>The perception of Americans as gaudy and tacky is interesting because America is huge and the majority of America is rather plain in reality. It's why we love Europe so much! :o)

Ah, if you want showiness then Europe, but Britain is renowned for understatement - in appearance and speech.
This has led to confusion with our US allies. e.g. I think it was during the Gulf War a British officer had appealed to his US counterpart that things were "a little tricky here" (or something like that). This in Brit-speak meant "ArrrrggggggH! HELP! We're being overrun!" The US officer naturally put them down as low priority for help and they got none. Totally the Brit's fault, of course, but this just illustrates m point. :-)

>By the way, I earned everyone of my shiny medals! :o) *G*

I'm sure you did. Now how many have you got and what action have you seen?

I see American officers on TV with plaques on their chests, full of medal "ribbons" (presumably plastic tabs), so big that the plaque obscures the pockets and lapels of the tunic. I think, "Wait a minute! that guy's too young to have served in WW II, maybe Vietnam but there just haven't BEEN that many campaigns for him to have earned them all surely. Did he get some for being a good boy and eating up all his chow? :-)

NYPD cops have big shiny metal plaques on their chests incorpoarting their badge, any medal ribbons, any seniority hash marks, etc. I'd imagine they'd walk around with a permanent list towards that side!

British security personnel just sew their ribbons on the tunic in a line or two.