Thee OP's picture reminded me of my Dad's funeral. He passed shortly before his 90th birthday. He was a WWII Navy veteran who served in the Pacific. My father in law and mother in law came to the funeral home for visitation. My father in law is a career Air Force NCO, he enlisted around 1950 and served in Korea during the war. He was still in and was a Crew Chief on a KC135 tanker flying refuleing missions in the Viet Nam theater.
In walks my brother, who was drafted into the Army around 1969 and stayed for a career. After training he received orders and shipped out to Schofield Barracks in Hawaii. He never saw Viet Nam, in fact the most action he saw was a bar fight or two while in Germany. Defintitely no combat.
I enlisted in the MARINES during my senior year in high school in 1971. I went to Aviation Electrician School and then to MCAS New River. Two different cruises, but like my brother I did not see any combat.
The evening of my Dad's funeral visitation my brother came in using a cane to walk with and wearing this hat...............................................................................
No one said a word about his hat, nor did they ask why he needed a cane to walk. Funny thing, the next day when we were at the graveside service my brother did not wear the hat, and remarkably he didn't need a cane to walk.