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Post by S/Sgt.Noble30thID on Aug 21, 2009 9:50:37 GMT -5
Yea, I do it all the time. Ive shown up to a McDonalds with 3 Vietnam grunts, some Rev War Regulars, and a 14th Century pikeman.
Charlie
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Post by Boogiewoogie on Aug 21, 2009 12:51:53 GMT -5
Look at the age of the 2 of us that are talking about this. I know that I am speaking of times, that were worse than the Clinton times. Jimmy Carter was no real friend to the military either.
People were also mad that George Bush and the military didn't finish the job, in my community. I had a 5 year break in service. The Guards were not drinking when I went, they were being changed, because of Desert Storm. They had been a huge drink fest before that time.
Martin
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wildazchef
2nd Lieutenant
An army fights better on a full stomach http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Messkitchens
Posts: 885
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Post by wildazchef on Aug 21, 2009 17:02:40 GMT -5
German re-enactor friends of mine put tape over any swastikas to avoid offending J. Q. Public. Doing that, most folks have no idea what the uniform is anyway.[/quote]
This is where it gets a little more difficult with the public, when I reenacted a German Soldat I would always take off my jacket and hat whenever I went into a public place. I forgot one time to remove my cap and got all kinds of grief because of the "Nazi eagle patch on the front of my hat.
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Post by tentha86 on Aug 21, 2009 17:25:25 GMT -5
Unfortunately the Heer 9and others) reenactors have a different problem to deal with - bitter politics & 65 year old second-hand memories. One public event we do has banned German reenactors after a school teacher complained about seeing their uniform and claiming that they were "goose stepping and Heil Hitlering all around the camp". It's BS but they are still banned. Most of the camp visitors that year had to ask what country they represented, as it is not taught in school.
Back on task - If the uniform is welcomed, be it German or British or Yank or Brazilian - it should be worn with pride and properly finished. You may get stares & questions, or you may get your beer bought for you in the bar! (the advantage of GI duds!)
{Last Memorial Day our honor guard went out with the military support team (SF Gp(A)) after dinner and they couldn't pay for their drinks in any of the bars they hit! Our guys even told them they weren't active duty - made no difference}
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colbob506
T/3.
That dog won't hunt!
Posts: 251
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Post by colbob506 on Aug 22, 2009 2:07:20 GMT -5
Mudgrunt, I am 45,well 46 Monday.It was 84 and I'd just ETS'd and changed planes in St.Louis,I stopped to check directions to the USO lounge,as I turned and hitched up my duffle bag when this woman about 30 yrs. old stepped up and spit in my face,called me a baby killer and proceeded to rant about how military people just want to kill poor innocents......blah,blah,blah. Highly disconcerting to say the least,she and a handful of cretin's she started gathering harrangued me to the portals of the USO,where a very nice older couple lit into them but good! I don't believe the specifics of my service had anything to do with it,but back then most of the psycho hippie types had not yet got jobs teaching and were still very vocal and militant (kinda ironic they still use that word for themselves).I always got treated very good by; bikers,rednecks,cops and bartenders though!Brings to mind the fact that the memorial day after 9-11 after being in the parade with the local VA service workers I stopped to pick my daughter up from school,still in my uniform,when a small group of boys walked up,saluted and said "Thank you sir for protecting us"almost twenty years later and that was the first time anyone actually thanked me. Sparrow
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Post by Gefreiter Hauwärtz on Aug 22, 2009 4:44:29 GMT -5
I try not to wear too much of my uniform in Public. I don't have any insignia on most of my stuff yet, so what I do wear in public doesn't piss off the public.
I occasionly wear my wool jump trousers...only the ones I wear in the field though...so I get a bit used to the wool.
I also occasionly wear my tropical cap if I plan to walk somewhere. The tropical tunic gets the most attention...people come up to me asking "Hey...where'd you get the cool Skorpion patch?" I tell them what it is...Ramcke brigade Lehrkompanie...then they get confused and walk away.
But for the most part, other than my boots, nothing really sees the outside world until an event.
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Post by atgunner on Aug 23, 2009 20:57:44 GMT -5
My experiences have varied, bizarrely the biggest issue I have had on the way back from an event was when I was in the "uniform" of a 1917 deserter from the army of the provisional government of Russia. I have been out in several uniforms and most of the time the public has no idea, as very few of the uniforms I wear tend to be recognizable in any manner. I get funny stares mostly. I cant see much harm in one wearing GI uniforms to the store, though mileage may vary.
