Zipperhead, objectionable term?

[spamoli]

I am happy to say that I have accepted a job offer as a crewman and will be attending BMQ in September. During my interview with a recruiting officer I was asked if I knew the nickname given to armoured soldiers. I said "No Sir" and was told it was "zipperhead". My eyebrows hit the ceiling and I asked "Oh?". I was nearly as shocked as if he had said "porchmonkey". He then explained crewmen frequently hit their heads due to the tight quarters inside of a tank, and therefore have a lot of scars on their scalps possibly resembling a zipper. That certainly makes sense but I immediately thought of the nickname being a derogatory term for people of Asian persuasion. Mostly due to it's frequent use by Clint Eastwood in "Gran Torino".
Urbandictionary.com defines zipperhead as

Zipperhead 
A racial slur coined by US soldiers during Korean War because if Asians were shot in the head with high-powered weapons, their heads would split as if you unzipped them.
"Hey Louie, hand me that gun, I just saw me a zipperhead"

I am curious if this term is as widely used as the recruiting officer told me it was, since he made it very clear that racism isn't tolerated in today's military. I wont take offense to being called a zipperhead in my career but I can imagine that this could cause a bit of tension if someone wasn't aware of it's armour oriented definition.

 

[the 48th regulator]

I am happy to say that I have accepted a job offer as a crewman and will be attending BMQ in September. During my interview with a recruiting officer I was asked if I knew the nickname given to armoured soldiers. I said "No Sir" and was told it was "zipperhead". My eyebrows hit the ceiling and I asked "Oh?". I was nearly as shocked as if he had said "porchmonkey". He then explained crewmen frequently hit their heads due to the tight quarters inside of a tank, and therefore have a lot of scars on their scalps possibly resembling a zipper. That certainly makes sense but I immediately thought of the nickname being a derogatory term for people of Asian persuasion. Mostly due to it's frequent use by Clint Eastwood in "Gran Torino".
Urbandictionary.com defines zipperhead as

Zipperhead 
A racial slur coined by US soldiers during Korean War because if Asians were shot in the head with high-powered weapons, their heads would split as if you unzipped them.
"Hey Louie, hand me that gun, I just saw me a zipperhead"

I am curious if this term is as widely used as the recruiting officer told me it was, since he made it very clear that racism isn't tolerated in today's military. I wont take offense to being called a zipperhead in my career but I can imagine that this could cause a bit of tension if someone wasn't aware of it's armour oriented definition.

The term here is affectionately used in reference to Armoured Crewman.  Here being CANADA, not the U.S.  Considering how sensitive the military is towards harrassment, I would think we would have heard an official ban to the term being put in place.  And such has not happened to my knowledge.



One of the resident Zipperheads can further explain the historical references.

I have never heard your references, and I served 18 years in our military, as infantry, happily calling any Zipperhead as such. 

dileas

tess

 

[1feral1]

My opinion:

Zipperhead is to Armd as grunt is to Inf, or Dropshort is to Arty.

I wore a blackhat (in a RAAC Unit) for 4 yrs, and I was a Lighthorseman.

I don't really think any true 'blackhat' is to go grey over this term.

OWDU

EDITed for spelling.

 

[Franko]

We don't care about it too much. It's pretty much a term of endearment.

As for the historical reference, the stitches thing is kinda true. It originated in WW1 tankers got a certain piece of kit issued. It was a primitive helmet with full face guard complete with eye slits and chain mail with a steel skull cap.

When a bullet hit the outside of the tank it would create spalling on the inside. Picture hitting a rusty bucket on the outside with a hammer and the flakes flying around on the inside...pretty much the same effect but much slower.

These helmets with face guards prevented them from getting the stitches but for some odd reason it also started the nickname "zipperhead"...probably as a racists joke/ slur at the time. It's now been in the army vocabulary forever now and crewman know it as a nickname and a term of endearment.

Not as a racial slur.

For example from my last tour in Afghanistan we got into a TIC and over the air, as the Taliban were being hammered by a LAV crew and just as I was getting my gunner laid on, I heard from an infantry call sign "Hammer 'em boys....oh wait, the zipperheads are going to finish 'em off!....(boom) NICE!!!".

Here are some photos, one of a WW1 Brit helmet and one I took in Germany of a WW1 German helmet.

Regards

 

[armyvern]

I am curious if this term is as widely used as the recruiting officer told me it was, since he made it very clear that racism isn't tolerated in today's military. I wont take offense to being called a zipperhead in my career but I can imagine that this could cause a bit of tension if someone wasn't aware of it's armour oriented definition.

