Nosy Tarsee is chasing down something explosive about a famous retired colonel known as a hero. He was featured in magazines, appeared on TV, and people talked about him for his courage and skill in battle.

He was the star when a certain rebel camp was overrun back in early 2000. Because of that, he was given the highest military award by a former president. That award is the most prestigious a soldier can receive.

There is a story now that seems to turn everything upside down. According to a retired general who knows the hero, it wasn’t as simple as how that medal was awarded. He says he knows shocking details.

First, the colonel reportedly nominated himself, without waiting for his superiors or his peers to recommend him. He himself submitted his own name for the highest award. He may have thought he was applying for a job and writing his own letter of recommendation.

Second, he supposedly wrote his own citation, the official description of why he deserved the award. He chose the words that would make his actions look good. He was the screenwriter and director of his own movie in which he was the lead star. He made his story sound like an action film, picking the adjectives that would highlight his “heroism.”

And the kicker: he reportedly went straight to the former president, the one who was in power at the time. He went to the Palace and personally lobbied for his award.

In other words, he pushed and pushed until the medal was approved. No proper process — he went straight to the top.

The retired general who made this claim said he has the documents to support these allegations. He says it isn’t gossip because it came from someone who knows and has the evidence to back it up.

If all of this is true, it should make us ask: Is he still a hero or just someone who is really good at marketing himself?

It’s sad to think that the highest military award could be obtained through sheer audacity and direct access to the Palace. What about the real soldiers who gave their lives, who showed bravery without cameras around, and without anyone writing their stories?

Many veterans are angry. They say that if he wrote his own citation, what other things did he exaggerate or twist? Was what happened at that camp really that heroic, or is he just a great storyteller?

For now, the military is quiet about this issue. But the whispers are getting louder and louder. Calls for an investigation are reportedly spreading. But some say it might just be covered up to protect the image of a “living legend.”

In the end, will the truth win? Or will this just remain a blind item talked about in the corners of military camps? Certainly, this story is a big slap in the face of every soldier who truly showed bravery without seeking praise or medals.

The best award is the one given freely by others, not the one you create and walk through doors to obtain.