Women In The Military

 

You know the argument and I've heard it many times too, chicks in uniform lower physical standards, feminize their units, emasculate the men, make them pathetically unwarworthy and are generally disastrous, like trannies but maybe less so. OK, point, but leaving aside Soviet snipers, what about Princess Louise Victoria? What about her?

Are you trying to tell me that HRH Victoria shouldn't wear the uniform of the Death's Head Hussars? Surely not. If the tunic fits. But maybe you think Princess Cecille is pickelhaube too much? Go right ahead and think that, here she is, on right:

The evidence mounts, I'd argue, that women should be part of the armed forces, albeit of noble degree, and you'll note Melania's the Hon. COL of the DLC. More seriously, World War I wrecked a civilization at its high point. What an utter disaster. Save what you can while the going's good, see London Clubs.

Arma virumque cano,

LSP

A Bit of This And a Bit of That

Everyone knows the Germans gave up their signature spiked helmets years ago but the tradition lives on, in South America. So if you're in the mood to see the infamous pickelhaube (point cap) in action, head over to Colombia or Chile.

Likewise, you're probably wondering about Imperial Roman standards, their Signa and famous Eagles. None of these have survived fully intact, though a gilded eagle (aquila) has been found in Romania. 

Remarkably, a cloth standard (vexillum) has come down to us. This square flag was discovered in Egypt and dates from the third century AD. It features the Goddess Victory but lacks unit designation. 

Vexillum experts tell us the flag would have represented a cavalry or auxiliary force or possibly the subdivision of a Legion, and was a significant if lesser emblem than the illustrious Signum or Aquila.

Speaking of which, it's said that the imperial standards lost at the disastrous battle of Adrianople (378 AD) were recovered by general Belisarius in his war against the Vandals. They were then paraded before Emperor Justinian in 534 AD at Constantinople's Hippodrome during the last Roman Triumph. So too were the treasures of the Jerusalem temple, looted by Titus and Vespasian and brought to Rome, only to be looted again by the Vandal King Gaiseric in the mid fifth century.

As Gaiseric's defeated son Gelimer was led in shame around the Hippodrome under the gaze of thousands of cheering Romans, he quoted scripture, "Vanity, vanity, all is vanity." But Gelimer wasn't strangled per the custom of old Rome, instead the vanquished Vandal was awarded estates in Galatia. He died in 553 AD.

I find this interesting unlike, say, the bogus impeachment spectacle taking place in the Senate.

Cheers,

LSP