Marine fights to wear dress blues at high school graduation

Marine Pfc. Garrett Miles-McCarthy graduated from boot camp in San Diego only last month but he is already in his first battle: against his hometown school board.

The 18-year-old wants to wear his dress blues uniform at his high school graduation ceremony in El Paso, Texas. He finished his coursework in December and immediately shipped out to Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego.

School officials have said no, that all grads have to wear cap and gown, no exceptions. The mayor, a local congressman and others are backing Miles-McCarthy, who says wearing the uniform will show his pride in being a Marine and his support for his father, a career soldier bound for Iraq.

The school board will take up the red-hot issue Tuesday, the same day Miles-McCarthy is set to return to duty for advance training.

-- Tony Perry

Photo: Garrett Miles-McCarthy. Credit: El Paso Times

Comments

[Ted Ternes]

The school is correct. Wearing a military uniform is totally appropriate when you are involved in military activities or on military duty. A high school graduation is clearly not a military activity and has nothing to do with military duty. Demanding that one be allowed to wear a military uniform to such an event relegates the uniform to the status of a costume, which is totally inappropriate. Inappropriately introducing a militray prescence to a high school graduation is something that one could reasonably foresee would be offensive to some folks. There are planty of other ways for Miles-McCarty to honor his father. The school has no obligation to be a party to any of them. That the mayor and a congressman don't understand that is alarming, but not surprising.

[joe]

he should get to wear it!

[Julia Lowe]

As an educator and the child of a WWII vet and ancestors that have fought in every action that the US has been involved in, I believe that the school in question should allow this young man to wear his uniform to graduation. He at least has become a productive member of society and should be encouraged to be active. We have young girls coming to graduations and advertising what they'll be doing after graduation, by being pregnant. This young man should be encouraged NOT DISCOURAGED.
As a teacher of teens, I would rather have the positive role model of the Marine at graduation rather than the non-traditional values being encouraged. Please wake up and allow the POSITIVE not the NEGATIVE!!!

[jeffrey]

you have got to be kidding!....a young man graduates early, enters the marines to serve his country is not being allowed to wear his blues to his high school graduation?....as americans, we celebrate democracy, religious freedom and the right to pursue an education largely because of the sacrifices american service men and women have and continue to make....wake up, school officials...do the right thing

[El Guapo]

Tough one but I think in this case it's a battle not worth fighting. Wear the cap and gown buddy....

[just my opinion]

A student is showing pride in his Country and his parent. Isn't this a nice, positive attitude as opposed to all the teens lately who are committing mass murder, assault, theft and general havoc and distruction? Isn't there an exception to every rule? Let him wear his uniform.

[Patriot]

While his case is sympathetic, if he is allowed to wear his uniform, then it opens the door to others: an African student wearing his home country's traditional dress, a Muslim student wearing traditional muslim dress, a part-time life-guard wearing his uniform, etc. Who can say which cause is "worthy" enough to warrant an exception.

If I were a student at the school, and he were given an exemption, I would wear whatever I wanted to because he gets to wear something that, in the end, bears no relation whatsoever to his school.

[Revgen]

Although I have nothing wrong with a Marine wearing a uniform during graduation, I can understand the school board's position. If he can wear something other than a graduation uniform, then it sets the precedence for other students to do the same. The school wants to keep traditional graduation dress intact.

[Mark Thompson]

Not entirely sure what this kid's point is. There are going to be a lot of high school kids dressed up in cap and gown, is his point to stand out from them?

If they're making gowns optional, then that would be one thing, but they're required for this ceremony.

What if he wanted to wear his cap and gown when he graduated Basic Training? Should he be allowed to do that as well?

[Geoff]

Graduation is not about a single person but the whole class. His dedication is admirable but wearing his Marine garb is going to single him out from the whole group. That is not what Marines are taught in basic training. It is not about the individual but the whole organization. Just wear a cap and gown and celebrate your high school experience with the rest of your peers. There is an entire lifetime to dedicate to a job afterward.
Are any other students that are proud of their jobs lobbying to wear their uniforms? I didn't think so.

[gary]

The cap and gown is a holdover from the middle ages ............. students should be taught and encouraged to be individuals. If a student wishes to wear a cap and gown that is his/her choice but it should not be mandatory. This young man should wear whatever he wishes to the ceremony.

