Zesty Drill: a History of the Campaign Hat
A distinctive hat with its flat brim and pointed "montana peak", sometimes evoking comparisons to a lemon squeezer, the campaign hat is the distinguishing mark of US Military drill sergeants and instructors, US park rangers, and the famous Canadian Mounties, as well as several other uniformed services. From a simple outdoor hat shaped to keep rain off its summit, it is now a symbol of authority in the outdoors.
Version française : • Un Chapeau avec du zes...
The hats I'm wearing come from Stratton Hats, Etsy, and the Marché Bonsecours of Montréal.
www.etsy.com/listing/90134388...
strattonhats.com/products/uni...
Title sequence designed by Alexandre Mahler
am.design@live.com
This video was done for entertainment and educational purposes. No copyright infringement of any sort was intended.
I have the feeling that my basic training would have been a lot more pleasant with the Hat Historian as a drill instructor.
Hahaha Quite probably. Not sure how good of a soldier you'd have ended up being though ;p
ONLY YOU CAN PREVENT FOREST FIRES.
It’s been changed to Wildfires on account of the growing acceptance and importance of prescribed fires needed to keep our forests healthy 😁
Unless you're PG&E.
🌲🔥🌲🔥🌲🔥🌲🔥🌲🔥🌲🔥 to late
That’s a lot of pressure on me.
Only fires can prevent forests.
My older sister, one of the first women to qualify as a drill instructor, proudly wore a campaign hat.
4 outfit changes in 1 video. Your collection of historical clothing is as impressive as your hat knowledge.
Thanks for unleashing all my repressed memories of boot camp back in the seventies. 😬
Maybe I should have put a content warning for the intro :p
As a prior US Marine, I bristle everytime you call it a campaign hat, instead of a campaign cover.
Hey Leatherneck, he is just a civilian, you have to expect that-says this RVN/USArmy veteran
@@harriettanthony7352 👍
The campaign cover reminds me of Gomer Pyle and McNamara's morons. Did the Marines actually allow the "educationally subnormal" into the ranks of recruits?
Cover, being used as a general named for headgear is distinctly devil dog
@@matthewgallagher8491And distinctly Devil Dog to be so stubborn. Bull Dog should be the moniker haha. At least the lads are always ready to bite.
One addition: A very similar, black hat is traditionally worn by German journeyman especially roofers and carpenters. And with all tradional trades having it as a standard hat for the official cerominy when becoming a „master of the trade“
You possess not only an impressive collection of hats but quite the selection of wardrobe to go with them!
The campaign hat has a wider international reach than I previously reckoned. While the Hat Historian has an impressive collection of campaigns, that cost a few ducats, they are made of wool felt. In addition to the sandwich board to keep the brim flat, drill sergeants also paint the down side of the brim and the interior of the crown with polyurethane to keep its shape.
It just occurred to me, would you do a short on why you decided to go into doing a channel about hat history?
Hmm, there's a thought... I'll see what I can do
He wanted to throw his hat into the ring.
Damn, he lead with the fact that it is a Montana Peak hat. Didn’t expect he’d get that right, but he did. Pop out the back dimples, curve the brim a little and you’ve got a legit period piece of western headwear. I’ve periodically run a Montana peak with a 3.5 inch 3/4 pencil roll. Never underestimate the effectiveness of that “little strap” across the base of the skull in securing the hat. Hell, the video even closed with what I said about it being an option for distinctive western apparel. Well done.
I get you having all these hats , but to be able to have the matching uniforms for everyone just kills me. lol
My grand father, a young lad in the time of WWI, living in the east of France, remembered the US soldiers, their campaign hat and ‘chewing gums’.😊
And during the American occupation of the Philippines, it was issued/worn by the Philippine Constabulary 🇵🇭
The multicam suits you monsieur.
Perhaps one of the few hats that can trigger PTSD.
😁
lol. So True!
We just loss a great actor Louis Gossett Jr. , Who wore this hat in Officer and a Gentlemen rest in peace Lou 😊
“Steers and queers!”
@@carlbirtles4518are you from Oklahoma?
@@guylewis7418 No, I live in Oxfordshire, England.
@@carlbirtles4518 it was a line from Officer and a Gentleman.
Lee Marvin The Professionals wore it best.
yes sergeant instructor!!!! forrest gump qoutes asides.......you really have the most elegant wardrobe of all..no seriuosly every video you make you always find a way to be a gentleman in behaivor and elegance
Nope. It's "Yes, Drill Sergeant!"
