I just got home from Military Appreciation Night at the local Golden Corral...

[MrScorpio]

And I sure did eat my full...

Link to tweet

However, one thing that I noticed, during the quiet, yet joyful comraderie were all the hats that many of the patrons and servers wore.

I had my Air Force Retired hat and my cousin had her Marine Woman’s Service hat. I saw other hats with Marine and Air Force, not to mention Army, Navy, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, POW/MIA, DAV, Iraq, Afghanistan and others.

You had your VFW, retirees and veterans hats, there were hats of our favorite sports teams done up patriotic style. All different colors and designs.

There were plenty of hats festooned with all kinds of badges, insignia, pins and various types of paraphernalia.

Some hats were well worn, as if they’ve seen much of the world, while others were still fresh, clean and crisp.

There were many stories told with hats, displays of patriotism, love of country, sacrifice and service.

And, yet, in all the sea of hats that were there tonight, there wasn’t a single, solitary MAGA hat.

Not a one.

Not one hat to declare that we should make America great again. Not one hat that disregarded the service and sacrifice that really indicated sustained America’s real greatness. No hats that declared “America First,” or “Build A Wall,” or “Lock Her Up.”

No, the hats worn in that restaurant tonight were all about respect, inclusiveness and about patriotism. They all represented an America where Americans, both made and born, spilled the same red blood together.

MAGA hats maybe red, but they’re about the red of anger and hatred, not about the sacrifice of American service men and women.

Those hats weren’t about fear and hatred, they were about love and bravery. They weren’t about implicit white nationalism, cult of personality and fascist authoritarianism.

They were about everything that no MAGA could ever represent.

The hats worn tonight represented the real America. An America that defeated everything a MAGA hat stands for.

It felt very good to stand shoulder to shoulder with real Americans again.

No real American would could wear a MAGA hat and feel the same way as the men and women with whom I stood, mingled, chatted and dined tonight. What I saw tonight was real. And you know that old saying: Real recognizes real.

That’s all I have.

Good night, everybody.

[dchill]

1. Good night, and thank you for your service.

[Kali]

2. Nice.

Never forget, eh? Thanks.

[MustLoveBeagles]

3. Maybe the tide is turning (I hope)

Thank you for your service.

[Marie Marie]

4. That must have been a very special event for you.

Real recognizes real - so true.

[lunasun]

5. Glad you all ate and had a good time and the place was MAGAT free

[mwooldri]

6. Those hats state this: America is already great.

The people of America's armed forces - past and present - demonstrate this better than any MAGA hat.

[dweller]

7. RESPECT

brother !

✌🏼️

[George II]

8. I went to Buffalo Wild Wings yesterday, and was disappointed with the few (perceived)...

...ex-military members who were there, many more last year.

It could have been because I went early, could have been because it was Sunday (football day) vs. Saturday last year, and it could have been because today was the observed Veterans' Day although yesterday was November 11.

Bottom line, though, is that everyone now appreciates people who served.

[Hekate]

9. Mr S, I salute you

[volstork]

10. Scorpio,

Thank you for your post, and most of all for your service.

[ooky]

11. I went to dinner there tonight too.

Same scene, just as you described. Not a single red MAGA hat, but a great time, everybody enjoying each other's company. Salute.

[erlewyne]

14. Not a single red MAGA hat.

I never thought about it until just now. Friday I was
one of about fifty veterans who attended a school (small
hometown K12) for a veterans day celebration.

Not one MAGA hat! But, nobody seems to wear them
anymore and all the Trump signs seem to have gone extinct.

My town used to be rah-rah Trump.

[Aristus]

12. I got a free dessert at Red Lobster.

No MAGA hats there, either. Thank God...

[woody44]

13. Also went to Vets appreciation at Golden Corral.....

My husband is a vet and we were greeted at the door with local VFW people, asked him if he was in Viet Nam and he said yes. They handed him a nice pin in a case that says "Viet Nam War Veteran" problem was they said it was a gift from our President!! Boy, was it hard to not say a million comebacks I could say, had to keep it nice tho.

My hubby is a total introvert so we didn't communicate with the anyone, but a nice showing of them. Now that you mention it I don't remember seeing ONE MAGA cap, lots of military type caps. I am in Missouri and so it is weird that there wasn't any.
Cheers to all the vets!

[ProudProgressiveNow]

15. KR NT

[Stonepounder]

16. Never Forget!

tRump seems to be working as hard as possible to alienate every group he possibly can. The military has traditionally been a GOP bastion. That may change somewhat after tRump decided that 'he just didn't feel like' attending ceremonies to honor those who fought and died to keep Europe and the US free.

I try very hard to not hate anyone. I have failed miserably with sub-human inhabiting the White House.

[mr_lebowski]

17. You're pretty much expecting the impossible of yourself in this particular case ...

A more despicable human being has never been thrust upon our collective conscience for such an extended period of time as what we've endured for going on 3 years now. I mean ... OJ was close, with the trial and all, but I gotta say ... I'm up in the air as to which I hate more.

At this point, I've just given up, and let the hate flow through me ... not sure if that's good, but ... I had no choice. Not sure any decent person does anymore.

Save perhaps our devout Buddhist DU crew

[3catwoman3]

18. What an interesting OP.

Thank you for sharing your observations .

Thus fellow vet salutes you (Air Force nurse corps 1976-1980).