Military vets - is this hat offensive?

No offense taken from me. My reaction would be 'Hey that's a cool hat!'

My Grand Father had a hat like that. He lived in Chicago. No Soviet Logo.

History is written by the victors. What would the world look like if the swastica was everywhere and the American flag was banned from  decal sheets ?  

BTW  I tend to do stuff that offends on a regular basis......    not trying to...... it just happens.

Im used to it . But it drives others absolutly mad.

Given the context, why would it cause offense? If the wearer were bringing in their newly completed T34 or YAK-3 or MiG 15, it would just be a part of the "flavor". You probably wouldn't want to strut through the streets of Kabul wearing it.

WhatEVER .... Where can I get one?

Not a vet here. But no I dont find it offensive. I actually went to Russia on a trip and brought my son back two shirts that have Saint Basil's Cathedral on the front and Russian writing on the back. No idea what it says, for all I know it could say death to all the stupid Americans. Point being its just a shirt, or hat. Now I dont believe in wearing an SS shirt or the like, but whats wrong with the biker helmets that look like Gerry war helmets? I actually like the shape and design. A helmet doesnt stand for anything, its just a helmet. Hell what if our helmets were reversed, with ours looking like Gerry and theirs looking like ours? Sure some people who fought in the war or had relatives who did might be offended, and thats their right. They gave their life to defend the world from such tyranny. I personally despise Volkswagen (VW). Why? Most people dont know this and neither did I until I was schooled up by the Military History Channel, but VW was thought up by adolph (hate to even type that assholes last name). It was supposed to be a cheap vehicle for all germans to buy and own. Volkswagen literally means "the people's car". Of course this was just a scheme to get money to fund the war butI guess it worked. But how many Americans do you see with VW's? A freaking ton and nobody seems to care about that. Or what about BMW or Porsche or Mercedes or Audi ( audi and VW are actually the same corporation). And what of those of you on THIS forum who model ME-109s or FW-190s or Panzers or Tigers? Is that any different from wearing a Gerry hat when riding a motorcycle or wearing a (idiotic) SS shirt? One could say you support those ideals too then since your modeling German war machines from WWII. Point being is yes it could be offensive but at the same time you cant say something when you might be a person doing it too. Ill be honest I have a collection of 1/12th scale figures. Modern military but alot of WWII. I have American troops but half of them are German troops. Some SS some from the Afrika Corps and so on. All of them have that dreadful logo on them somewhere as these are $150 each collector figures and not toys. So accuracy is paramount. That being said one could come over and see those and question if I support those ideals. The answer is no of course, its just I want to have both sides displayed. And to be be brutally honest I liked the german uniforms, minus the logo, as I felt they were somewhat formal compared to ours. All that being said I cant in all purposes and extents go and say anything about someone who has a Russian hat or a german hat. The shirts are unacceptable because thats just tasteless, but I still couldnt say anything because I would then be a hypocrite. It kinda goes back to the bible verse that goes "how can you proceed to say 'let me help you remove the needle from your eye ' when you have yet to remove it from your own?" All this is my two cents and I apologize now if I have angered or offemded anyone. Such was not my intention but I just felt thatI had to bring a few things to light that I felt were either being overlooked or avoided.

Reaper420

. I personally despise Volkswagen (VW). Why? Most people dont know this and neither did I until I was schooled up by the Military History Channel, but VW was thought up by adolph (hate to even type that assholes last name). It was supposed to be a cheap vehicle for all germans to buy and own. Volkswagen literally means "the people's car". Of course this was just a scheme to get money to fund the war butI guess it worked. But how many Americans do you see with VW's? A freaking ton and nobody seems to care about that. Or what about BMW or Porsche or Mercedes or Audi ( audi and VW are actually the same corporation).

Here's an interesting article about alleged Ford and General Motor involvement with Nazi Germany before and during World War II.  Corporate tendrils run deep, even into dark and unpleasant places. 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/daily/nov98/nazicars30.htm

Gary

personally I think there are just too many people who tend to get too offended over too many things.

