CalicoPenn wrote that according to a 2002 Scouting magazine article, "when the Oscar De La Renta uniform was introduced, troops had a choice of three headgear options for the uniform: The new baseball-style cap, the "smokey bear" campaign hat and the .... Red Beret."
That's sort of correct. But not quite the history.
The beret was part of the 1972 uniform revision that included new materials, slight color change, the American flag, and brightly colored insignia. If my memory serves me correctly, units had four choices. They could elect to wear the beret, the campaign hat, a solid green pseudo baseball cap with a fleur de lis, or continue wearing the 1950-1960 era overseas cap.
In 1981, fashion designer Oscar de la Renta designed a more stylish new uniform. He added epaulets and colored shoulder loops, the switch to a two-color uniform - a tan shirt and dark khaki-green trousers replaced the old khaki-green shirt and trousers. With this uniform change, the overseas cap was abandoned. The pseudo baseball cap was replaced with a real baseball cap (of the style of 1981) that was two toned. I believe the beret continued as an option until 1989 - could someone verify that?
I'm sorry I can't describe the 1072 "pseudo baseball cap" option better. It was a visored cap, but it was definitely not a baseball cap.
