Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. This is a tremendous example of a G.I. bringback Vietcong Rice field hat with written provenance written on the husks underneath. There is a Vietcong emblem attached to the front of the hat, which has lost 95% of its enamel and now appears like brass. The hat is constructed of bamboo leaves covered by a rough cloth and held together underneath by small wooden rods.
The hat is in fantastic shape for its age, retaining its original construction and chinstrap. The diameter of the hat is roughly 15½“, and measures roughly 7” tall. The chinstrap is tied to both sides of a reinforcement piece around the interior of the hat, and is made of a ripped canvas material. The Vietcong badge is affixed firmly to the front of the hat, and has been stripped of 95% of its colorful enamel, leaving only the base brass color. Somehow, this color matches the rest of the hat well.
The written provenance reads FOUND IN BAMBOO BUSH BY BUNKER 4/69 NEAR DAU TRIENG. This is most certainly referring to the Dầu Tiếng Base Camp, which was established in October 1966 and used by the U.S. Army and Army of the Republic of Vietnam for the duration of the Vietnam War. Elements of the 1st, 4th, and 25th Infantry Divisions occupied this camp during the war, so the soldier who captured this hat was almost certainly from one of those three divisions.
This is a phenomenal piece of Vietnam War helmet which is near impossible to find due to the poor construction and fragility of these hats. This one is in amazing condition and will display beautifully in any Vietcong or Vietnam War Collection. Ready for further research and display.
In Vietnam, the nón lá, nón tơi (“hats”), nón gạo (“rice hat”), nón dang (“conical hat”) or nón trúc ("bamboo hat") forms a perfect right circular cone which tapers smoothly from the base to the apex. Special conical hats in Vietnam contain colourful hand-stitch depictions or words. The Huế varieties are famous for their nón bài thơ (lit. poem conical hats) and contain random poetic verses and Chữ Hán, which can be revealed when the hat is directed above one's head in the sunlight. In modernity, they have become part of Vietnam's national costume.