Piping for Memorial Day 2015

[OC Richard]

Sorry for the small pics, but here we are



BTW for anyone interested in the tartan, we wear Prince Charles Edward Stewart, which by the way is the tartan of the former 72nd Highlanders, till 1881.

[grizzbass]

it was a great weekend. As much as I am always at the games now, the bands are still my favorite part. luckily you can hear them at a pretty decent distance. nice shots

[MacCathail]

I did a bit of piping for Memorial Day, too. This was for the City of Rosemead.

The tartan is that of the old 74th regiment, which also didn't survive 1881 as it was amalgamated with the 71st to form the HLI.

Cheers,

-John-

[Tarheel]

I noticed the white haired gent (I assume playing taps) has Spec. 5 rank on his sleeve. Any of us that served are proud to display our last earned grade (more so, if we made Sgt. and above). But I must help those that don't know the military regulations for uniformed civilians; be aware that rank is reserved for active military members in the United States. It is a faux pas that is seldom enforced because we honor our veterans and those that represent them.

If the gentleman is still "active duty" he has had a few bumps in his career to have that rank, guessing the age his hair indicates. He still gets my thanks (as do you MacCathail) for the support and contribution to a ceremony for the fallen but not forgotten.

[MacCathail]

No, he's not on active duty any more. And, yes, he was playing taps. In fact, you'll note that he's leaning against the flagpole for the city's flag. He wasn't able to stand unaided and he wouldn't play it sitting down. I doubt anybody there but me realized the bit extra he gave that day to do the honors.

Cheers,

-John-

[OC Richard]

The tartan is that of the old 74th regiment, which also didn't survive 1881 as it was amalgamated with the 71st to form the HLI.

You wicked man, you made me go look it up.

I sort of recalled that the 74th was one of the Highland regiments which lost its Highland status in 1809. I looked it up and they originally wore kilts in the Government tartan, lost Highland Dress in 1809, and were granted trews and various other Highland trappings in 1845, their tartan now being Black Watch with a white overstripe. They did not regain their kilts in 1881 like a number of other regiments did.

Thanks for that poke, to get me to re-acquaint myself with a couple nice old books!

[OC Richard]

rank is reserved for active military members

Thanks for the info, I didn't know that.

So the wearing of the uniform is OK as long as there's no badges of rank?

I assume that decorations can be worn, and jump wings?

[The Q]

In the UK the wearing of military uniform or military style uniform by civilians has been illegal since just prior to ww2. It was brought in to combat the black shirt Nazi groups and similar paramiliary parties.

Veterans in formal occasions often wear a black blazer with a regimental badge on the pocket, their military cap, plus well deserved medals.

The enforcement of uniform wear is a bit elastic, its not a problem for sport fishermen who have taken to wearing camouflage gear etc. So unless you are fraudulently impersonating a serviceman or a member of a paramilitary group you won't get arrested.

It is an old practice for officers to still use their last rank, with Rtd (retired) after it on paperwork. however the practice has died out except for the most senior of ranks.

[OC Richard]

In the UK the wearing of military uniform or military style uniform by civilians has been illegal since just prior to ww2. It was brought in to combat the black shirt Nazi groups and similar paramiliary parties.

Like the Black Shorts?

It is an old practice for officers to still use their last rank, with Rtd (retired) after it on paperwork. however the practice has died out except for the most senior of ranks.

There's an old practice in the American South, dating back over a century, for people to be addressed as "the Colonel" the rest of their lives. I don't know why that rank, and not others, was chosen for that. It hasn't died out, where I work there's an old guy everyone calls "the Colonel" but no one seems to know if he actually WAS a Colonel. In a pipe band I played in back in the 70s there was an old guy sometimes called that, who was in fact a retired Air Force Lt Colonel.

Veterans in formal occasions often wear a black blazer with a regimental badge on the pocket, their military cap, plus well deserved medals.

It's a wonderful thing, in Britain, the Homecoming Parade, with the veterans marching behind, seen here at 3:40. There's nothing like that here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueRQEpDda4c

By the way, the US Army doesn't wear that uniform any more, the old "Class A's" or "Dress Greens" worn by that trumpet player. Though many veterans have a nostalgic affection for it, I've always though it was ugly, and I'm happy to see it go. It's been replaced by Dress Blues, which the Army has always had, but rarely worn. Take a look at how great-looking the US Army uniform was in WWII, in the first Captain America film, compared to the Class A's of the 1960s through 90s.

[Arnot]

I noticed the white haired gent (I assume playing taps) has Spec. 5 rank on his sleeve. Any of us that served are proud to display our last earned grade (more so, if we made Sgt. and above). But I must help those that don't know the military regulations for uniformed civilians; be aware that rank is reserved for active military members in the United States. It is a faux pas that is seldom enforced because we honor our veterans and those that represent them.

