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Post by kilroy on Jan 10, 2009 14:51:55 GMT -5
Given we are reenactors, is it OK with the reenactor community to wear valor medals, to help educate the public on a particular veteran, that I want to protray? I figure if actors in the movies can do it, why can we do it to?
Any thoughts
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Post by 2idreenactor on Jan 10, 2009 15:58:57 GMT -5
I have thought about this too. My Grandfather was awarded a purple heart and a CIB during his service in North Africa and at Anzio. I always wanted to wear his purple heart ribbon(not the actual medal) and his CIB in honor of him but am afraid of some reenactor blowing up when he sees me wearing it. I have heard of this beeing done before but I am a little aprehensive about it. What do you guys think?
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waldo
T/Sgt. 
"I see the sumbitch, I'm goin in after him!"
Posts: 465
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Post by waldo on Jan 10, 2009 16:03:21 GMT -5
There have been many discussions on these boards concerning the wearing of valor medals. The general consensus has been that if you are not doing a first person impression (like you are) or you did not earn them personally that it is not acceptable. If you have any questions I suggest you ask one of the forum MPs who will be happy to address them.  Nick |
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Schultz
S/Sgt. 
Semper Paratus
Posts: 382
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Post by Schultz on Jan 10, 2009 17:00:46 GMT -5
I have thought about this too. My Grandfather was awarded a purple heart and a CIB during his service in North Africa and at Anzio. I always wanted to wear his purple heart ribbon(not the actual medal) and his CIB in honor of him but am afraid of some reenactor blowing up when he sees me wearing it. I have heard of this beeing done before but I am a little aprehensive about it. What do you guys think? Personally , I've never had an issue with people wear awards as part of their reenacting persona. I think its interesting when people wear awards that were issued to family members it adds something personal to your impression. I think when wearing awards important to remember that we "play" soldier and as long as remember to take them off when the weeked is over its fine. And if someone does go off on you kindly remind them its a hobby and explain to them why, and the significance of what you are wearing. |
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Post by mjerickson on Jan 10, 2009 17:24:08 GMT -5
Dont take any of this as gospel but Im sure the discussion will get around the the "Stolen Valor Act" this federal law makes it illeagal for anyone to wear medals of valor and I belive it goes as far as US Military Uniforms. Keep in mind there is the Letter of the Law and there is the Sprit of the law. In the stolen valor act it states that and and individual can not wear a uniform or medal that he/she did not personaly earn.(which us as reenactors do) But it also says that you can not use that for personal gain. (meaning you cant walk into a bar and say Ive got a Silver Star, buy me a beer, or wear a uniform to a Job interview hoping it will make you points). If a reenactor unit were to come out to a Memorial day parade in Class As and ribbons to march Im pretty sure the local DA is not going to really get bent out of shape about it. Now if these same guys were walking in the parade with buckets and signs saying "donate to WWII veterans" for beer money yeah there may be a problem.
Every time this subject comes up I rembers the time several of us were coming back from going out to dinner after a battle at Fort Custer. The Secruty guard looked at one of the guys in the car and said "You know its illegal to wear the good conduct ribbon, and Im pretty sure its illiegal to wear that uniform too". I thought that it was ddd that he pointed the comment to only one guy(the youngest of our group at 21), while 4 more of us sat in the car.
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Schultz
S/Sgt.
Semper Paratus
Posts: 382
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Post by Schultz on Jan 10, 2009 17:46:21 GMT -5
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cco23i
Lt. Colonel 
"BESTWEDO"
Posts: 4,948
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Post by cco23i on Jan 10, 2009 17:55:17 GMT -5
Honestly, my opinion is just wear the standard ribbons and don't wear valor types as most of them were not awarded to the individual until late the war. JMHO. Scott  |
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Post by kilroy on Jan 10, 2009 19:02:54 GMT -5
I guess between reenactors, people are cool. And probably at a Living History Event, you would get a warm respection. It's just when you're in out in the general public things could get messy.
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cco23i
Lt. Colonel
"BESTWEDO"
Posts: 4,948
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Post by cco23i on Jan 10, 2009 20:49:17 GMT -5
You see ribbons like purple hearts, silver stars and such in my opinion if you were not awarded them you should not wear them. I know many in the reenacting community that feel that way.
Scott
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Post by TC1c Dunigan on Jan 10, 2009 23:53:12 GMT -5
I'll be honest here. There is no reason anyone should be upset if they see you wearing the basic ribbons or the CIB. If you portraying Infantry you'd look mighty retarded being a rifleman and not looking like one. You creating a persona of an average rifleman. Wear only what the average rifleman would have worn. No Valor awards whatsoever, unless you've earned them.
Here's what I wear:
~ 1940:
Good Conduct Ribbon
American Defense Ribbon.
