just my humble two cents. Instead of walking patiently with the parade I imagine the marines running around inside the parade space, yelling shit, taking shots, quick pictures with crowd, going fucking nuts and getting people amped, maybe tossing candy into the crowd like it were a grenade. gotta throw some aliens into it too and just have this insane moving battle. maybe even lines from the movie over a loudspeaker or megaphone. or a flag that says game over man or something.

Safety of the parade and crowd generally will not allow for tossing of items such as candy (aggrevated assault potential.) Plus there are a lot of nut jobs out there that security is having to be mindful of and that would be enough to cause safety and security concerns. In all honesty such an idea would have to be approved by the event organizer and security.

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The impossible takes a while longer and goes over budget too...

Aliens have always been welcomed in the parade. Fact is it is early for DragonCon time, hot, a lengthy route to/during the parade and many do not want to do it on a regular basis. The reason there is so many marines is that it is the costume most have and it is available. Many do not have the body type for the Alien or want to deal with the heat contrary to what other will say.


Thanks!

Greg

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CPL A08/TQ0.0.12146E1
Newell, Greg A aka Gman
Illinois - USA
UKCM
Shoot first, think never.
Good? Bad? I'm the guy with the gun.
SMMFD
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he doesn't exist.

Even our most dedicated xenomorphs have passed out at the conclusion of the parade. Atlanta in September is hot and humid. Also, the costume is large and takes up valuable luggage space for people flying in, and can be expensive. So unless its crowdfunded, some past xenos have just either stopped coming, or stopped bringing in their second skin.

I have to admit that seeing this thread is sort of reassuring in a way. The first time I saw the CG I was a bit confused and conflicted. Even as a major fan of Aliens I wondered if the guys in dress were actual service men. I wasn’t offended but there is a desire among people like myself who do appreciate and respect people in the armed forces to express that respect. I am sure that the forming of the color guard happened with the best of intentions and that no one involved was actively trying still valor. I honestly love the Idea behind it.

As far as being mistaken for GI Joe and what not. Just know that there are plenty of guys like myself who can’t tell you what video game or anime someone is cosplaing but it makes our day to see a colonial marine or a good predator or Zeno. You may not mean something to the most people but you mean the most to the ones that get it.

Damn dude, that would fuck me up. so uncomfortable.

Some of us were either veterans or servicemen. And those who weren’t were brought up to an acceptable standard with our help so that they were nearly indistinguishable to the average civilian in the crowd. We did this with 1 hour of practice they day before yearly, and very few showed appreciation, and it seemed mostly to me like it was an inconvenience to some. The aim of the CG was to advance our fandom to the front of the parade and increase our visibility, and finally to instill a great feeling of patriotism to all as we held the flags of nations for all to see with great honour and pride. What better way to do that than in Service C’s, shiny shoes, and gleaming badges? If you couldn’t understand the scope of the project, then I can’t reach you.

UPDATE TO ANYONE THAT FINDS THIS POST:

This quote from Dom actually aged very well. It's 2025 and the Sci-Fi Military Color Guard is still going strong and growing more popular. The haters can still hate, but we'll still march and lead the parade. And yes, I wear my USCM dress uniform with other costume groups in their dress uniforms. We have yet to be accused of 'stolen valor' or 'impersonation'. And if you listen to the parade commentators, they specifically state we are NOT a real military unit. The negative fears of our presence turned out to be a nothing sandwich. But we've all learned a lot in the last few years, didn't we? Stay safe Marines!

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