@@richegenriether8161 ah well... then the italian dub its wrong but you cant say its beautifiul...because it is pannofino make it a nice job
As a speaker of multiple languages, I always appreciate your efforts at language appropriate pronunciation of words, as evidenced by many of your video introductions. As a South African, I have offer a humble contribution on pronouncing 'Mata-bele': the 'a' sounds are somewhat drawn out, but not too long. The second half of the word is spoken more as 'beh-leh'. I am horrified how some KZhead guide videos suggest it be said. I have only ever heard it pronounced as I explain. Baden Powell is also pronounced as 'Bayden' (at least in modern parlance down here). Love the videos!
Thanks! and yeah, I try to look up how to pronounce things, but Sometimes either don't find it, or find one that misleads me...
@@hathistorianjc 'I read it on the Internet, so it must be true' 😅 As an academic, I do sympathise deeply 😁
Thank you Professor. Now everyone knows how smart you are. How many languages do you speak? You modestly forgot to tell us.
@@emmgeevideo yes
Ah yes. Is it Bah-den Pole or Bay-den Pow-ell ? Baden-Baden Germany has known pronunciation. And the Royal family is of known Germanic ancestry. And B-P was a British general officer. My father was a scoutmaster from the late 1950s and his campaign hat with different brush colours is a prized possession I handed to my younger brother. The brim requires a slip-on form to keep it flat. Fragile but interesting. Thanks for this. Who today knows what a Queen's Scout is ? US terminology is probably an Eagle Scout. My brother got to shake the Lieutenant-Governor's hand . Don't suppose many today understand the reference. Cheers.@@hathistorianjc
Not everyone can be an R. Lee Ermey, and nobody should ever really try. But your intent was clearly good. I'm glad you're still at it, dear.
I have no particular interest in hats, but sometimes a knowledgeable and enthusiastic presenter can provoke an interest previously absent. So it is here. A crisp and professional presentation that retained my interest to the end.
The New Zealand military adopted this hat, as mentioned. I am over 70 yo and have always known it as the Lemon Squeezer. Interesting to realise it was not exclusively a NZ thing. I never noticed the US Drill Sergeant usage, but I am not into military things in general, so there's that.
Hats aside, the fact that you always have a fitting outfit at hand is fascinating ^^
My goodness! You must have an amazing collection of hats and uniforms. I never realized how interesting hat history is until I started watching your videos. Thanks for the education.
I have a picture of my father wearing a campaign hat in front his barracks US 13 th infantry regiment Ft. Jackson April 1941. He was drafted into the army March 1941. He said the hat was eventually stolen, he went to OCS and served with Patton’s 3rd Army until the end of the war.
So?
@@dereckhasken9055 I never knew there was anyone that delved so deeply into hats! It reminded me of my father, also the US Army of 1941 was using equipment from WW1. Did anyone you know where a hat like that? The drill sergeants I had also wore that hat, but I forgot to mention that. Also State troopers in NYS wear the hat. Just pointing out corroboration of parts of his story.
I have my great-grandfather's hat that he wore in Cuba. It is a brownish white color. I also have one that my great uncle wore in France in WWI. Same type hats different shapes and peaks.
I just found you and this is the greatest thing ever!!! Thank you for the history of hat from a true hat guy!!!
Former USMC recruit. The Drill Instructors would issue us a blank brim straightener to deck out in art. Mostly our impression of them. Something that was a memorable keepsake after their tenure. It basically looks like a toliet seat.
Wonderful presentation. Congratulations! May I add that the Portuguese Boy Scout associations (Associação dos Escoteiro de Portugal and Corpo Nacional de Escutas), more than 70 thousand altogether, still use the campaign hat. These are manufactured in São João da Madeira, an industrial town in the northern part of the country. Production is made in both wool felt and rabbit fur felt.
Hats off to you sir.
I wear mine with a veil when beekeeping ,without veil when camping ,keep up the good work
Gifford Pinchot, the father of the USDA Forest Service, used to sport a Campaign Hat. All but gone from said ranks today, as a way to distinguish ones self from National Park Rangers... to some, it is sadly missed.
There's a certain humour in the Canadian hat of helpfulness being basically the same thing as the US hat of anger.
This hat has a huge cultural significance in New Zealand and australia due to its use in the galipoli campaign. Its still worn by NZ armed forces today in a ceremonial role
Good detail. I'm glad you got the Canadian differences correct. Whenever yanks try to dress up as Mounties, they always screw up the dents. The South Alberta Light Horse still wear the Stetson/campaign hat with their ceremonial scarlet uniform for special occasions.
Got a like just for the X/Plus Sign joke. Perfectly delivered.
makes a decent frisbee too
Very cool video!!
Another outstanding video! Keep em coming!