If the gentleman is still "active duty" he has had a few bumps in his career to have that rank, guessing the age his hair indicates. He still gets my thanks (as do you MacCathail) for the support and contribution to a ceremony for the fallen but not forgotten.

Not quite true. There are times when those not on active duty are allowed to wear the uniform as well as the rank. No Faux pas involved. As stated in AR 670-1 (The US Army uniform regulation):

30–3. Wear of the uniform by retired personnel
a. Personnel who will be advanced to a higher grade upon retirement have the option of wearing the insignia of that grade thereafter.
b. Retired personnel on active duty will wear their uniform and insignia in the same manner as prescribed for personnel in the Active Army of corresponding grade and branch.
c. Retired personnel not on active duty may wear either the uniform reflecting their grade and branch on the date of their retirement, or the uniform for personnel in the Active Army of corresponding grade and branch, when appropriate, but may not intermix the two uniforms. Personnel will wear the grade as shown on the retired grade of rank line on the retirement order.
d. Retired personnel not on active duty are not authorized to wear shoulder sleeve insignia, except as follows:
(1) Personnel performing instructor duties at an educational institution conducting courses of instruction approved by the Armed Forces will wear the shoulder sleeve insignia of the command that is responsible for the course of instruction. Senior and junior ROTC instructors will wear the Cadet Command shoulder sleeve insignia on their left shoulder (see AR 145–1 and 145–2 for wear of the uniform by senior and junior ROTC instructors, respectively).
(2) Retired personnel are authorized to wear the shoulder sleeve insignia for U.S. Army Retirees on the left
shoulder. The insignia consists of a white cloth disc with a blue border, and an inner white disc with a red border, which bears a blue and white adaptation of the coat of arms of the United States. The outer disk that surrounds the coat of arms contains the inscription “UNITED STATES ARMY” in red letters at the top, and the word “RETIRED” in blue letters at the bottom (see fig 30–1).
(3) Retired personnel may wear the shoulder sleeve insignia for former wartime service (SSI–FWTS) on the right shoulder if they were authorized wear of the SSI–FWTS while on active duty.
e. Retired personnel not on active duty are not authorized to wear the Army uniform when they are instructors or responsible for military discipline at an educational institution, unless the educational institution is conducting courses of instruction approved by the Armed Forces.
f. In addition to the occasions for wear listed above, retired personnel are authorized to wear the uniform only on the following occasions. Uniforms for these occasions are restricted to service and dress uniforms; the BDU and physical fitness uniforms will not be worn.
(1) While attending military funerals, memorial services, weddings, inaugurals, and other occasions of ceremony.
(2) Attending parades on national or state holidays, or other patriotic parades or ceremonies in which any active or reserve United States military unit is taking part. Wear of the Army uniform at any other time, or for any other purpose than stated above is prohibited.
g. Retirees are authorized to wear the physical fitness uniform (PFU) or the improved physical fitness uniform (IPFU) under the following provisions:
(1) May wear the PFU or the IPFU with civilian attire off the installation.
(2) When wearing the PFU or the IPFU as a complete uniform, retirees will—
(a) Wear only authorized accessories corresponding to those worn by personnel of the Active Army.
(b) Keep the sleeves down on the sweatshirt or jacket, the legs down on the pants, and the t-shirt tucked inside the trunks.
(c) Not roll or push up the sleeves of the IPFU sweatshirt or the PFU/IPFU jacket.
(d) Wear the sleeves of the IPFU sweatshirt cuffed or uncuffed; may not cuff the IPFU jacket sleeves.
(e) Wear the black knit cap pulled down snugly on the head, with the bottom edge of the cap folded up; will not roll the edge of the cap. A similar, commercially designed black knit cap is authorized for wear.
h. Pregnant retirees are authorized to wear the t-shirt/sweatshirt outside the trunks/sweatpants.

30–4. Wear of the uniform by former members of the Army
a. Unless qualified under another provision of this regulation, or under the provisions of section 772, title 10, United States Code (10 USC 772), former members of the Army may wear the uniform if they served honorably during a declared or undeclared war, and if their most recent service was terminated under honorable conditions. Personnel who qualify under these conditions will wear the Army uniform in the highest grade they held during such war service, in accordance with 10 USC 772.

b. The uniform is authorized for wear only for the following ceremonial occasions, and when traveling to and from the ceremony or function. Uniforms for these occasions are restricted to service and dress uniforms; the BDU and physical fitness uniforms will not be worn.
(1) When attending military funerals, memorial services, weddings, inaugurals, and other occasions of ceremony.
(2) When attending parades on national or state holidays, or other patriotic parades or ceremonies in which any active or reserve United States military unit is taking part. Wear of the Army uniform at any other time, or for any other purpose than stated above, is prohibited.