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-

[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!

[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]

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.

[Elf]

[QUOTE=OC Richard;1290386]
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.QUOTE]

Here in the United States, it is not possible to honor a meritorious citizen with a knightship but I understand that some southern states (exactly how many and from what dates will take some research) gave honorary colonelships in the state militia. My own grandfather was known as "Colonel" but that was definitely a nickname not a rank. It was held as a child his grandmother said he "looked just like a little Kentucky Colonel" in reference to the aforementioned practice. Family used the nickname his entire life. Again, not living in the South, I do not know how widespread this practice is still used. Those closer to the source may help.