Airborne berets...now I know how it's done!

[patches]

Found one, this being from the cover of a 1964 book by CB Colby on Special Forces, unfortunately I couldn't find a bigger image, and the only image of this book cover I could find online, had to enlarge it a bit, but I do have this book at hand, got it a few years ago, we do see this SFC has the flash area crimped with a slight pull.

 

On page 10 there's a photo of S/Sgt in the prone with a German MG 42 wearing his Beret in the same basic fashion, in both cases, again nothing like that as was seen starting in the mid-ish 70s with Rangers and Paratroopers going up till today.

[patches]

 

Here's a mid 60s Green Beret who got that crimp behind the flash, again it's slight, and not at all like todays crimping and pulling.

[Eddy.502]

In my opinion the army never should have adopted the beret, maybe even should have stayed with the ww2 style service cap. In my opinion can look messy and is impractical.

[patches]

Here's another example of the slight crimp circa late 1967, look hard, it is visible.

 

 

PFC Paul King MIA Laos May 1968.

 

http://www.virtualwall.org/dk/KingPC01a.htm

[e19]

When properly worn (to the regs) it would be near impossible to not have what you call a "crimp" behind the stiffener, in the '60s berets.

[e19]

In my opinion the army never should have adopted the beret, maybe even should have stayed with the ww2 style service cap. In my opinion can look messy and is impractical.

The service cap (aka bus driver's cap) was very impractical, especially having to carry it while uncovered. Thankfully Airborne troops didn't have to wear it

 

[patches]

When properly worn (to the regs) it would be near impossible to not have what you call a "crimp" behind the stiffener, in the '60s berets.

And that was the point I was trying to make comparing some of these 60s Green Berets with the 1964-65 GI Joe Beret, to wit: while we could see the crimp behind the flash it was subtle, and showed traits or some traits of the way the mid-sh 70s to today's Berets are worn, as if the trend had it Genesis in this time period, though not pulled flat down over the ear or really pushed down behind the flash as seen in the more contemporary era.

[patches]

 

 

Here's one, a Spec 4, Donald M. Shue MIA Nov 1969 (Promoted posthumously to SFC, remains found and returned in 2010). Shue as we see has that slight crimp and pull, this I gather in 1969.

[Skysoldier80]

well in my many years in the airborne, I did the following...Cut the backboard a little smaller on the inside to get that distinctive look over the eye, shave inside and outside, hot water, wear over my head and shape how I want it while wet until it dried (with flap no longer than mid of my ear, then cut the "pony tails" after tying it in a non slip knot, then melt the knot with a lighter. After it dried I would hit the outside again with a razor, take tape to delent it.

 

I always preferred the nylon sweat band over the leather.

[thorin6]

I didn't see this mentioned, but when putting on the rank for officers and the DUI for enlisted, we would push the pins through the flash, bend them, and then have the flash sewn on so that we wouldn't have the metal clips hitting the top front of our scalps.

BTW when I formed my beret I used a wooden hat form and left the beret on it over a weekend so I didn't walk around with a wet beret for a couple of days. In case someone hasn't pointed it out, Fort Bragg is extremely humid and things don't dry very fast in the summer time.

[patches]

Found one more Beret with a Crimp, Bragg Summer of 1968.

[static line]

Couple of observations from this thread..

"The beret is supposed to be worn with ASUs, we stopped wearing it with ACUs".
...Maroon/Tan/Green berets are still worn as the primary headgear with ACUs when in garrison. Very few commands don't prescribe it for daily wear. It is only Black berets that aren't commonly worn in ACUs. It seems to be a mixed bag with the brown SFAB beret. 

"First, they cut out the lining". 
...US issued berets (and the vast majority of private purchase berets) haven't come with linings for a very long time. More than 20 years. 

Skysoldier80's post is spot on with current practices.

 

 

 

[jmpmstr]

On 5/17/2019 at 8:22 AM, Skysoldier80 said:

well in my many years in the airborne, I did the following...Cut the backboard a little smaller on the inside to get that distinctive look over the eye, shave inside and outside, hot water, wear over my head and shape how I want it while wet until it dried (with flap no longer than mid of my ear, then cut the "pony tails" after tying it in a non slip knot, then melt the knot with a lighter. After it dried I would hit the outside again with a razor, take tape to delent it.

 

I always preferred the nylon sweat band over the leather.

I love it, memories! Such a tradition, it’s exactly how I was taught, did mine, and trained my rookie LTs when I was in The Division. I bent the clutch pins over then had the flash sewn on as well. Thanks for the memories! ATW

[patches]

For you Ian.

 

Found these two photos of the 1965 GI JOE, where we see the Crimp better 

[patches]

Egads, a Sgt Ben Richmond check this out, pulled over his whole right side covering his eye.

[rtd_sf_eng]

Here are a few pictures of me with my beret starting my first assignment with D Company, 7th SFGA,, followed by the 5th, the 46th, the 8th and the 1st.

 

Larry

[MPage]

Then again there were the berets which have had the entire stiffener cut out, excepting that which the flash is sewn onto...