Jacket zipper pulls, medallions and charms.

I love this kind of personal touch!

Ok, my new jacket came with moto pins that I don’t care for. There are a few holes, and while the grainy panel is ok with the holes the smoother panel wasn’t. I found this pin online which fills 2 holes nicely, and says a lot more about me.

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/show-me-your-jacket-accoutrements.79200/

Feel free to add this thread to yours.

Dice zipper pull.

Bullet zipper pull from Pacific theater. Engraved..' Japanese Prisoner of War..DMOP 3-23-42'.

For those who really „joined“ that or as family relict, cool!

For anyone else, at least embarrassing.

What is embarrassing?

I think he is referring to pretending to have been a POW if you or a relative wasn’t.

I have found some really cool "necklace pendants" that would make kick a$$ zipper pulls. I am not sure what the safest/most secure way to attach the "pendant" to the zipper. I would hate to lose a "charm" because of the way it was attached.

I look at it as honoring a WW2 Vet and POW. No pretending to it since I am much too young to have been serving in WW2. Absolutey silly to think otherwise. I have it on an original WW2 A2. Nothing embarrassing about it...in fact, just the opposite.

I personally feel very conflicted over military stuff having never served myself. I usually remove any badges, names, etc. i feel much more comfortable in demilitarized apparel.

handymike said:

Ok, my new jacket came with moto pins that I don’t care for. There are a few holes, and while the grainy panel is ok with the holes the smoother panel wasn’t. I found this pin online which fills 2 holes nicely, and says a lot more about me.
View attachment 267319

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Turns out the T-bird fits too...

Well I served in the Army during Viet Nam. After I came back my younger Brother wore my fatigue jacket with my name on it...in honor of me. My best friend made a career out of the Navy and gave me his tribute jacket shortly before he died which I wear on occasion. When asked about it I tell the story of my friends service and missions in honor of him.


I think those who feel embarrassment or ire are more often those who haven't served and have a more delicate butt hurt.

^^ very cool jacket from a cool guy passed to another cool guy

handymike said:

I think he is referring to pretending to have been a POW if you or a relative wasn’t.

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Right.

HoosierDaddy said:

...
I think those who feel embarrassment or ire are more often those who haven't served and have a more delicate butt hurt.

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In my case, twice wrong.
And for some you could replace embarrassing also with rediculous.

HoosierDaddy said:

Well I served in the Army during Viet Nam. After I came back my younger Brother wore my fatigue jacket with my name on it...in honor of me. My best friend made a career out of the Navy and gave me his tribute jacket shortly before he died which I wear on occasion. When asked about it I tell the story of my friends service and missions in honor of him.

View attachment 267680 View attachment 267681 View attachment 267682
I think those who feel embarrassment or ire are more often those who haven't served and have a more delicate butt hurt.

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Van:
That war ended about 45 years ago. I’m sure you recall and or experienced that wearing this type jacket or any uniform in public for quite a few years garnered only ire and hatred for the wearer. Only people about 55 or older would remember those years of anti-patrotism. All the more i appreciate seeing those jackets with badges of courage hidden away. Thanks
B

handymike said:

I personally feel very conflicted over military stuff having never served myself. I usually remove any badges, names, etc. i feel much more comfortable in demilitarized apparel.

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For me it depends what it is. My interest in military items is broadly aesthetic and limited to an interest in the item itself. I've prettty much nil nil interest in the USAAF, USAF or USN, to pluck a random example or two, beyond their jacketsa in a certain period. I tend for the most part to prefer unadorned jackets. I have no issue with wearing rank - if I want a replica of Virgil Hilts' jacket, captain's pips and all, why not copy a wholly fictional character? Anyone who thinks I'm impersonating a WW2 "hero" only looks daft with that. Take it up with Steve Macqueen, pretty sure he never served either... In a different context, If I was going to wear a uniform piece in the context of living histroy now, I'd have to be portraying career military with a higher rank: as a forty-six year old man, bald and carrying some weight, I'd look far more ridiculous pretending to be a twenty two year old flyboy. As long as nobody uses it to commit a fraud, it really shouldn't matter.

I prefer my jackets unadorned (especially of bomber regalia; I want a Flying tigers jacket, but that to me is different - YMMV). Maybe if I'd had a grandparent who fought in the war I might want to have a nod to them on it (that sort of direct connection to the war is fairly minimal in Northern Ireland as conscription never made it there for obvious reasons).

All my jackets are reproduction - for me they're functioning wardrobe, not collectors' pieces. If I did buy something 'real', however, I would not be keen to remove rank or regiment or whatever from it on the basis that that would be taking away from it as an aretefact - especially if it was a genuine WW2 piece. Evne with later stuff.... I remember when legit, Nam era M65s were just cheap suprlus jackets that could be bought for twenty quid. Noboy thought twice about customising or dying them black then, but now they're "collectables".

HoosierDaddy said:

I think those who feel embarrassment or ire are more often those who haven't served and have a more delicate butt hurt.

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My own experience certainly is that the first to shriek about "stolen valour" and such are always those who were never in, while most ex-military seem not to care much unless they perceive it as somehow an insult. Conlficts in living memory are one thing, but once everyone who really fought is gone, it seems only an oddball would feel the need to police it such. I think though this is culturally less of an issue in the UK, where there's a different perception of the military as a baseline.

Steve McQueen served in the U.S. Marines from 1947-1950. He had afew disciplinary issues early on but was honorably discharged (he even saved the lives of 5 fellow Marines in the Arctic when their armored vehicle broke through the ice of a frozen lake).

This thread sure turned on a dime in a hurry.

There is quite a difference in wearing a jacket with patches and/or other historical military memorabilia than parading around in 'full uniform' attempting to pass yourself off as something you are not.

Don't you dare wear a Chicago Cub's jacket if you never played for that team.

I do remember the protests and craziness of the Vietnam era ( I'm 73 ), however many wore military items in counter protest. I did. I wasn't intimidated by the hippieness. We went where we were sent and performed the job we were expected to do and actually willingly laid our lives on the line if need be. I honor those men and their sacrifice and don't rip off the history of an item as if it doesn't or shouldn't matter or be displayed.

You do what you want to do, but maybe be wary of confronting someone wearing military items. It could turn ugly. Your dishonor of someone who possibly is attempting to only honor the fallen, imprisoned or others who have served..even if they never knew them can mean a lot to some of us.

How bout we get this thread back on track in a friendly way so possibly some others can show their 'zipper pulls' without a somewhat heated debate which can turn some off.

HD