Question about military headgear

[Bob Wright]

What is the proper term/name for the billed cap worn with military Class A uniforms? We referred to it as the "flying saucer." This the cap with leather visor and leather chinstrap.

Bob Wright

 

[WAYNO]

Service Cap.

 

[bogus bill]

Bus drivers cap. I think we used to call ours a 8 point. I hated mine. I have a flat pointed head and if I turned my head my hat would still point straight ahead. I loved it when the world went to baseball caps. I never felt the need to terrorize the public.

 

[Jeepnik]

Then there was the “overseas” cap which had its own interesting nickname. I preferred these to the service cap.

 

[Skidboot]

Then there was the “overseas” cap which had its own interesting nickname. I preferred these to the service cap.

I know that nickname, and I hated that hat. It made me look like a martian.

 

[2Late45]

We sometimes referred to it as a "Garrison Cap". They seemed to go away for a while unless you were in a dress uniform.

 

[caryc]

What happened to military head gear being called a cover?

 

[Bob Wright]

What happened to military head gear being called a cover?

I think that's Navy/Marine Corps jargon.

Bob Wright

 

[blackhawknj]

The terminology has changed so many times. The "overseas" cap was adopted from the French because it fit under the helmet and made a good headwarmer, the "garrison cap" was worn when the "campaign hat"-now the DIs hat- wasn't. Starting in WWII the "overseas cap" with "glider patch" became a mark of airborne troops.
In my day the "garrison cap" (ex-"overseas cap") was preferred for travel, easier to stow, either under the epaulet of Class As or tucked in the belt when wearing khakis.
Anyone here every wear a "Ridgway hat" ?

 

[WAYNO]

What happened to military head gear being called a cover?

Cover is generic. Any hat is a cover. And the term is still used. But specifically, each type of hat has its own nomenclature.

For example, if the orders and uniform of the day just said Cover, each troop could be wearing a different hat. But if the orders and uniform of the day said Garrison Cap, then everybody would be wearing the same thing.

 

[Bob Wright]

The terminology has changed so many times. The "overseas" cap was adopted from the French because it fit under the helmet and made a good headwarmer, the "garrison cap" was worn when the "campaign hat"-now the DIs hat- wasn't. Starting in WWII the "overseas cap" with "glider patch" became a mark of airborne troops.
In my day the "garrison cap" (ex-"overseas cap") was preferred for travel, easier to stow, either under the epaulet of Class As or tucked in the belt when wearing khakis.
Anyone here every wear a "Ridgway hat" ?

The "Ridgeway cap" was the drum shaped fatigue cap, with a wire reinforcing, and the regimental crest worn on the front. Was made famous by Gen. Matthew Ridgeway during the Korean war. We just referred to it as the fatigue cap. While it was flat crowned, it had a fabric bill, or peak, unlike the leather bill of the kepi.

While at Camp Roberts, we were often saluted by National Guardsmen who mistook our regimental crests for officers bars.

Bob Wright

 

[blackhawknj]

The Ridgeway hat was replaced in 1962 by the "baseball hat" of my day-I wonder if it was because Castro wore one ?
During the Mexican War regular troops wore the M1839 "forage" cap, aka wheel hat. Which looks a lot like the "service cap". Then in the 1850s we adopted French inspired uniforms-the kepi, e.g.

 

[DeletedMember275]

The Ridgeway cap was replaced by various styles of the baseball cap, and then the patrol cap (current issue). And knowing how much Bob dislikes berets, we won't discuss them!

 

[blackhawknj]

I don't like berets either-UnAmerican, and not very practical.

 

[Fox Mike]

Anyone here every wear a "Ridgway hat" ?

Oh yes. What a piece of crap. Would have looked better on the Tin Man. There was absolutely nothing you could do with it once off the head.

 

[Wyandot Jim]

The Peaked Cap has many names.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peaked_cap

How many of you wore a Pith Helmet??? In 1960 USAF Basic we did It was also part of the class B uniform along with a bush jacket and Bermuda shorts. The Bush Jacket and khaki Pants were our summer Class A uniform.
I much preferred the Blues with an Ike Jacket.

"Look at the legs on those airmen, amirite?"

This one is so bad, it's hard to find evidence of it. It looked like your mailman earned rank and started maintaining aircraft. Yes, in the photo above even other airmen can't believe these guys are actually wearing Khaki shorts and a safari hat. Ladies usually love a man in uniform, but these guys will be single until they ditch those ugly things.

 

[wwb]

I was in from '68 to '70..... we had the "Bus Driver" cap, the "expletive deleted" cap, and for wearing with fatigues, the baseball cap. There was also the helmet liner, the steel pot, and, in Vietnam, the "boonie hat".

On the subject of military headgear, if you inadvertently came indoors without removing your headgear..... "Is your head cold, soldier?"

 

[Badger Matt]

We called that one the "wheel cap."

 

[blackhawknj]

I saw almost no boonie hats in Vietnam, with us-1st Cav-it was a either a steel pot or bareheaded.
The WWII "overseas/garrison" cap had branch of service colors for EM, a black and gold band for officers. The dark green ones of my day had a black band for EM with a unit crest on the left side, black and gold for officers with rank insignia. Officers on jump status wore the glider patch on the right side.

 

[wunbe]

Remember the round-sided, billed, flat-topped "tankers cap"?

They were really big items in surplus stores.

wunbe