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Post by mudgrunt on Aug 24, 2009 14:09:32 GMT -5
Mudgrunt, I am 45,well 46 Monday.It was 84 and I'd just ETS'd and changed planes in St.Louis,I stopped to check directions to the USO lounge,as I turned and hitched up my duffle bag when this woman about 30 yrs. old stepped up and spit in my face,called me a baby killer and proceeded to rant about how military people just want to kill poor innocents......blah,blah,blah. Highly disconcerting to say the least,she and a handful of cretin's she started gathering harrangued me to the portals of the USO,where a very nice older couple lit into them but good! I don't believe the specifics of my service had anything to do with it,but back then most of the psycho hippie types had not yet got jobs teaching and were still very vocal and militant (kinda ironic they still use that word for themselves).I always got treated very good by; bikers,rednecks,cops and bartenders though!Brings to mind the fact that the memorial day after 9-11 after being in the parade with the local VA service workers I stopped to pick my daughter up from school,still in my uniform,when a small group of boys walked up,saluted and said "Thank you sir for protecting us"almost twenty years later and that was the first time anyone actually thanked me. Sparrow Thanks for sharing.
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prgeyer
M/Sgt.
1940 is the Wave of the Future!
Posts: 578
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Post by prgeyer on Aug 24, 2009 16:25:31 GMT -5
I used to belong to an SS unit. We were on an army base for a training event, as most of the members of my unit were active duty army and were able to wrangle us a spot for the weekend at one of their training facilities. One evening we went to the PX to pick up some supplies. Granted, we weren't wearing our tunics or caps (unit regs forbade going out in public with those items), but we were still in feldgrau trousers, service shirts, and hobnailed low boots with gaiters. A couple of soldiers in the PX asked us if we were Canadians.
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Danger Forward
Private First Class
The US Army consisted of the 1st Division and 1 million replacements
Posts: 47
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Post by Danger Forward on Aug 24, 2009 16:56:34 GMT -5
My biggest problem is when guys get dressed up, go out to the bars, get plastered and make fools of themselves behave like hooligans. When you wear the uniform out, you are not only representing yourself, but your unit and all the members in your unit as well.
There was an instance I was familiar with where a group of guys went out on the town wearing their class A uniforms, they got drunk in a bar, got rowdy and caused trouble. The problem was, the principal of the local school was also about town that night with his family and saw the carousing of the guys and took note of the unit patch. The next day, he was walking around camp looking for the patches and noticed one of his teachers in the camp with the troublemakers. Even though this gentleman was NOT a member of the guilty party, he was reprimanded because of guilt by association. Apparently, some parents saw the behavior of the men in town, went to the camp, saw their kids teacher in the camp, put two and two together and complained to the principle. This guy almost lost his job because the guys could not control themselves.
I have no problem wearing the uniform to a USO type dance, out to dinner as a unit or a large group, or a small group of twos and threes, but to go out drinking and carousing in it is unneccesary and ridiculous.
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Post by tentha86 on Aug 24, 2009 17:26:33 GMT -5
helpinghand is right - a pub crawl is risky at best, because all it takes is one drunk to paint the whole group... In spite of my comment, that pub crawl is best done in civvies...
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Post by panzerbear on Aug 24, 2009 17:38:55 GMT -5
I believe that 98% of the public is totally clueless when it comes to uniforms. Back in my CW days, we had a sort-of tradition of hitting a Sonny's Barbeque on the way home from an event. So we're on the way back from Andersonville, about a dozen of us, still wearing wool, waiting to be seated. Some clueless yankee tourist type is eyeballing us and finally asks my Sergeant if we were on maneuvers and what Army unit we were. My Sergeant tells him, straight-faced and with a Pennsylvania Dutch accent, that we were part of a militant Amish Militia and we are "mad at you English and we ain't taking it no more." I wish I had had a camera. And this wasn't an isolated event. The same thing happened again after another event and that time we told them that we were an Airborne Amish Paratrooper unit on the way home from jump training, our training being cut short because we were having trouble getting the horses to exit the aircraft at altitude. And they believed us. Then there was the time I was talking to a 3rd SS guy and someone walked up, noticed the Deathshead on his collar, and asked him if he was portraying a pirate. What do you say to something like that?
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glen
T/Sgt.
Posts: 494
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Post by glen on Aug 25, 2009 14:47:02 GMT -5
It kind of funny because a girl who I work with wants too see me in my uniform,so does at least three other coworkers.And my best friend,his younger son.-Doc Jones
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Post by UPNATM on Aug 25, 2009 20:16:11 GMT -5
It kind of funny because a girl who I work with wants too see me in my uniform, Well by all means oblige her! Our unit often gos out to eat after an event. Never in class A's though, B's only. We have never had anyone come at us in a negative way. 99% of the public think were are active duty and start clapping and thank us for our service.
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Post by 34thtcflyboy on Aug 25, 2009 20:31:52 GMT -5
I've always wondered about the wearing of the uniform out in public (i.e. dinner, etc). I felt funny when I wore my summer khakis to go out swing dancing, but all I got were great comments and thanks. I've been in public at events and not at events when I just felt like donning my Class A's and I always get a lot of positive reactions. I have never had anyone tell me that what I was doing was wrong or anything else.
