Because I once served in the U.S. Army Special Forces, I've received several phone calls from people in Encinitas about businessman Thomas L. Brown, who is running for City Council and has made suggestions that while in the military he served in special operations.

I went to his Web site at ElectThomasLBrown.com and in the last paragraph this line appeared: "Tom is a natural leader … His leadership experiences also include being a former State of California appointee to the Contractors State License Board, member of the Special Forces Association …"

I called the Special Forces Association headquarters in Fayetteville, N.C., which is at the gate to Fort Bragg, where the U.S. Army Special Forces Training Group trains today's Green Berets. A spokesman for the Special Forces Association said it had no member listed by the name of Thomas L. Brown. For the record, I'm a member of the SFA.

I called Brown in his Vista office and asked him if he was aware that he was not listed as a member of the SFA. He said there must have been a "mistake" because he "thought" he was a member.

I told Brown that I was impressed with his resume in this election. However, until the matter of his actual membership in the SFA was cleared up, I asked him if he'd mind withdrawing the information about being a "member of the Special Forces Association" from his Web site. Brown's response was quick: "No problem. I'll gladly do it."

Two days later, his Web site had that information deleted.

However, earlier this week, an undated flier continues to resurface in Encinitas, complete with that information. North County Times staff writer Adam Kaye received a copy of it and faxed it to me.

Thus, in a campaign where Brown is the candidate who has spent the most money -- more than $12,000 as of Oct. 15 -- the erroneous information is still being circulated in Encinitas.

Why make such a big deal about it?

After the Vietnam War, the term stolen valor was given national significance by the book "Stolen Valor: How the Vietnam Generation Was Robbed of Its Heroes and Its History," written by Vietnam veteran B.G. Burkett and Glenna Whitley. The book gave painstaking detail to how there are thousands of Americans who falsely claim to have served in the military during the Vietnam War, while others simply embellish their service during that time period.

Every war in American history has had men and women who, long after the battles have been won and lost, lie about having served in the military. Burkett and Whitley reported on a term for those who lie about having served in the military: a military version of Munchausen's syndrome.

Today there are groups of Vietnam veterans who dedicate their lives to exposing men and women who lie about having served in Vietnam. Former U.S. Navy SEALs have documented more than 20,000 men who have lied about serving as a SEAL.

In Brown's case, I believe he served in the Army. However, he's not a member of the Special Forces Association.

Contact staff writer J. Stryker Meyer at (760) 901-4089 or jmeyer@nctimes.com.