Don't want a religious look

[J.T.Marcus]

Nerd alert: it was the name of the club at the beginning of Temple of Doom:

http://www.theraider.net/showimage....t/films/todoom/gallery/dvdscreenshots/073.jpg

A wise man once said, "Try to learn something every day." Thank you for being a good teacher.

 

[cowboy76]

Yep, everybody did it. The Americans didn't want to seem unfashionable, so the first time they met the German Army in force during WWII - at the Kasserine Pass in Tunisia - they joined in and raised their hands too. What fun they all must have had!

Not exactly that simple there bud....you missed some details....it was not at the Battle of the Kasserine Pass that they first met the German army in force, it was before that. It was in 1942. Not 1943.

Wikedepia examples:

"Eventually, on November 22, the North African Agreement finally placed Vichy French North Africa on the allied side, allowing the Allied garrison troops to be sent forward to the front. By this time the Axis had been able to build up an entire Corps, and the Axis forces outnumbered their Allied counterparts in almost all ways."

"The Luftwaffe, happy to have local air superiority whilst the Allies planes had to fly from relatively distant bases in Algeria, caused serious havoc among the columns moving eastward over the next two days. Nevertheless, part of Blade Force comprising 17 light M3 tanks of Company C, 1st Battalion, 1st Armored Regiment, U.S. 1st Armored Division under the command of Major Rudolph Barlow infiltrated behind Axis lines to the newly activated airbase at Djedeida in the afternoon. In a lightning attack, the Axis tanks destroyed more than 20 Allied tanks, while the Allies were shooting up several buildings, supply dumps, and killing and wounding a number of the defenders. the Axis lost five tanks and two aircraft.
The Eastern Task Force fought steadily northeast against the delaying actions of the retreating Axis forces, while Nehring and his XC Corps set up a new defensive line behind Tebourba at Djedeida, only 30 km from Tunis. The Allied forces met them on November 27 and were sent reeling back with 137 men killed, and 286 prisoners of war. A second attempt was made in the early hours of 28 November with the help of armor from U.S. 1st Armored Division's Combat Command 'B', and they quickly lost nineteen tanks to anti-tank guns positioned within the town."

They were taken prisoner my friend, outnumbered almost entirely. Big differnece between a first time offensive and an entire country giving up with only a spottted amount of resistance provided! The French were a complete polar-opposite from the hard-fighting spirits of the POLISH during WWII! They offered up more resistance and help during WWII than the French BY FAR! I guess they didnt get the fashion memo from Paris!

Well, at least we didn't take to heart the old saying,.."If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!" like some did! Lookup November 8, 1942. Vichey French. First they fire on us, then after they get their butts kicked they join the Allies. It was whomever was on the winning team, so they went.

 

[cowboy76]

Yep, everybody did it. The Americans didn't want to seem unfashionable, so the first time they met the German Army in force during WWII - at the Kasserine Pass in Tunisia - they joined in and raised their hands too. What fun they all must have had!

Now in the battle of Kasserine Pass specifically,....

"The entire divisional artillery of the U.S. 9th Infantry Division, 48 guns strong, that had started moving on February 17 from their positions in the west, was emplaced that night. When the battle reopened the next day, the defenses were much stronger; the front line was held largely by British infantry with exceptionally strong backing by U.S. artillery.

Overextended and undersupplied, Rommel decided to end the offensive. Fearing that the approaching British Eighth Army would be able to cross the Mareth Line unless it was reinforced, he disengaged and started to withdraw east. On February 23 a massive U.S. air attack on the pass hastened the German retreat, and by the end of February 25, the pass had been reoccupied."

hmmmm,.....seems we still won again there.....guess we threw away the memo from Paris,.....

Even Rommel started realizing that the Americans were not as bad as they seemed in his battle with them,.....

"Rommel was largely contemptuous of both the U.S. equipment and fighting ability and considered them a non-threat. He did, however, single out a few U.S. units for praise, such as the 2nd Battalion, 13th Armored Regiment of Orlando Ward's 1st Armored Division. He characterized this unit's defense of Sbeitla "clever and well fought."

So lets get back to the topic at hand,...a guy's paranoia about fedora-wearing hisidic Jews,...lol!

 

[Salv]

Did I touch a nerve?

 

[AlanC]

So lets get back to the topic at hand,...a guy's paranoia about fedora-wearing hisidic Jews,...lol!

Good idea, and let's be careful there, too.

(There's a WWII sub-forum where y'all can hash that out.)

 

[dostacos]

I have a full beard and people seem to think I am Jewish all the time, even without wearing a hat.

Flying EL AL the stewards/stewardesses walk the isles asking if you want coffee or tea {coffee, please? tea, please?} then they, I presume, repeat the same in Hebrew. they ALWAYS asked me what I wanted in Hebrew. keep in mind this is a flight of over 20 hours

I have had co-workers ask if I was Jewish as well.

I always say, " No I am not Jewish, but I am a Zionist"

this has never been with a hat. The Hasidim
{חסידים} is not the first group of people I would NOT want to be lumped with I guess what I am saying is don't sweat the small stuff and consider the source....lol

 

[carter]

fftopic:

Did I touch a nerve?

For a more balanced view of the coming of age of US Armed Forces and their commanders during WWII, I suggest reading:

An Army At Dawn by Rick Atkinson. This book covers the campaign to drive the Axis forces from North Africa during WWII and won the Pulitzer Prize.

