Wearing of miniature medals with PC?

[kiltedmapleleaf]

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.

[Rogerson785]

Birddog,

As long as the ball invitation states civilian formal attire authorized, i.e. tuxedo, tails etc., then there should be no problem with wearing the miniature medals with your PC.



Rogerson

[Carolina Kiltman]

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.

To the above: I can only say AMEN!

[davedove]

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.

I read somewhere that only about 10% of those eligible for service and older (age 18 and up) have ever seen any time in service. That means that 90% of the adults out there never spent any time in uniform. That's certainly different than the post-WWII era where if you weren't in the service, someone in your family was.

What that means is if you only served a few years shuffling paper while in uniform, you have committed more of your life to serving the country than 90% of the people around you.

I feel that those who have served and wear their medals (at appropriate times, and there are inappropriate times) don't do so to brag. They do it to remind all the others that a few people have volunteered to put their lives on the line for everyone else.

[Detroitpete]

I'm gonna stand next to MacVarmit and MacDougall on this one. I served 8 years as a swift-boater amoung a few other interesting tasks. If at a Ball I see a flyboy in a kilt wearing his minies on a PC, I'll shake his hand and give him a "Hell yeah". If he's one of uncle sam's misguided children and he's doing the same--It's a handshake and a "semper fi, Mack" plus I buy him a beer 'cuz I remember what jungle school in Panama was like. If it's someone from my proud branch of the US military and we're both in our Edzell finest with our minies on our PC's then it's a slap on the back and a "Whatcha drinkin' shipmate"...

Then we stand in a line and dare anybody to tell us different.

Just me blowin' steam here.

[graham_s]

I did my time, I saw the elephant, I earned my tin.
I wear my miniature medals whenever I'm in my PC (in fact I'm wearing them tonight to a University function tonight)