Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice example of a personalized boonie cover from the Vietnam War. The cover is adorned with 8 flechettes (1 missing) in the webbing around the boonie with a subdued patch from the historic 1st Cavalry Division sewn onto the top. The cover itself is sun faded, the fabric doesn’t have any rips or tears, the nomenclature/size tag is missing from the inside and it has the original chinstrap. This is an overall beautiful example of a 6-⅞ (55cm) boonie cover from the Vietnam War.

The 1st Cavalry Division is a combined arms division and is one of the most decorated combat divisions of the United States Army. It is based at Fort Hood, Texas. It was formed in 1921 and served during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War, with the Stabilization Force in Bosnia-Herzegovina, in the Iraq War, in the War in Afghanistan and in Operation Freedom's Sentinel. As of October 2017, the 1st Cavalry Division is subordinate to III Corps and is commanded by Major General John B. Richardson.

The unit is unique because it served as a horseback cavalry division until 1943, an infantry division, an air assault division and an armored division during its existence.

In 1966, Natick Labs began development of the Tropical Combat Hat in 1966 after the U.S. Army Vietnam Tropical Combat Uniform Board unanimously agreed that the standard OG-106 field cap delivered inadequate sun protection. Based on a design of a full brimmed hat with a band for attaching camouflage and a mosquito net, three prototype models were fabricated.

One hundred hats in each style were sent to Vietnam in August 1966 to be evaluated by the members of the 1st Cavalry Division. Though all models of the hat were well received, troop preference was the OG-107.

The standardized jungle hat was made of OG-107 Oxford cotton cloth and had a 2½-inch wide brim with a flat-top crown. It featured an adjustable nylon lace chinstrap and had two ½-inch screened ventilation eyelets on each side. The hat also boasted a ¾-inch nylon-webbing headband for inserting natural camouflage. Unlike the earlier Jungle Hat and Mosquito Net issued to Special Forces, it did not have an internal pocket for the net.

Though it was developed as the Tropical Combat Hat and was issued as the Jungle Hat with Headnet, troops in Vietnam nicknamed it the Boonie Hat.

In recent years, the value of Vietnam War items have significantly risen due to a popularity increase. This boonie would be a perfect gift for someone who served with the 1st Cavalry Division, so get it while you can!