Heraldry
"The blue beret perched atop of the eight ball represents the Blue Berets. The number '8' represents the seven wings and region headquarters within the North Central Region. The eight ball represents the fact that Blue Berets are always 'behind the eight ball' when called out on missions."
The real story is...
Around 1969, Mike Vorachek of Idaho Wing and Chaplain Raymond Aydt created the 8-ball design. It was based upon the plastic, liquid-filled 'Magic 8-ball' toy from Mattel - shake it up and it gives you an answer. It was inferred that the only decisions being made at one particular activity were made by the 8-ball and not the cadet staff. Putting the beret on top of it was only natural. Chaplain Aydt and Mike Vorachek went downtown in Williston, ND and had a drawing made. Later, they presented it to [then] Col William Cass, founder and commander of the Iowa Wing Blue Berets. He got a great kick out of it and the idea rapidly caught on. At the first Blue Beret reunion in 1969 held at Ledges State Park in Iowa, Chaplain Aydt presented the 8-ball design. When the activity's name changed from Iowa Wing Blue Berets to North Central Region Special Service Corps, the letters 'NCRSSC' were added to the 8-ball's beret, and the first pocket patches were made.
The 8-ball patch fell into disuse as the years went by, but in 1987 Captain Ken Gleich of Missouri Wing learned about the design. It was resurrected briefly during the last few years of Blue Beret when the activity became 'CAP-EAA Oshkosh' ran by Great Lakes Region. Very shortly after Blue Beret returned as a national activty in 1995, a new shoulder patch featuring the Saint Alban's Cross came into use.
Information provided by:
Christopher Yaroch