Why did the USMC drop the straight rockers for NCOs?

[Guest Blue Falcon]

Hi, new here but have had a lifelong interest in rank insignia. I always wondered why the USMC dropped the straight rockers for 'staff' NCOs that they used during WWII and I believe up through 1946. I think it made sense to have line NCOS have the regular rockers, and the system (to me) made more sense than the whole Specialist 1-9 system that the Army later tried. I always believed the Army should have adopted the same system too.

 

My other topic is that I feel the Navy needs to revamp the rank insignia for E7-E9, sort of like the Air Force did a few years back. It's easy enough to tell a CPO from a PO1 due to the rocker...but at anything more than three feet away it is almost impossible to tell an MCPO from an SCPO from a CPO, at least as far as the collar insignia on the khaki uniform goes.

 

Anyway, that's my 15 rupees (about 2 cents)

 

(MODERATORS: I just realized I should have posted this in the Ranks forum and not Shoulder Sleeve Insignia Do you mind moving it?)

[craig_pickrall]

The Army used the straight rocker prior to WW2. Chevrons went through several major reworks between the wars. I think William Emerson's book CHEVRONS has been reprinted. It does an excellent job of telling the story.

[Lee Ragan]

The Army used the straight rocker prior to WW2. Chevrons went through several major reworks between the wars. I think William Emerson's book CHEVRONS has been reprinted. It does an excellent job of telling the story.

Latest word on Emerson's chevron book is that he's doing additional research and seeking more photos on such things as AAF cadet chevrons being worn during WWII. I think I read this in the ASMIC newsletter recently. No matter tho, when this revised eddition comes out... BUY A COPY! Especially of you collect Army chevrons. Uniform collectors can benefit from the book too. I've seen other attenpts to cover Army chevrons and all of them fall way short of Emerson's book.

Oh yea... the Army got away from the straight rocker or "tie" as it was called in 1920 when the chevrons were revamped and eliminated so many of the older designs.