Table of Contents

Revised in 2011. After years of searching, I came to the inevitable conclusion that there simply was not a book out there that detailed the history of the rank insignia worn by the U.S. Army since its creation in 1775. So, I decided to write one. After three years of exhaustive research and the compilation of over 100 different sources, here it is! This book covers the history of the grade insignia worn by officers, enlisted personnel and cadets of the U.S. Army throughout history, uniform change to uniform change since the beginning. The text describes the changes and innovations throughout history and is supported by beautifully detailed color plates of the insignia. Included are the grade insignia of the Confederate States Army from 1861 t0 1865, the Republic of Texas Army from 1836 to 1845, the grade insignia of the U.S. Military Academy (West Point) cadets, army ROTC and JROTC cadets as well as the branch insignia and branch colors currently used in the Army.