As someone who works in an industry based on looks and style and images with brands and retail stores it’s kind of funny when I tell some of my colleagues or peers what I did prior to getting into the apparel game and doing what I now do and am passionate about. As the 4th of July approaches and many are away enjoying barbecues and some cold beers with family and loved ones I’m compelled to think back on my tenure as a US Marine. It’s something I rarely discuss and often don’t speak of accept for the few men that I had the distinguished honor to serve with over in Iraq and abroad. Stationed in the heart of the Sunni Triangle and part of G-3 ops with many tasks from TF 626 and chasing Zarqawi to the battle of Fallujah… Thinking back as the years have passed it seems very different from where my life has taken me.
I've read numerous websites and blogs from people who cherish and treasure vintage finds from days past… From WWII memorabilia to Vietnam and more. The garments and the fashions while cool in their archival nature and historical memory are also functional due to the need to be used in combat which makes them even more appealing and of better quality. When I came home from Iraq and got out of the Marines I took all of my uniforms and medals and I threw it all away in an act to try and forget and not deal with… But the older I get the more I sometimes wish I had those old camo cargo pants all salty and stained, worn through with real action, real dirt and real sweat (and sometimes blood). The memories are endless and the garments now would be a treasure just like my Grandfathers old D-Day medals and WWII knives. Either way I face it I will never get them back and the memories will remain of them and of my experiences.
This post is sought to memorialize our country, our heritage, and to honor those that we lost and those that gave so much for the sake of our freedom… Let us not take what we have for granted and let those classic military garments be a relic and an embodiment of the sacrifices many made to get to where we now are… While many troops are deployed such as the Marines and Soldiers currently in Afghanistan this one’s for you… It’s for our country and for our past and the democracy it was built on. Happy 4th of July and Semper Fidelis!
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