Why was Army rank turned upside down?

Question

The chevrons used to point down and the rockers were on top. Now the chevrons point up and the rockers are on the bottom. Why?

I have spent the past week digging up historical photos for the Colorado National Guard Historic Society and I'm telling you, every photo I've found of a Civil War, Spanish American War and Mexican American War Soldier has had rockers on top and chevrons pointed down on the bottom, just like my specialist rank I'm wearing right now. Only these guys were Sergeants, Staff Sergeants, Sergeant First Class, etc.
So everyone in the Civil War was just wrong?

Sergeants Uniform in the Civil war

http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/books/AMH-V1/ch09.htm

Answer 1

Here's some info-

"Starting in 1820 Army company grade officers and Sergeants wore one chevron with the point up on each arm. The officers' chevrons were of gold or silver lace, depending on the wearer's branch of service. Captains wore their chevrons above the elbow while Lieutenants wore theirs below. Sergeant Majors and Quartermaster Sergeants wore worsted braid chevrons above the elbow while other Sergeants and Senior Musicians wore theirs below. Corporals wore one chevron on the right sleeve above the elbow. By 1833 the Army and Marine company grade officers had stopped wearing chevrons and returned to epaulettes as rank insignia. Sergeants of the Army dragoons then began wearing three chevrons with points down and Corporals two. All other NCOs wore cloth epaulettes to show their rank. From 1847 to 1851 some Army NCOs wore chevrons with the points up on their fatigue uniform jackets but still used cloth epaulettes on their dress uniforms. After 1851 all Army NCOs wore chevrons with points down until 1902 when the Army turned the points up and adopted the patterns used today, two chevrons for Corporals, three for Sergeants and combinations of arcs and other devices beneath the chevrons for higher grades of Sergeants."

Answer 2

No one was wrong. That was how they wore them in those times. The way ranks are worn has changed. A few decades ago there used to be specialist ranks from E-5 to E-9 in the Army until the mid 1980's. Those ranks did have the points down.
You also have to realize that there are now (since WW2), Four branches of the military: Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines. So there may be some confusion with your answers.

Answer 3

Army Chevrons

Answer 4

As far as modern times it has not happened unless a new reg is mandated we know nothing about.

At times in the Army's history the chevrons have been flipped. But not since Vietnam and that was only for Staff Enlisted. They were turned back over soon after. The only modern Enlisted rank that points down is the E-4 Specialist.

I misread I presumed you where speaking of the modern military.
this site will help you, It is all about the regulations of the times.
http://pirate.shu.edu/~collinjo/armysvc/ENL/ENL.htm

Answer 5

When did this happen? The Navy chevrons have always pointed down and Army and Marine Chevrons pointed up during my lifetime. And I'm almost a fossil.

Answer 6

Insignia is still worn upside down for "Pershings Own", the United States Army Band. See the following: http://www.usarmyband.com/about-us/the-us-army-band-uniform.html

Answer 7

US Army rank has never turned upside down and the Rank chevrons has been that way since the US Army
was born 231 years ago!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 8

the air force chrevrons point down, not the army's!

Answer 9

if you saw it on someones uniform, he or she had it on wrong.

Answer 10

you sure about this.