Uniforms And The Statement They Make

There has been a good deal of conversation about outward signs of patriotism the last week, most notably here, and in particular about the wearing of an American Flag pin on a man's suit lapel. That conversation, coupled with a couple of events this past week led me to a thought about uniforms and the meaning behind them. I have worn a uniform of one kind or another from the time I was six years old until 2002, so I have some understanding of what they mean.

The most attractive uniform I have worn were those of the U.S. Marine Corps. The Marine Corps has quite a storied history, and there are interesting things about the history that are reflected in the uniform. One fact is the red striping on the trousers for NCOs. It commemorates the battle of Chapultepec in Mexico where 80% of the Marine NCOs were killed in a single battle.

Another is the Croix de guerre, which is a loop worn from the shoulder under the arm for members of the 5th Marine Regiment. It was awarded those Marines by the French for saving Paris in WWI. (As the french left Paris, they encountered the 5th Marines who had just arrived in France. They told the Marines that the Germans were taking Paris and to retreat, to which the Marine commander replied: "Retreat hell, we just got here!" and we went forward, severely over matched in numbers, and evicted the Germans.)

Marines in Korea wore wrap around leggings at the bottom of their utility(combat fatigues) uniform that were tan in color, and they were called "yellow-legs" by the Koreans and Chinese. Marines were ordered not to wear them, because the enemy would avoid contact with them if they saw the leggings.

There is the fact that Marines do not wear nameplates on their blues, and until 1992 never wore them on any uniform. It was to communicate that the name of an individual was unimportant, and that calling him "Marine" was good enough.

I have had my dinner purchased by strangers when wearing a Marine uniform, and have had drinks sent over in various places by people I never laid eyes upon. The respect and gratitude was shown, and it was always appreciated. The uniform conveys duty, honor, integrity, commitment, and the knowledge that Marines try to live by the adage: "Death Before Dishonor". The expression that my platoon was allowed to use in Boot Camp before we hit the rack each night was "Death Before Dishonor, sir; We Will Die Marines".

Another uniform of which I am familiar is that worn by the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). I wore a Boy Scout uniform in my youth, and have purchased a new one to wear as I am a den leader for my son's Tiger Scout den. I have worn it in public a couple of times now, and just last night stopped at a store to purchase snacks for our meeting. As I am in public wearing it, I get nods and smiles and double-takes. I found this interesting. People respect the uniform of certain organizations, and I have proudly worn them in my life, constantly striving to do so with the dignity and respect that is due.

So why do people approve and admire uniforms? Of course the dress blue alpha uniform of the Marines demands respect. It creates awe. I know more than a few Marines who enlisted initially just because they would get to wear it. I think that people admire the uniforms of Marines or Scouts because people are basically the same. They know the good works and the positive statements behind the uniforms, and admire those who sacrifice and serve.

Take the Cub Scouts. The Cub Scout motto is "Do Your Best" and we try to teach this by understanding and by role model to our little ones. There is nothing but positives involved in boy scouting, and I will tell you that every Boy Scout I know that stayed with the program is the kind of man I would want my son to be. Dedicated. Clean. Respectful. Loyal. The kind of person who would give the shirt off his back to help someone. A man who is self-reliant and confident. A man who works hard to achieve success and does not expect it to be handed to him.

Strip away the politics and the daily grind and crazy schedules and people yearn for the simply honesty and commitment of the Scouts. The Cub Scout Oath: "I, ________, promise to do my best, to do my duty, to God and my country, and to obey the law of the pack". Simple, yet meaningful is it not? The Law of the Pack: "A cub scout follows akela (leader), a cub scout helps the pack go, the pack helps the cub scout grow, a cub scout gives goodwill". A concise statement of positive efforts.

I don't look as good in the BSA uniform as I did in my dress blues. Forty pounds and 15 years have not been kind to my combat lean figure; my running shoes have fallen apart from dry rot, not from use. People know that those who wear a uniform have something that motivates them to do so. They know that the uniform is an outward expression of pride and membership. They instinctively are aware that when all else fails, that those people who wear those uniforms will be there.

People notice those Marines and then go about their day. People nod to the Boy Scout Leader, smile and grin at the Scouts themselves, and then walk on down the potato chip aisle and forget all about it. People in my neighborhood and at my grocery store and at the church where the Scouts meet take for granted that there are Scout leaders around, and that I wear one. It goes without mention or without conscious thought.

Outward expressions mean things. While not the cumulative statement of who we are or where we have been, they tell people a little about ourselves and what we believe in. My car has an Auburn University symbol on the rear window. It has a Marine Corps decal on it as well. During football season I display an Auburn flag on my front porch. My yard needs a weed whacker, so people know I am either too busy or too lazy to keep up with my yard (some of both, perhaps). I wear a Birmingham Barons baseball cap because my family takes in game after game of the minor league team during the summer.

Anytime that people see these things they know something about me, and those that see me routinely take it for granted and don't notice. I bet they would notice if one day they were gone, though, and perchance do you think they would wonder if I had cancelled my commitment to those things I used to display so proudly?