25 - The French Hat I The History of the Maroon Beret




All American Legacy | The History of the 82nd Airborne Division show

Summary: <blockquote> <br> <div>Within the culture of the 82nd Airborne Division, few symbols are more recognizable than the maroon beret, the odd-looking hat of the 19th century French peasant that has come to represent the American Paratrooper.  In this episode of the All American Legacy Podcast, we uncover the history of our distinctive headgear.  We found that our use of the maroon beret has a surprisingly complicated history and once served as the source of an Army-wide controversy.  <br><br>For this episode, we spoke with a number of people across a wide spectrum of experiences, to include a New York Times fashion writer, a historian, and a beret maker who has been outfitting members of the 82nd Airborne Division with the headgear for decades.  Through these discussions we gained perspective on the maroon beret and what it means both inside and outside the Division and identified why it is so important to our culture and legacy.<br><br>The All American Legacy Podcast is produced by the 82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs Office. A new episode on the legacy, culture, and history of the 82nd Airborne Division is released every other <span class="aBn"><span class="aQJ">Tuesday</span></span>.</div> <br> <div> </div> <br> <div>Please subscribe on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, YouTube, or where ever you listen to podcasts. Leave a rating and a review - they help others find the All American Legacy Podcast - and share this podcast with your friends.</div> <br> </blockquote>