Guess who?
- Thread starter Sharon
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"So, Ted, tell me about your sister....."
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Bruzilla
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Halloween 1969. President and soldier costumes were big with children.
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Bruzilla
Guest
I just can't imagine how anyone who's served in uniform could so blatantly disrespect their uniform by wearing it like that. Why would anyone wear their ribbons to an anti-war rally? I can see how some vets wanting to protest the war would wear their old uniforms to show they were vets, but why wear combat decorations? It looks like Kerry was trying to play up to two different crowds even back then.
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Bertha Venation
New Member
Does something in the UCMJ forbid wearing your ribbons to certain events? Or is it just an opinion that one should not wear them to an anti-war rally?
Perhaps you should write to Kerry and ask him how he could "disrespect his uniform"* in this manner. I'd be interested in what he had to say.
* Perhaps you meant to write "disrespect fellow soldiers" or "disrespect our war dead"--how does one disrespect an inanimate object? Or perhaps I'm missing something about military service; I haven't served.
The UCMJ has provisions for those that break the law. The “law” –
USCODE Title 10 Sec. 771. - Unauthorized wearing prohibited
Except as otherwise provided by law, no person except a member of the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps, as the case may be, may wear -
(1)
the uniform, or a distinctive part of the uniform, of the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps; or
(2)
a uniform any part of which is similar to a distinctive part of the uniform of the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps.
Kerry was not a member at the time of the picture; therefore he was not authorized to wear the uniform or the ribbons. Is this law enforced, rarely, if ever.
I think the disrespect Bru was talking about had to do with the outlandish hairstyle, the general disrepair of the uniform, and the inclusion of awards and decorations on the utility uniform. All of which are big No-No’s for service members.
In the military you show respect to the uniform more than you would to the individual. The biggest a-hole in the world could be wearing it but that uniform demands and deserves respect.
Bertha Venation
New Member
On all points, Ken--thank you. I appreciate the info.
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Bruzilla
Guest
The proper wearing of the uniform is something that gets drilled pretty hard into every one who goes into the military, the police, heck... even the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts (the later are worse than Marines!) Service ribbons are only worn on dress uniforms, not on undress or "working" uniforms like the one that Kerry is wearing in the picture.
Why this bothers me is that I've seen lots of pictures of vets in war protests in the sixties, and they often wear parts of the uniforms (usually blouses or jackets) and they'll have unit patches on them, but rarely do you see someone wearing campaign ribbons in this manner. Being as I was only 8 in 1969, I can't say for sure but I'm guessing they didn't wear ribbons either because they weren't proud of them or because they didn't want to advertise to a bunch of protesters how successful they were in combat.
Why Kerry would be wearing them is I'm sure an interesting story. I won't toss away five minutes of my life making an inquiry to Kerry's staff IRT his disrespect of his uniform. I'm sure that if I did hear anything it would just be some drivel about how "it was the sixties!" Personally, I think he was trying to cater to the anti-war crowd while at the same time saying "hey, I was there and did some stuff!" Basically the same stuff he does today.
There are plenty of ways to disrespect an inatimate object. Flags immediately come to mind.
Why this bothers me is that I've seen lots of pictures of vets in war protests in the sixties, and they often wear parts of the uniforms (usually blouses or jackets) and they'll have unit patches on them, but rarely do you see someone wearing campaign ribbons in this manner. Being as I was only 8 in 1969, I can't say for sure but I'm guessing they didn't wear ribbons either because they weren't proud of them or because they didn't want to advertise to a bunch of protesters how successful they were in combat.
Why Kerry would be wearing them is I'm sure an interesting story. I won't toss away five minutes of my life making an inquiry to Kerry's staff IRT his disrespect of his uniform. I'm sure that if I did hear anything it would just be some drivel about how "it was the sixties!" Personally, I think he was trying to cater to the anti-war crowd while at the same time saying "hey, I was there and did some stuff!" Basically the same stuff he does today.
There are plenty of ways to disrespect an inatimate object. Flags immediately come to mind.
