1.   Two unarmed security guards in faded blue uniforms stand erect at the entrance to Montclair Prep in Van Nuys.

2.   In the last few days, World War II veterans have flooded into Moscow wearing faded military uniforms adorned with row-upon-row of medals and ribbons.

3.   Half a dozen in faded uniforms, automatic rifles slung over their backs, tinker with a dilapidated army truck.