whats the appropriate time to wear your uniform?

[EwaMarine]

When to wear the uniform.

As a former US Marine I can tell you this:

You are NOT impersonating a Military officer or personnel due to the uniform being vintage.

However,
Some things to remember while wearing it:
1) Have a good military reg haircut. Look height weight porportionate!! (Dont be an overweight pudgester!!!)
2) ALL customs and courtesies apply! (Do your homework here if you need to)
3) If your blouse is unbuttoned, its OFF,and You never loosen your scarf(tie).
4) Remove your cover when stepping thru a door (or hatch for us sea goers)
5) ALWAYS feel totally wrong if you are outside and uncovered!!!
6) Its the uniform worn by people who you are remembering that is the most important thing. Your appearance and bearing is paramount.

Working at a air museum I don various uniforms from the USN, USMC, and USCG.
I adhere to the same customs and courtesies as I was taught from day one in the Marines.

As you are not in, or were, you need to make damn sure you look the part and have bearing so you dont come off as a "costume wearer"....

SF,
Brad

 

[EwaMarine]

Its OK IF...........

That I am NOT going to wear the following items (for example) to a restaurant prior to going to a hanger dance or similar event:

1. Command pilot wings.
2. Colonel rank insignia.
3. Air medal and DFC ribbons.
4. 56th FG DIs.

These items are IDENTICAL to current issue and I don't want to engender any confusion or controversy.

The minature RAF wing (King's crown) is sewn to the tunic, so it gets to stay!

IF you are wearing the uniform and representing the service and time period with respect its ok to wear all of that stuff as long as you match...IE:
age matches rank and so forth....who the heck wants to be a col at age 20?

Myself? I am 39 and have gray hair. I would be a col or a senior enlisted in WW2 in any service...so I will adjust my rank and what would be appropriate for decorations at that point in a persons service in WW2.

Its all done with respect and the vets will and do very much appreciate it. They do......trust me. I would as a Marine.

SF
Brad

 

[The Lonely Navigator]

MPiccioto - you're talking about the Alpenhof, which I've been to with my friend a few years ago. We were both in uniform as were many other German reenactors there and everyone loved it.

There's many German reenactors that go there in uniform and it's quite nice. Since I only do an 'on board' impression, I don't have problems and like Marcus said - only wearing it at events.

The only things I wear as 'everyday' would be the leathers (great for when it's bitter cold out and I'm shoveling snow), my boots - again for cold and snow, and the U-Boat canvas shoes in the summer. There are many items that were 'issue items' to U-Boat crews that are often mistaken for civilian items - for example the knit cap 'pudelmutze' and the checkered shirts.

 

[benstephens]

I do not often get involved in these subjects. However, I do re-enact occasionally. However, I strictly only wear uniform at events. For travelling the uniform etc is not worn.

We learnt the hard way that WW2 uniforms can be mistaken and present potentially dangerous situations. During the London bombings we were all doing a big show up in London for the 60th anniversary of VE Day. People were wearing different uniforms and we had been staying in different parts of London.

Most people had been travelling into the show each morning in uniform. This may have been Jungle Greens, Raf, Army etc. Then, on the morning of the bombs, lads who were in Jungle Greens ended up on the news, with an article that the Army had been drafted into London, and we were asked on the way to shows for official information, and advice, and had to explain that we were not the Army.

You have to remember that when people panic, a lot of reasonable logic goes out of the window, and, often they will just see a uniform and assume you are official. So, in this respect, you must be very careful. So, I would suggest, no matter how defunct the uniform is (Mainly 20th Century) it is best avoided unless in a controlled environment.

On a funnier note, when doing the Blitz show at the Guildhall, we were awaiting a visit by HRH Princess Anne. The police came in and wanted 30mins to do a bomb sweep, so told us to go for a walk. We were in ARP uniforms. As we strolled around the City, the amount of people who came dashing out of their offices to move cars or put money in meters was staggering. They had seen our Wardens shoulder titles. Even though we were in Battle dress, reason had not occurred to them.

So please chaps, be careful.

Kindest Regards

Ben

 

[fortworthgal]

...I strictly only wear uniform at events.

This is how I feel. I wear my uniforms only at WWII/1940s events - parades, hangar dances, displays, veteran's reunions, airshows, reenactment weekends, etc. I do sometimes wear my uniforms to and from the event, but not often, and the only stops I make would be to fill up with gas - nothing more. We do not wear them for going out on the town, Halloween, going out to dinner, etc. The law about impersonating military personnel does not apply to obsolete uniforms. That won't stop Joe Public from mistaking you for current personnel, though!

My personal take on this is that if you want more reasons/places to wear your uniform - attend more events! Texas is a big state, we have probably 2-3 WWII events every month.

 

[Gene]

I suppose this once again comes down to a matter of personal choice.

The key things here are wearing them in a respectful and tasteful manner. If someone has a problem with you, that's THEIR problem, not yours. As long as your reasons are just and honorable, you are not wrong for wanting to honor your family or friends, ESPECIALLY with Veterans' Day coming up!

Gene

 

[filfoster]

Semper Fi

As a former US Marine I can tell you this:

You are NOT impersonating a Military officer or personnel due to the uniform being vintage.

However,
Some things to remember while wearing it:
1) Have a good military reg haircut. Look height weight porportionate!! (Dont be an overweight pudgester!!!)
2) ALL customs and courtesies apply! (Do your homework here if you need to)
3) If your blouse is unbuttoned, its OFF,and You never loosen your scarf(tie).
4) Remove your cover when stepping thru a door (or hatch for us sea goers)
5) ALWAYS feel totally wrong if you are outside and uncovered!!!
6) Its the uniform worn by people who you are remembering that is the most important thing. Your appearance and bearing is paramount.

Working at a air museum I don various uniforms from the USN, USMC, and USCG.
I adhere to the same customs and courtesies as I was taught from day one in the Marines.

As you are not in, or were, you need to make damn sure you look the part and have bearing so you dont come off as a "costume wearer"....

SF,
Brad

This is good advice on all counts. It is no disrespect but comemoration to wear accurate period uniform and decorations. Devotion to a great period impression should also be a strong motivator to lose those extra pounds. This can be a very sensitive subject and no disprespect is intended but let's share an observation. Everyone is free to follow their dream, but how many re-creation photos and re-enactments have been, well, less than they could have been, by inclusion of participants who are much too prosperous looking to be believable? Haircuts too. And piercings and tats: 'Mom', an eagle or heart is fine: "Metallica" or "Whitesnake" is probably not so good.