The Eclectic Veteran

**Riverkilt** · 11th November 05, 03:27 PM

Wanted to honor my father's service in our little town's Veteran's Day parade today. Got a replica Royal Air Force battlejacket from What Price Glory and found sergeant's stripes and USA flashes on line. My dad was a Montana boy who volunteered for the RAF and flew Hurricanes and Spitfires as an RAF Flying Sergeant until the Army Air Corps arrived in England in September 1942. He was on many combat missions, including the Dieppe Raid.

So wore that battlejacket and his old Army Air Corps hat.

Not wanting to wear pants went with my 16 oz Strome Macdonald of Kingsburgh from Kathy's Kilts. Sort of our home boy gang colors and a key reason he went to England to fight (US forces wouldn't have him since he was already discharged from the Navy back in 1937 for some mysterious adventure).

Wore a USMC t-shirt under the jacket and the USMC Ka Bar skien dubh for my service.

Added a poppy for the local VFW guys.

And, I tightened up the sporran strap before I went out in public.

Anyway, if you dare there's a pic on page 7 of my gallery.

Marched in the parade, was given the USAF flag to carry...was okay, this was about my father's service. Yes, I know, its more Memorial Day stuff but they don't have a Memorial Day parade in our town, just Memorial Day beer sales for the tourists headed up lake.

Sorry about the deer in the headlights look of the self-portrait. My lady had to work today so took the pic myself....kinda like the Off to Work pics on the previous page...checking out my expressions when the flash goes off is almost as much fun as checking the latest fashion insult I've devised.

Ron

**Southern Breeze** · 11th November 05, 05:13 PM

Thats a nice pic.It may be eclectic,but it looks good.Definetly a multiservice tribute.

**KiltedCodeWarrior** · 11th November 05, 06:36 PM

Ron,

That is a very good looking ensemble. I salute and thank you and your father for your service to this country.

**Archangel** · 11th November 05, 06:55 PM

Somehow it looks more naval, but you wear it well and so laid back, as usual.

US air force volunteers? Weren't they illegal, oh wait, volunteers: the real US air force, whatever it was called at the time, was illegal. The US was neutral but volunteers, well...

**Riverkilt** · 11th November 05, 07:24 PM

There were some touchy things. After Pearl Harbor dad went from Missoula, MT to Spokane, WA to enlist in the RAF. But there was no actual enlistment for a while. First he went to Imperial, CA for British Refresher School, which was flight training. Then he and his fellow American pilots took the train to Nova Scotia and a ship to Scotland. On arrival in England in April 1942 they enlisted in the RAF as Flying Sergeants.

The U.S. was well into the war by this time. The enlistment oath was altered to where they didn't have to swear an oath to the King so they kept their U.S. Citizenship.

By the time the Army Air Corps settled in to England in September 1942 they scooped up these Americans in the RAF because they were experienced combat fighter pilots. Most were the nucleous of new fighter groups being formed and were sent to North Africa to fight. Dad flew a P-39 from England to Africa in January 1943 after the mechanics assembled it from a crate it was in -originally being sent to Russia.

His early letters home reflect his intense interest in things Scottish and with Great Britain over all. I'm sure his decision to fly for the RAF was partially rooted in his heritage, not just that the U.S. forces wouldn't take him even though he was an experienced pilot. His earlier medical discharge from the U.S. Navy precluded that.

Interesting, after nearly two years of combat he was sent home to train fighter pilot instructors. He kept getting into trouble for not doing things the Army way...for all his experience as a fighter pilot he'd never had much training in how to be an officer, dress the right way, march in straight lines kind of stuff that was big back on the home front. He did survive the rear echilon and left as a Captain after the war was over.

Though he never much spoke of his combat adventures, he often talked about Scotland and England.

Ron

**GMan** · 11th November 05, 07:36 PM

Great tribute Ron, Well done!

**Steeplechase** · 11th November 05, 08:46 PM

Looks great Ron.

**Sherry** · 14th November 05, 03:24 PM

Wish I could see it, but DH's security settings won't let me view imff photos.

Sherry

**Riverkilt** · 14th November 05, 05:17 PM

Yikes!

Never mind me, that means you can't see Ham's gallery either...the Mecca of kilted fashion....

Ron

**Southern Breeze** · 14th November 05, 05:49 PM

Originally Posted by Sherry

Wish I could see it, but DH's security settings won't let me view imff photos.

Sherry

Try viewing it with your firewall turned off.This problem came up a while back.Take a look in the tech section. Sorry for the lack of a link,Cut and paste seems to be on strike.