Vietnam boonie-rats, a question about the "boonie hat."

[DemoTex]

As a pilot, the boonie hat was not in my collection of hats and head-gear. I now use a boonie hat for yard work. My question: What are the loops in the hat band for? They seem about the size for shotgun shells, but that can't be for several reasons (not the least of which is the danger of ringing the brain with ammo, and the Geneva Conventions come to mind also).

[patrick g]

1. here's my .02

ammunition...shot gun shells? that'd be my guess . . ..

[DemoTex]

2. But ... but!

1. Shotguns are banned by Geneva (2?).

2. Who wants to carry ammo around their brain. It would be like having ammo pouches in a jock strap. Eh?

[patrick g]

3. re: here's my .02

there were shotguns used during the vietnam conflict . . ..

[DemoTex]

4. OK (we have obviously thumbed nose to Geneva before).

But what about #2? Ammo storage near balls and/or brain is a, well, no-brainer.

Also, were you a boonie-rat? Or do you have a CIB from the Vietnam war? Those, my friend, are the experts I seek.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

5. No CIB here, well, mainly because I was USN/USMC.... I do have

a Combat Action Ribbon, is that close enough?

I believe the loops were a later, civilian, addition. The one I had did not have any.

That said, I am sure they are for shotgun shells since hunting shotguns must be plugged in most states to limit shells, and this would put them handy to combat load.

I do think it is silly, if the thing falls in the water, you lost your hat and your spare ammo... not good.

[DemoTex]

7. Good theory, Scooter, but my boonie hat is not a civvy version ...

The inside label says:

Hat, Sun, Hot Weather
Type II
MIL-SPEC-H-43577

The plot thickens.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

8. Hmmmmm. But how old is it? Any idea?

The only google hit I get on that Mil-spec is
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=MIL-SPEC-H-43577&btnG=Google+Search

which I think is odd. there should be a contract mention or something.

[DemoTex]

10. Old. I picked it up in a quartermaster-raid at Ft. Huachuca.

My old OV-1 buddy, Captain Q., was the Q-M at Huachuca. Got a lot of gear in that raid.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

11. Hmmmm. Interesting. Also, IIRC, shotguns, per se, are not

outlawed, only the use of certain types of shotgun ammo. I believe slugs are allowed and 00... but gas shells and bird shot are not. But it has been a long time since I took the class on that.

[ET Awful]

6. If I'm not mistaken . . .

much like the small button-hole style holes in the old steel-pot helmet cover, those are for additional camoflauge such as strips of cloth, branches, etc.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

9. Now that makes sense

but I had never heard that, and like I said, I am sure the ones we had did not have the loops.
But, it is possible some did.

[DemoTex]

12. Good answers, all. But still waiting for the boonie-rat explanation.

.

[DemoTex]

13. Kick for "the" answer.

.

[Gildor Inglorion]

14. Can't help you, bro...

never made it out into the boonies, never wore camouflage. Have no idea what that hat looks like. Our motto at I Field Force HQ in Nha Trang: "They also serve who only sit and type." ;-)

[DemoTex]

15. Small world. I was in Nha Trang.

Camp McDermott, south of the field. Loved the beach and the downtown restaurants. Remember "La Nautique" with their giant lobsters for $5? We used to catch the LST to Hon Tre to party with the USAF controllers. The ARMY helos would medivac us out - drunk - at about 2 am. What a deal! Pad-to-pad.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

16. some war you guys had up there.

nice work if you can get it, I suppose.

Of course, flying around in unarmed light planes and falling down into the jungle kind of negate whatever fun you may have with lobsters, I guess.

[DemoTex]

17. Then I went to Cam Rahn.

Then I started patrolling the Ho Chi Mihn Trail (in Laos) all night long. I flew many 18 hour missions. My days were pretty good. My nights were long and bad. Anyone whoever has been shot at by the big guns of the NVA knows what I'm talking about.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

18. I know. I was just kiddin ya. Had to keep your blood pressure

up somehow.

[DonP]

19. In theory, for camo in the field

1st Cav, Phu Loi and points South.

The idea was that they could be used to hold field expedient camoflage. I never saw any of our guys using them that way but I did see some of their side that had used the loops that way, very unsuccessfully I should note.

In practice, it was just a cool place to put your grenade rings and pins when you got to go into town.

Today they make great fishing hats to cover my bald spot! You can dip them int he lake on a hot day and cool off.

[jukes]

21. Don P

Hey, trooper. D Co, 1/5th Cav, 1st Cavalry. Quan Tri & Tay Ninh Prov's, '68-'69.

[jukes]

20. ostensibly

to mount camouflage (branches, etc). never saw any1 actually use the loops that way; wd be a bit efette (sp?). i always went hatless in the bush, but kept my helmet to cook rice or heat water to shave, over a C-4 flame.

shotguns are not outlawed, pointmen in the Cav always carried a 12 ga w/ OO, & a .45 as back-up.