Democrat Wrongly Stated He Received Bronze Star

(DailyChive.com) – Maryland Governor Wes Moore is facing questions about a claim he made earlier in his career, stating that he had received the Bronze Star medal. This issue goes back to Moore’s 2022 campaign, when two TV interviewers introduced him as a recipient of the prestigious military award. Strangely, Moore didn’t correct either interviewer. However, his staff has repeatedly insisted that he never said he earned the award himself.

The story didn’t end there, though. New information has come out, showing Moore may have actually made this claim in 2006. A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, made by The New York Times, revealed something curious. It turns out that Moore wrote on his White House fellowship application that he had been awarded both the Bronze Star and the Combat Action Badge for his work with the 82nd Airborne Division.

Here’s the catch—at that time, Moore had not been awarded either. The Combat Action Badge was eventually given to him later that year in May, but the Bronze Star was never awarded at all. When speaking to The New York Times about the mix-up, Moore explained that his commanding officer at the time, Lieutenant Colonel Michael Fenzel, had instructed him to include the Bronze Star on his application. Fenzel believed that Moore had earned the award and had even begun the process of getting it approved.

This award, the Bronze Star, is one of the highest honors in the U.S. military. It’s given to service members for “heroic or meritorious achievement or service.” For Moore, though, the paperwork for the medal simply never went through, and the medal was never officially awarded.

Moore insists that this was an honest mistake. He explained that he trusted his superior’s guidance and thought the award would come through. Fenzel, who is now a lieutenant general and remains close friends with Moore, said that he just realized this week that the Bronze Star was never granted. He even plans to restart the process of getting the medal for Moore.

Moore took full responsibility for the situation, saying, “It was my application,” but maintains that it was never an intentional deception.