Red Berets

[desertrat77 1144]

Ken, that is awesome! Know exactly what chapter and photos you are talking about. I got that edition of the fieldbook for my birthday in '74, when I was a Webelo getting ready to cross over into scouts. Read it cover to cover many a time. Still keep it handy (well, a replacement, wore the old one out and that one stays on the shelf now) and read it now and again. PS. My hair looked about the same a couple years later!(This message has been edited by desertrat77)

[eagle90 125]

AH! Young Narraticong was a fine looking young man! Love the long hair and beret!

[Hawkrod 10]

We wore the red berets in my troop back in 88-92. We voted on it and they were the overwhelming choice. We actually wanted the old style flat cap (garrison cap) but we were young and didn't know the real name for them--we referred to them as "McDonalds hats" b/c that's what they wore at McDonalds at the time.

 

The ASM didn't understand what we wanted and really blew a gasket about us wanting "McDonalds hats". So we went with the berets over the baseball cap. We later were able to communicate (via a rather derogatory military slang name for the hat) which hats we had originally wanted, but were told that they had been retired years ago.

 

I have to say, though, the choice of the beret really set us apart as a troop, and we all wore them correctly. Everyone knew the troop. And they were easily stored under your shoulder loop. And I used mine for several of the additional uses noted by Penn above.

 

But yeah, in retrospect, they seem a bit....frenchy. :-D But I always kinda dug them. These days as a Scouter, though, I wear the Indiana Jones hat. But I really want an official BSA fez!

[jrush 11]

You can make all the excuses for it you want, but fact is, the red wool beret is still the sierra cup of the uniform world.

[infoscouter 11]

At the same time the red berets were issued for Boy Scouts/Scouters, there were navy blue berets for Cub Scouters (both male and female - but I've only seen photos of women wearing them). I have two which I purchased on eBay - they look good with my yellow/blue uniform combination.

[Tampa Turtle 1011]

I always see an Atlanta Troop (I keep thinking #1996)at Woodruff every-year that is uniformed immaculately and rock the red beret.

[jpstodwftexas 72]

Trends come and go

 

Our Troop Never had an official Head Gear..so I wore my Cowboy Hat..I wore Beret in JROTC so I kept the programs apart by in my view separate by mixing uniform wear

 

as for the Military...I served when only special Units wore Berets. You had to qualify to were a Beret and each special training group had their Berets..If Not assigned to a special Unit you did not wear the Beret...meaning if an Airborne qualified Member was not assigned to an Airborne Unit you wore Garrison Caps with the Rest of unit

[Woapalanne 11]

I often wear the Scottish Balmoral, which is similar to a beret, but with a toorie). I also have a grey beret, earned. After reading

this, I really want a red beret. Anybody have an XL for sale?