The Bronze Star is awarded to a person in any branch of military service who, while serving in any capacity, shall have distinguished him or her self by heroic or meritorious achievement or service in connection with military operations against an armed enemy. Photo by Maj. Jon Quinlan/U.S. Air Force
For years, an award of the Bronze Star for his service in Afghanistan was part of the story of the rise to national prominence by Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, despite the fact that it wasn’t true. Moore’s failure to correct the public record when he had opportunities to do so has drawn a considerable amount of criticism.
I don’t know which accusation I find more annoying: That Moore’s failure to correct the record diminishes the significance of his military service, or that criticism of his failure to be more forthcoming constitutes an attack on his military service. Neither accusation is fair.
The fact that Moore should have been more forthcoming is a blemish on his reputation for truthfulness and honesty, not on his record of military service. His military service reflects great credit on his character but does not immunize him from criticism for errors in judgment.
Nothing worries me about the state of politics in this country more than the loss of the commitment by some of our leaders to the principle that truth is essential to political discourse, democracy and the rule of law. It’s a principle that legendary reporter and Watergate investigator Bob Woodward refers to as the “centrality of truth.”
Moore has a golden opportunity to help restore a commitment to the centrality of truth.
As a member of the Army Reserve, Moore volunteered to be deployed to Afghanistan and arrived there in August 2005. He was assigned to a civil affairs unit of the 82nd Airborne Division tasked with the mission of persuading insurgents to align with the newly elected Afghan government. By all accounts, he did his job extremely well and was highly regarded by his superiors.
In January 2006, while still in Afghanistan, Moore successfully applied to become a White House Fellow. He returned from Afghanistan in March 2006 and began his fellowship. It’s not clear how the erroneous account that he received the Bronze Star for his service in Afghanistan became public, but it circulated until 2022.
Moore did not correct Gwen Ifill in 2008 and Stephen Colbert in 2010 when they introduced him as a recipient of the Bronze Star during nationally televised interviews. A 2013 column in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel about his book, “The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates,” referred to the Bronze Star that he earned during his combat tour in Afghanistan.
During Moore’s 2022 campaign for governor, an Army spokesperson told FOX45 News that Moore’s service record did not include the Bronze Star. Moore’s campaign insisted that it was others, not him, who made the false claim. Last month, however, the New York Times reported that Moore himself listed receipt of the Bronze Star on his application for the White House fellowship.
Moore initially told the Times that he had forgotten what he had written on the application, but later explained that he listed the award on the advice of a superior officer, Michael Fenzel, who assured him that he would be receiving it at the end of his seven-month deployment. Fenzel, now a lieutenant general, confirmed Moore’s account and was surprised to learn that Moore had not received the award.
As a veteran, I have the utmost respect for Moore’s military service. He placed himself in harm’s way on behalf of his country. Volunteering for deployment to Afghanistan, regardless of any awards he did or did not receive recognizing his meritorious service, was more than enough to gain my admiration.
My respect and admiration for Moore’s service does not alleviate my concern about his decision not to correct the misinformation about the Bronze Star. It was a mistake, which he belatedly admitted and apologized for.
Many of us have seen Moore as a refreshing change, someone who draws upon his military training and experience to incorporate the concepts of duty and honor into a strong commitment to public service. It was disappointing to learn that he may not be quite as different from other politicians as we hoped, but he has a chance to redeem himself by leading from the front in the fight to restore the centrality of truth.
Moore should speak directly to the public about the importance of truthfulness and acknowledge the legitimacy of concerns that he misled people about the award of a Bronze Star. He can describe the lesson that he learned about compromising his most precious commodity, his credibility, and urge others not to make the mistake that he made. If he does that, he will set a powerful example of moral and political leadership for others to follow.