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Something I've noticed

FedoraFan112390

Practically Family
Messages
646
Location
Brooklyn, NY
On my Italian side, there were three boys and three girls. My grandfather (born in 1920), his brother John (1910) and another brother (born in 1912). My grandpa and the uncle born in 1912 served in WWII; neither of them in their lives wore hats. The uncle born in 1910, who never served in the military, often wore a fedora. So did their brother in law, who was born in 1916 and didn't serve in the military either.
Just something I've noted--The two military men in the family didn't wear hats, the others who weren't military men did.
 

FurFeltFedora

A-List Customer
Messages
320
Location
Great White North
Might be just an Italian thing :) My father (British) didn't serve in the war, but was a military man for a few years and he often wears hats. That being said, he's never worn a fedora, always flat caps or walking hats. So maybe there is something to it...
 

univibe88

One Too Many
Messages
1,146
Location
Slidell4Life
My grandfather was born in 1913. He enlisted in the Marines in WWII. I have never seen him wear a hat or seen old pictures of him wearing a hat (however I haven't seen many old pictures.) That side of my family were not recent immigrants, rather having been in the US since before the revolution. Next time I talk to him I will ask him about it.
 

J.T.Marcus

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,354
Location
Mineola, Texas
My Daddy spent 31 years in the Navy. The only civilian hats I ever saw him wear were occasional work straw hats, when he was going to be all day in the sun. I don't think he ever owned a dress civilian hat.
 

zetwal

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,343
Location
Texas
I know someone who once out of the army didn't like anything painted or made green. Perhaps they actually enjoyed the freedom not to wear a hat once out?
 
Messages
10,883
Location
Portage, Wis.
My great-grandpa, born 1902, was always in a hat. He left me all his hats when he passed, I was 6 and even then loved them and was always stealing them off his head and wearing them. My grandpa, born 1930, to this day always wears a hat, even a fedora on special occasions, but usually more of an outdoorsman's fedora as I call them for regular occasions.
 

Goose.

Practically Family
Messages
898
Location
A Town Without Pity

My Old Man, Navy, 20 yrs, Chief Petty Officer. Off duty, never seen him in a lid other than a Navy-Chief ball cap...and that was rare.
"Rare" to the point that it counts as "never".

I have a 11B (Infantry) Brother that was 'Nam baptized in blood (Purple Heart & Silver Star) w/ the 101st (Airborne). Stingy wearer.
Also, a pic of my Bullwinkle Wings on my Sydney Fedora.

472624421_8EwKH-S-1.jpg
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470754753_CA9Kj-S.jpg

Happy Armed Forces Day... :)

Goose.
United States Army

 

kaosharper1

One Too Many
Messages
1,304
Location
Pasadena, CA
My dad was born in 1917, and was in the army for 22 years. Saw action in both WWII and Korea (which is why I'm here). The only hat I saw him wear was a military one. In civilian dress, no hat, ever.
 

Mr. Paladin

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,133
Location
North Texas
Neither of my grandfather's served in the military and both wore hats always. One was never without a Western straw Stetson in summer and a western Open Road style in cooler weather. He was a carpenter and built P.O.W. camps around Texas during WW II. My other grandfather was a banker in a small town and he was always in either a straw or felt fedora along with a tie, even inside. He said his bald head got cold.
 

Mid-fogey

Practically Family
Messages
720
Location
The Virginia Peninsula
My dad...

...was in the Army for 26 years. I've never seen him in person or in pictures wear a civilian hat, except a base ball hat or staw hat working in the garden.
 

Dreispitz

One Too Many
Messages
1,164
My father (born 1919) was a medic in the late war years. He would wear hats. I inherited his lids and wore them with pride in the eighties :)

I, myself was not in the army and wear hats.

Don´t see a relation between draftees and hat awersions.

In the contrary. Just take the British veterans wearing bowlers for parades.
 

avedwards

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,425
Location
London and Midlands, UK
I can see where the aversion to hat wearing comes from. I could never wear a plain blue suit with a white shirt as it has a too strong connotation of the sixth form uniform at my school. Likewise maybe military people didn't want any reminder at all of having to wear a uniform.
 

MattStat

New in Town
Messages
34
Location
New York City
My old dad, many uncles, and grandfather all served and none wore anything but a baseball cap, though my grandfather had a small fedora that he kept in a closet (I inherited this).

But I was in, too, and always wear hats.
 

Dewhurst

Practically Family
Messages
653
Location
USA
My grandfather was a drill instructor. He wore hats of all sorts. He wore a fedora on the day of my wedding.
 

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