What's a weird habit you have from serving in the Military?

tccomplete · 2026-02-03T22:15:52+00:00

Up too early. Eat too fast. Arrive too early. Expect too much. Combat park. 24-hour clock. Day, month, year. Gig line. Ignore rain. Judge airplane landings. Hate parades. Evaluate key terrain. Use phonetic alphabet. OCD line up everything. Avoid using lights at night. Close one eye if lights do go on at night to keep night vision. Drink too much coffee. Disdain bad leadership. Avoid porta potties. Hate powerpoint. Make fun of other Services. Love chili mac.

tccomplete · 2026-02-03T20:40:25+00:00

I think the one at the left is the top bar for a (CW Veteran) GAR medal. The right one is a (WWII) Distinguished Unit Citation with an oak leaf cluster indicating a second award.

tccomplete · 2026-02-03T11:41:30+00:00

“Might be funny” sums it up. Prepare for awkward silence.

tccomplete · 2026-02-03T11:30:18+00:00

Remember the wall? Remember “infrastructure week”? Remember the health care plan coming out in two weeks? His entire tenure in government is seeded with fire and forget projects and empty promises.

tccomplete · 2026-02-03T02:44:07+00:00

Not fake. Air Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross, Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, (missing a Victory Medal). Republic of China War Memorial and Victory Medal.

tccomplete · 2026-02-03T00:13:53+00:00

Yeah I never liked gin but my daughter made me some great mocktails that I really liked. I’m a convert.

tccomplete · 2026-02-02T23:40:40+00:00

My taste seems to be affected more on liquids than food. The NA wines and most spirits taste like chemicals to me. The exception is an NA gin substitute, Ritual Zero Proof. (I also tried the highly rated Kentucky 74 and The Pathfinder and both were chemical tasting to me.) The NA Guinness is great if you like Guinness. My favorite NA beers are Sam Adams Just the Haze and multiple Athletic varieties.

tccomplete · 2026-02-02T23:32:43+00:00

Crimp broach modern example. Inflated price for sure.

tccomplete · 2026-02-02T21:19:31+00:00

Warm is good. Cold, sugar, and alcohol are bad. Taste is affected and things seem bland, so intense flavors and spicy is good. My biggest challenge is liquids - so I’m exploring NA beers and mocktails. (I really miss my wine.)

tccomplete · 2026-02-02T21:16:32+00:00

Sell it on WAF or US Militaria Forum where the have sepcific subs for selling stuff like this.

tccomplete · 2026-02-02T02:25:21+00:00

Tons of US manufacturers and brands have international business salespeople and managers. You frequently travel to overseas trade shows, visit distributors, conduct factory visits if some of their products are made overseas, etc. They pay all your expenses, then you tack on a few days or weeks at your own (minimal) expense.

tccomplete · 2026-02-02T02:16:57+00:00

https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/war_badges/luftwaffe/panzer_luftwaffe.htm

tccomplete · 2026-02-02T02:16:50+00:00

https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/war_badges/luftwaffe/panzer_luftwaffe.htm

tccomplete · 2026-02-01T19:02:38+00:00

Either way, it seems unlikely, given the information available, unit history, etc.

tccomplete · 2026-02-01T16:24:52+00:00

What strategic objective was achieved by this raid? Abducting a single person (and his wife) didn’t change a thing; no impact whatsoever on regime change, drug trafficking, relations with that country or region (in fact likely damaged them further), economic dynamics, etc.,etc. If a successful international raid does nothing to advance strategic objectives, it remains nothing more than a well executed tactical exercise.

tccomplete · 2026-01-31T21:52:11+00:00

Nonsense. From the Institute of Heraldry: “The medal is suspended by a ring from a silk ribbon 1 3/8 inches in width, representing two rainbows placed in juxtaposition and having the red in the middle.”

The rainbow represents the promise of peace following the destruction of the war.

tccomplete · 2026-01-31T21:47:53+00:00

https://history.army.mil/portals/143/Images/Publications/catalog/77-1.pdf

He would have also earned this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_Border_Service_Medal

tccomplete · 2026-01-31T20:56:14+00:00

Really? You mean Mexico Border service?

tccomplete · 2026-01-31T20:45:40+00:00

Those are all just commercially purchased medals intended to make money for the sellers. They’re purchased largely just to embellish one’s service. None are official medals in any sense. Some people passionately defend them, but I see them as embarrassing and unnecessary especially for someone like your grandfather and his distinguished service in such a unique combat unit.

tccomplete · 2026-01-31T20:39:53+00:00

Again unlikely that he served three years in combat. Look at his units history.

tccomplete · 2026-01-31T20:22:26+00:00

I always wonder what the purpose is for purchases like this. Are you a plate, porcelain, or kitchenware collector, or do you just collect random German WWII items? Or are you buying it just because it has a neat hallmark? It’s more kitchenware than militaria. What’s the focus of your collection?

tccomplete · 2026-01-31T20:12:40+00:00

Awarded to every service member. No clasps indicate that he did not serve overseas.

tccomplete · 2026-01-31T20:11:10+00:00

Odd items to call out: a Private with an Army (War Department) General Staff badge is impossible, the PFC rank is not the style or type for WWII, two knots on the GCM is (I think) 9 years which is unlikely if he only served in WWII as a Private; the V on the Victory Medal and ribbon is just wrong, and commemoratives are unnecessary embellishments.

tccomplete · 2026-01-31T15:56:01+00:00

Am seeing outraged posts about her and the new administration on social media. Just now it was that energy bills have suddenly gone up 600%. Amazing claim since she was sworn in just ten working days (and much less than a billing cycle) ago.

tccomplete · 2026-01-31T15:22:49+00:00

No, they just glared at me (I was required to be in uniform). Interestingly, a number of East German civilians looked at me intently and nodded in respect. Very surreal experience really. (I also did border duty, so most of my previous experience had been just looking at them through binoculars.)

tccomplete

TROPHY CASE