I’m curious about the origins and meaning of the phrase “Boony-rat buddy” and am hoping someone can deconstruct it for me and give me some entymological history on it.
Thank you.
*Boonie-rat buddy * you mean, like in the Johnny Cash song 
boonie rat n: A combat infantryman., from the following Site
You also have a boonie hat, which was used by infantrymen (and branched off to non-infantry) in Vietnam, and is still used during jungle training today, when in a ‘non-combative’ atmosphere.
[Picture](www.camo-store.com/ images/ACU%20Boonie%20Hat.gif)