U.S. Campaign Tartans

[Riverkilt]

I like the idea. I'll back off on who should wear it.

I wasn't in War2 - but my father was and I carry his name. I was a Junior until he died.

I wear the Edzell/Navy tartan in his honor for his Navy service as a Hospital Apprentice during stressful prewar times. My three years service as "an officer in the qualified sense" as an NROTC Midshipman might qualify me to wear the tartan for myself, but I wear it for my father's service.

I wear the Royal Air Force tartan to honor his service as a Flying Sergeant during the tough times of 1942 including the Dieppe Raid. He clearly stated he went to help defend the ancestral homeland....and he did. And, I did receive permission of the copyright holder of this tartan to buy the fabric and wear the kilt based on my father's service in the RAF. He did also say that anyone who wanted to support and honor the RAF was welcome to buy and wear the tartan.

I wear the U.S. Army tartan to honor my father's service as a Captain in the Army Air Corps when we were still losing in North Africa and the luck/grace that allowed him to survive being shot down by the Afrika Corps at Kassarine Pass when there were few American planes in the theater. I also wear the Army tartan to honor my Uncle who fought across France and Germany as a Tech Sgt with a Thompson. His company was the first in to Dachau. ( There are accusations of American atrocities at Dachau after its liberation. Just before he died I asked my uncle if it was true that they shot all the Germans there. He smiled knowingly and said, "Only the Gestapo.")

I don't just wear those tartans for my father and my uncle or myself, I wear them for my family - my grandchildren and nieces and nephews to be able to tell them of their great grandfather's service.

I wear the Leatherneck tartan to honor my late little brother's service as a Drill Sgt. I suppose my brief cold war service "entitles" me to wear it for me...but I wear it for him.

Don't plan to either stop wearing these kilts or sell them off because someone else is of the opinion that I'm not "entitled" to wear them in honor of my late father/brother/uncles service.

If they made an Air Medal tartan kilt I'd probably buy it and wear it in honor of my father's air medals. I think the tartan fashioned after theater medals is a good idea. I wouldn't wear them.

I know there are "fashion" cold war service medals offered out there - non-military. If someone ever made a tartan following those colors I'd certainly consider it since I was a cold warrior - however briefly.

Yes, I have an opinion on this issue.

Ron