17 July 2012
The Beret of the United States Army
I chose to use the US Army beret in the museum of American Life project.
The beret is a soft round cap that fits on the head, originally made of wool and now can be made of cotton. It fits snugly on the head and is shaped in several different ways.
The beret was first worn in France, Spain, and Italy back in the 17th century. Mass production of the beret began in the 18th century and was associated with the working class classes.
The military beret was first adopted by the French in the late 18th century. It is worn as the official military and police headdress by almost a hundred countries worldwide. The military beret has a leather sweatband and draw string to allow it to fit tighter on the head. It also has a flash which hold the unit crest that the military personnel is assigned to.
The US Army did not start using the beret until 1943. The British maroon beret was first worn by the 509th Parachute infantry Regiment as an honorary membership in the British Parachute Regiment for their valorous work in World War II. Since November 2001 the black beret is worn by all US Army troops, unless they are approved to wear a distinctive beret such as the Tan Beret in which the US Army rangers wear, and the Green Beret that the US ARMY Special Forces wear. In June 2011 the beret was replaced by the patrol cap as the official

Cultural Background
The military has been a big part of my culture. I have been in the Army since June 2006, and I agree with the military ideology and have lived it all the way. I had worn the beret of the US Army every day for over 4 years while I was on active duty. I have always thought that the beret was a stupid head gear that the army decided to use. It was replace by the patrol cap, which is a baseball cap like hat with a brim to block the sun, a place to put your name and rank, and a