This is a snapshot of one of the places I, as well as a lot of other retired Americans, shop at on a regular basis. We can buy both imported and local goods which include groceries, clothing and housewares. It's situated at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, on the old US Naval Base. The freeport zone is adjacent to Olongapo City, Philippines.

I was serving aboard ship in 1983, deployed during a Western Pacific tour (which turned into more than that, but that's a different story). One of the things that was impressed upon the sailors and marines at every port was that we were representing the US whenever we were seen in public. In some ports, we weren't allowed to wear blue jeans. We were always required to wear a collared shirt, trousers, socks and shoes. In essence, we were required to look neat and presentable. What your clothes say about you has an effect on why they say about your organization.

What I continue to see here are retired Americans (and I have no way to know for sure they're retired service members) that go to public places dressed in ways that make us look extremely bad. I wear better clothing at home. I'm talking about ratty-looking shorts, flip-flops, and grungy-looking t-shirts (shirts without collars). Some of them have scraggly hair growing out of all parts of faces and ears, their hair is unkempt, and sometimes they're just plain dirty.

I always dress well for any public interaction. I wear blue jeans most of the time, but they're not frayed or faded. I always wear a nice polo-style shirt. I do sometimes wear flip-flops (but the more expensive kind), but only when my left ankle is swollen so much that I can't put a shoe on. Let's put it to you this way, I look better than the average Filipino.

I can't express enough how disgusted I am with my fellow countrymen for allowing themselves to be seen dressed the way they've been dressed in public. I've approached and spoke to several, on different occasions, and have stopped just short of humiliating them in front of lots of people. If you're an American living in the Philippines, please take some time and dress properly. Dress to represent yourself as well as your home country.