A Modest Proposal to Adjust the Principles of War

[Ken White]

does the bit about informs being common on the streets pertain to WW II when it was hard to see a male on the streets who was not in uniform?

Does it also pertain to the period from 1946 until the mid 1960s when those in the US Armed force routinely wore their uniforms to town and on leaves and passes? I have wandered the streets in most major cities in this country in uniform and never had an ounce of trouble. Also got a lot free drinks while doing so; service was at one time appreciated instead of just being paid lip service by some as is now the case.

The wearing of civilian clothes while off duty started in the mid fifties as the nation got wealthier and Joe could afford civilian clothes. It gathered speed in the 60s because the troops didn't enjoy being hassled by anti-war protestors in and around colleges and college towns. Not because they hated being hassled (many welcomed it ) but because they knew if it escalated and became a matter of record the Services were likely to make them suffer even if they were the aggrieved.

So uniforms were everywhere 60-70 years ago -- and not a military dictatorship yet.

I would offer one caveat, though. I went to Little Rock in 1957, Armed, ammo, steel helmet and all that. Would you rather I had not gone along with 1200 other folks from the 101st to forestall an insurrection and to enforce the law?

The caveat; doing that to put the kids in School and then hitchhiking through Little Rock less than a year later, in uniform and with a 101st patch on ones arm was not smart...