Ft. Hood Army pilot looking for Stetson hat lost during Longhorns game flyover
Ft. Hood Army pilot loses sentimental Stetson hat
U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 Josh Muehlendorf with the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade based in Fort Hood is looking for a sentimental item he lost during the Texas vs Florida football game.
AUSTIN, Texas - U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 Josh Muehlendorf with the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade based in Fort Hood is looking for a sentimental item he lost during the Texas vs Florida football game.
The backstory:
In a Facebook post, Muehlendorf writes that he and his crew were asked to do the flyover for the Longhorns/Gators game on October 17 and that they were asked to wear their 1st Calvary Division Stetsons for the on-field recognition.
"These cavalry Stetsons we wear, they're ceremonial. They're not something we wear on a daily basis, but for special functions and special formations, we'll wear them. And so definitely something like this, we would wear our cavalry Stetson," said Josh Muehlendorf, Senior Instructor Pilot, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, Fort Hood.
Missing Stetson hat
Muehlendorf says during the flight, they opened the doors to show off their flags to the crowd and while he thought his Stetson was secured, a massive rush of wind sucked the Stetson out of the aircraft.
"My peers who have been in as long as me are just having fun with it. They're making memes and AI pictures of this. It's a blunder on my part for sure, but I think I'm taking it in stride," said Muehlendorf.
The Stetson has special meaning for Muehlendorf as he says it's the exact one he branded new when he started with the same unit back in 2004.
Muehlendorf says it has been with him through 22 years of his aviation career and "the sentimental value is irreplaceable."
"I'm sitting here on the airfield named after two of our fellow comrades that passed away. They were killed in 2007 and they wore that hat. And so now there's just a lineage of friends and heroes that wore that hat," said Muehlendorf.
What you can do:
Muehlendorf says he left Fort Hood at 10:07 a.m., arrived in holding at 10:42 a.m., just north of Hyde Park, flew over DKR at 10:55 a.m., and landed over ABIA at 11 a.m.
It's believed the Stetson fell somewhere about three miles straight north of DKR Stadium or roughly over the Hyde Park, North Loop or Triangle neighborhoods.
Muehlendorf asks people to share his Facebook post in the hopes of finding his Stetson.
He asks that if you live, work, or walk around the neighborhoods a few miles north of the stadium, please keep your eyes peeled for a black Cavalry Stetson in a yard, on a roof, or in the street.
Muehlendorf said he's not giving up hope just yet.
"If I never find the hat, it's still kind of a rewarding little experience that I'll never forget. And I mean, it's just a hat. It's on its little journey. It'll get somewhere. I don't know where it's going, but maybe it'll come back to me. Maybe not," said Muehlendorf.
If you find it, Muehlendorf asks him to send him a direct message.
Local perspective:
The search is getting some extra help.
Jess Starks, owner of local hat design company, "Southern Salt Hat Co," saw the post and offered to remake the hat.
"Initially, the idea was, well, it'll be a nice consolation prize. We can get him something that, you know, he loves that has a story that he tried, but we can at least give him something that would take some of the sting out a little bit," said Jess Starks, Southern Salt Hat Co.
The Source: Information from U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 Josh Muehlendorf's Facebook post, from interviews by Josh Muehlendorf and Jess Starks and from reporting by FOX 7 Austin's Jenna King