orange berets?
Did the orange berets some of the cadets wore have any significance? Where they a different rank?
shareI think they were an elite unit.
I can't remember the name.
MovieChat Forums > Taps (1981) Discussion > orange berets?
The members of B Company (the company Tom Cruise's character commanded) wore the berets. How do I know? Because he's a cadet Captain, he's marching in the position of Company Commander during the parade, he gives the order for eyes right, they announce the company as Bravo Company, and they are all wearing the RED (not orange) berets.
I suppose they fashioned themselves as elite cadets, however whether there were really any special requirements to be in B company is not so certain.
They were actually red.
shareThe berets were red, and signify the (... and this is my knowledge of Junior ROTC units and the Institute of Heraldry) -- the drill team units. The beginning ceremonial present arms by way of rifles for C/MAJ Moreland indicated that they were a special drill team of some sort, and were qualified to wear their beret by their participation/selection.
Now, why the drill team also knew how to shoot quite proficiently and were one of the last to be scared, I have no clue.
I'm sure, given Tom Cruises' character, that his troops WERE the best of the best. You probably HAD to be the best rifleman to even get in his company. As for last ones to be scared, that was Pattons' philosophy: "I want my soldiers to be more afraid of ME than of facing the enemy. I'm sure Shawn followed the writings of Patton and the like TO THE LETTER. I'll bet he was a mean S.O.B. to serve under.
share[deleted]
Those elite cadets were only a product of the movie. I was in Bravo Co at Valley Forge for 4 years, and other than being the strictest of the "infantry" units at the school, there were no special requirements. Except for "intestinal fortitude", as our Tac Col "Mad Dog" used to say.
sharethe reason for the berets at the academies means that you were a member of the drill teams each academy had one always red or maroon berets all cadets were allowed to tryout this drill team was always the elite cadets were chosen but they only got together for parades etc,the rest of the time they were with their respective units,unlike the movie portrays company B is a infantry unit the reason i know this is because i was in company B at culver military academy
shareWell Buddy, I was in Bravo Company at a real military academy, THAT military academy to be exact. In the movie, the red berets are supposed to be the mark of Bravo Company as being an elite infantry unit or something, which is complete hogwash. At Valley Forge Military Academy (the academy in the movie for those not in the loop) there are several infantry units and there is no criteria for being in any specific one, nor are they officially distinguished as superior to one another. ALL companies at VFMA wore black berets, only the patch on the front varied in color in order to designate the company. In Bravo Company's case, Royal Blue.
Bravo Company's barracks is also in another part of the campus, not that anyone cares. The entire movie takes place in that one barracks on the main area (minus the staircase scene in the beginning which was filmed in the infirmary) and it really houses the cavalry units Delta and Echo and, formerly, Hotel company, as well. It is really a very very large and beautiful campus, hundreds of acres, yet, they stuck to filming in just that acre or so of the main area and Wheeler Hall, as well as a little piece of Mellon Hall where they made a reception room into the Commandant's office, and the parade field.
Don't get me started on the uniforms in the movie. While they are all real PIECES, they sure loved to mix and match our uniforms into stupid looking outfits that Hollywood thought looked more hard core or something. Actually, the whole academy came out looking rather...fruity...because of Hollywood changing stuff around that they didn't understand. Definitely not the kind of image proud alumni like Norman Schwarzkopf would have been too fond of. Everyone who ever read Catcher in the Rye knows how much J.D. Salinger cared for his time at VF "Pencey Prep," though.
Um, well the movie wasn't based on Valley Forge Military Academy it was only shot there. That's also why it wasn't necessary to show the entire campus. The uniforms were for a fictional school so they could look however they wanted them to look. It could have also been a stipulation from Valley Forge that the uniforms had to be completely different from the real school uniforms.
shareThey were originally going to shoot the flick at Riverside Military Academy, in GA, but chose VFMA because RMA "didn't have enough walls."
sharethere is a clause which says that in movies uniforms should not be worn correctly especially if they belong to the government cuz if you do the studio or the producer/ director or the actors can be prosecuted for impersonating an officer / cadets.thats why the uniforms are not accurate.
share
"there is a clause which says that in movies uniforms should not be worn correctly especially if they belong to the government cuz if you do the studio or the producer/ director or the actors can be prosecuted for impersonating an officer / cadets.thats why the uniforms are not accurate"
ksparsh, I don't mean to bust your balls, but that is one of the oldest myths ever to be repeated regarding Hollywood and the movies....and, my friend, a fictional military academy, much less a real one, is not 'the government'.
There are dozens, if not HUNDREDS of movies with CORRECT uniforms and insignia...most, however, don't get it right because the uniforms are COSTUMES designed and put together by COSTUMERS not military tailors.
Craig Nannos of SENTRY POST did the costumes for TAPS, and even portrays an officer/staff memebr at the academy. The uniforms worn by the military officers were pretty much correct for the time period--late 70's early 80's. The uniforms worn by the cadets were FICTIONAL. Students at military high-school academies are not military members any more then students at SPACE CAMP are members of NASA.
ROTC students or cadets at a private military college may have military duty contracted once they graduate, but they are not members of the armed forces unless they join the guard or the reserves while in school.
"I wish my lawn were Emo--it would cut itself"
You are absolutely correct. It is a myth that Hollywood is not permitted to use official government/military uniforms in movies. As a matter of fact the military has cooperated with many service based Hollywood production movies and offered experts/consultants to make sure they get the uniforms as accurate as possible. There are too many to name. The only service that stopped working with movie production companies was the U.S. Air Force (USAF) after the release of "Iron Eagle" in 1986. Many of the uniforms and ranks were worn incorrectly, some servicemen and women were too overweight for the AF3510 uniform dress codes and some service members had head or facial hair that was worn too long. I spent 8 years in the Air Force and I never saw members look quite like that lol. The uniforms in that movie were a disaster, even with the cooperation of the USAF.
I can't really comment on the cadet uniforms (only) in TAPS since I have never seen or attended an Army academy. I've only seen USAF academy uniforms and berets in person which are the color blue.
Lorenzo D.
As for military uniforms depicted realistically by Hollywood I would
have to state that "Jag" on CBS was 100% accurate and realistic.
The Navy and Marine Corps uniforms worn by the actors were convincing
and accurate along with the rank insignia displayed. I spent four
years in the US Navy and I was around navy and marine personnel
during my enlistment in San Diego. And the creator of the show
Mr. Don Bellisario is a Vietnam War Veteran himself and therefore
was a stickler for correct detail and accuracy in regards to the
uniforms, rank insignia and military etiquette and practices shown
in all of the Jag episodes.
Lorenzo Sunny Florida
The berets? The cadets were in training to join the Ohio State marching band.
shareAnd I'm assuming you were an "extra" in the movie?
One of the smartest people I know is my former boss, who retired from the army as a full Lt. Did I mention he is a West Point graduate?