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Korean War Airborne Ranger berets


Bob Hudson
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This looks like a put together, so I'll put it on the table for dissection. It came as you see it with the Ranger tab and the parachutists pin. It also had the Special Forces pin stuck on one side. In "normal light" it looks black but in the right lighting you can see that is apparently very dark green.

 

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beretranger.jpg

 

beretside.jpg

 

beretinside.jpg

 

berettie.jpg

 

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Looks put together to me. I dont know how they used to do berets but the tit on the top says to me it is not authorized. Plus the way it is tied in the back, it should either be tied and cut off or tied where the tails can be hidden, and it looks like it has not been shaved or shaped. As I said before I dont know how they used to do the berets but to todays standards it is a no go.

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Looks put together to me. I dont know how they used to do berets but the tit on the top says to me it is not authorized. Plus the way it is tied in the back, it should either be tied and cut off or tied where the tails can be hidden, and it looks like it has not been shaved or shaped. As I said before I dont know how they used to do the berets but to todays standards it is a no go.

 

 

My brother in Pennsylvania (I'm in California) sends me boxes of stuff he finds at flea markets and garage sales back east and this was in the latest shipment snd he got from someone who said it was their late husband's. There was also the Special Force pin shown above, British SAS pin and some other ranger insignia mounted on a mirror (I have not received or seen that yet).

 

I just found this interesting photo at http://www.ricarangers.org/history.htm which is about "Ranger Infantry Companies (ABN) of the Korean War" and the lady who sold this to my brother mentioned something about the Korean War (my brother is not to keen on remembering all the details).

 

black_beret.jpg

 

 

 

 

That photo is part of an article entitled

"Ranger Black Beret

By Ranger Robert Black"

 

and it says,

 

There is no headgear that so clearly says "Airborne Ranger" as the 1951 Ranger Black Beret. The flash consists of a gold and black Ranger tab sewn above a black oval background with gold edging surmounted by a parachute badge. The blending of Airborne and Ranger are thus clearly displayed.

 

Companies 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 8 were fighting in Korea and few of them had knowledge of the black beret concept. At Fort Benning, Colonel John Van Houton, Commanding Office of the Ranger Training Command, supported the black beret movement. He assigned Lt.Col. Wilbur "Coal-bin Willie" Wilson as Project Officer. Wilson outfitted Sgt John Roy of the 7th Rangers, not only in Black Beret, but in black boots (in a brown shoe army). Carrying a paper of authority from his commanders, Sgt Roy traveled about Fort Benning conducting the test Colonel Van Houten wanted. Again the troops were delighted, but those in authority outside the Rangers were not.

 

With the disbandment of the Rangers in 1951, the concept did not reach Department of the Army level.

 

I'm wondering now if this is something a Korean Ranger vet did to recreate what he wore in 1951? It's certainly the style of the 51 Ranger beret and I don't think that's a coincidence.

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My brother said the seller told him her husband was in an all black Ranger company in the Korean War, which sounded strange to me, but in doing more prowling through the Korean Ranger website I found this photo from a reunion of the 2nd Ranger Company:

 

HigginbottomJohnsonAlstonFelderHallWeathersbee.jpg

 

My brother's going to try to get the name of the seller's husband which would be nice since the rosters are on that website. This may turn out to be an original patch and parachutist's badge from a Korean Airborne Ranger.

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It would have been something I probably would have passed on if not for the above info.

 

It's surprising me as I do more research. I found another website ( http://home.hiwaay.net/~magro/rangers.html ) which had this to say:

 

...the 2nd Ranger Company was all Black and the 4th Ranger Company was all White.

 

 

The 2nd Ranger Infantry (Abn.) was an all black unit. These men, mostly were volunteers from existing Airborne units at that time in 1950, with a number of them from the triple nickel (555). They were one of the Companies that made a combat jump with the 187th RCT in Korea. ( Combat Jump at Munsan-Ni (CS0591) The other unit was the all white, 4th Ranger Infantry Company. (Abn.)

Prior to this jump, the 2nd Ranger Company was assigned to the 7th ID. They had a very good reputation and combat record operating with the 7th ID.

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craig_pickrall

Try contacting VALERY. He has done a lot of research in this area and may be able to help or at least steer you in the right direction.

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Bonjour,

Sorry Craig but as I told you I'm very far from my books and files and I'm scared to give you a not very accurate answer. However, I can say that Airborne rangers companies who fought in Korea did not wear black berets. However, an Airborne Ranger Company assigned in Germany (between 10 and 15) worn a black beret. I had the great honor to exchange few letters and emails with Korea war Ranger veterans (1st and 8th companies) but none of them related to have worn a black beret.

