Milicias Nacionales Revolucionarias (MNR) beret with BON-156 · FUNDADOR founding-member pin

Clothing/Dress/Costume

-

Archive of Cuban Socialism

Name/Title

Milicias Nacionales Revolucionarias (MNR) beret with "BON-156 · FUNDADOR" founding-member pin

Entry/Object ID

2025.11.45

Description

A khaki/olive-drab wool militia beret with a leather sweatband, tan lining, and side ventilation eyelets, shown interior-up. Affixed to the body is a small domed gilt (brass) pin badge bearing the MNR insignia (central shield) framed by "BON-156" above and "FUNDADOR" below, attached via a pin-back fitting.

Acquisition

Accession

2025.11

Acquisition Method

Purchase

Clothing/Dress/Costume Details

Textile Details

Color

Green

Made/Created

Time Period

1960s

Notes

Maker: Beret unmarked (no label). Pin issued for/by the Milicias Nacionales Revolucionarias (Batallón 156); manufacturer not identified. Date: Early Cuban revolutionary period. The pin is an MNR founding-member ("Fundador") badge, and the MNR were unified on 26 October 1959, placing the object firmly post-1959 — within range. The pin's exact production year is unconfirmed (a "fundador" badge may be contemporaneous with the unit's founding, c. 1959–early 1960s, or a later commemorative issue). Place of Origin: Cuba.

Label/Inscription/Signature

Notes

Pin obverse — central MNR (Milicias Nacionales Revolucionarias) insignia/shield, framed by "BON-156" (Batallón 156) above and "FUNDADOR" (founding member) below. Beret — no label, size, or stamp visible.

Condition

Overall Condition

Fair

Relationships

Related Person or Organization

Person or Organization

M.N.R.

Research Notes

Notes

The MNR were created by Fidel Castro on 26 October 1959 as a popular armed branch to defend the country against foreign invasion and internal threats. 3Dstereo They were built territorially: training centers were set up across the then-six provinces between January and March 1960, with hundreds of thousands organized into battalions, companies, and platoons, progressing from patrols to companies to numbered combat battalions. 3Dstereo These battalions fought at Playa Girón (April 1961) and in the Escambray anti-insurgent campaigns — the "Limpia del Escambray" (Dec 1960–Mar 1961) alone fielded some 60,000 men in about 80 militia battalions under Rebel Army officers. Wooacry Documented battalion numbers run well into the hundreds (e.g., 116, 225, 339, 345), so Batallón 156 fits the numbering and the 1959–1961 formation window — consistent with the pin and firmly in range — even though the specific unit isn't traceable online.

Created By

María A. Cabrera Arús

Create Date

February 1, 2026

Updated By

María A. Cabrera Arús

Update Date

June 18, 2026