Significance of these types of clan pins.

[ctbuchanan]

I say this with the greatest of respect to all, but we have a mixing of cultures here and I am not at all convinced that Scots kilt culture and American military(in a civilian context)culture are mixing well. To me if you are wearing the kilt(tartan) then Scots traditions should prevail lest the accusation of "playing at being a Scot" be levelled at one.

I am not saying for one second that one should ignore one's nationality, or your service to one's country and I hope that you all know I am not. But dress as a Scot and follow their dress conventions or dress as an American(jeans and military style shirt/T shirt/whatever?) but I cannot see that the two cultures(in the context of civilian military/American) gel together well in kilt form. I my view, leave the medal ribbons and other military badges at home when wearing the kilt as a civilian, apart from very specific events, like Armistice Day. Sorry.

I have the utmost respect for your opinion and understand your point of view about mixing culture but I must disagree. Although I was born in the USA my mother was born in Scotland and my father in York. He served in the Royal Horse Artillery and then the Mounted Section of the Palestine Police from 1932 to 1949, leaving as Assistant Supt of Police in Jerusalem (equiv. to a colonel I believe).

The problem is that we don't wear the kilt as a costume attempting to be Scottish. The kilt, as has been illustrated in thousands of posts on this website, is a "living" garment and can (and in my opinion should) be adapted for use in any culture that those of us of Scots ancestry are found. To say that if we wear the kilt we must wear it according to the custom only of Scotland or the U.K. is, with all due respect, impossible. If a person earns their military credentials here in the USA he/she is perfectly proper in following our customs when wearing the kilt, I can discern no reason why they would be forced to wear them according to only British custom. The codes state that they can be worn with "proper" attire. In my humble opinion nothing could be more proper than the kilt.