Sgt Grit Marine Forums

I wasnt sure where to put this, but since some type of knowledge of the Marine Corps will be gained, hopefully this will be alright. I found this article link up in the Open Marine forum and I thought it was a good read. One question I have however. In the photograph of Colonel Ripley, he is wearing a Beret. I always thought that there were no berets in Marine uniforms. Anyone know of any exceptions to this? http://www.reportingwar.com/wts060506.shtml It did mention he commanded a British Marine unit so maybe it is that units headgear?

Colonel Ripley was serving as a "COVAN"....Advisor to the South Viet Namese Marine Corps. He is wearing "French" Tiger stripe Cammies and a French Beret, all remnents of the French Colonial era of Indo-China! (He is wearing the uniforn of the So. Viet Namese Marines.)

I had an ARVN tanker friend who wore a beret, I put it on top of my head for this pic, but it was way too small. <a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c330/Prowlerguy/DongHa8-1969.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a>

Our very own Major Mustang was also a COVAN Marine. The tiger stripe and beret were part of their uniform for this assignment. Unlike today's Advisors. The Advisors in Iraq do not adopt the uniform of their counterparts, the IA, but wear the USMC MarPat digi desert cammies. [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v461/LoveMyMarine/majormustang1.jpg[/IMG]

I was told by a "reliable source" that the COVAN program started out as advisors to the French back in the mid-50's before the full US involvement and evolved into the COVAN program, which is why they wore the French tiger stripe BDUs and jaunty beret.

Laurie dropping big brain...

While I was in they "tested" a Beret. It was I believe 1978 and VERY short lived. Ugly thing...

Actually, i believe the date was just a year or two earlier, 76 or 77, because I remember when it happened too.  they decided that Berets were too European, and that the Marine soft cover was very distinctively Marine.  It was just about that same time we got the Wooly Pully as well.

Funny, I remember a test in 93-94, the colors were Field Green, Red, and Navy Blue........the Blue one was for the Dress Blues only, the Green or Red one could be used either with Alphas, Bravos, Charlies, or Utility Uniforms. (someone must really like them berets, cause they keep popping up for test, every 10 years or so.)

The word came down, that they were "Gay and Euro"  - Not Marine Corps or American.

The Wooley Pulley was and is a very good peice of gear. 

 

The first Wooly Pullies that we could get were from the Brits.  Ours are exactly like theirs, except that we had to remove the epaulettes.  It took several months to get our own.  I was stationed in Pensacola, and ordered my first from the Quantico Exchange.  It took awhile as I think they had to con the sheep into growing extra wool.

    A few "Donneybrooks" broke out around Kyoto in 1950 because of the British Marine's Berets.  We fought along side those boys in Korea, and they were mighty good at what they did.  We drank alongside them in Japan on Liberty also, and they were good at that too.  It was a common occurance for an American Marine passing a Brit Marine on a street or sidewalk to reach over and yank his Beret off and run like hell!  The Brit naturally took off after him with some of his buddies in behind giving chase too.  And always, somewhere down the street, the Brit would regain possession of his Beret and as if by Divine Intervention a local Slop Chute would appear close by where upon all hands would regroup inside and belly up to the Bar to hoist a few and have some laughs.   Oh yes, the Brit who lost his Beret always got it back,  along with a cool one.  Boys will always be boys.  We don't need Berets in the U.S. Marine Corps, it's more fun to steal theirs and try to outrun them!  They can run too! 

 

Gunny T:

Actually, i believe the date was just a year or two earlier, 76 or 77, because I remember when it happened too.  they decided that Berets were too European, and that the Marine soft cover was very distinctively Marine.  It was just about that same time we got the Wooly Pully as well.

Yeah, your right. I was at Cheery Point when they were testing them. I loved my wooley pully, still have it in fact!!

This is not exactly a beret, but it was a test cover from 1960. Our Officers Basic School Class at Quantico,  Company F, 4-60, was picked to wear/test these "utility caps" for most of our 6 months in the school. We were brand new 2nd lieutenants and we hated these covers. A lot of them were "lost."

Obviously the Marine Corps decided not to adopt them. There were a couple of other companies of Lieutenants at Quantico at the same time who were greatly amused by our appearance. Instead of "Foxtrot" company, we were known as "Funny" company; it could have been worse.

Al Jennings