I just recently found your channel, and I am so very glad I did! I had to share the Boater video simply because of the riot in NYC. As I said, your channel is a rabbit hole that has snared by brain.
That's quite a uniform collection. Great presentation.
There's a famous reprint of the Marine Corp guide to rifle shooting. It's from before WWI. Tons of photos of Marines who modified the campaign hat to their taste. Huge variety, some very cool. The campaign hat did better in the wind in the deep outdoors.
Been waiting for this video. I wore this hat as a scoutmaster. 👍👍👍 Lee Marvin had one in the Professionals. Looked up an old video on the History Guy channel and Sir Baden Powell (the founder of the Boy Scout movement) wore the sane hat when he served with ghe British army.
The Campaign Hat is widely used in "Wild Bunch" Cowboy Action Shooting. In the 1969 Sam Peckinpah movie, "The Wild Bunch" the outlaws dressed as US Army troops wearing the campaign hat in a bank robbery. Instead of recreating cowboys and using period style revolvers, lever rifles, and shotguns in timed action target shooting, the "Wild Bunch" shooters wear distinctive period style uniforms and use firearms of the period, specifically the Colt model 1911 pistol. The hat just screams 'American' as much as a cowboy hat does. In the movie "Out of Africa", the Baroness's American farm manager, Belknap, wears his distinctive campaign hat in contrast with all the Brits wearing slouch hats. And for us veterans, nothing has ever instilled as much fear as getting repeatedly tapped in the forehead by campaign hat brim while being yelled at face to face in a volume that can wake the dead! ;-)
Lee Marvin wore it best. The Professionals.
Another great video :) keep it up!
I always called it a "Smokey the Bear" or "Smokey" hat. State police in the USA are frequently referred to as "Smokies" because it is a common headgear for State police. When I was in the scouts, (USA, mid-1960s) we generally wore a Garrison cap (side cap), and the troop leaders wore the Smokey the Bear hat. Later, some of the troops wore berets. The military "Green Berets" were heroes of the Vietnam war at the time and some scout troops adopted a green (or red) beret for headwear.
Working my way through your videos, and they have all been great. I would love to see videos on the Toque, or knit cap, as I grew up in Canada and we wear these all winter, and the Fire Helmet since I was in the fire service here in the US for years. The second probably a more interesting subject for your viewers. Thanks for these informative bits of history!
I enjoyed this video EXCEPT for one thing. I live in Lincoln County, New Mexico where the real little cub Smokey Bear was found after a forest fire near Capitan. Capitan is where Smokey Bear is buried. "The" is NOT his middle name, it is Smokey Bear! :) Somebody wrote a song many years ago that started people adding "the" in his name. By the way, Smokey Bear's 80th birthday party is coming up soon! I went to the 75th birthday party and ate birthday cake and hope to go to the 80th! I really enjoy your videos! Even though I've lived a long time in New Mexico, the state people forget about and we "have" to put USA on our license plates, I was born and raised in north Louisiana. The state with lots of French roots and French names for places and many French last names including my great-great grandmother!
Thanks for educating us 😊
Great video as always, you've quickly become one of my favorite video creators. Keep up thr good work 👍
Just binged a bunch of videos from this channel after one popped up in my recommendations. So glad that it did! These are so fascinating and as a fan of hats myself I'm loving this content!
With respect, the British Boy Scout movement stopped using the wide awake hat in favour of berets in the late 1960s.
Yep I was choked when I joined, scout masters kept theirs 😅😂
Might I suggest the history of the American football helmet, the beanie (the propellor kind), and the dunce hat. I’d also like to see the history of crowns (fancy gold hats). There’s some fascinating ones from Asia that I’ve wondered about how they were made given their elaborate appearance and the sometimes very early dates they’re associated with.
What a super and very informative channel this is!!!💚
That.. IS the only time we will hear him raise his voice
It's as if Bob Ross was having a flashback.
I had one of those when I was Boy Scout in the UK in the 1950s. It was fine until it rained when the felt-like fabric drooped like a wet blanket.
Interesting he says it's still used by UK scouts. Back in the 70s we wore a beret, having dropped this hat. I gather there was a schism in UK scouting, so I guess the hat was retained by the more traditional groups.
Man never realized R.LeeErmey had a french accent
The “lemon squeezer” was part of the official uniform for Scouts Australia until 2004 when it was discontinued due mainly to the cost. Many Scouts were sorry to see it go.
One of the best so far
As a sea scout chief in France, I can tell that this hat is wear in every mouvement and not just for the Scout unitaire de France. Of course, due to his military reputation it is view as a political choice despite his quality when marching 50 km a day by a Sunny day. For exemple in my unit, we are around 20 on 100 to wear it, because it IS view as being form the right in the political compass. Still, some of my scouts are gonna try it and I'm fighting for his comeback in the uniform of French sea scoutism at least in my unit
An excellent video.
