Why did the American soldiers give up their berets (picture)

Why did the American soldiers give up their berets (picture) (Alberta Times) I read an article signed by Gong Chunke in "Study Times" "The U.S. Army Wartime...

(Alberta Times)

I read an article in "Study Times" signed by Gong Chunke, "Inspiration from the U.S. Army's abandonment of berets during wartime." It was said that the U.S. Army recently announced that soldiers will no longer need to wear berets when wearing combat uniforms in the future, and will instead wear brimmed patrol hats.

Many countries in the world use berets as part of their standard military uniforms, and match them with various standard clothing except formal dresses. They are widely used. Some troops with outstanding achievements are even named after the berets they wear. This kind of hat seems to be used internationally, but the US military discards it immediately. Why?

This beret is not an American "intellectual property". Its history can be traced back to the mid-15th century. The Pyrenees region in southwestern France, formerly known as Gascony. There are many shepherds there with great personalities. It is said that Gascon people like to brag and talk big, live informally, and wear dirty clothes for several days. So the French say "wash clothes Gascon style", which means wearing clothes inside out. It was these informal Gascon people who first knitted round bonnets from brown wool to protect them from the sun and rain.

Because the hat is round on all sides and has no brim, the wind cannot blow it off even if it is worn on the head. When they were tired from work, several shepherds took off their hats to wipe their sweat and put them on the ground as cushions, chatting about the vast sea and sky. Gascons also like to use the position of the beret on the head to express different messages. If the hat is worn squarely on the head, it means "Hey! Be serious, don't underestimate me." If the hat is lowered to the eyebrows, it means you are a bit suspicious and don't trust others; if you wear the hat crookedly, it means indifference, and the spirit of a good man doing things like a good man.

The beret invented by the Gascon people was first adopted by the neighboring Basques. The Basque Country is on the border between France and Spain, open to the Gascony region. Travelers who came to the Basque Country discovered this peculiar hat, called it "Basque beret", and brought them to other regions of France, gradually becoming a national fashion. For a long time, both shepherds, farmers, workers and even male and female students liked to wear berets, and the French army also equipped them with berets. As a result, the beret, like baguette and wine, became a symbol of France and the French people.

During the German occupation in World War II, many French people deliberately wore berets to express their indomitable national integrity. Times have changed, and French young people born after the war are chasing new fashions and no longer favor the traditional beret.

Speaking of which, why did American soldiers abandon berets? The "Study Times" article quoted an American soldier describing the feeling of wearing a beret: "I hate wearing a wet sock on my head. Moreover, wearing it makes my skin rash." Therefore, the US military no longer wears berets during wartime, which is the result of listening to the voices of frontline soldiers. Although berets have the advantages of being easy to fold, not afraid of being squeezed, easy to carry, and beautiful, the U.S. military during combat and on duty found that berets had no brim, could not block the sun, and had poor sweat absorption, so the U.S. military gave up on berets.