Artifact Spotlight: The Dixie Cup 

When I was a kid during the 50's and 60's there was a local TV personality called "Sailor Bob" who of course wore a Navy work type uniform, complete with a Dixie Cup hat.. When he made personal appearances he would sign Dixie Cup" type hats with a Magic Marker and pass them out to the kids. I've never been in the service, but I was tickled to wear my "Sailor Bob" hat. I probably had three or four over the years.

The dyed Dixie cups during WWII was a camouflage measure for sailors on deck, started in the summer of 1942 in the Pacific Fleet. A precursor to the proposed, but not fully implemented gray uniform project of 1943.

I was in the U.S. Navy from 1976 to 1984. When I went in in 1976 we were issued ball caps and I had the same ball cap all the way until the 1980s when the 'Dixie Cup' returned. I hated the Dixie Cup! Even on ship and at sea we had to wear them back then! I had so many fly off my head and into the ocean that it was ridiculous! Every time we got into a port with a Navy commissary I had to buy 6-12 of them to replace all the ones that I lost! And anyone who has served on board ship, especially on Winter Westpacs can tell you, it gets very windy! I don't know about what happened after 1984 and my service connected injury! I served on the USS England and the USS Bainbridge. Liked the England, didn't like the Bainbridge.

A disappointment at the time of my enlistment was I missed being issued a FLAT HAT - by 30 days. (June,63) The "Dixie Cup" was good - BUT it sure got dirty quickly.

When I served in the Navy during the mid-1960s we definitely wore Dixie Cup hats with our whites, dress and otherwise.

Eagerly awaiting the video on SOS (the food, not the signal).

Nice video Mister! 🇺🇸 I love these hats! 🇺🇸

Mine is the only uniform item I have left. I do not miss having to wear it.

Thank you for a fabulous and interesting set of videos!

I'm a Navy vet 1967-71. Was issued two dixie cups but had to buy more during my four years. They were the primary cover when not in dungarees. Ball cap or knit watch cap were only for dungos. Some of my dixie cups are at the bottom of Argentia Bay, Newfoundland as it was always very windy at the naval base there. 2nd duty station was Cinclantflt headquarters (also Nato) in Norfork, Virginia. Uniforms always had to be 4.0 squared away there and we were in dungarees only on midwatches. White hats were hard to keep clean and wore out fast. I always kept one separate for personel inspections only. I saw one of my shipmates get his ass reamed by the Master Chief for wearing a dirty dixie cup. We were allowed to personalize the shape of our dixie cups within limits. Folds and wings were allowed but no wearing on the back of the head and not much tilt to one side. I notice now they must have strict hat cover regulations as they are worn perfectly round and not personalized. Too bad. Back in the day how a sailor wore his dixie cup was sort of an indicator of what kind of swabbie he really was. I never really minded the white hat too terribly much. They were light weight, cool in the summer, and cheap to replace. I still have my inspection cover complete with name stencil and my dress blues. Unfortunately the blues no longer fit. H.J. Hansen RM3.

I served in the Navy from 1966 to 1971 and NEVER heard the term "Dixie cup" when referring to the white hat. As I learned, the white rolled brim hat was first issued in the Pacific in the 1890's in the squadron commanded by Rear Admiral Robley Dunglison Evans (18 August 1846 - 3 January 1912) AKA "Fighting Bob Evans" and called the "Bob Evans cap". My family have served in the Navy from 1915 through 1976 and not one used the term "Dixie cup : when talking about their "White Hat". Also for your expert above, "canvas" is made from cotton.

GO NAVY!

I just bought one I found one eBay for $10. The unique name on the inside matched a sailor who was on the USS West Virginia on Pearl Harbor, who survived

Not many civilians know it's called the Dixie cup. My idea on how to wear it is compared to Jack Nicholson in The Last Detail. Off the eyebrows and the outer edge bent into a square like figure that folded over at the top edge. I never could understand how WW2 sailors kept it on the back of their heads. It barely stayed on the top of your head. We had the dark blue ball cap for utility wear with the light blue chambray shirt and dungaree bell bottom.

Canvas is cotton. How thick is determined by weight of material.

Not to critique but E1 - E6 isn’t a rate, they’re ranks.

Outfit of the profesor Indiana Jones 👍🏻😆

Always wondered why there were darked. Thanks. And also this has to be the worst headgear for everyday wear especially when at see. Worse than having to wear a beret while working outside in the summer at Ft. Bragg back in the 90s. Neither protects you from the sun better than a baseball cap.

I served from 1965 until retirement in 1985. We were issued the White Hat (its official name). I thought then (and I still do) that it was a dumb looking hat. I would have much rather worn a white flat hat. Al least back then we could personalize them a bit, but now it appears as though the Navy has cracked down on that. In every picture I see, the sides are straight and the hat is perched on top of the sailor's head. This makes it look even worse. And I think the US Navy is the only navy in world today that doesn't have a flat hat, at least for dress occasions.

I hated my DIXIE CUP!!!!