Green Beret facts

While investigating facts about Green Beret Song and Green Beret Training, I found out little known, but curios details like:

Nirvana and Soundgarden shared a member and he went on to became a Green Beret

how to become a green beret?

After sentencing veteran Green Beret to a night in jail for violating his probation, same judge who is also a vet learned what he was going through after reading his paperwork stayed overnight in the cell with him to be there for him

What is a green beret in the army?

In my opinion, it is useful to put together a list of the most interesting details from trusted sources that I've come across answering what is the difference between green berets and rangers. Here are 35 of the best facts about Green Beret Movie and Green Beret Vs Ranger I managed to collect.

what green berets do?

Charles Martland, Green Beret, got discharged for confronting a child rapist.
The ex-bassist of Nirvana and Soundgarden went on to become an Army Ranger and a Special Forces Green Beret.
When Tiger Woods father passed away, a Green Beret, Tiger became so obsessed with Navy Seals he regularly trained with them at their facilities. His team staged an intervention to avoid him quitting Golf and enlisting.
Green Beret Major Jim Gant, nicknamed “Lawrence of Afghanistan” by General Petraeus, went full native in Afghanistan during his last deployment in Kunar Province, and was allegedly marked for death by bin Laden himself.
Barry Sadler (the Vietnam vet that sang The Ballad of the Green Berets) wrote a long-running series of books about the Roman legionnaire that speared Christ and who was doomed to live forever as a soldier. As of 2016, there have been 45 books published
Barry Sadler's "Ballad of the Green Berets", a pro-Vietnam War song, spent 5 weeks at #1 and beat out "Sound of Silence", "Paint it Black", "Good Vibrations", and others for Billboard's Song of the Year in 1966
Nate Boyer, a former Green Beret, was the one who suggested taking a knee to Colin Kaepernick
Herman Stein, a 60+year old Army Ranger/D-Day vet who re-enacted his D-Day climb of the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc, Normandy with the Green Berets... he beat them all to the top.
U.S Army Special Forces aka the Green Berets acquired the nickname "Snake Eaters" due to the jungle survival practices they learned in Vietnam
Martha Raye was not only a singer and actress, but an LPN and a honorary Green Beret. She earned the honor while in Vietnam with the USO; instead of performing, she provided assistance in combat hospitals.

green beret facts — What is the ballad of the green berets about?

Why were the green berets formed?

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Larry Thorne fought in WW2 for both the Finnish Army and German Waffen-SS, and then fought in the US Special Forces as a Green Berets in Vietnam. He received medals from all three countries.

Lauri Törni who hated Communist Russia so much that he fought against them with Finland, the Waffen SS, and finally as a Green Beret in Vietnam. - source

Captain Howard Levy was court martialed in 1967 after Levy refused an order to teach dermatology to medical aidmen serving in the Green Berets since he considered the Special Forces "killers of peasants and murderers of women and children". He was sentenced to three years in prison. - source

Green Beret Roy Benavidez the soldier who just refused to die during the Vietnam war and when a doctor told him that he isnt going to make it, he spat on the doctor's face. - source

When were the green berets formed?

A former member of Nirvana and Soundgarden went on to become a Ranger and Green Beret. (

How many green berets are there?

Jason Everman who, after being kicked out of Nirvana and Soundgarden, joined the Army and became a Green Beret.

Lauri Törni (aka Larry Thorne), a Finn who fought under 3 flags: Finland, Nazi Germany, and finally as one of the original US Army Green Berets in Vietnam

About Roy Benavidez, a Green Beret who went on a one man rampage mission during the Vietnam war

Billy Waugh who was one of the first Green Berets. He has fought in every major conflict from the Korean War to the Battle of Tora Bora in Operation Enduring Freedom. He has received 8 Purple Hearts and works to this day at age 88.

The Green Beret is a mark of distinction of the US Special Forces. It is still in use by the Iranian Special Forces (the Nowhed Brigade) who were initially trained by American advisors in the 1950's.

When did the green berets start?

The reason Colin Kaepernick kneels, instead of sitting, is because a Green Beret suggested it as a way to continue protesting while showing respect for the military

In 2014 a Green Beret went Native in Afghanistan he even brought his girlfriend to come live with him in Kunar

Colonel Aaron Bank was the founder of the U.S. Army Special Forces, commonly called "Green Berets".

The so-called "elite" special forces of the US military, (SEALS, Rangers, SO Aviators, Green Berets,) number in excess of 70,000 people -- approximately 11,000 of whom are deployed in over 70-80 countries on any given day.

How long is green beret training?

About Jason Everman, a man who was a member of Nirvana, then Soundgarden. He went on to serve as an Army Ranger and Green Beret during tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Oliver Stone wrote the story for Platoon based upon his experiences as a U.S. infantryman in Vietnam to counter the vision of the war portrayed in John Wayne's "The Green Berets"!

Colin Kaepernick started taking a knee during the national anthem after meeting with a Green Beret veteran, as a gesture of respect to people serving in the US military

Bennie Adkins, a Green Beret in Vietnam, was awarded the Medal of Honor 48 years after being wounded 18 times during an 86 hour ordeal that included a run-in with a man-eating tiger and being credited with killing 145 enemy soldiers

Soldier of Fortune's (The Video Game) Main Character "John Mullins" is based off a real US Army Green Beret, Who was highly decorated. He wrote scripts and was a consultant for the games, and his image and background were used.

During his U.S. Army SF Qualification Course in December 2005, Gene Yu left the boundaries of the exercise area to purchase pizzas, to share with his classmates. His instructors found the receipt and he was kicked out of the course. He later repeated the class and received his Green Beret.

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