[hoyt adams]

go recon, wear your blues under the gown when they give you the diploma take off the gown put on your hat solute your class and walk off stag

[Sarah]

wear it under the cap and gown...this is about celebrating your class.

[Howard Kim]

This kid is going to war as early as a few weeks after his graduation. He obviously is proud of his accomplishment in becoming a marine.

I understand rules, but c'mon. Most graduating high schoolers won't continue to college. At least this MAN has a direction to his life.

Congrats Garrett Miles-McCarthy I'm proud of you.

[Jason]

Next protesters can wear anti-war garb, pro-lifers can wear anti-abortion garb, Hamas sympathizers can wear pro-gaza garb, Israeli sympathizers can wear .... you get the picture. There are places and situations where dress code exceptions should not be allowed. This is clearly one of them. Regardless of how you feel about the military, a marine uniform has nothing to do with this high-school graduation ceremony. For the sake of expediency, the dress code should stand. Otherwise, the school board will find itself mired in litigation over who gets an exception, and who doesn't.

[Marck]

As a former Air Force officer, I can understand this young man's enthusiasm and pride. But as 'Sarah' noted above, this is about his "high school graduation class" not his boot camp graduation as 'Mark Thompson' observed. Cap and gown may be an old ceremony but, the nature of ceremony is ritual and custom - and etiquette. He should respect his classmates during their shared event.

[Ed Kim]

I understand that graduation ceremonies are intended as a group celebration and moment of group recognition. However, since speeches are given by the more accomplished students and cords are worn to signify specific achievements, it's not like the singling out of students from the main student body does not occur. We all like to say how much we appreciate the service of our military -- given that this kid is not trying to celebrate a recording contract or an athletic scholarship. but rather signify his willingness to die for the rest us us, I think relaxing the dress requirement would be both appropriate and grateful.

[jerry]

the graduation is about ALL the students, not any one in particular - and it is also a celebration for their achievements IN THE CLASSROOM - i commend and respect Pfc. Miles-McCarthy for his decision to serve his country, but he should know, probably more so than any other student, that lawful guidelines, absent any moral or ethical objections, should be complied with -

[dave9]

Do you think that the USMC would allow him to wear a cap and gown at his Marine graduation? Or anything that was not the official uniform?

[Jonathan]

I'm a liberal Democrat. Let him wear his uniform. When I graduated from high school (and college), some kids wore a different hat, different tassles or arm bands to signify achievements they reached.

I can think of nothing any student should be more proud of than finishing classes early and graduating from boot camp. Let him wear his uniform.

[Chiswick]

Actually, I'm surprised his commanding officer hasn't told him to follow his school district's rules.

[confucius]

Follow your order soldier! Wear the cap and gown as told by the school. You should learn to obey orders, when you're in school, you follow school rules. When you're in the marines, you follow the UCMJ and the marines rules.

[Sal B]

I served in the Army for 8 years and finished Boot Camp before my graduation too. It never even dawned on me to wear my dress uniform to my high school graduation. I'm on the side of the school board on this one. I also agree with what others have already said here, follow orders Marine; school or otherwise. Some people might simply take it as he's just "showing off". I'm all for showing pride, dont get me wrong, but that's not the time or place, in my opinion.

[Joe]

What is the position of his commanding officers? There are good points on each side (except for honoring his father, no place for a uniform for that) but I'd love to hear if they support him or not. If they do not believe it is an appropriate place to wear dress blues then that ends the debate.

[Karlo]

Just wear it under the gown. I served in the marines for 3 years before getting injured and yeah I follow the rules and so should him.

[Jon K.]

He should wear it under his gown. End of controversy.

[Walt Forest]

Army vet, current Navy family member here. Wearing the uniform does not confer some special pass where the rules of society no longer apply. He needs to get his personality in check and get with the program. American soldiers are citizen-soldiers. At his high school graduation he gets to be a citizen - just like all those other great young people. At his boot-camp graduation he gets to be a Marine.

