# Military uniform with no hat

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-uniform-with-no-hat/825528>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 3, 2018, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-uniform-with-no-hat/825528 "2018-12-03T22:05:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2018, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-uniform-with-no-hat/825528/1 "2018-12-03T22:05:37Z")

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Watching Bush arrive at the capitol. One of the flag bearers has no hat. It is windy, I guess his hat blew off and he is not allowed to stop and pick it up? He is a sailor in dress uniform.

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**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-uniform-with-no-hat/825528/2 "2018-12-04T00:10:21Z")

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> [@Bijou\_Drains](#):
>
> Watching Bush arrive at the capitol. One of the flag bearers has no hat. It is windy, I guess his hat blew off and he is not allowed to stop and pick it up? He is a sailor in dress uniform.

Those flags are damn heavy. He couldn’t just hold his with one hand, bend over and pick up his hat, not unless he has some major upper body strength.

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**Author:** ![JB99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/439d5e/32.png) [@JB99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JB99)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-uniform-with-no-hat/825528/3 "2018-12-04T01:25:50Z")

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Can confirm. Those flags are heavy and he couldn’t bend over to pick it up, even if he wanted to.

But he didn’t want to. They won’t fall out just to retrieve a hat. I can guarantee you, that guy would rather die than fall out. You just don’t. Someone else would pick it up and give it back to him later.

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**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-uniform-with-no-hat/825528/4 "2018-12-04T02:02:29Z")

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> [@JB99](#):
>
> Can confirm. Those flags are heavy and he couldn’t bend over to pick it up, even if he wanted to.
> 
> But he didn’t want to. They won’t fall out just to retrieve a hat. I can guarantee you, that guy would rather die than fall out. You just don’t. Someone else would pick it up and give it back to him later.

Exactly. Someone _not a part of the formation_ would chase it down and retrieve it, and wait to get it back to him once the colors were retired.

Just his darn luck that the Navy Airman who lost his cover is the one carrying the Presidential flag, becoming more conspicuous.