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You were going to...
... paint jackets, weren't you Root? Any luck with that / examples?
... paint jackets, weren't you Root? Any luck with that / examples?
scotrace said:... paint jackets, weren't you Root? Any luck with that / examples?
Sefton said:Speaking about young people not knowing the history of WWII...I was riding a bus once in San Francisco when I overheard some teenagers talking. They were talking about WWII and the Vietnam war. They were sure that Vietnam probably happened in the 70s and that WWII was the 1960s! Gotta love those public schools.....
I agree 100%. To me, it's not right to wear rank or wings without doing the time. I kind of feel the same way about dog tags that are becoming fashion accessories. I hate seeing someone who has no idea what tags are about, wearing them with their hip-hop clothing.airfrogusmc said:I would say no wings or rank. Both of those things (wings and rank) come with a price that if you didn't pay that price don't wear them. I've always felt if you don't rate it don't wear it...
S/F
Allen
I think you and I basically agree (about wings & rank), but as far as dog-tags, keep in mind they are a great way to carry crucial info - I have seen them now employed to carry medical condition info. I wouldn't fault folks for that.Bebop said:I kind of feel the same way about dog tags that are becoming fashion accessories. I hate seeing someone who has no idea what tags are about, wearing them with their hip-hop clothing.
gdkenoyer said:As a Vietnam-era former USAF Staff Sergeant I find it offensive to see someone wearing rank that they've not earned. I agree 100% with the response from the Navy officer -- you would not walk about claiming to be an MD or PhD if you'd not earned it.
Go with the unit insignia but skip the rank.
MDFrench said:I have met MANY veterans - I interview them in my spare time on video. I have a bomber jacket outfitted with 8th Air Force patches and 91st Bomb Group insignia - I have met many WWII flyers and they always enjoy seeing a young person wearing their insignia. I have gotten nothing but thanks and compliments for keeping such history alive amongst young people by wearing it on my person.
I wore that jacket in the presence of the pilot of the Memphis Belle, the pilot of the original Aluminium Overcast, bomber gunners of all types - I have never been scoffed, scolded or insulted - only given words of thanks and impressed looks by veterans who think that everyone under 35 doesn't have a clue what WWII is, and in many instances, they'd be right.
Granted, I don't wear any rank insignia - so I can't give an opinion about that one way or the other. However, I just cannot wear a plain A-2 - I like wearing a bit of "conversation" with it.
Mike
Speaking of reenacting, I find reenacting to be kind of offensive. Not that there is anything wrong with being offended but......what is that all about? Pretending to be a soldier in a bloody horrible situation? Why would anyone want to recreate the look and especially the feel of a soldier in war? Is it the clothes? I don't get it and maybe that is why I think it's a little offensive.Zemke Fan said:A WWII post the draws some interest! Here's my two cents worth...
I think it ALL depends upon the situation.
EXAMPLE 1: An A-2 jacket for walking around wearing jeans and looking cool. Definitely leave off the rank insignia and wings. After all, the current USAF A-2 looks similar and you don't want to confuse anyone. As for squadron or group patches? Who really gives a damn? These things are always just fun, and unless you're 80+ years old, NO ONE will be confused. (Besides, most of the patches from the last 40 years look horrible!)
EXAMPLE 2: Reenacting. The whole idea behind these events is to recreate the "look and feel" of the time. Rank insignia, wings, and ribbons (not medals) can be proudly worn to honor the era and those who served. On a tunic or an A-2 jacket ONLY worn at such events (I include USO dances in this category), I find nothing wrong with such embellishments.
So, for me, I draw the line with medals (never) and rank insignia and/or wings (in situations where people might be confused/offended).
The Wingnut said:If you're satisfied with photographs and old newsreels, then there's not much appeal to reenacting. If you're satisfied with seeing objects under glass and in eternal stasis in a museum, lifeless and unmoving, then there's no appeal to reenacting.
If you want some idea, up close and personal, of how it smelled, how things moved, were used, how they interacted, how people behaved, what the daily rigors were, reenacting provides this. It's not completely realistic and isn't intended to be for obvious reasons.
Some people would never see what happened - what things look, feel, smell like in action, how they move - if wasn't for reenactors.
There is no glory to war, and those who reenact to glorify it are in the hobby for all of the wrong reasons. People sacrificed selflessly for what we take for granted...were it not for reenactors, their legacy would be photographs, old films, and quiet, lifeless museums where once-animated objects gather dust and sit in a state of halted decay.
I work in a militaria shop that houses a small yet impressive museum. The saddest part of the shop lies behind the doors leading into the area full of things that are never taken from their display cases. It is a still, dark, lifeless environment.
...if you have to ask this sort of question, what is the draw for you to this forum?
I don't have a problem with that as it is basically re-enacting, and the event was set up for dress/appearance like that. But for every day street wear, not appropriate.Wild Root said:Ok, what would you say to me wearing an original WWII uniform with original rank to a USO WWII themed dance? Or a war time re-enactment?
=WR=
The Wingnut said:...if you have to ask this sort of question, what is the draw for you to this forum?