The story I am about to tell has to be taken in context in regards to two things: time and location. And the fact that it is 2nd hand, as it happened to a good friend, and not me, but I trust him implicitly.
Time: 1989. That's the year, not a botch-up of my use of the military clock system ;D
Location: Ferry from Campbell River, BC to Quadra Island (5-10 minute ferry ride). The reason this is important, as anybody from the Left Coast is familiar with is the number of people who left the US, in droves, from about 1965 to about 1975. You probably get my meaning. If not, I'll spell it out: treehugginggranolaeatinghippydraftdodgers. And their families, and like-minded people.
The principle's involved: My buddy. About 6' tall. 220 lbs. Looks very Neanderthal. Scares babies with his presence (which is true, as 2 of my children have been scared by his mug!!!). Old lady. About 60 years old.
Old lady, to my buddy (who was in tan short sleeve DEU's. Yes Virginia, we used to wear tan uniforms in the summer.): "Are you in the Army??"
My buddy (all proud after just returning from Cyprus, and wearing his uniform to show off to his folks): "Yes, Ma'am! I am!"
Old lady: After spitting in his face, "BABY KILLER!!!!!"
My buddy, who could have picked her up, broken her in two, and thrown her to the Orca: Stunned silence. Pause, two, three. Wipes face off. Walks away.
After that, I was ashamed to tell anybody that I was from BC (for about a year or so), not that I was in the army.
There was a period, probably right after the Somalia debacle, that people were ashamed to wear their uniforms in public. I wasn't one of them, as I wasn't ashamed of being a soldier. There are always a few bad apples, but the good that soldiers have done outweigh, by a large margin, the bad.
Wear your uniform with pride, and make sure that you aren't a disgrace in it, deportment- and conduct- wise. I see too many wearing their "American gloves" (in other words, their hands in their pockets), buttons undone, looking like 10 pounds of shite squeezed into a 5 pound bag (see the Fitness related threads for any explanation of this), and unfortunately since they all outrank me, what can I say to them?! ;D I'm only kidding (somewhat).
Al
What annoys me the worst are the questions.