[CA LDS]

As a former Marine I have a strong belief in following the rules but there are exception made to rules all the time. Unless the rules in the Marine are different today you can not wear anything over your Dress Blues - so he would not be able to wear the gown over his uniform. If there are people in attendance that are offended by seeing a young man proud of his Country and in uniform then that would be their problem. This is an exception that could be made for any student that is active duty military which would exclude other exceptions for personal expression. We are a very sad Country when we stop giving complete respect to those that defend our freedom.

[Noah]

The issue before the school board should be (and hopefully is) whether individual expression should trump the rules of the graduation ceremony, which clearly were designed to establish uniformity of appearence - the rule now is that everyone wears the cap and gown. I think it is great that this marine is so proud of his position in the military that he wants to wear his uniform to graduation. But another classmate might be so proud of his cultural heritage that he wants to wear a sobrero, or she wants to wear a dashiki. Another individual might be so proud of being in his garage band that he wants to wear a t-shirt with the band name to graduation. Another individual could want to wear a gay pride shirt, or a shirt memorializing a lost loved one.

All of these desires for personal expression are totally valid. However, the rule, WHATEVER it is, should apply evenly to everyone. Either everyone gets to express themselves as they want, or everyone wears the standard cap-and-gown. Holding that there is an exception to allow for personal expression when the school board approves of the patriotic message could mean that the school board will soon have a heavy (and legitimate) First Amendment lawsuit on their hands.

[jayvee]

If this was a student who had just qualified to become a registered nurse -- a lifesaving profession, and one where you get paid much less than you do in the military -- would she be allowed to graduate wearing her white uniform and cap?
Our society has few occasions, and few ways, to honor studying and learning and successfully accomplishing these. Let graduation honor these accomplishments using the symbols the society has developed to honor them -- cap and academic gown.
Let the nursing school and the Marine Corps honor their special accomplishments with the uniforms appropriate for those accomplishments.

[Katelynn]

I think he should be able to wear his dress blues, it shows he is proud of what he has accomplished!!!!!

[Dan Wever]

Permissible Exceptions
To all the people that said it was not proper for this young man to wear his millitary uniform at his graduation. Check this out. From the number 1 Source on such rules and regulations.

An Academic Costume Code and An Academic Ceremony Guide
by Eugene Sullivan, American Council on Education
„
X The Academic Costume Code
„X Gowns
„X Hoods
„X Caps
„X Other Apparel
„X Some Permissible Exceptions
„
X Only members of the governing body of a college or university, whatever their degrees, are entitled to wear doctor's gowns (with black velvet), but their hoods may be only those of degrees actually held by the wearers or those especially prescribed for them by the institution.
„X The chief marshal may wear a specially designed costume approved by the institution.
„X It is customary in many large institutions for the hood to be dispensed with by those receiving bachelor's degrees.
„X Persons who hold degrees from foreign universities may wear the entire appropriate academic costume, including cap, gown, and hood.
„X Members of religious orders may suitably wear their customary habits.

The same principle applies to persons wearing military uniforms or clad in special attire required by a civil office. „X

It is recommended that collegiate institutions that award degrees, diplomas, or certificates below the baccalaureate level use caps and gowns of a light color, e.g., light gray.

[Kidsnurse]

This question comes up every year around graduation time. The only thing that changes is the student's name and the state or school involved.

The Marines has issued statements in other cases that basically says the Students/Marine should wear the required uniform for the occasion which for high school graduation is a cap/gown.

This is all about following the rules and respecting others. This young man needs to wear the cap/gown and graduate from high school.

This is not about him serving in the Marines or what behavior is more important than others. I serve my country everyday in a profession that requires a uniform but I would never dream of wearing that uniform to a black tie event or wedding because it is not the correct attire.

I love all those people telling him to DISOBEY the rules and "rip" the cap and gown off. Do rules only exist if you agree with them?

[tony]

I Am A Marine

High School Greaduation is not the place to wear our dress blues.

We did not/ should not join to wear a uniform--

and the uniform is only bragging about being a marine.......

haha second thought....WEAR IT!!!!

~Recon Marine

[chris welch]

If the School says that a marine. Can not wear his dress blues For graduated.Thear are a in my eyes dishornying what the young Marine standys for.He in my eyes an hero even if he has not seen battle.And i hope he win this battle with the school.The uniform mean everthing to a marine and what The Marine stan for.Hope the town offical help him in this battle.Keep fighting MARINE HAAAAA.