Believe it or not, helmets reinforced with metal were used by the Sumerians and Akkadians as far back as 2300 B.C.E., and Mycenaean Greeks used bronze helmets (typically quite heavy) in 1700 B.C.E.

The 101st Airborne used playing card suites to identify members of the infantry regiments parachuting in on D-Day, with spades given to the 506th PIR.