Offense is always taken. It can be no other way most of the time. Of course one can in fact choose to give offense, but it generally requires forethought.

The only time I find myself offended by the wearing of the image of a US flag is when it is on the person of a loudmouthed a*&^ american in another country, like for instance Canada or England or France. Then it truly bothers me that someone is clothed in the flag image.

It is a pity that you did not get the chance to talk to him more, as he chose to storm off. Perhaps all he needed was a kind word and a smile to make his day better in some small way. It obviously had got off to a bad start.

I worry that sometimes we are a wee bit judgmental when we could be compassionate, or humorous instead.

I do know many people, some vets, some not, who find the image of the flag splashed all over everything to be tacky and cheap. To them it seems to lessens the value of it as a symbol, and denigrate what it stands for. I think this may be from where the gentleman in question comes, in viewpoint.