I have a “baseball cap” style hat that I bought about 8 years ago and have rarely worn since.

It is in the style of all the navy veteran military ship caps commonly in use today in the USA, and I believe it was even made by the same company that makes hats for crew and military veterans.

Here’s the thing though – this is a cap for the USS Constellation – a FULL RIG SAILING SHIP in use from 1797-1853 (see https://historicships.org/explore/uss-constellation ). I bought it from a tourist display stand!

I am walking around Disney world this week and I keep getting “THANKED FOR MY SERVICE”. Okay – kind of amusing as I would have had to serve in the REVOLUTIONARY WAR – but then I do nothing to purposefully pose as ex-military (which is very uncool). CAN PEOPLE NOT SEE THE SAILS ON THE BOAT?

My brother thinks I should make light of it (“yes, I served – I climbed the rigging and packed the gun powder… you should have seen those Brits run! Avast ye mates! Walk the plank!”)

I’m thinking of finding another cap to keep my bald head from sunburning… What do you think?

– Zagone

  • diprount_tomato@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    I mean, the Swiss army hasn’t been doing too much for like 200 years, even though it would probably have been needed if it didn’t exist

    • FiddlersViridian
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      1 year ago

      They did invent a pretty useful knife, so I suppose it would be nice to thank them for that. /s

    • themoonisacheese
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      1 year ago

      To be entirely fair the us military hasn’t been of that much use to the American public since it’s inception.

        • wieson@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Which wouldn’t be too bad.

          The citizens didn’t gain much through the conquest.

          • diprount_tomato@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            You think they didn’t? There would be no California (well, Alta California would be a thing, but mainly Hispanic), no Texas (the same), no Great Plains, no Oregon, no Louisiana (would be mainly franco-hispanic) and no Florida. I’d say it changes quite a lot of things

            • wieson@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              Yes, it would be different but not necessarily better. There is no moral value in the US owning that land. If it was owned by Spain, or maybe have many different independence movements and be owned by native peoples, would it be worse?

              The Great plains would also still exist (as would Louisiana and Florida)??? They don’t vanish if someone else governs them.

              • diprount_tomato@lemmy.world
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                1 year ago

                No, don’t get me wrong, it would have been better for the world and the people who inhabited the land, just that not for Americans, which probably wouldn’t even have become as powerful as they are