NVA Officer’s Cap

From the Collection: A peaked cap from the People’s Army of Vietnam

During the Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, the People’s Army of Vietnam comprised the regular uniformed military force of North Vietnam, and as a result were often known as the NVA, or North Vietnamese Army. This force was distinct from the Viet-Cong, which was a southern based insurgent force active in the conflict as well, although both were communist aligned and opposed to the Republic of Vietnam and its allies.

The NVA used a simple uniform of khaki or light green cotton, with officers occasionally replacing the iconic pith helmets for a peaked cap. These caps were patterned off of Chinese and Soviet designs, and were in many cases made there as well. The upper portion of the cap was of a khaki or green fabric, with a red headband bearing the emblem of the PAVN on the front.

The example seen here was stored in the bottom of a box for an unknown amount of time, and is thus slightly misshapen.

NVA soldiers pose for a photograph along the Vietnamese DMZ during a prisoner exchange program