Why don't we wear our medals?

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Here's how it is for Army retirees and veterans:

By Army regulation medals can be worn on civilian clothing by veterans and retirees, but only on militarily appropriate holidays or for military-oriented events. You can also wear your full uniform on such occassions, either your wartime service uniform or the current uniform with appropriate rank and awards.

Veteran's day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July and military funerals or weddings would all be appropriate... every day to work would not, nor would a non-military wedding.

Now, retirees and veterans are no longer subject to military regulations... but why would you break the rules on wearing your medals in order to wear your medals?

I think the reason I or others don't wear our is because of the general public view of veterans and we don't want to be considered arrogant.
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I would love to wear my uniform

but I haven't fit into it for 36 years!!! :D :D :D

Seriously, I am planning to wear my miniature ribbons to official ceremonies on those three holidays.
 
Same here. I don't display. Different time. Not too long ago, I found my jacket, took everything off (patches). Now its just a plain green (camo) jacket. Done several minor hole repairs (moths from hell, eat straight on though), almost as good as new, otherwise.
 
<<By Army regulation medals can be worn on civilian clothing by veterans and retirees>> (clipped)

Yea, that's true. But, If someone wears a jacket with patches (civilian), their not going tp lock em' up. Now.... wearing on a base..... that's a different story.
 
Army Echos

The monthly news letter for Army retirees (which I just got in the mail today) addresses the very question of wearing of awards and decorations on civilian attire. I am sure that non-retirees can find the article on the net if interested.
The OLD Utahskibum
 
On base is no different. There is a federal law against wearing MEDALS you haven't earned which applies to civilians, and also against impersonating a member of the military.

Wearing a jacket you bought from a surplus store doesn't violate those laws, on or off base.

What was being discussed here however, is the wearing of MEDALS. Wearing grandad's Purple Heart, even if well-intentioned, is quite illegal. The law AFAIK doesn't cover when or where the medals are worn, so a vet or retiree wearing his around town isn't violating the law, since as previously noted he is no longer subject to military regulations... but certainly is violating the spirit of the thing.

EDIT: re: ARMY ECHOES That's my immediate source for the info in my previous post. I do have a copy of 670-1 around here somewhere...


Yea, that's true. But, If someone wears a jacket with patches (civilian), their not going tp lock em' up. Now.... wearing on a base..... that's a different story.
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One medal I would love to see my stepfather wear, is the 50th anniversary WWII Victory Medal I got him many years ago. He said today he found it again, and will display it. I said thank you to him, for all of us, for without him, and the millions like him, I'd have grown up learning the Horst Wessel song!
PS, he actually met Gen Patton, said he was a (censored).
 
UCMJ

Just for the record your still subject to UCMJ if you are retired as long as your collecting a check. And now non citizens can join the military from certain countries but must acquire citizenship status by the beginning of their 2nd enlistment term in order to reenlist and during that time U don't get a secret clearance.

Hand salute to all my fellow sailors, marines, air dales, army guys and Coast Guardsmen.
 
i wear an OIF veteran hat every once in a while, but for the most part when i am off work i am off work and realy don't want anyone to know that i am in the military. i solider for so long on a daily basis that when the uniform comes off i live it up like a civilian as much as possible.
 
I guess if you are John Kerry, you can wear your medals to all the protests and throw them over the wall. I'm not sure where all of my medals are at. I don't have some of them because all they gave me were the ribbons. I had 5 ribbons before I ever got something besides a give me award. I already had an Army Achievement Medal before I got out. I told them I wanted an Army Commendation Medal for my ETS award or don't bother. I just wanted another ribbon on my board.

I know another vet at work who just thinks it's terrible that I don't get veterans plates for my vehicles. He didn't serve in combat and has veteran plates. I think it is extremely tacky because the civilian perception of the word veteran is someone who has served in combat. I never served in combat and even if I had, I wouldn't get the plates.

I spent 6 months in Bosnia and after we left, they gave us the Expeditionary Medal. The only reason we got that was because the VFW pushed for it so we could qualify for membership. I've never joined but have thought about it. I don't want to join because I don't consider myself a "vet" in that sense but I do love to sit around and listen to older vets tell their stories.
 
I belong to V.F.W. Post 177. I wear my Medal/Ribbon Board on my cover in public on Memoral Day, The 4th. of July, and Veterans Day. Thoes days always ment alot to me before I served in the Navy, but they mean so much more now. The only other time I have worn them in public was when I was married to Annie in Oakland Ca. in my dress whites, 17 July 92. One of the happiest days of my life.
 
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I spent 4 yrs in the USAF during Korea but was never in combat. Nearest I got was Alaska. I'm proud of being in the Service but am unsure if I ever earned any medals, certainly not for bravery. I got something for marksmanship and good conduct but don't have any idea if there was anything else. How do you find out? (I even got injured once but it had nothing to do with battle).
 
AMIGO:

Just for the record your still subject to UCMJ if you are retired as long as your collecting a check. And now non citizens can join the military from certain countries but must acquire citizenship status by the beginning of their 2nd enlistment term in order to reenlist and during that time U don't get a secret clearance.

Hand salute to all my fellow sailors, marines, air dales, army guys and Coast Guardsmen.
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Amigo, back to you too! But that's only part true. In the Navy, I didn't technically "Retire" after my 20, but transferred to the "Fleet Reserve" and there I'll stay, subject to the UCMJ until I reach 30. I'll continue to collect a check for the rest of my life, but I'm only subject to the UCMJ until the 30 year mark when I'm officially "Retired".