I think that the black beret became an emblematic headgear even for veterans association after the VN war as the maroon beret for airborne veterans even worn by WWII veterans.

Hope I could help

Cheers

Valery

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Bonjour,

Sorry Craig but as I told you I'm very far from my books and files and I'm scared to give you a not very accurate answer. However, I can say that Airborne rangers companies who fought in Korea did not wear black berets. However, an Airborne Ranger Company assigned in Germany (between 10 and 15) worn a black beret. I had the great honor to exchange few letters and emails with Korea war Ranger veterans (1st and 8th companies) but none of them related to have worn a black beret.

I think that the black beret became an emblematic headgear even for veterans association after the VN war as the maroon beret for airborne veterans even worn by WWII veterans.

Hope I could help

Cheers

Valery

 

That does mostly agree with what is said in the above referenced article ( http://www.ricarangers.org/history.htm ):

 

In the spring of 1951 while lower numbered companies were fighting in Korea, in Germany, or training replacements at Benning, the third training cycle consisting of the 10th, 11th and 12th Airborne Ranger Companies was training at then "Camp" Carson Colorado. To be a paratrooper was just part of the training to be an Airborne Ranger, and the men wanted a headgear that was distinctive from the "overseas cap" with its red, white and blue parachute hat patch and sky blue piping designating infantry. The Rangers wanted something "Ranger". At least, fifty percent of Ranger training was conducted at night. Thus Captain Charles Spragins Commander of 10th, and Captain Rudolph M Jones, commanding the 11th Ranger Company, gave their approval to the purchase of black berets, the black signifying the color of the primary operational time of the Rangers. These berets were worn when the company photographs of both 10th and 11th companies were taken. Passes were issued, permitting men to wear the black beret and stating that it was part of the Ranger uniform. Though other companies appear not to have worn berets in formation, men from all the later companies have testified that they as individuals wore the Ranger black beret when they could do so. It was not authorized by the army, but it was beloved by the troops.

 

Based on that, on the photos of the 2nd Co. vets and based on the what the seller told my brother, this beret appears to be something that a former Korea Ranger put together, possibly for wear to reunions, using an original Ranger tab and parachutist badge. It would be interesting to learn more about that statement, "Though other companies appear not to have worn berets in formation, men from all the later companies have testified that they as individuals wore the Ranger black beret when they could do so."

 

Paratrooper.net has a small photo that show a Korea Ranger vet apparently in uniform with a beret:

ad60e22b-c176-4c85-93b5-38e7.jpg

The Army officially cites the Korea-bound 10th Ranger Company as having worn the black beret while stateside - not in Germany (from http://www.army.mil/features/beret/beret.htm ):

 

Previously, locally authorized black berets had been worn briefly by the 10th Ranger Company (Airborne), 45th Infantry Division, during the Korean War before their movement to Korea.

 

And here's a photo of the 10th Ranger Co. during training (again from the RICA - Ranger Infantry Companies of the Korean War website):

 

10thCoCenterPanel.jpg

 

And here's the 13th Co (again from the excellent RICA website):

 

Black%20Berets43.jpg

 

So while the 10th and possibly 11th and certainly the 13th companies wore berets with uniforms while in training, RICA vets from other companies did adopt it as a symbol of their unit. There's a photo above of 2nd Co. vets - here's a reunion photo of 12th Co. vets:

 

Covello(5th)ShafferGreenwood.JPG

 

 

There's also a photo of 13th Co. vets wearing the beret at reunions.

 

I hope I can find out more info about the vet who this beret. It has the metal parachutist badge instead of the cloth patch and you'll notice in the photo above that the 2nd Co. vets are all wearing the metal badge on their berets so this may be unique to them.

 

I recommend the history page of the RICA website http://www.ricarangers.org/history.htm - and actually the entire website is worth going through to learn more about this interesting aspect of "The Forgotten War."

 

After doing the research for this post I can now understand why the old time Rangers feel the way they do about the Army's making the black beret the universal headgear.

 

ricaberets.jpg

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Looks put together to me. I dont know how they used to do berets but the tit on the top says to me it is not authorized.

 

Take a close look at the above photos of the uniformed 10th and 13th Ranger companies wearing the berets and you can clearly see the "tit on the top" - so that was the style of the early Airborne Ranger berets.

 

berettits.jpg

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Take a close look at the above photos of the uniformed 10th and 13th Ranger companies wearing the berets and you can clearly see the "tit on the top" - so that was the style of the early Airborne Ranger berets.

 

post-214-1194540699.jpg

 

Yep, many things change through the years. Tough to say on some things sometmes.

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I spoke with a Ranger veteran and also a man who is the Ranger historian.As we know the berets were not an issue item at this time.From the information I was told many of the berets being privately purchased had to be purchased from womens clothing stores.

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