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Bertha Venation
New Member
But-but-but--Forrest Gump wore his nice, neat dress (?) uniform and his Medal of Honor to his war protest on the mall... 
So not all vets desecrated the uni.... 
BTW, I do have a photo of myself in uniform... anyone interested in seeing it?
So not all vets desecrated the uni.... BTW, I do have a photo of myself in uniform... anyone interested in seeing it?
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Bruzilla
Guest
I don't recall anyone saying that all Vets disgraced their uniform... just one did... his name is John Kerry and he wants you to vote for him to be President.
Bertha Venation
New Member
Not to start a pizzing match, Bru, but my entire post was meant in a spirit of levity... I would've thought the reference to Forrest Gump would've tipped y'all off....
or even the reference to myself in uni... you really don't want to miss this photo.
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Bruzilla
Guest
Funny you should mention Forrest Gump. One of the things that I really liked about that movie was the attention to detail in regards to things like uniforms. Another movie that comes to mind is Major Paine. Damon Wayons doesn't seem like a very pro-military guy, and even though he's playing things for laughs his uniform is impeccable and his salutes would do a drill sergeant proud!
By the way... I'm surprised you missed my attempt at humor. Like anyone would really vote for Kerry!
By the way... I'm surprised you missed my attempt at humor. Like anyone would really vote for Kerry!
Bertha Venation
New Member
Originally posted by Bruzilla
By the way... I'm surprised you missed my attempt at humor. Like anyone would really vote for Kerry!
Does this mean you're not going to vote for him?On another thread you mentioned your litmus test: "I only voted for Bush for one reason... Guns! Yes, I do have a litmus test for candidates and that is it!"
Kathy (my spouse) also has a litmus test, and it cost Kerry her primary vote. She'd supported his candidacy until a month or two ago, when he came out against full equality for gay married couples, stating as his reason that marriage is for children. Apparently the senator forgot about the fact that he has no children by his current wife.
I don't have such a litmus test. I'm not a one-issue voter (not that you or Kathy are). IMO there's too much to consider to allow my vote to hinge upon one issue alone.
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Bruzilla
Guest
If you ever see Satan wearing a fur coat, you'll know I voted for Kerry. Actually, I'll never get to vote for Kerry because I'm registered as a Republican, and there's no way Kerry gets the nod from the Dems to be their candidate.
I'm a single-issue voter on the gun issue because it's really the only issue that I see as truly being in play. Abortion isn't really in play because not enough politicians have the gonads to really make a hard/fast decision one way or the other. Crime, education, transportation, social security, military spending, healthcare, etc., are all BS issues. Politicians will forever be coming with new plans and schemes to change these, but they'll still be the same problems today that there have always been.
Guns, on the other hand, are an easy target for politicians. You can pretty easily get 51% of the population to say they don't like guns and they should be done away with, and the wishes of the Framers and the 2nd Ammendment be damned. By the way, I think that the Homeland Security issue is the single biggest waste of our tax dollars that I've seen since Tip O'Neil wanted us to pay for a half-scale train setup on some Irish Lord's estate in the 80's. So needless to say, I won't be casting any votes based on anyone's views of homeland security.
I'm a single-issue voter on the gun issue because it's really the only issue that I see as truly being in play. Abortion isn't really in play because not enough politicians have the gonads to really make a hard/fast decision one way or the other. Crime, education, transportation, social security, military spending, healthcare, etc., are all BS issues. Politicians will forever be coming with new plans and schemes to change these, but they'll still be the same problems today that there have always been.
Guns, on the other hand, are an easy target for politicians. You can pretty easily get 51% of the population to say they don't like guns and they should be done away with, and the wishes of the Framers and the 2nd Ammendment be damned. By the way, I think that the Homeland Security issue is the single biggest waste of our tax dollars that I've seen since Tip O'Neil wanted us to pay for a half-scale train setup on some Irish Lord's estate in the 80's. So needless to say, I won't be casting any votes based on anyone's views of homeland security.