This is a United States Air Force boonie hat from the Vietnam War era (1959-1975). The hat features a metal Royal Thai Army Rangers badge on the front. On the right side are two patches, one for Vietnam and one for Thailand. There is also a shield pin with Thailand printed on it. On the left side of the hat is a metal Thailand Air Force badge. The interior of the hat includes the name 1/Lt. Salyer, along with the words "Young Tiger" and the date 1-30 April 1965.

The hat belonged to First Lieutenant Lowell G. Salyer. "Young Tiger" may refer to Operation Young Tiger, an operation that ran from 1965 through 1972 that consisted of USAF tanker planes flying routes out of Thailand over South East Asia, refueling friendly planes in the area on an ad hoc basis.¹ Included with the hat is a Air Medal citation for Salyer dating to April 1965.

Country: United States	War Period: Vietnam War
Garment Type: Boonie Hat	Year Made:
Identification: USC-328-0211