And most likely I just offended somebody with that statement too

Bearcat57

personally I think there are just too many people who tend to get too offended over too many things.

And most likely I just offended somebody with that statement too

Sorry, but I just saw this---you bought it at the Moscow AIRPORT?!?!  Did it cost close to your return ticket price? I've never seen prices as high for merchandise as that place! A friend was going to buy one there---it was some kind of real fur, and cost around a cool 2G's.!!

Did you know you can get those all over Russia for like, five bucks? They sell 'em on Red Square in clumps!

GMorrison

What he said. But it's a free country, right?

We never had a shooting war with the Rooskies, thank god.

I have a Soviet Navy belt buckle that I wear from time to time.

Getting a major "Strangelove" flashback....

My father in law didn't like our BMW, but he had a wall full of Sony stuff. To each their own.

In all fairness, Father-in-laws are supposed to have SOME issues with you, or you;re doing something wrong.

Oh, and not a veteran, but I'd be alright with the Russkie fur-hat. The SS etc tshirts that had been posted earlier, yeah, big problems there. But not because they are "german stuff", more the promotion of Naziism in that case.

I'm not a vet, but if I were, I would be offended by that.  I'm offended regardless, as a civilian.

Cadet Chuck

I'm not a vet, but if I were, I would be offended by that.  I'm offended regardless, as a civilian.

Why?

Because I lived through the cold war.  As a child, I (and everybody else) I lived in constant fear of being bombed by the Soviets, with nukes.  We had city-wide civil defense drills, people were building bomb shelters in their homes, "duck and cover" drills in grade school, stockpiles of geiger counters at the ready with the civil defense patrol HQ, and police depts, gas masks, Nike missile bases all over the place (one quite near my school), and defense aircraft ready to scramble all over the country.  It was very worrisome and scary to a child. I hope you understand.

Chuck, I understand the feelings you describe. I can see how you would have a distaste for the reminder of it. However, I would hope that you would pause to separate the act of wearing the hat as an "endorsement" of that ideology, from that of just wearing a warm hat, with a somewhat-campy affectation for an old piece of historical curiosity. That's the only reason I wear it from time to time. People in Russia wear "American"-type of fashion and icons on their shirts too---Mickey Mouse, for instance.

I would consider the thing as a souvenir from a war we won.

 I lived on USAF SAC (nuke bombers) bases all of my young life. We never did the civil defense drills there, the people who ran the bases knew it was of no use. I was living on a B-47 base in England during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The bombers were literally 100 yards from my back yard, separated by a chain link fence. All kinds of noise back then.

"Not sayin your average Rooskie doesn't have a lot of damn balls, I mean look at all those dead nazzies!"

-General Turgidson

i would not be offended by the hat, heck i would ask for the story about how you got it ( to be read as embelish the heck outta it with humor), MHO some folks need to have a thicker skin (myself included on some topics). the thing that bothers me about all the Axis parafanelia  is most do not seem to understand WHY the symbols offend some, kind of a testament to the lack of historyical education in some school systems, "a country that forgets it history is doomed to repeat it "  we live in the greatest country on the planet, i took part in defending our way of life, wear what you want but be prepared to defend your right with facts and logical actions not just because the 501st waffen SS unit badge just  looks cool, respect the men who did wear it and understand why they had to be defeated. wear your fine Russian hat, on offens taken here.      wow first post in ages for me and i'm on a soapbox  oops

I work with a great guy from the Ukraine.  He spent four years in the army of the USSR. Every Veterans Day I give him a big "Happy Veterans Day!". The first year he was a bit surprised and made it clear he was in the army of the Soviet Union. I told him I don't care. The USSR is gone and we all either choose to protect our country or are pressed into service. There is no dishonor in that.

Bottom line, the hat is a piece of a uniform from a country that no longer exists. As long as your not out there bad mouthing the other countries in favor of the USSR I don't see what difference it makes; it's just a piece of history.