation by easily contacting your representatives with this form.

This episode is among more than 120 Tango Alpha Lima podcast for veterans, servicemembers and others. All episodes are available in both audio and video formats here. You can also download episodes on iTunes, Stitcher or other major podcast-hosting sites. The video version is available for viewing at the Legion’s YouTube channel.