Vietnam veteran seeks return of hat that went missing at York State Fair
A York County Vietnam veteran was volunteering at the York State Fair when a valuable keepsake disappeared, and she wants it back.
Irene Bair is proud of her service to our country.
"I was in '72 to '75. I was in Germany. I was a data terminal communication specialist," she said.
Today, she's a volunteer with the Vietnam Veterans of America. She and her fellow women veterans spend time at the York State Fair helping others better understand their service and sacrifice.
"We have this every year, and I put my hat on the table just as a display. It was a black hat. It had U.S. Army and woman on the brim, woman veteran, and it had all my pins on it," she said.
Last Friday, Bair turned her back for a moment and her hat was gone. She still can't believe it.
"Who could take a woman's military hat?" she said.
She thinks someone took the hat on purpose.
"I walked the fair three times around. The police know. I made an official report. I think one of the Army guys was going around looking too. Nothing," she said.
Bair is hoping that whoever has the hat will return it to the lost and found area at the fair.
"No questions asked. Nothing will be done. All I want is my hat and the pins attached returned," she said.
While to some it may seem like just a hat, to Bair it's so much more.
"This is a big deal. My memories, my service is all on that hat," she said.