In his letter of July 15, Rick Barker takes exception to a local bearded and ponytailed Army veteran who, by Barker’s own admission, wore a “non-approved uniform” in Santa Clarita’s recent Fourth of July Parade. He then goes on to cite sections of Title 10 USC that govern personal grooming standards and the wearing of military uniforms. It is my understanding and interpretation that Title 10 only governs the wearing of “official” military issue uniforms. It is not applicable, as in this case, to knockoff or replica uniforms.
Furthermore, Title 10 only governs proper wearing of uniforms at military functions, i.e. a military funeral, military base events, or in a national parade. A local Fourth of July parade does not meet that criterion.
The courts (U.S. vs. Alvarez) have also decided that the wearing of a partial or of a knockoff military uniform is protected under the law. It’s called freedom of speech under the First Amendment.
Max Morgan
Valencia
