Original Item: Only One Available. This is a rare "in country" made Vietnam War boonie hat, often called a bush hat. There have been various designs over the years, but all have the same basic shape, with a wide brim, which in some designs have snaps over one or both ears to fold up the flaps for a different look.

This cap is typical of the souvenir caps brought back from the Vietnam war theater, and has a patch on the front of the cap reading U - TAPAO, for the U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield in Thailand. The U.S. Air Force 4258th Strategic Wing, which was redesignated the 307th Strategic Wing in 1970, launched attacks over Cambodia and Laos as part of the war from the airfield.

The top of the cap bears a souvenir patch with the Peanuts character "Snoopy" in the middle, wearing a flight cap. The "100 Missions in a Baht Bus" patch is an unofficial joke novelty patch, referring to the bus that could take soldiers into town at Korat RTAFB, another airfield in Thailand in use by the U.S. Air Force. The bus cost 1 or 2 "Baht", the Thai currency, and the road for the bus was at the end of the airfield. For pilots and air crew, 100 missions would be 100 missions "Over the Baht Bus."  Ground crew then would wear this somewhat whimsical patch indicating 100 trips on the local bus. This patch made fun of boring but necessary administrative duties assigned to some aircrew. A great piece of Vietnam War Memorabilia.

The cap itself is a lovely camouflage color, and has four vents on the crown, with both sides having snaps to hold up the brim. The size seems to be around 7 / 56 cm, but the cap has gotten stiff over the years, as plastic seems to have been used in the construction.

These hats were very popular among American servicemen during their assignments in Vietnam and would be assembled as souvenir's of their time at war. Ready to display!