River Patrol Posted October 10, 2011 #1 Posted October 10, 2011 This salty beret and patch will be on spotlight in the new book. Infantry berets are hard to find, let alone camo berets. The patch is actually one of the few 101st variants made in country, eventhough the division had a large number of soldiers present in theater. This is only the third time I've come across this patch type, and they've all been from veterans.
MattS Posted October 10, 2011 #2 Posted October 10, 2011 Cool beret! I don't know how it's possible, but I can almost smell the smoke and grime from here.
seanmc1114 Posted October 11, 2011 #3 Posted October 11, 2011 This is a picture of some of the guys in my father's platoon in Co. A 1/505th Infantry 3rd Brigade 82nd Airborne Division in Vietnam. The beret being worn by the guy kneeling in the front looks similar to yours. At the time the 82nd was attached to the 101st. Note the guys are also wearing the black neck scarf that has been associated with the 28th Infantry of the 1st Infantry Division.
Andrei Posted October 11, 2011 #4 Posted October 11, 2011 Back in the early 90's in NYC, I saw a vet wearing exactly the same beret in a small Army & Navy store near the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
River Patrol Posted October 12, 2011 Author #6 Posted October 12, 2011 Awesome picture of the 82nd guy wearing a camo beret...uber kool!! Yea, it's a patch book on unit used patches in Vietnam. It's written, just no publisher yet.
seanmc1114 Posted October 16, 2011 #9 Posted October 16, 2011 Here's another picture of an 82nd guy wearing a camo beret in the summer of 1968. This is an infantry platoon headquarters. The guys are L to R Dennis Sheets (RTO), Bernie Delost in beret (platoon medic), Tim Sprouse (platoon leader), Bob Benson (RTO) and my father, Don McPhail (platoon sergeant). In the background on the hill is Firebase Birmingham on Highway 547 leading to the A Shau Valley.
River Patrol Posted October 16, 2011 Author #10 Posted October 16, 2011 This is interesting.....2 different guys wearing the same type of un-flashed beret but on opposite sides....one is left...the other right, suggesting that consistency was not an issue for these guys, unlike the U.S. Army green berets and the U.S. Navy TF-116, perhaps because the beret is "un-flashed".
Andrei Posted October 16, 2011 #11 Posted October 16, 2011 This is interesting.....2 different guys wearing the same type of un-flashed beret but on opposite sides....one is left...the other right, suggesting that consistency was not an issue for these guys, unlike the U.S. Army green berets and the U.S. Navy TF-116, perhaps because the beret is "un-flashed". In the thread about the US Navy headgear in VN, one member shows a TF-116 beret with the badge above the left eye.
River Patrol Posted October 17, 2011 Author #12 Posted October 17, 2011 In the thread about the US Navy headgear in VN, one member shows a TF-116 beret with the badge above the left eye. Thanks for directing me to this thread. I do not know if that odd TF-116 beret was acquired directly from the vet or not. I would not put much faith into it. Being the only one that I've ever know to be left flashed, i guess it could be considered an anamoly. I can't imagine this reversal would be tolerated for U.S. soldiers, but maybe for VN/Indigenous soldiers assigned to the units.
Andrei Posted October 17, 2011 #13 Posted October 17, 2011 I have picture of a boat crew where you can see a PO3 with a ERDL beret with a small TF-116 pinned over the left eye while another sailor has a tiger stripe beret with the big TF-116 beercan on the right side. Unfortunately, I can't find it in all my mess...
River Patrol Posted October 17, 2011 Author #14 Posted October 17, 2011 I have picture of a boat crew where you can see a PO3 with a ERDL beret with a small TF-116 pinned over the left eye while another sailor has a tiger stripe beret with the big TF-116 beercan on the right side.Unfortunately, I can't find it in all my mess... Please post it when you find it......
The_Brick Posted July 25, 2017 #17 Posted July 25, 2017 Infantry berets are hard to find, let alone camo berets. Would this beret be from a veteran of 1/327th (possibly even Tiger Force)? I only ask because I found a picture of a soldier from HHC 1/327 "Tiger Force" wearing a camo beret with the Divisional insignia and what looks to be the some type of tab sewn on next to the SSI. I have also seen a video from 1967 with soldiers from the 101st Abn's 1st Brigade wearing berets with the divisional insignia as a "beret flash" though there is sadly no info as to which unit was being filmed. The photo comes from the following website: http://oldsite.327infantry.org/first/tiger_force_photos
River Patrol Posted July 29, 2017 Author #18 Posted July 29, 2017 Nothing definitive but I'm right there with you on your thoughts.....more often than not, the recon units would be wearing camo berets and uniforms. Tiger Force is exactly the type of unit which would have used this.
SOG RT Mamba Posted April 7, 2020 #19 Posted April 7, 2020 a Camo Beret.maybe of Tiger Force Recon !!.They Used these types of Berets.
Régis Posted December 17, 2025 #21 Posted December 17, 2025 Bonjour, le Screaming Eagle est-il un article officiel des troupes aéroportées américaines ou une fabrication locale ? Merci.
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