> I know. But there is also brand protection. If you can't steal a commercial brand name, I am surprised that one can take a free ride on a military medal.

Funnily enough, works of the United States government (including the military) are public domain.

Also, this would be like saying "I work for Pepsi, and I got this nifty 'best salesman of the year' badge back in '17." That's not a crime unless you're doing it to try to obtain money, property, or other tangible benefit. That could mean trying to get a job based on fraudulently misrepresenting your credentials, or trying to claim some benefit (either governmental or not) offered to veterans (or Pepsi Salesmen of the Year), such as free/reduced meals at restaurants, or being stood for alcohol at a bar by someone lapping up your stories of elite Pepsi salesmanship; it could stretch as far as getting sued by someone who had sex with you, then claims that they would not have done so if they had known you were not what you were pretending to be, which would be an interesting court case.