I think your theory is the most sound and a great example of applying Occam’s Razor.

“So we can not rule out the possibility of that photo of the men and cryptid fish being a hoax. It most definitely can be a hoax.”

Um, a hoax of WHAT -? Most hoaxes purport to show something that is intended to amaze, startle, disgust or otherwise elicit a strong reaction. I hardly think this photo would have been expected to make viewers say “Oh WOW! Look at THAT! It’s a MONSTER!” It actually looks rather mundane and although it’s probably going to be impossible to positively identify the species of fish (I feel strongly it’s a mutilated shark) I think the bigger question is actually more “So what?” Go down to Destin Florida (for example) and hang around the fish cleaning area where the day fishing trip boats come in. You’ll see all kinds of mounds of mutilated fish flesh that are unrecognizable especially after laying out in the sun for a day or two. Nobody is running around “Going WOW! Look at THAT! I don’t know what that is so it might be a MONSTER!” You’ll see shark carcasses, too (especially sand sharks) that people caught and just didn’t know what to do with and the sea gulls have been pecking on them and they’re bloated and blah blah blah…I think you folks are making a monster out of a minnow.

Based on what? The amazingly perplexed looks on their faces -? (sarcasm: they look more bored than excited about the “unknown cryptid” on the sand). I don’t think we should presume that just becuase someone took a photo it was necessarily because they thought the subject matter was an “unidentified/unknown to science amazing animal!”. People take photos of the mundane all the time. As a collector of WWII militaria, I have entire photo albums of military members wasting film on all kinds of stupid ’subjects’…just like other people do.

First of all, there’s no proof these men are in the military. They might simply be wearing surplus uniform parts. Second, there’s enough detail to “consider” it as ANY sort of pin or button.

“However, there were all kinds of other buttons people wore, for their unions (e.g. Bell Telephone, IBEW), for fun (e.g. Lone Ranger, St. Nicholas League), for products (e.g. Buster Brown shoes, Ritz crackers, Maltex Breakfast Award), and for other reasons (e.g. March of Dimes polio campaign, Fight Cancer, Red Cross). There were even military-related buttons (e.g. V for Victory, Liberty Loans, War Chest, I’m Enlisted). NRA buttons were also popular.”

Um…all that’s non-sequitur. If you’re convinced the men are in the (U.S.) Military, then they would no more be authorized to wear a union button or one from Buster Brown shoes than they would a campaign button.

Plus, none of that would really help to identify the animal in the photo. It seems this thread has turned into more a “How many details can you identify?” than “What’s this fish?”. Playing Where’s Waldo is fun and all that but stay on the track, no matter what.

There is a wood pile visible in the background. Were they in a pinch for lubricants (for vehicles, weapons, machinery…) because of the Great Depression, and the approaching war? Were they planning to use one of the metal trash cans as a rendering vat? From what I understand, a lot of similar improvisation goes on in military procurement.