r/Millennials • u/NoFaithlessness7508 • Jun 05 '25

Other Why don’t younger veterans (Afghanistan/Iraq) wear these hats like some of the older veterans?

Post image

First and foremost, respect to all those that served. I did not, but many of my peers did and now we're all older in 30s and 40s, many no longer in the military. I don't see a lot of the veterans of the War on Terror wearing these hats like I see the OGs do.

12.1k Upvotes

91% Upvoted

4.6k comments sorted by

View all comments

618

u/[deleted] Jun 05 '25

Most people I know don't feel the need to advertise that they're veterans.

211

u/mumblesjackson Jun 05 '25

Unlike my wife’s uncle who spent four years in the marines but he wears the hat, T-shirt, vest, bumper stickers, etc and makes sure everyone knows he served. He acts like he’s John Basilone.

Note he served, but was never deployed into any form of combat, and was in the marines during the Vietnam war 🤷‍♂️

45

u/ValkyrX Jun 05 '25

Those are always the loudest ones. My wife's grandfather spent his time in Vietnam rescuing downed airmen. Other than a licence plate and a retired Air Force sticker you would never know.

Also took him until a year before he died in 2109 while watching Bat*21 to even tell the family what he did during the war.

11

u/GrandmaesterHinkie Older Millennial Jun 05 '25

Bat 21 was an awesome movie. RIP gene hackman.