In the Offing: Cover to Cover in Vietnam

By M.C. Farrington
HRNM Historian
Although the heading "In the Offing" on this blog usually refers to upcoming books and "cover" is typically an associated publishing term, the covers in this case are two pieces of military headgear related to the upcoming exhibit, The Ten Thousand-Day War at Sea: The U.S. Navy in Vietnam, 1950-1975, which will bring artifacts from the conflict on the other side of the globe a half-century ago to Norfolk this October.  

(Photographic composite by M.C. Farrington)

Retired Navy Captain Frederick A. Olds, who served as a Naval Intelligence Liaison Officer (NILO) in South Vietnam, has temporarily loaned a utility cover he wore there, which can be seen on the left.  Facing it is a peaked cap that belonged to an unidentified Vietnamese insurgent that currently resides in the collection of the Naval History and Heritage Command. 

Captain Frederick Olds, USN (Ret.) aboard a river patrol boat (PBR) on display at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story on March 29, 2019. (Photograph by M.C. Farrington)

As of the date of this post, I can confirm that Captain Olds is very much alive, yet the presence of the former owner of the Viet Cong hat on this side of the veil is not at all certain, particularly when you consider the splotch of what might be blood that still can be seen on the inside of the cap.

(Photograph by M.C. Farrington)

These two military hats are but two of dozens of artifacts that will make their debut at the Hampton Roads Naval Museum this fall, many of which have never been on public display before.  Stay tuned to the museum's new social media offerings in the coming months for more previews of what is sure to be a groundbreaking exhibit.