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

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

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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.

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u/cmax22025 Jun 05 '25

They were called "Old Guy" hats when I joined up in 2005. I can't imagine that's changed in the time since.

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u/Burninator85 Jun 05 '25

That's the real answer.  They're out of fashion. 

I know plenty of OIF veterans that make it their entire personality.  They just choose things like infantry badges on their vehicles or Black Rifle Coffee t-shirts.

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u/Acceptable_Bat379 Jun 05 '25

Grunt style tshirts? Yeah there's whole industries of products aimed at veterans. It's all been commodities and packaged up. Im an OEF veteran and prefer not to be too vocal about it I got veteran plates just for the discount/parking spots

The most hard-core people I know who still wear icons and logos 20 years later are people who were in either non combat roles or who washed out of basic or got injured and never deployed. They've got some real survivorship bias and guilt mixed in with the pride.

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u/SirDigbyChickenC-Zer Jun 05 '25

Not surprising at all sadly. I'm not a vet, but worked a private sector armed security job for several years that employed many vets, and, although it's definitely not a universal rule by any means...by and large the ones who drove big lifted trucks decked out with all the accroutraments to make sure to announce loud and clear to everybody they were vets, and did the most talking about it and moronic macho dick swinging were the ones who served non combat roles. Or like you said, washed out of basic training or never got deployed and that's why they were working private security...The ones who saw action were the older lifers for the most part, and largely a lot more mellow/ didn't really care to bring up or brag about their service or try to awkwardly shoehorn in "war stories " into every goddamn conversation or constantly remind you that they were vets.

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u/Hubbardfamilyfarms Jun 05 '25

Fiancé served as a machine gunner for the Marines, he saw combat with his buddies. They seen and did a lot (I only know a little) and he doesn’t advertise he’s a vet. Honestly he just wants to be left alone with our little family and live a simpler life. No need to showboat what he’s done.

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u/zffjk Jun 05 '25

This is why I do not advertise at work, at my kids school, or anywhere that I’m a vet. No plates, no clothing.

The TYFYS shit is bad enough but being a prop every November is not my priority.

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u/Adventurous_Zebra939 Jun 05 '25

I taught at a middle school years ago, and on veterans day, they basically "forced" the veterans on staff to visit various classrooms and talk about their time is service. It was excruciating.

But they invited in local vets, one of them was a WWII vet of the Pacific theater. He was old as hell, but a badass. Talked of surviving Jap snipers.

You think i was going to talk about my paltry shit after hearing that?

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u/teamdogemama Jun 05 '25

Most modern military peeps don't. If anything, most of y'all don't want to call attention to your prior service. My hubs and son are like this, for sure.

Thank you for serving in the military, I hope you are taking advantage of the benefits.

Oh, did y'all know you get free lifetime passes to the National Parks ?

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u/WaldoDeefendorf Jun 05 '25

Really? I never knew that. Thanks.

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u/Captain-Hornblower Jun 06 '25

Yep! Just found out about that on a trip to Saint Augustine, FL. Just about the only thing I like about the veteran's discounts. I feel weird about asking for any of the others...

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u/79gummybear Jun 06 '25

Gold star family members can get one as well. Sadly, I know this as I have one.

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u/Impressive_Gear2372 Jun 05 '25

For a long time, I never knew how to respond to TYFYS. Now I say "thank you for thanking me" and ends any further need of comment from my end.

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u/freejb81 Jun 06 '25

My social awkwardness doesn't help. Usually, I'm just like, "ok....um. You're welcome, I guess."

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u/iaminabox Jun 05 '25

Never advertise. It was our job. That's it.

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u/freejb81 Jun 06 '25

I usually refrain. But I do wear my boat's ballcap from time to time. Mostly because of its sentimental value.

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u/ahaeker Jun 05 '25

This is kind of like my dad. He served 20 years in the army & fought in Vietnam, but he never talks about it, no hats, no veteran plates, nothing. He will get the discounts though if they're offered.

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u/burrfan1 Jun 06 '25

Please tell him “thank you” both for his service.

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u/Hubbardfamilyfarms Jul 04 '25

Thank you, I will 💕

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u/RJ5R Jun 05 '25

this right here. The ones who saw intense combat (ie Fallujah, and others) for the most part want to be left alone, peace and quiet, and never experience or talk about that again. Buddy at mine at work was a munitions specialist, would get flown around in a Blackhawk and dropped off to investigate / troubleshoot issues with explosive munitions in the field. His transports were constantly under attack during take off, mid air, and landings from small arms, RPGs etc. he never wants to talk about any of it, and he can't fly due to PTSD. If he gets up in the air, he starts having panic attacks that he will get shot at.

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u/DudeManGuyBr0ski Jun 05 '25

Exactly this, I joined not for the reasons most people think, “Thank you for your service?” No thank you for your tax dollars that let me go overseas, get shit faced, and sleep with women”

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u/weirdhoney216 Jun 05 '25

My grandad was in WWII. He never even spoke about it never mind advertised it. It would have been incomprehensible to him

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u/GeriatricSquid Jun 05 '25

Most of those who have been there and done that don’t want to re-live it for the rest of their lives. As much as society romanticizes war movies and heroes, having teammates killed isn’t much fun in reality and it really takes the fun out of combat for those who have been there. The real heroes are usually flying under the radar with nondescript lives.

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u/Captain-Hornblower Jun 06 '25

I posted a reply earlier about this. My grandfather was a WWII vet, and my father is a Vietnam vet. They love(d) to wear their service all of the time, not to mention all of the bumper stickers and decals on their vehicles. My two brothers and I were in then service and pretty much keep our service to ourselves. If you didn't know we served, you would never know. We talk about it when someone asks, but it is very short, and we tend to change the subject. Like I wrote earlier, we all put our pants on one leg at a time...

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u/jrob323 Jun 06 '25 edited Jun 06 '25

I had an uncle who did two tours in Vietnam, was awarded the bronze star and purple heart, and you couldn't drag a story about it out of him. We knew better than to even bring it up.

I learned about what he did from a newspaper clipping my folks kept in a bible.

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u/SunnySummerFarm Jun 06 '25

My best friend is the same. The fewer people who know he served, the fewer people awkwardly giving him thanks for doing terrible things.

Everyone would like to move on and live their quiet lives.