The 2nd volume of his Liberation Trilogy The Day of Battle covers the war in Sicily and Italy 1943-1944.

There is an on-line forum for the Liberation Trilogy.

http://www.liberationtrilogy.com/forums/


__________________

 

[Spellflower]

I think that WAS true of jeans at one point long ago. A positive thing is that (in New York, anyway) I am seeing more and more men of all ages wearing fedoras...so who knows? Maybe hats will become ubiquitous again in time.

Yeah, that's why I picked jeans as an example of how some articles of clothing start out with certain associations, but can transcend them. In the case of fedoras, it's happened in reverse- they used to be commonplace, and now they're associated with detectives, gangsters, Indy, and Jews.

Fortunately, you're right about NYC: at the post office today, I saw one Depp-ish hipster in a black Hat-Co center dent, a middle aged African American in a brown Open Road-ish hat, and another guy with an unremarkable gray fedora. Not to mention the hassidic jews in their gigantic black fedoras.

 

[cowboy76]

Did I touch a nerve?

Oh I'm just patriotic I guess,...oh well,....I get that way from time to time, my apologies,.... lol

 

[cowboy76]

Good idea, and let's be careful there, too.

(There's a WWII sub-forum where y'all can hash that out.)

I actually have Jewish roots on my Mom's side,....

 

[Doh!]

Well, well! Who knew? Thanks, Doh.

A wise man once said, "Try to learn something every day." Thank you for being a good teacher.

Happy to oblige!

Awhile back (long before 9/11), I used to have a full beard. A clerk in a 7-11 asked if I was Iranian (I believe he was from there and was looking to bond). I was quite puzzled by this; even with the full beard, I've never looked like anything other than goofy white guy.

 

[riccardo]

Hi guys,
once upon a time in Sicily who wore a good hat or a "coppola" was, sometimes, a "mafioso".
Today, someone wear coppola or hat yet, there are still a lot of "mafiosi" but not everyone wear a "coppola" or a hat is a mafioso.
Be free, my friends, wear your fedora if you like it.
Aren't you jewish or mennonite, ok no problem.
Be free!
Best regards.
Riccardo.

 

[Salv]

fftopic:

For a more balanced view of the coming of age of US Armed Forces and their commanders during WWII, I suggest reading:

An Army At Dawn by Rick Atkinson. This book covers the campaign to drive the Axis forces from North Africa during WWII and won the Pulitzer Prize.

The 2nd volume of his Liberation Trilogy The Day of Battle covers the war in Sicily and Italy 1943-1944.

There is an on-line forum for the Liberation Trilogy.

http://www.liberationtrilogy.com/forums/


__________________

I've had that on my wants list for a while but I've read Together We Stand by James Holland which deals with the North African Campaign between May 1942 and May 1943; and Hitler's Mediterranean Gamble by Douglas Porch, which deals with the entire Med Campaign from 1940 up to the fall of Italy. If you've read those as well, does An Army At Dawn add much?

Oh I'm just patriotic I guess,...oh well,....I get that way from time to time, my apologies,....

No need to apologise - I thought it needed pointing out that it wasn't only European armies that folded in the face of the Germans, and I'm happy to continue this in the WW2 forum if you like.

 

[indycop]

fftopic:

For a more balanced view of the coming of age of US Armed Forces and their commanders during WWII, I suggest reading:

An Army At Dawn by Rick Atkinson. This book covers the campaign to drive the Axis forces from North Africa during WWII and won the Pulitzer Prize.

The 2nd volume of his Liberation Trilogy The Day of Battle covers the war in Sicily and Italy 1943-1944.

There is an on-line forum for the Liberation Trilogy.

http://www.liberationtrilogy.com/forums/


__________________

I clicked on the link and it said I was banned!:eusa_doh: [huh]

 

[Wesne]

I clicked on the link and it said I was banned!:eusa_doh: [huh]

Me too!

 

[OldSkoolFrat]

Banned, but what hat were you wearing when you got the message from the moderator?

 

[indycop]

Banned, but what hat were you wearing when you got the message from the moderator?

One of those darn caps!!!:eusa_doh: lol

 

[OldSkoolFrat]

See! if you had a Fedora......

 

[Classics]

I wear a black fedora and full face beard (as seen in this picture from 2004, although I trim my beard far closer and neater now), so I sometimes wonder if people think that I'm Jewish. I would expect the rust red color of my beard and blue eyes to dissuade them from thinking that, but I imagine that the mistake is still made from time to time.

Red hair runs in some Chassidic families, so that's no safeguard.

I've spent quite some time with Chassidic Jews and Orthodox more generally. The Chabad (=Lubavitch) Chassids (probably the most commonly seen, with the Borsalinos) wear big brims- I can tell their hats from a mile away. But I don't expect that most people know that. More moderate Orthodox will often wear hats as well, and their styles aren't as limited as the chassids.

 

[pgoat]

Yeah, that's why I picked jeans as an example of how some articles of clothing start out with certain associations, but can transcend them. In the case of fedoras, it's happened in reverse- they used to be commonplace, and now they're associated with detectives, gangsters, Indy, and Jews.

Gotcha - good observations - maybe it's because jeans were so practical and easy to wear that they became so commonplace, whilst hats declined because they are an additional expense, an extra article of clothing to hold/pack/store and that much more to consider when trying to dress well and look one's best.

Of course most here (self included) feel it's well worth the extra efforts, especially when you consider all that hats have to offer, both stylistically and practically speaking....