2-839-777 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Bush hat worn by United States Air Force pilot, Vietnam War, 1960s. A non-regulation Australian style bush hat worn by members of the United States Air Force serving in Thailand during the Vietnam War. The "Go to Hell Hat" was a Thai-made Australian Bush hat worn by F-105 pilots and their Electronic Weapon's Officer (EWO) who were stationed in Thailand at Takhli and Korat. 'When a new pilot arrived at Takhli or Korat, he immediately purchased a 'go to hell hat' (an) Australian bush hat at the Post Exchange. For each mission flown against North Vietnam, he etched a black hash mark on the front of the hat; for missions into the Hanoi area (Route Package 6), he penned a red mark on the hat. Status in an F-105 Squadron often boiled down to how many red and black hash marks a pilot wore, with the ultimate status symbol being the 100-missions patch he received at the end of a tour.'