I understand that a man who sits at the bar opens himself to conversation with those sitting on nearby stools. So I wasn’t offended when this guy I’ll call Steve started talking to my wife and me. I was, however, bothered by his lies.

Longtime readers may recall me explaining how all service members encounter people who lie about their military records. Some liars exaggerate their deeds. Others completely fabricate their entire enlistment. A few years ago, I told you about a liar who claimed he’d been a Marine in the Afghanistan War, only he knew nothing about Afghanistan or the Marines.