At a Lansing Veterans Day Wreath Laying on November 11, 2023, Hertel, who was not on the program, hijacked the podium while wearing another man’s Army-issued uniform.
Speaking before the assembled veterans and their families, Hertel stood with uniformed military and veterans without ever disclosing the uniform was not his and that he had never served.
Stolen valor is a term for the behavior of military impostors: individuals who lie about serving in the military or the extent of their military service.
In the weeks following, more than two dozen veterans with service in the Vietnam War, Gulf War, and Iraq and Afghanistan, signed a letter to Hertel requesting an apology for the misrepresentation. They have not received a response.