Wes Moore admits 'honest mistake' of not updating White House about his Afghan war Bronze Star absence

WASHINGTON, DC: Maryland Governor Wes Moore said on Thursday, August 29, that he had made "an honest mistake" in not revising a White House fellowship application from eighteen years ago in which he claimed to have received a Bronze Star for his military service in Afghanistan, even though he never did.

The New York Times had obtained a copy of the application and published a story about it. The publication said that Moore made the claim on the application in 2006, when he was 27, after obtaining the document through a Freedom of Information Act request.

What did Wes Moore write in the statement?

In a statement, Wes Moore said that his deputy brigade commander, currently serving overseas in the Army, had encouraged him to apply for the fellowship. The governor stated at the time that he had received a Bronze Star recommendation from the deputy brigade commander, who instructed him to include the honor on his application "after confirming with two other senior-level officers that they had also signed off on the commendation."

Moore, though, expressed disappointment toward the end of his tour when he discovered he had not been awarded the Bronze Star. He declared that his "focus on helping my fellow veterans, a mission I continue to advance as governor," was what kept him going after he got home.

"Still, I sincerely wish I had gone back to correct the note on my application," Moore, a Democrat, said in the statement on Thursday, August 29. "It was an honest mistake, and I regret not making that correction."

Members of the armed forces who have distinguished themselves during combat are granted the Bronze Star.

Wes Moore was among top 1% of officers in Operation Enduring Freedom

In his remarks on Thursday, Wes Moore mentioned that his officer assessment report ranked him in the top 1% of officers in Operation Enduring Freedom.

"My deputy brigade commander felt comfortable with instructing me to include the award on my application for the Fellowship because he received confirmation with the approval authority that the Bronze Star was signed and approved by his senior leadership," Moore wrote per Daily Mail.

The governor also wrote that in the military, "there is an understanding that if a senior officer tells you that an action is approved, you can trust that as a fact. That is why it was part of the application, plain and simple." The revelation was made a few days following Moore's speech at the Chicago Democratic National Convention.

Wes Moore discussed his award with media while on run for the gubernatorial seat

When Wes Moore was a candidate for governor in 2022, the honor was brought up in conversations with the media; nevertheless, Moore never stated in those interviews that he had not earned the commendation. The governor initially expressed regret for not correcting the interviewers who had falsely identified him as the award recipient when he spoke with the New York Times.

In an interview set up by Moore's staff, the publication also spoke with the officer, who Moore said had advised him to include the award on his application this week. The Times was informed by the officer, now a lieutenant general and the US security coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority, that Moore had initially objected to the notion of bringing up the Bronze Star.

According to the outlet, the officer, named Michael Fenzel, informed Moore that the medal had been approved by him and others, that it was permissible to include it in his application, and that it would be processed by the time his fellowship started.

Internet holds Wes Moore and Tim Walz 'guilty of stolen valor'

Netizens slammed the Maryland governor after he admitted to falsely telling the White House that he received a Bronze Star for Afghanistan service.

One X user tweeted, "There is zero chance a officer, I’m assuming a captain or Major instructed you to add a metal to your application prior to being awarded. You and the VP pick are guilty of stolen valor."

Another added, "Bullshit. You are a liar Gov Stolen Valor Moore. In your pre-interviews with Colbert & Gwen Ifill you told them you were a Bronze Star awardee! You also told NY Times for your stupid wedding announcement that you were a "special operations officer!" ALL LIES. You are a sociopath, a liar, a loser."

"Hilarious. You were "listed as a top 1% officer in Operation Enduring Freedom?!!" How, you never fought in a battle, you never led soldiers in combat!!!" remarked one, while someone else wrote, "Valor Thief, apologies not acceptable."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.