[naturalman1975]

In Britain and the Commonwealth, veterans and retired servicemen routinely wear their medals during ceremonies honouring war service. It's a tradition going back decades.

Australian ANZAC Day March 1981

[AnAmericanMother]

OK! That's quite different from here, if a former serviceman wears his decorations in ordinary civilian clothes it's just the ribbons, usually individually on the lapel.

If you're in black tie formal, you can wear half-size medals on the left breast. We used to go to the Highland Games here quite a bit, and the older guys with WWII decorations would wear the miniature medals on their formal coatees at the Tartan Ball.

[AnAmericanMother]

I went into the next room and checked my hubby's old "Officer's Guide", and it says that you are authorized to wear the appropriate uniform for your highest rank of service at military weddings, funerals, and parades like Memorial Day, etc.

It can be either the current uniform for the appropriate rank or the one in use at the time one served (if one can still fit into it!).

All the uniforms have been completely changed since my husband served. He still has his old Army Greens (Class As, the dull forest green with the black braid down the pants) and the olive drab fatigues (five sets of them!) I had to starch and iron those things until you could lean them up in the corner!