I wanted to have a beard and long hair during my Navy service. However that was in violation of grooming policies until 1970. Some of my shipmates would rub jet fuel on their face to induce a rash in order to get a medical pass on shaving. It was the 1960s and we all wanted to be as hairy as possible.
Admiral Elmo Zumwalt assumed duties as Chief of Naval Operations on July 1, 1970. Zumwalt issued a number of directives (called Z-Grams) to improve morale. As a result of one “Z-gram” I was allowed to have slightly longer hair and a beard.
I went a bit overboard with the hair and beard after my military service. For example my appearance at my cousin’s wedding in 1974,
Joseph Palmer
The Navy never persecuted me for having a beard. Joseph Palmer, on the other hand knew all about persecution. His grave carries the epitaph “Persecuted for Wearing the Beard”.
Palmer was a veteran of the War of 1812. He was attacked in 1830 by 4 men who attempted to forcibly shave his beard. He stabbed two of his attackers with a pocket knife and spent 15 months in prison for assault.Truly, Palmer was a man who was serious about this beard. His epitaph reads:
Persecuted for Wearing the Beard
Grave of Joseph Palmer, Evergreen Cemetery, Leominster, MA
