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US Army berets - blue, black, green, maroon, tan...


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I was going through my collection and came across a brown Canadian made beret that I believe was worn by a US Army Calvary Unit during the time period when just about everyone was wearing berets. I picked it up a couple of years ago at a flea market. Can anyone confirm that this was ever worn?

Beret will be for E Troop 1st Cavalry (Air).

 

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  • 1 month later...

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A member of E Co 2nd Battalion 60th Infantry 9th Infantry Division, one Sergeant Mark Brockway sports an ERDL In Country made beret at the unit's Base Camp Tan Tru sometime in 1969.

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A Small photo, sorry, but here see's a Marine around 1952-53 in Korea wearing a British Army Beret, Royal Fusiliers, beret no doubt either traded or borrowed for photo

 

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Two 82nd Airborne Division, 2nd Battalion 325th Infantry (Abn) Troopers, companies unknown, Bragg late summer 1977.

 

 

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1st Sergeant Micheal Dacyszyn, Dacyszyn is interesting, found he was born in 1925, and that means he very well might be a WWII Vet, thus if in Korea and Vietnam in Vietnam which he probably was, and was Infantry each time, would make him a 3rd Award CIB holder, for Vietnam getting one indication he was in the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Nam, but no other info is available, like WWII or Korea.

 

 

photx.gifDacyszyn, Michael (b. 4 Oct 1925 - d. 28 Mar 2005)

He's buried near Ft Bragg at Spring Lakes NC, SANDHILLS STATE VETERANS CEMETERY

 

 

 

 

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And this young E-5 of the battalion, one Sergeant Richard "Rick" Campbell

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  • 2 months later...

A Frog Skin Beret on a Marine, circa 1964-65. don't think it's in South Vietnam, as they didn't set bivouacks with shelter tents all close up and together lke this, so maybe it's on Okinawa.

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Judging from this one photo where we see a Maroon Beret wearing SF Man SKIPH, would it be safe to assume that all these Non SF Qualified but Jump Qualified personnel like him assigned to a SFG will not be of an 11 Series Infantry MOS and would be from one of the Support Branches?, even though as we know he would not be wearing the Blue Stuff even if he was say an 11C.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
SOG RT Mamba

In late '67 and 1968, the 1st and 2nd Bn, 27th IR used Combined Reconnaissance and Intelligence Platoons (CRIP) as recon elements. The 2nd Bn wore these berets; I do not know if the 1st did.

Very Nice Recon beret.

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A Captain Dan McKinney sometime in the mid-sh 70s wearing the Maroon Beret, no Flash as we see, but rather a Oval, looks like the Generic Infantry one. I think this is at Ft Benning, cause he seems to be wearing the Infantry School patch with AIRBORNE Tab. I found McKinney on as site on his and his fathers service, his father was in WWII in the Montana National Guard's 164th Infantry, Americal Division, I found McKinney the Younger in the the O Register for 1969 Reserve Component volume, he was a National Guard Commissioned Officer I would guess of the Montana NG and afterwards volunteered for active duty, went SF and stayed active, though by the time this photo was taken circa 1973 say, he probably was upgraded to at least an Reserve or Army of United States Commission.

 

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A Captain Dan McKinney sometime in the mid-sh 70s wearing the Maroon Beret, no Flash as we see, but rather a Oval, looks like the Generic Infantry one. I think this is at Ft Benning, cause he seems to be wearing the Infantry School patch with AIRBORNE Tab.

attachicon.gifoik.jpg

 

Yes that is the Airborne Department, US Army Infantry School oval.

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...
McChizzle
On 4/13/2020 at 8:08 AM, patches said:

A Captain Dan McKinney sometime in the mid-sh 70s wearing the Maroon Beret, no Flash as we see, but rather a Oval, looks like the Generic Infantry one. I think this is at Ft Benning, cause he seems to be wearing the Infantry School patch with AIRBORNE Tab. I found McKinney on as site on his and his fathers service, his father was in WWII in the Montana National Guard's 164th Infantry, Americal Division, I found McKinney the Younger in the the O Register for 1969 Reserve Component volume, he was a National Guard Commissioned Officer I would guess of the Montana NG and afterwards volunteered for active duty, went SF and stayed active, though by the time this photo was taken circa 1973 say, he probably was upgraded to at least an Reserve or Army of United States Commission.

 

On 4/13/2020 at 11:52 AM, MPage said:

Yes that is the Airborne Department, US Army Infantry School oval.

Although I am new to this forum, I have been a long time admirer of the information gathered here and the breadth and depth of knowledge of those who participate.  I look forward to contributing where I can.

Question: The background trimming used on Major, then Captain, McKinney's beret does not match any background trimming I can find.  The ones I see online that are identified as "Airborne Department, US Army Infantry School” are all blue and the one on MAJ McKinney's beret is white and dark-blue.  It looks like a dark-blue or black oval with a white or silver border and a white center section (you can see it on each side of the parachute's risers).  Does anyone have a picture they can share or send me in a good direction to positively identify what unit this background trimming represents?

