Military Uniforms anyone?

[Oldfishguy]

Anyone else holding on to some piece of memorabilia? I’d like to see it.

[scooperhsd]

I got rid of just about everything when we were getting ready to move - not that any of it would fit anyway....

[The emperor has no clothes]

I wish I'd have kept my stuff. Especially my CrackerJacks. But as I gained weight and couldn't fit into them anymore, I threw them out. 

[6adan]

 I still have most of mine sea bag and everything, but like most there is no way I could get in them.

[Jess from VA]

I can't do pictures, but I have a complete USAF service dress blues.

I can get into it all right, I just can't button the buttons. 

I had a complete mess dress with real silver braid bars and badges (worn three times - $800), but as it is still the mess dress worn by active duty, I gave it to a new USAF Lieutenant that lived across the street.  It fit him much better than me.

I also have a pre-Kevlar (WWII-RVN) helmet that fits perfectly, but there's not many occasions calling for it.

[Reb]

I have my dress blues and whites still.

I tried to put the cracker jacks on about 2 years ago, the buttons were under so much stress anyone within a 5 foot circle was in a dedicated kill zone.


I haven't got them out of the closest since.

[old2soon]

                Ex numero uno had them when we split. Still remember the silk dragon liberty cuffs. IF my rekememberer is thinkin corretamundo I got the liberty cuffs in Hong Kong. For the non sailor types here liberty cuffs were sewn onto the inside of the dress clue jumper cuff. When you unbuttoned the cuff and folded it over what ever you had sewn on the inside was exposed. Depending on how large a butt head the shore patrol wuz you mostly got a verbal and roll your cuffs back and button them. If they-S P-were on a tear-orders from headquarters-they could pull your liberty pass and send ya back to the ship. I will neither confirm nor deny if i ever got sent back to the ship.  And as others have stated even if i still had my old uniforms I'd doubt seriously they'd fit!  RIDE SAFE.

[Jess from VA]

True button popping story.

I was quite fit when I went on active duty.  I bought a close fitting service dress uniform.  Fast forward about 7 months, and I was prosecuting a guy for stealing two USAF revolvers, in front of a jury.

I had been in court as a civilian plenty of times, but I was pretty nervous in front of my first military officer jury.  I got up to do my closing argument, walked over in front of them, took a deep breath, and the second button on my service dress shot off right at them.  It was like some kind of Shakespearean comic relief; it was pretty funny and everyone suppressed laughter (me too).  I put my hand over the empty buttonhole (like Napoleon) and finished my argument.  I got my conviction.  After the trial, a Lt Col juror handed me my button, grinning.  

I thought about sewing it back on, but never wanted that to happen again, so I pushed a metal paperclip through the jacket and button, and twisted it tight in back.  That was in 1984, and I still have the service dress jacket, and it still has the paperclip holding that button on.

[da prez]

  O F G , I was second A D. Fort hood Texas. O ets'ed in 69.
                       da prez

[DIGGER]

I have a question about military uniforms.   I have a deep respect for anyone who served our country in any capacity to insure our American way of life.   I personally never served in the military.   Recently I bought a heavy duty green modern day camo military shirt for a couple bucks at a garage sale and I have been wearing ut for hunting purposes.    I have removed sll insignia to where it is just a shirt.   When at our hunting lease after morning hunt we go into town for breakfast at a McDonalds restaurant and several times I have noticed ex soldiers doing a double take on the shirt.    I really like the shirt for hunting purposes but do not want to offend any ex soldiers in any way.   What are your thoughts on me using the shirt with no insignias of any kind on it?

[scooperhsd]

With no insignia - at least you're trying to not impersonate a serviceperson - you should be OK. What I would do is if you see someone staring at you while you're wearing it, is go up to them and explain the situation, and that you appreciate the quality of equipment we send out with our troops .

[Jess from VA]

Technically you aren't supposed to wear partial (or complete) uniforms which you are not entitled to wear (including active duty wearing another service's uniform).

But plain camo has been out for so long, in so many iterations and color combinations and patterns, sold by military clothing sales and civilian outfitters, that it really is not problem (with all insignia removed).

The US military itself is constantly changing camo patterns, though I would not personally wear a camo pattern that was currently worn by a service branch that was completely distinctive from all other camo patterns (and I think most of these are sandbox colors as opposed to woodland colors).

I have some original (USAF clothing sales) woodland BDU military shirts and pants (summer rip-stop and winter poly mix) and an OD fatigue jacket, with insignia removed that I am no longer authorized to wear, but I'd wear them if I felt like it.  (but not like to Arlington Cemetery... more like for yard work)

Back in my day, we had certain overseas SP cops who wore Tiger Stripes, but weren't allowed to wear them back in the states.  But the military is full of regulations regarding proper uniforms.

 I once told a female captain she was required to wear a (OD/black/white) Tshirt under her woodland fatigues (her prodigious lacy brassiere was showing).  She didn't believe me, and I pulled out the reg to prove it.  I didn't mind seeing her underwear at all, but the general down the hall might have given her sh!t for it.  She had recently transferred in from the Navy and didn't know any better.  

Finally, you will see numbers of military veterans (of all wars) wearing partial or complete uniforms in parades, or PGR missions, or reunions and the like, and although it is against the rules, no one should ever complain; they are honoring their past service and sacrifice.  At Rolling Thunder in the Pentagon, I wore my woodland BDU cap with captains bars.    But wanabees piss me off.