505th beret

[AKC123]

Just got this 505th infantry regiment with a 82nd DCU I bought. Seems well worn. I don’t know anything about them so just wondering if there’s anyone who could possibly tell me more? Looks like there was a tag that was cut out. Anyone familiar enough with these to tell what manufacturer or dates or anything may be associated with it? The DCU it came with is a 03 contract date but no way to know if they belonged to the same person or not as the guy I bought it from didn’t get them directly from a veteran just told me he found them together. I didn’t get anymore elaboration. Thanks 

[doyler]

Merrowed edge flash with 3rd Bn tics. Im guessing the beret could be mid 80s-to 90s but hard to say.

 

[AKC123]

Interesting. Thanks for the reply. If that’s correct t then it didn’t belong to the PFC whose DCU was made in 2003 or later I’d assume. 

[doyler]

2 hours ago, AKC123 said:

Interesting. Thanks for the reply. If that’s correct t then it didn’t belong to the PFC whose DCU was made in 2003 or later I’d assume. 

 

With that information It very well could be as its hard to say and would fit the era(2003). The more modern berets didn't differ much and my previous statement is approximate. If it came with a named uniform I would say it was the beret that was original to the uniform and time frame.

[Martinjmpr]

Deleted comment.  At first I thought the beret had had the liner cut out but looking closely it appears to be an unlined beret.  That would make it period-correct for a 2003 soldier.  

[SKIPH]

The liner was cut out. Check out the pic of the stiff backing for the DUI, it's rough cut but part of the black liner remains. The soldier was in the 3rd Battalion 505 PIR.   SKIP

[AKC123]

Here are some more photos of the inside of the beret as well as the top it came with if helpful. Can anyone say why the liner would have been cut out of it indeed had one? 

[SKIPH]

The reason why liners were cut out was because they formed and fit better on the head. The liners made them puff up,and not fit quite right on the head. We used to cut out the liners, and wear them wet to get the right fit. I'm sure everyone has seen movies where troops had on berets that didn't look right.  Guys in the Ranger battalions went a step further, and shaved the outside of the black or now tan berets. I have not seen that done, but it was, have no clue why. I guess just to remove any "beret fuzz". Removing liners although practical, was cosmetic, and a good soldier always had a beret with liner,  for inspection.  SKIP

[hink441]

It looks like this beret was shaved. 

[riflegreen297]

Shaving the beret did two things: first get rid of the fuzz and second it also thins out the beret which makes it easier to shape and gives a better appearance. 

 

[Martinjmpr]

^^^  Yup, what he said.  

 

First thing I always did when I got a new beret:  Cut out the liner (if it had one - as I said they started issuing unlined berets in the 90s), wet it down with HOT water, shake off the excess, and shape it on my head.  I'd also take an old razor and shave it.  Looks better and fits better.  

 

As a side note, Hollywood almost never gets berets right.  Most of the ones you see on movies/TV look like crap.  It's not that hard:  You wet it down, shave it, then put it on the head with the flash and crest centered above the left eye.  Then with the left hand you grab the beret right behind the flash and pull forward and to the left while simultaneously "sweeping" the remainder of the beret backwards and to the right.  Do that a few times and the beret will look fine.  

[Mr. Scratch]

This beret is from the 3rd Battalion, 505th (3/505 PIR). You can tell by the three "notches" on the flash. This Bn was inactivated in 2006. 

I should know. My old unit, C Co. 3/505, late 80s. My beret was exactly like it. 

[MattS]

Yeah, typical 82nd beret. I wore one for 4 years, liners were cut out so it didn't look like you were wearing a maroon chef's hat. 

[AKC123]

Thank last for all the replies. So from what I gather this has a loner that has been cut out yet berets without liners were issued in the 90’s. So would that indicate that this beret likely didn’t belong to the specialist who owned the top?

[FT.Monmouth1943]

IMHO the beret and shirt belong together, and the liner was not cut out. It looks like the fabric covering the stiffener was cut off, and then the stiffener itself was cut down. Also, you can see where the tag was cut off on the back of the beret. If it was a lined beret, the tag would have been sewn into the lining, and no remnants of it would be there. Here is an example of a beret like yours that hasn’t been shaved, still has the tag, and has an untouched stiffener so you know what I’m talking about.

 

- Jakob

 

 

[AKC123]

6 hours ago, FT.Monmouth1943 said:

IMHO the beret and shirt belong together, and the liner was not cut out. It looks like the fabric covering the stiffener was cut off, and then the stiffener itself was cut down. Also, you can see where the tag was cut off on the back of the beret. If it was a lined beret, the tag would have been sewn into the lining, and no remnants of it would be there. Here is an example of a beret like yours that hasn’t been shaved, still has the tag, and has an untouched stiffener so you know what I’m talking about.

 

- Jakob

 

 

Ah ok makes sense. It looked to me like the remnants of the stiffener was what was left of the liner but these pics make it more clear. Thanks. 

[MattS]

When I cut the liner out of my berets, there was always some black fabric left around the sweatband. If there isn't any, it was made as an unlined beret which were available in the mid-90s. Probably the same guy.