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On 1/23/2018 at 5:39 AM, seanmc1114 said:

Here is a good shot of the blue unassigned oval being worn on a black beret along with the yellow on black AIRBORNE tab as frequently seen during the Vietnam era. There is a thread on this oval on this forum that suggests it was worn in this manner by jump qualified infantrymen assigned to a non-airborne unit: http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/285898-unknown-airborne-oval/

 

We can't see what SSI this soldier is wearing but note he is wearing the Training Centers DUI suggesting he is possibly assigned as cadre with a basic training or AIT unit.

 

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McChizzle

MPage, do you think the background trimming in question is all blue?  It looks blue and white (maybe blue and silver) to me.  When I try and draw the background trimming, I think it looks like this..  If I am correct, I cannot find that design anywhere.  Thus, I am probably wrong.

Dan_McKinney-SonTay_Raider-1946-2017.jpg

Possible Background Trimming.png

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30 minutes ago, McChizzle said:

MPage, do you think the background trimming in question is all blue?  It looks blue and white (maybe blue and silver) to me.  When I try and draw the background trimming, I think it looks like this..  If I am correct, I cannot find that design anywhere.  Thus, I am probably wrong.

 

 

It's here, top center (and top left):   http://www.military-insignia.us/Pages/SpecOpsInsignia/ParachuteWingOvals/Ovals-Misc.html

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McChizzle
15 minutes ago, MPage said:

I agree that is the background trimming you are referring to, but I don't believe that's the one MAJ McKinney is wearing due to the white or silver color in the oval.  It could just be the lighting the is fooling me.

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32 minutes ago, McChizzle said:

I agree that is the background trimming you are referring to, but I don't believe that's the one MAJ McKinney is wearing due to the white or silver color in the oval.  It could just be the lighting the is fooling me.

Looks the same to me.   I don't know what else it could be, since McKinney is wearing an Infantry School SSI with airborne tab.

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11 minutes ago, MPage said:

Looks the same to me.   I don't know what else it could be, since McKinney is wearing an Infantry School SSI with airborne tab.

Good point.  Thanks for the help.

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1 hour ago, McChizzle said:

I agree that is the background trimming you are referring to, but I don't believe that's the one MAJ McKinney is wearing due to the white or silver color in the oval.  It could just be the lighting the is fooling me.

Yes it's the lighting/flash, note even his Captain's Bars look off, they look Gold, plus the two different materials use in making the oval giving it subtle differences in shade, the Rayon thread border, which gives it a sheen, and it's background or backing it's machine embroidered on, Ribbed Twill in the center which gives it a matte appearance.

 

Here's three more GIs of the Ft Benning Shake n Bake School in 1967 posted by member seanmc1114 from his Father's time at the course before going overseas to Vietnam, note that in these B/W photos the oval borders look even darker, but rest assured these will be the Light Blue borders on the Lighter Blue base.

 

 

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seanmc1114
18 hours ago, McChizzle said:

I agree that is the background trimming you are referring to, but I don't believe that's the one MAJ McKinney is wearing due to the white or silver color in the oval.  It could just be the lighting the is fooling me.

 

18 hours ago, MPage said:

Looks the same to me.   I don't know what else it could be, since McKinney is wearing an Infantry School SSI with airborne tab.

I'm pretty sure it's the blue AIrborne Department oval. I think it's just the lighting that makes it look like the center is a different color.

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I will trust you guys on this for what you are saying is logical, but the lighting really makes it look like a white bordered oval with a blue and white intersection of some design; that's very different from the Airborne Division (Infantry School) oval.

 

Dan_McKinney-SonTay_Raider-1946-2017.jpg

Possible Background Trimming.png

US_Army_Airborne_Department-Infantry_School-Background_Trimming.png

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  • 5 weeks later...

Here's my 1976 photo of the NCO's of B Co 1/29 (ABN-RGR). Ranger qualified personnel had a Ranger tab sewn above the beret flash.

B (ABN-RGR) 1:29 Inf.jpg

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3 hours ago, Cobra Jock said:

Here's my 1976 photo of the NCO's of B Co 1/29 (ABN-RGR). Ranger qualified personnel had a Ranger tab sewn above the beret flash.

B (ABN-RGR) 1:29 Inf.jpg

Ah yes the Famous Bravo Rangers,thanks for posting this.

 

There was talk if the company was a actual Ranger unit or not. If you can add more info on the company in those days please do

 

 

 

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I joined C Company 1/29th (ABN-RGR) in August of 1974. Me and two other guys from A Co 1/29th: Karl Kurtz and Roger Bracket, all went to the Ranger Company to interview with the CO to obtain a letter of acceptance. Captain Robert L. Howard (Medal of Honor recipient) was then commanding. We were a bit intimidated but the interview went well and we were accepted. The unit was based at Harmony Church at the time. Funny, I remember running out to Victory Pond one morning just after I got there and, not accustomed to the pace, hills, or distance, I had to pull off for a quick barf.  While doing that I heard someone nearby doing the same - it was CPT Howard. I didn't feel so bad then. Upon returning to the Company area, the CO promoted a few of us PVTs to PFC. My platoon sergeant was SFC Riley, can't recall who the TOP was. The 1/29th moved to Kelly Hill in 1975 and reorganized, changing the company from "C" to "B." We maintained the 75th INF lineage at least until I left there in Aug 1977. Commanders while I was there were CPTs Howard, Hanson, and Nishimoto. Those b&w photos of C Co are great with many familiar faces.

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