Now That’s a Hat!

Sergeant Alwyn John Blades (left), Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (RAEME), of Montague Bay, Tasmania and Corporal Frank Crazy Thunder (right) of the 173rd United States Airborne Support Battalion and member of the Oglala Lakota tribe, swap hats at Bien Hoa United States Air Base, Vietnam.

Taken September 1965. Corporal Crazy Thunder wears the iconic slouch hat of the Australian Army and Sergeant Blades wears a larger than normal “Ten Gallon” hat Corporal Crazy Thunder had custom made.

RAEME engineers with the 1st Australian Logistics Company in support of the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR) were stationed at Bien Hoa from June of 1965 until June of 1966 when they were moved to Vung Tau.

Courtesy of the Australian War Memorial

Accession Number: DNE/65/0371/VN

Photographer: Sergeant Brian Rupert Dunne

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