I guess we all have our personal reasons to wear what we wear, and I'm sure none of us here are trying to impersonate a modern military man, so I see no problem in choosing to wear your uniform just for the hell of it. Look smart and wear it right and proudly!
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Post by chiefyeomanbb55 on Aug 26, 2009 6:05:56 GMT -5
I remember doing a timeline as WWI French Poilu and being told by a spectator what cool helmets the "rebels" had. Hmmmmm....ok. I pointed to a couple of Span Am troops and told him he ought to check out the "yankees". The general public is clueless. Big AMEN on that! CM
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Post by chiefyeomanbb55 on Aug 26, 2009 6:14:21 GMT -5
I believe that 98% of the public is totally clueless when it comes to uniforms. Back in my CW days, we had a sort-of tradition of hitting a Sonny's Barbeque on the way home from an event. So we're on the way back from Andersonville, about a dozen of us, still wearing wool, waiting to be seated. Some clueless yankee tourist type is eyeballing us and finally asks my Sergeant if we were on maneuvers and what Army unit we were. My Sergeant tells him, straight-faced and with a Pennsylvania Dutch accent, that we were part of a militant Amish Militia and we are "mad at you English and we ain't taking it no more." I wish I had had a camera. And this wasn't an isolated event. The same thing happened again after another event and that time we told them that we were an Airborne Amish Paratrooper unit on the way home from jump training, our training being cut short because we were having trouble getting the horses to exit the aircraft at altitude. And they believed us. Then there was the time I was talking to a 3rd SS guy and someone walked up, noticed the Deathshead on his collar, and asked him if he was portraying a pirate. What do you say to something like that? Great one! I am going to keep that reply in my hip pocket, with a slight change. I do WWII U.S. Navy so I think I'll tell them I serve in the Amish Coast Guard and I'm stationed at a duck pond in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania! CM
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Post by pfarber on Aug 27, 2009 1:11:04 GMT -5
I see a lot of guys getting dressed AT events. I generally go in uniform. I have no problem being in wools, properly wear my hat (with a haircut) etc etc.
I see no reason not to.
Some looks, some waves, but once in a while you meet someone who knows what you are doing. Either a vet or a fellow reenactor. Always nice to chat.
I think its more about your personality than your clothes. Would I go to the movies in uniform? If I get in for free, SURE!
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glen
T/Sgt.
Posts: 494
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Post by glen on Sept 15, 2009 13:57:12 GMT -5
I was told by my C.O. to ware my uniform to The Fort Worth Militaria Show that is comeing up this week end.My wife told me that folks might laugh at you,make fun of you for wareing your uniform.And I do not know what well happen if the public see's me in my uniform,so what is the big deal if I do.''Maintain tack and bearing'' is the right thing to do.-Doc Jones
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Post by dixieflyer on Sept 15, 2009 19:38:39 GMT -5
We used to wear our uniforms/impressions out to eat on Saturday nights during events back during the early/mid 80's. Doing so at the local steak house was a GREAT way to meet vets, by the end of the evening we were usually outnumbered 3-4:1. Of course, times have changed. My son, nephew, and I were wearing our RKKA uniforms on the way to do a one day gig at the MVPA convention, and stopped at a truck stop to get a drink/use the facilities. On their way out some tourist types said something about "hey, look, nazis". Ignorance is so sad. I was in the AL ARNG in the late 80's, and belonged to a really great unit, real by the book, get things done the right way kind of unit to belong too. When I went through infantry school, I was told that I would catch all kinds of #$@! because of being ARNG. Funny, once they found out my unit affiliation, they left me alone, and later I got a lot of compliments from the RC guys on how impressed they were when in the past they had encountered the men from my unit at various schools, etc. Back home, in Alabama at that time, you would be hard pressed to find an employer who didn't have ARNG working for them, and often they preferred to hire us. The culture down there was rather militaristic though (nice!), and the uniform got a lot of respect where ever you wore it. I guess two Presidential Unit Citations, 26+ battle streamers, and having a unit in the same location for more than 135 years causes a community to respect its ARNG members. Maybe it was the way we were always there for our community during hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, etc. Unfortunately, I moved to Kentucky, and I found out where all of the ARNG jokes got started. As much as my old unit in Alabama seemed to break with the stereotype, these guys up here seemed to relish in wallowing in it. I learned quickly that you didn't want anything having to do with the ARNG up here on your vehicle, etc. It was an embarrassment to be sure. I'm sure there are some good units up here, especially since recent events have probably done a lot to shake out the losers, but it sure wasn't like that up here in the 90's. Warren
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