I actually have a collection of all the actual regs that are applicable to us until 30 years and can get you copies of you need.

Here's the link to the US Navy Uniform Regs:
https://seabeeview.cbcgulfport.navy.mil/seabeeview/22NCR/CSR_files/Chapter6.pdf
Chapter 6, Section 10 applies to Reserve/Retired Personnel.

I was the Senior Enlisted in my command and Uniform Regs are near and dear to my heart...
 
wearing of medals

I'm a viet nam vet. Having said that, it is the single reason that my guns have been in the attic since 1970. Most of the vets that I know dont want to discuss what they've seen and done with civilians who just wouldnt understand. I agree with bullfrog ken. Those experiences remain private and internalized and come back to us in quiet moments.
 
I am greatful for men and women who have served our country and preserved our freedom.

I have to agree from an outsider's point of view that it seems tacky to wear them on a daily basis. Many other countries are socialist/elitist and being decorated in the military was/is considered a thing to brag about. I'm probably not making much sense, not trying to offend anyone, especially military and veterans.

I have these images of the freshman at my university that wear soviet military hats, uniform jackets, etc. or the kids that wear a Che beret, or the guys at the gun show that walk around in full WWII uniform (not a WWII vet by 40+ years to sell their Garand. I guess that's where I'm drawing this conclusion. Maybe it's that to me vets don't seam to talk about what they did. (one of many reasons I'd never vote for Kerry) My grandpa never told me about combat in the pacific. All I knew is that Grandpa camped enough in the war and that's why he'd only go once a year:)
 
My father served in the Navy during WWII and whenever we asked him what he did, he said, "I fought the war of the Potomac." I remember that when I was on the playground during elementary school in the early 50's, the other kids would tell about their father or uncle that landed on some beach in the Pacific or fought in Europe. Even at an early age, I knew better than to say, "My dad fought the war of the Potomac."

Dad never spoke about his service until about a year before he died. He wanted to go to the Cryptographic Museum outside of NSA to see what they had on display. First thing he saw was the same model Enigma machine he used to read German encrypted messages for troop movements down on Massachusetts Avenue in Washington, DC. He then thought it was time to tell us what he did during the war. I couldn't have been prouder of him. (I did tell him that I could have used that information on the playground of Camp Springs Elementary back in the 50's!!)

My father-in-law was equally silent about his Navy service. He was a medic attached to a Marine unit in the south Pacific and all he would tell me was that the SeaBees would bulldoze a path back into the jungle and where they stopped, that's where they set up their medical unit. He must have seen terrible things, because that's all I got out of him about his service.

I put away my uniform after Vietnam and haven't said much about that time in my life either. But that was a different war and it was a different time. I never quite understood what that was all about except that Nixon wasn't going to be "the first President to loose a war."

It must be a cultural thing. I know most Europeans set aside special days like our Veteran's Day and that's when the medals come out. They don't brag about it, they just display the fact that they served.
 
I am a Desert Storm vet: I ran a sterilizer in a field hospital in Saudi Arabia. I never wear my 'I was there' medals, but I do talk about being in the military. I was never in any real danger, (except from Saudi drivers!) I talk about being in the Army the same reason I talk about guns, my country, my kids and my wife: These are parts of my life, and I would never want anyone to think I am embarrassed by them. I live in the 'peoples republic of california', and guns, God, family, military and (my) politics are often considered unfit or odd topics of conversation. I have found I must speak up or blow up. I always hated it when folks could not discuss things rationally. I used to bite my tongue, but now I say what is on my mind; I hope kindly & thoughtfully. I may lose some business, but I let my work speak for itself. If all us pro military (or pro gun, family, American, religious, etc) folks stay silent about the important things, is it any wonder so many find it odd when those subjects come up? I hope I make people think about things and even get a little uncomfortable with their assumptions. Many Los Angelinos do not know anyone willing to challenge the left coast bias - except me. I try not to brag (nothing to brag about) but there are some good stories from my Army life. It should be as natural to talk about that as it is to talk about my college summer in Japan or what I had for dinner.

Those who are reluctant to talk about the horrors of your personal war, can you talk about what you gained from your service? The people you met and the friends you made? Did it help you grow up, educate you, etc? You were brave enough to serve, be brave enough to be embarrased or thought odd.

Same goes for gun talk. Keep it low key, but keep it in the normal flow of conversation. Others talk about the driving range, I talk about the shooting range. You will be suprised how many will kid you and yet come to you later for advice. I try to look at myself through others eyes, but not worry to much about others opinions.

At the end of the day, I gotta be me!
Lover of God, wife, kids, guns, truth, justice and the American way.
 
On one hand, I am proud that US heros are so modest, and that they understand that war is truly hell.

On the other hand, I wish you'd make yourselves easier to recognize. Many of us are proud of you and we would like to thank you.

I think some sort of simple "I served" insignia would do wonders for the morale of the USA. Regardless of politics, you are out there stopping those terrorists who want to bring the earth into another Dark Age.
 
By Army regulation medals can be worn on civilian clothing by veterans and retirees, but only on militarily appropriate holidays or for military-oriented events. You can also wear your full uniform on such occassions, either your wartime service uniform or the current uniform with appropriate rank and awards.
Click to expand...

Thats pretty much how it is in Britain. You see medals worn on Remembrance Day, special events honouring veterans usually from WW1 and WW2 mainly and other events of a military matter or reunion.

Its also permissable to wear your father's medal and other close relatives on the right breast on Remembrance day.
 
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