This is an Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) "boonie" hat from the Vietnam War era. These type hats first appeared early in the Vietnam War. They were worn primarily by United States Special Forces troops, Australian troops, and ARVN troops. These floppy, lightweight hats were perfect for field use as part of a complete camouflage uniform. The majority of the camouflage patterns, tiger stripe predominately, were made in local tailor shops throughout the country. The material for the tiger stripe pattern was salvaged from uniforms or made by the tailor. This particular boonie hat uses a simple brown and green camo pattern. It was made in Vietnam and has no labels at all. There are four large vents, two per side. The right side of the hat has a snap to allow the wearer to wear it with that side snapped up. Sewn onto the under side of the brim on the right side is an in country made VIET-NAM tab in red and white. The sweatband is made of a rigid brown plastic strip sewn in. The stitching on the sweatband is not broken anywhere. There is some wear and tear on the front of the hat, where it would have been taken off and put back on. This hat has just enough wear to know it was actually used, but remains in very good condition. The John Wayne movie "The Green Berets" really made these comfortable bush hats popular. If you have a Vietnam War collection, you gotta have one of these.

Item # AA2650

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