Jump to content

Co. O (Arctic Ranger) 75th Inf. USARAL Beret


Manny C
 Share

Recommended Posts

Thanks for sharing this as I never knew what type of beret flash & crest they wore. It looks like the same light blue with white border edge cut early flash worn by a number of different Army Reserve & National Guard Special Forces Groups. The beret badge looks like the current crest worn by the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Ranger Battalions. I'm assuming the beret is black and not dark green as it is hard to tell with the lighting in your photographs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry about the Quality of the photo, my phone camera is not the best, the beret is indeed black, and was purchased on eBay. The flash is the same the Special Forces Reserve Components, I believe? I have Olive green colored beret from the 60th infantry regiment, same time period with this flash. I have tried to locate information on C Co and there is little information out there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

O Company has a Facebook page, and I have emailed the admin to see what information he could provide, and am still waiting for a response.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

According to A Concise History Of US Army Special Operations Forces

by Geoff Barker Co O (Ranger), 75th Infantry was never authorized a beret flash.. I doubt the beret was authorized.

 

The book states that the unit was reconstituted on 4 August 1970 in the Regular Army; Activated at Ft Richardson, AK; Assigned to US Army Alaska; Reinforced with the 38th SFC and the 1st Scout Batt, 297th Infantry. Co O was inactivated at Ft Richardson on 29 Sep 1972, with personnel reassigned to the 172nd Infantry.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

flashesandovals

This is the beret being worn by a member of that unit. It was posted here on the forum earlier on this year I think.

The flash is light blue like on your beret, not teal blue like the SF one.

post-9154-0-83475100-1408392620.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is the beret being worn by a member of that unit. It was posted here on the forum earlier on this year I think.

The flash is light blue like on your beret, not teal blue like the SF one.

 

Incorrect...The old SF/RC flash was light blue not teal.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

BTW, according to Geoff Barker's book the Artic Rangers were authorized a white oval with blue border w/7 white stars on it (2 on top, 3 on the bottom, and one on each side).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

flashesandovals

 

Incorrect...The old SF/RC flash was light blue not teal.

 

It may not be teal blue. ( what's in a name), but the blue is definetely darker than the one used by USARAK units.

I will scan both types later on and post them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

flashesandovals

BTW, according to Geoff Barker's book the Artic Rangers were authorized a white oval with blue border w/7 white stars on it (2 on top, 3 on the bottom, and one on each side).

That is right, I have that book too. But the guy on this picture is wearing an egg- shaped 75th type oval.

Looks like they may have been using different types throughout their existence.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Anybody playing Army in the the wilds of Alaska can wear anything they want too in my book. 40 below is a tough way to earn your paycheck.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry for the poor picture, but here are the two I am talking about.

 

Left USARAK INF, right RC SF

 

I wore the SF/RC flash (still have them) and saw hundreds of others wearing them before they were replaced by Group specific, and they were light blue, not teal. I have a two that were given to me in the 90s that are teal, but I would call them poorly made, made-for-collectors repros . One has iron-on coating on the back, and the other is 99% white on the back (probably foreign made).

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is right, I have that book too. But the guy on this picture is wearing an egg- shaped 75th type oval.

Looks like they may have been using different types troughout their existence.

 

According to Barker the Artic Rangers only existed from 4 AUG 70 to 29 SEP 72. When did the ovals change shape?

 

I just noticed that his book indicates that the book also indicate that the SF/RC flash was "Light Blue". (reference: Color Guide on page 220) Compare the RC and later 19th SFG illustrated on pg.. 197.

 

Having worn the light blue SF/RC flash myself, and a having seen it actually worn by 100's of SF'ers in the 11th, 12th, 16th, 19th, and 20th SFGs in the '60s, I don't need books to know what was worn.

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The flash (light blue) on the left is the SF RC flash that was worn in the 60s. I put the 60s cut-edge SSI (never worn) in the photo for color reference.

 

The two flashes to the right of the SSI were given to me in the late 90s-early 2000s. IMO they were manufactured decades after the RC flash was no longer used by any SF group.

post-54663-0-60442200-1408648040.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice looking beret - the black looked good for the rangers. Now everyone gets to feel special...

Ahhhh. The neverending beating of the dead horse.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...