Quote Originally Posted by Mr. MacDougall View Post
As I've said before in threads about wearing our decorations in public, I'm in favor of it. I wear my aircrew and surface warfare badges on my Navy tartan kilt as kilt pins, and have my aircrew wings embroidered on a name patch I most often wear with the flight jacket that is my major item of wintertime dress.

It's getting to the point that those of us who've seen the elephant are a minority. There was a time when everyone's brother / father / uncle / whatever had served in World War Two, or Korea, or Viet Nam, but as those conflicts get further behind us, people are losing touch with the warriors among them... particularly as those of us who served later tend to be very modest, and quiet about our service.

Civilians don't understand what it is to see that elephant, and they can't even begin to, unless there are people who are willing to talk to them about it, to explain what can be explained, and field the thousand and one stupid questions. That's part of why I make myself visible... not to grandstand, but, hopefully, to help build a bridge between warriors of the past, and those who may make that decision to serve, in the future... or just to help someone who wants to understand to take that first step, and have someone to ask.
well put, it's hard to explain to civvies what it is like to serve, I served 9 years in the Brittish army and have been out 10 years don't miss the BS but all the mates, Civvie freinds are grand to have but aren't patch on your army ones.