Question for veterans.
 

I have a question on protocol for you veterans out there.

I have never served, but I honor and respect those that do.

I am very careful not to infringe on what I beleive to be the rights and dignity of those that do serve.

ie...I dont buy unit patches...I dont wear caps from active duty ships etc etc.

I dont beleive in pretending to be something Im not.


I have question on other unit caps though.

I own a USS TEXAS cap and a USS CAVALLA cap....both museum relics here in Houston. If I wear one I dont say that I was once a member of their crews....much to young for that, but rather am respectingtheir history.

Is this wrong?


The reason I ask is because today wearing my Cavalla hat, I was asked if I wasin the NAVY. I was quick to point out that the sub was in fact a museum just down the road, but I didnt like the fact that I lead somebody to think that.

Likewise when I bought the cap in the first place, the curator asked me if I served.
When I replied no, he said, 'Oh well...we'll sell it to ya anyway.'

I kinda felt like I made a gaff.

Whats the protocol on this real old ships?

I want to show my support, but dont want to pretend to something Im not.

I don't think wearing a cap bearing the name of a retired warship is wrong, but there will be some people who will give you a hard time for it. Sometimes it's in jest, sometimes they're more serious but just remember they are not necessarily an authority.

It is not wrong, your purchase of that hat provides much needed support for the upkeep and maintenance of those old ships. Wear it, you have every right to do so. To me it says you where there and took an interest in your country's history and in the men and women who served.

You know, ask to volunteer as a maintenance worker or tour guide. I worked on the Aircraft Carrier Yorktown in Charleston for a few months. Recieved a resiprocity pass giving me access to a whole lot of other musuems in the area for free. And better still I was priviledged to meet a good many volunteer/vets that actually served on the Yorktown during WWII. Got to hear some incredible stories from these gentlemen over morning coffee in the ships wardroom.

Granted there probably isn't one alive to tell a personal story about the TEXAS but I bet there are some old timers milling about smartly that would be all to glad to bend yer ear over a story while serving on another ship or unit.

Since the ship is retired you only show your support to keep it as a museum. Without such support those ships would surely be scrapped and lost forever. Therefore I don't think it to be a problem.

I wear my Torsk cap all the time. If people ask if I served on her, I say I do now. I volunteer to keep her up. The cap is showing support for the military and the hardware they used. If it makes things better for you, volunteer at the Cavalla! Send in donation money. This to is show of support. The Torsk sells caps in two different colors and shirts/sweat-shirts/mugs. This money goes to the Marine Museum. Just advise those who ask that this is your way of support by wearing the cap (also advertising because the person inquired and now just might go for a visit) and monetary support to keep the Cavalla and Texas up as a living museum for generations to come as a result of the sale of the hat to you. You should not feel bad about a cap. I never served and never felt strange when someone asked. Your answer could be as easy as support for the boat or just a boat in history that interests you. Take the conversation on from that point.

Agreed....your supporting a worthy cause in what you do.

I just wish we had as many retired vessels as symbols of a bygone era as you have in the USA.

So long as you don't sell them or destroy them, then no. There's nothing wrong, IMO (let me also let you know that I'm not an American vet; just my opinion).

A cap or shirt from a retired ship? If anybody asks, just praise the ship in question and tell them it's a piece of history. I still have a Desert Storm sweatshirt. If anybody asks if I was there, I just say "No. It was a gift from a friend who was."

Honoring a piece of history might bring on an argument about the history itself, but wearing a cap from an historic ship is cool. Very cool. I've always wanted a cap or shirt from Constitution.

Im not a American veteran but my opinion its nothing wrong to use it, only show to the another people about you care, and you give part of you to keep her memory alive wich i consider very beutifull and noble! :yep:

You are a respectful person and are not pretending to be something you are not. Heck, I wear a Patriots hat and I was not a football player. No, it is more so when someone wears a pin like dolphins or the SEAL emblem. That is usually where people do not like others to wear them because of having to earn them and so forth. I was in southern Cal a few years back and a former soviet sub was tied up next to the Queen Mary, it was called the Scorpion and you bet I bought a hat. So, do not worry about stuff like that, just take the plung and see your Navy recruiter and raise your right hand and have an adventure...:D

Thanks guys.....load off my mind.


Actually have been thinking about volunteering at the Cavalla....if I can swing my weekends where I usually am scheduled to work.

Might be a semi-legitimate way to earn the cap. :)

Good for you! Even one weekend a month is great. The Torsk is full of retired sailors and it has it's non-veteran landlubbers like me. It is a lot of fun on a Saturday morning. You make new friends, do something nice for the community and you will find it is a very relaxing way of getting the week off your mind.

Pay a visit here and sign up! http://www.submarinemuseums.org/forum/index.php

OP: Interesting question and something I've considered many times myself, having not served in the military. Our vets and others gave good answers, I think.

I'm in the research stages on my 2nd book, which will be about the ship yards in Delaware that produced Destroyer Escorts in WWII, a long forgotten part of my home state's history. Meeting with some of the surviving employees of the yards will hopefully provide the feeling of "permission" to tell the tale of men that served when I didn't.

Random, but made me think of it...;)

Cool! Without shipyards there would be no ships. I'll read it.

Sorry if I'm obtuse, but what was your first book?

Steve,

The first to date has not been picked up for publishing, so I apologize if my post made it sound as such.

I wrote a history of Dewey Beach, DE, where us Delaware folks spend our entire summers, and as of this fall, will become my permanent residence. It's the kind of book only a local could love. ;)

I'm also working on a novel but that's in the very very early stages. My only published/paying work to date has been some articles I wrote for Computer Pilot Magazine.

I think the ship yard book will get picked up very quickly. We shall see. Obviously if I get this thing printed, I'll let all here know in case they want to check it out. Maybe Subsim would even like to sell it through the store!

Sorry for the thread hijack: back to the regularly scheduled programming.