Bespectacled soldiers may have trouble training the sights of their guns, or retaining contact lenses in the heat and dust of battle.

CNN: Where Life Passes in a Blur

He has a natural talent for the dust of battle.

BBC: Scotland's cardinal laid to rest

The theory is that, after the Japanese learned about firearms from Portuguese traders in 1543, smoke mixed with the dust and chaos of battle forced samurai commanders to increase their visibility with elaborate headdresses.

WSJ: Dressed to Kill in Peacetime | Samurai! | Museum of Fine Arts, Boston | By Lee Lawrence