“The US military is more a heavily armed bureaucracy than it is anything else.”

I hadn’t considered that, but it tracks with my understanding of the culture within the military regarding advancement.

I’ve often heard that the last real fighting men of worth are typically found at the rank of the Colonelcy, and that beyond this, “Thar be politicians.”

Yes, and promotion points for the enlisted.

It would be interesting to collect evidence on social class distinctions between infantry and cavalry, and corresponding differences in attitudes toward medals, in the centuries after Napoleon.

Frogg wrote: “A pay bonus perhaps, or a nice bottle of scotch? But jewelry? No thank you.”

My understanding was that medals were tied to social class and promotion in the American system, and that the most decorated American officers are all just contestants in the real struggle, obtaining a lucrative defense lobbyist position after retirement.

As far as I could tell, medal-gathering is a competition designed to weed out the patriots from the careerists — and then give the high-paying defense jobs to the careerists.

The only sound reason I’ve ever found to attend a secular ceremony of any sort is good food and free booze. I am highly suspicious of anyone who does not readily avail themselves of these when at such an event, in fact I believe it borders on immoral.