As public support for the war in Iraq declines, veterans are being tapped to display their patriotism and help military recruitment.

On the upcoming Nov. 11 Veterans Day holiday, the Veterans Affairs Department has asked veterans to wear their military medals publicly.

And the Army National Guard, which had problems reaching its recruiting goals from 2003 to 2005, has begun to deputize its military retirees to help recruit new soldiers. Under the program, recruiting assistants can receive up to $2,000 for each solider they help enlist.

VA Secretary James Nicholson announced the medals program last week, saying it would help spark patriotic spirits.

"Wearing their medals will demonstrate this deep pride our veterans have in their military service and bring Veterans Day home to all American citizens," Nicholson said. Nicholson is an Army veteran who served in Vietnam and a former chairman of the Republican National Committee.

Nicholson, who retired from the Army reserves, said he got the idea when he attended ceremonies April 25 in Sidney, Australia, which honored all Australian and New Zealand veterans. On that day, the veterans and surviving family members wear their medals and campaign ribbons.

But some veterans see the call for wearing the medals as an effort to shore up public support for the war in Iraq, which is becoming increasingly unpopular.

A CNN poll this month found that public support for the war has dropped to 34 percent compared with 64 percent who said they opposed it.

Garett Reppenhagen, a Washington, D.C., Army veteran who served a year in Iraq, said the call to wear the medals may be a response to anti-war sentiment gaining more momentum.

To Reppenhagen, the call to express patriotism by wearing the medals, "is an abuse of the American sense of values, patriotism and bravery because it's a tactic to thump up some of the heroism that goes along with the war. It gives a false idea about what realities of warfare are today."

Other veterans might consider wearing the medals a good idea, but aren't comfortable pinning them to civilian clothes.

William Willard, who served a year in Vietnam as a Marine Corps company commander, said he would not wear his medals unless he was wearing his uniform.

"I think they are a part of your uniform," said Willard of Clarksdale, Miss., who was awarded a Navy Commendation Medal for valor, a Navy Achievement Medal and a Combat Action Medal, among others. "If I were still able to put my uniform back on...I would be pleased to have all my medals on it.

Some veterans groups, such as the VFW and Disabled American Veterans, are supporting the idea.

Joe Davis, an Air Force veteran who is a spokesman for the VFW, said that veterans don't mind being recognized and thanked for their service, but they usually don't go out of their way to draw attention to themselves.

"Personal choice will be the deciding factor on whether they will wear their military decorations, said Davis, who received Gulf War Service Medals, an Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for Somalia and a Humanitarian Service Medal for Rwanda among others.

Davis said he will not be wearing his medals, choosing instead to wear his VFW cap to a Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.

Reppenhagen also said he won't be wearing his medals on Veterans Day.

"I'm thinking about going over to the White House and throwing them over the fence, especially that stupid Global War on Terror Medal," he said.