Within the Army world here in Canada, when you say "Zipperhead" the thought "Armoured" will be the one that immediately springs to mind. My D9er called himself a Zipperhead just yesterday. We have a Zipperhead_Cop (username) on the site amngst a few others who use it in their username:

http://forums.army.ca/forums/index.php?action=mlist;sa=search

Quite frankly: I'd never heard of the other "definition" of it - ever - until you linked it here.

 

[Shec]

It's always been my understanding that "zipperhead" indeed refers to the zippered pockets that festooned crew-suits and that while it originally and specifically referred to a junior rank in the Strathcona's the appellation rapidly spread throughout the Corps. 

The WW1 helmet story is news to me but, as my wife never ceases to remind me, I don't know everything.  It certainly makes sense.

Regardless its provenance carry that name with pride young Zipperhead-to-be and all the best to you !

 

[gaspasser]

The origin story I heard from a neighbour in Pet (also a Zipperhead); was that some time ago, WW2 I presumed, armoured tanker's berets had zippered pockets in them for some reason. But I like the origin of scars  ;D  I've met many an old tanker who didn't think it's a derogatory slur, just like "Leg", "Zoomie", "Me Start Engine", Pickly", "Chicken F---" and "Redhat",  OH and "Meathead".  (anyone happen to know the origin of that one?? ) Terms of endearment that are not meant to be insulting.  Some terms may be american but have no meaning up here. 
my  :2c:

 

[Occam]

I've met many an old tanker who didn't think it's a derogatory slur, just like "Leg", "Zoomie", "Me Start Engine", Pickly", "Chicken F---" and "Redhat",  OH and "Meathead". 

"Ping bos'n", "deck ape", "flag bag/bunting tosser", "shitter fitter", "scope dope", "weather witch", "sloppy tech", "pay bob" - those terms of endearment exist in the Navy as well.  I'm sure I forgot a few....

 

[gcclarke]

"Ping bos'n", "deck ape", "flag bag/bunting tosser", "shitter fitter", "scope dope", "weather witch", "sloppy tech", "pay bob" - those terms of endearment exist in the Navy as well.  I'm sure I forgot a few....

Bilge Monkey and Sin Bos'n are the only ones I can think of off the top of my head.

 

[MARS]

Tune-techs and bubbleheads...

 

[Blackadder1916]

. . .
As for the historical reference, the stitches thing is kinda true. It originated in WW1 tankers got a certain piece of kit issued. It was a primitive helmet with full face guard complete with eye slits and chain mail with a steel skull cap.
. . .

Though it has a certain ferocious "Luke, I am your father" quality about it, the helmet and mask may not have been worn in combination according to this found on The Royal Tank Regiment Association site.

http://www.royaltankregiment.com/en-GB/collectorscorner.aspx

. . .
I came across a rare example of this WW 1 Tank Corps Crewman’s Helmet in a friends collection it is made of thick leather panels and riveted, this strange shaped protective for the Tank crewman’s head worked well, very rare, and was only worn for a short period in 1916. Although the picture of a Tank helmet and mask look right, both were never worn together as the Tank mask was issued after the helmet was out of service in the corps. If you were lucky enough to buy one of these would set you back between a modest £3000 to £4000. but the real thing is so very very rare.
. . .

The first suturing job I did on my own was to add a zipper to a Strathcona's head, though it wasn't much of a zipper (only 3 sutures).

 

[FDO]

Of course there is also, "gut robber", "pecker checker", "MARS bar", "Scribe"

 

[Rowshambow]

I am a zipperhead and I've no issues (well not that can be fixed on here!

Blackadder, these sutures weren't in Glamoc on roto 7 were they?

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Beats being called a "Herbie" (artillery)

If zipperhead bothers you, what the navy and marine world called things would stop your heart. Turkshead, Irish pendent ae the nice ones, I will let you figure out the name for the drums on the capstan which were painted black.

 

[Blackadder1916]

. . .
Blackadder, these sutures weren't in Glamoc on roto 7 were they?

Unlikely, since it happened in 1978(?) in Wainwright - we were up there along with an Aussie sqn that was over on a SUE.

 

[rmacqueen]

I have lost track of how many times some REMF called me a grunt to which I would indignantly reply that I was a zipperhead.

 

[Kat Stevens]

One of the more flattering things I was called during my time was "thumperhead".

 

[OldSolduer]

One of the more flattering things I was called during my time was "thumperhead".

Cook = Egg Welder
Vehicle Tech = Grease Monkey
Infantry = Pongo, Grunt, Death Tech

 

[Old Sweat]

And there was "chancre mechanic" for the medics.

Besides that "buzzhead" for the signals seemed pretty tame

 

[Fishbone Jones]

The one I was most partial to was 'Voodoo Medicine Man' when I was a tech with 409 Sqn on the 101's.