[jyl]

In general, lying is not a crime, and I don't see why lying about receiving a military medal should be legally different than lying about receiving a Nobel Prize, having a degree or credential, one's job title or life accomplishments, etc. Receiving a Medal of Honor is a great thing, is it greater than discovering the polio vaccine or making a huge breakthrough in physics, donating hundreds of millions of dollars to help starving children, saving a family from a burning building, creating many thousands of jobs, etc? Maybe you think so, but reasonable people can differ.

Lying and getting something or harming someone based on that lie can be a crime (fraud, perjury, obstruction, etc). Not clear why it should matter what lie is told.