*Note: I portray a rifleman from 1938 to 1946.
~ 1943:
Combat Infantry Badge
Good Conduct Ribbon
American Defense Ribbon
American Campaign Ribbon
European/African/Middle Eastern Campaign Ribbon
~ 1946:
Combat Infantry Badge
Good Conduct Ribbon
American Defense Ribbon
American Campaign Ribbon
European/African/Middle Eastern Campaign Ribbon
WWII Victory Ribbon
Army of Occupation Ribbon
Regards,
FRISCAN
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Gunny57
Retired Forum MP 
Te Ope M?ori H?koi kia toa ! Ake Ake Kia Kaha E!
Posts: 4,571
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Post by Gunny57 on Jan 11, 2009 6:24:30 GMT -5
The most flogged dead horse I saw in all my time here is this......and I've been here since the beginning...if this becomes just the shadow of the ugly rants that I've seen coming an' going in the past five and half years I'll nuke it back to the Stone Age, when history wasn't even recorded, with lightning speed.
MP
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cco23i
Lt. Colonel
"BESTWEDO"
Posts: 4,948
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Post by cco23i on Jan 11, 2009 7:49:48 GMT -5
Gunny, It's either this one or the one about leggings that keeps coming up!  Scott |
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Post by mudpuppy on Jan 11, 2009 8:29:38 GMT -5
I have a class A jacket with a Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Good Conduct ect. that I display to show the public what they would look like but if I wear it some place I put my own Medals on it. Pup
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Post by hiltz on Jan 11, 2009 8:31:32 GMT -5
Here's my 2 cents:
My father served for 41 years and retired a CSM. He's has quite an array of "Fruit Salad". I will never wear what he has earned. When he passes I will inherit his medals and proudly and properly display them.
I have interviewed many WWII Combat Vets. They told me that the most prized medals were the Purple Heart and the CIB.
As a re-enactor if guys just wear the Good Conduct Medal and Campaign medals without clusters then it should not matter. Anything else should not be worn unless the wearer actually earned them.
I personally would not because I did not earn them.
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Post by williegford on Jan 11, 2009 11:27:38 GMT -5
I have thought about this too. My Grandfather was awarded a purple heart and a CIB during his service in North Africa and at Anzio. I always wanted to wear his purple heart ribbon(not the actual medal) and his CIB in honor of him but am afraid of some reenactor blowing up when he sees me wearing it. I have heard of this beeing done before but I am a little aprehensive about it. What do you guys think? 2idreenactor, I don't think you need to wear ribbons to honor your Grandfather. I've seen the photos you posted of your 2nd ID impression and you're doing a fine job of honoring him. You don't need ribbons and medals to do that. As for the original question, as Gunny as stated it has been hashed out at length on this forum. There are arguments on both sides about this. My opinion as stated above is, you don't need to wear ribbons to tell the story. Bill |
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Post by 2idreenactor on Jan 11, 2009 13:13:51 GMT -5
I miss wrote my post. What I ment to get across is that I still have his uniform with the stuff on it, and for our units displays we like to kinda mix up the impressions a little. I was asking if it would be OK to wear his uniform with that stuff on it. I forgot to mention that.
Sorry for starting a fire here, I didn't know that this had been discussed so many times before. my bad.
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Post by ww2dave on Jan 11, 2009 13:36:53 GMT -5
Display the Uniform with all the decorations on a Mannequin, poster board or whatever... You weren't awarded theses decorations and your not this actual person or portraying this person on film or in a play in a situation where he/she would be wearing all the decorations. Your walking around at a Reenactment which is mostly a figment of our own imaginations. So my answer to your question is NO, don't wear it.  Dave  |
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Post by Boogiewoogie on Jan 11, 2009 14:52:59 GMT -5
My all time favorite was a young man, that said the way to "earn" a good conduct medal was to participate in a reenactment unit "standard" to get one. That meant being in a reenactment unit for a year.
I replied that I truly to believed the best way to get one was, to go down to the recruiter, enlist and if you did your duty, they gave you one every 3 years.
Martin
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Post by 2idreenactor on Jan 11, 2009 15:28:25 GMT -5
Thanks for the info on this topic. I new very little about how people felt about this and now I know. Sorry if I offended anyone or started an argument by posting this . I was just curious.
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Faabala
Forum MP 
PULL OVER!!!!!
Posts: 3,417
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Post by Faabala on Jan 11, 2009 16:02:49 GMT -5
It is a complicated issue. My groups has been told by the Vets that we should wear Jump/Glider Wings and CIBs because "they" wore them and we are supposed to be portraying them. Valor medals are different. Some of our guys wear the medals they earned in modern service. I only wear the Good Conduct medal and a campaign ribbon.
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