Quote Originally Posted by peacekeeper83 View Post
LOL.... we were always taught... "Once a Marine..,Always a Marine... there are no ex's or formers.."
I'm not a fan of being called, or calling anyone, "former Marine", either... as "former" denotes something that was, but is no longer. I make it a point to refer to myself and others who no longer actively serve as "veteran Marines". Food for thought!

Anyways, I just read this entire thread and though it's hasn't been posted in in a while, having served in the USMC I wanted to give my opinion on the matter.

To make it short, I say this: it's not an "official" tartan. The USMC has not adopted it... though we, as Marines, may have done so. Because of that, and because it is recognized as the "unofficial" tartan of the USMC... I encourage anyone wanting to wear it to do so, for the following reasons:

1. They served in the Marine Corps. That goes without saying.
2. A family member served, and they honor them by wearing the tartan.
3. The wearer has utmost respect for the Corps, and shows it, though has no ties to it.

The ONLY line to be crossed would be to lie about any involvement. Trust me, we have ways of determining if an individual served, or if they're BSing us. The truth comes out very quickly. I've gone up to people wearing USMC t-shirts with the normal "Semper Fi!" and have been told... forthrightly... that they didn't serve but their father did, for instance. I have more respect for their integrity and honesty and at that point... they're just about like family to me.

Hope that makes sense.