Most interesting.
I'm glad you said "amongst others", because it's part of a dress uniform of the New Zealand army - which is probably only as big as some state police forces to be honest. Ah, I should obviously wait until the post is finished before I comment.😁
Now I'm an expert on the Montana peak hat! Thanks HatHistorian!
The campaign hat is infamous in my state if Pennsylvania due to the state police wearing it lol my father being one of them. You know youre in trouble when you see a grey uniform and a grey campaign hat walking to you
my favorite looking hat! :)
Your knowledge and deep research is truly appreciated. May I presume you attended Washington University of St. Louis? As the oldest person left in my line, I have my grandfather's WW1 helmet and my elder cousin's garrison cap from Vietnam. I also have my grandfather's Purple Heart and WW1 Victory Medal with battle clasps. BTW: The best description I ever read about the Mountie hat: "glass flat brim."
Nice piece. The US Coast Guard basic training instructors are also using this style.
It's funny to see how many things stay the same. The campaign cover may not be a piece of field uniform these days, but the boonie fills the exact same function. Hell, even the way we strap down the boonie is the same, with the strap tightened against the back of the head as an alternative to under the chin.
Loved the opening, good show. Not convincing, been there... But great opening!😁
bonus points for including angry cops!!! fun fact, the hat being worn by smokey the bear led to state police forces being nicknamed "smokies" as in "smokey and the bandit".
Even after 20 years I see that hat and I'm right back in basic lol
It’s crazy that I was just wondering about the history of this hat today
Great channel! Don‘t know if you do wool hats, but if so, please do a video about the Peruvian one.
Lol the angry cops pic 😆
Reminds me of an army marching cadence song we did during basic training: "Everywhere I go, there's a drill sergeant there. Round hat! Imagine that!"
I felt like I was about to get "Half Right Face"
Joyeuse pâque ✝️
This is interesting
Another really Great video, one minor issue, Robert Baden Powell, his middle name has a soft ‘a’ not a hard one so it becomes bade n not bad en 👍🇬🇧🌈♥️
0:56 oh you did the Mounties DIRTY with that photo 🤣
I had a hat like that 65 years ago: in the Boy Scouts!
Great uniforms, by the way.
Lee Ermey'' son right here! 🔼
Whats the intro music? Can anybody help. Great content btw
The music is Dvorak's Symphony n°8, 3rd movement
In New Zealand the hat is known as the as the lemon squeezer .
I see Angry Cops there! I can only imagine his version of the intro would have been less family friendly.
Yeah... I try to keep my videos PG, I have young family members who watch them ;p
Campaign COVER!!!!! 😂 I got corrected on that on more than 1 occasion.
I'm a civilian, so I hope my terminology is forgivable :p
@hathistorianjc oh, I don't think your terminology is wrong... the military just has its own terminology and is almost violently enforcing of it. When you said "Campaign Hat," it brought up... what years later became fond memories.
You reminded me of the colimote hat from Mexico. Thought to make you aware of this type if you hat not heard about it.
10:06 quick someone tell angry cops that he was honored in this wonderful video!
I like his "Angry DS"' videos, so I thought I'd give a subtle reference. I didn't want to seem to be too blatant
The favorite hat of general Pancho Villa and his " Division del norte "...🎉❤😊+
I love how you try to shout but quietly 😅😅😅
I didn't want to destroy the ears of people listening to this with headphones :p
I was wondering, are the costumes an other collection of yours ? Can't imagine the size of your dressing room !
Not a collection per se, but I do like dressing up, so I have quite a few. And my closet is not huge, but well-filled :p
@@hathistorianjcbut you own all the hats you show us here? Or do you get some from other people for presentation? As they all fit very well on your head, I assume you own them!? Also would be great to see videos about ancient hats like the Phrygian Cap which had great impact on the development of other caps.
I own all the hats I've presented so far, with the exception of the British and German WWI helmets (owned by a friend and my uncle respectively), so yes, they are all my head size! And it is planned!
FYI Smokey"s correct name is Smokey Bear, there is no "the" in it.
Private pyle made it out the bootcamp
I was thinking about getting one of these for the past few weeks because I live in Montana. But I'm afraid I'd be mistaken for a Park Ranger.
Just a note. It’s “Smokey Bear”, no “the” in the middle.
Well done as always. Informative and fun. Smokey Bear would be more correct than Smokey The Bear. Other than that keep up the good work.
Sir! Commented, Sir!
Bonne soirée mon ami, could you do one on the Boonie Hat?